Teaching at La Jolla Country Day School

Faculty/Staff Directory

Department

Grade

Last Name

Jeremy Bank

Educator, MS Science and Design and Innovation Grades 5/6

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by pushing students to improve every day. In all areas of life, small and incremental steps can translate to large changes over time. I ensure that students are striving to continually develop their skills in all subjects so that small progress over time can lead to large growth.”

Jeremy Bank believes that Earth science should be about observing and analyzing the world around us. As an eighth-grade Earth science teacher, Mr. Bank’s goal and mission is to provide a safe and mentally stimulating environment where students can learn how to not only understand the world but to realize change.

Mr. Bank graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering. He worked in the fields of data analysis and energy efficiency before transitioning to a career in STEM education. He has been teaching children and adults in the fields of 3D printing, computer programming and robotics for five years.

Mr. Bank enjoys reading, movies and yoga. “The Martian” by Andy Weir, “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card and “Battle Royale” by Koushun Takami, are some of his favorite books.
Caroline Becker

Educator, Middle and Upper School Choir

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by providing my students the opportunity to become articulate musicians, performers and communicators. I create an encouraging classroom atmosphere for my students to take risks and find their voice. Students who can tell a story through their voice will inspire others to do the same and become the leaders who will help impact the world around them.”

Caroline Becker believes that all music should tell a story and make someone feel like dancing. Without this basic concept, the beauty of a musical performance is simply lost to both the performer and their audience. Ms. Becker has taught and modeled this concept from the first day she stepped into the classroom.

Ms. Becker spent the first 24 years of her career teaching music education in the Upper Midwest, where she directed choral programs, orchestras, musical theater, jazz vocal and award-winning competitive show choir programs. She moved to San Diego in 2013 and loves everything about it.

Ms. Becker loves walking on the beach, singing, playing the piano, watching football and spending time with her three daughters, Kaila, Kelsey and Kylie. She is honored and thrilled to be a part of the LJCDS family.
Andrew D'Avanzo

Educator, MS Math Grade 5

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Bio

“I inspire greatness by creating a community where students feel empowered to take risks, advocate for themselves, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. I strive to create a classroom environment where students collaborate and see mistakes as opportunities rather than failures. Through this approach to mathematics, students also develop the enduring skills and mindsets necessary to grapple with the complexities of the real world.”

Andy D’Avanzo seeks to spark curiosity and creativity within all of his students. He recognizes that there can be multiple ways to approach a math problem and encourages students to be critical thinkers and patient problem-solvers. As a 5th Grade Advisor and math educator, Mr. D’Avanzo’s mission is to create an environment in which students are encouraged to grow socially and intellectually.

Mr. D’Avanzo graduated from Brown University in 2011, where he majored in international relations and Spanish. He was also a member of the men’s varsity soccer team. During his junior year, he had the opportunity to study abroad in Havana, Cuba, where he developed an interest in education as a volunteer teacher in elementary and university level English classes. After graduating, Mr. D’Avanzo began working with a charter school network to found a new school in Providence, RI, and spent six years teaching kindergarten through Grade 4, including two years as a math specialist. He has also taught Algebra, and been involved in the creation and implementation of mathematics curriculum for grades K-8. Mr. D’Avanzo has a passion for making mathematics accessible and exciting for all students.

Mr. D’Avanzo enjoys playing guitar and soccer and is an avid fan of Arsenal F.C. As a recent transplant from New England, he hopes to take up surfing and exploring all that San Diego has to offer.

Read more about Mr. D'Avanzo in a Faculty Spotlight article here.
Laura del Moral

Educator, MS World Language Grade 7/8

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by creating an awareness of the trend toward cultural blending and encouraging multicultural perspectives. Ethnicities are blending as we reshape a new global identity. I provide opportunities to connect the students to our local and global communities, making each student more multiculturally aware.”

Laura del Moral, M.E., believes that the Middle School world language department prepares students to be part of our global community. Ms. del Moral’s role is to provide authentic and unique experiences in Hispanic languages and cultures to develop multicultural thinking.

After graduating from Humboldt State University, Ms. del Moral began teaching Spanish and English in France. At the World Trade Center of Marseille, she was part of a dynamic environment as her European students were from various cultural backgrounds and were multicultural thinkers. Ms. del Moral built innovative, dynamic language-teaching strategies to suit the blend of cultures and interests. Ms. del Moral had the privilege of teaching European Union members, who benefited from her engaging approach. Since 2010, she has developed the Spanish program at La Jolla Country Day School by implementing real-life projects and introducing appropriate Spanish novels into the curriculum. She greatly enjoys teaching Middle School students, whom she finds clever and unique.

Ms. del Moral enjoys reading studies on language acquisition and bilingualism. As a professional goal, Ms. del Moral shares the research with the English, history and world language departments along with the Learning Resource Center. These studies help her stay current with the most recent research on how we learn languages.

Ms. del Moral has been teaching for over 20 years and continues to have an immense passion for the field.
Alexis Grinbold

Educator, US Ceramics and MS Visual Arts

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Bio

“I inspire young artists to engage with the process of making art. It is unreliable, absurd, delightful and invigorating. It is everything and nothing, direct and meandering. It is important that young artists recognize these permanent and fleeting notions because it is here in these moments when the adventure of exploring art begins.”

Alexis Grinbold teaches young artists in both Middle and Upper School with a focus on ceramics. She earned a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego. After graduating, Ms. Grinbold worked in an environmental design studio in San Diego with a small group of designers fabricating custom ceramic tile for residential and commercial developments. This led her to pursue an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where she began teaching in both the ceramics and C.O.R.E. program and also served as the ceramics lab tech assistant.

After graduating from SAIC in 2013, Ms. Grinbold moved back to San Diego and started substitute teaching at LJCDS while maintaining a strong studio practice and acting as an exhibition committee member at the nonprofit art organization Space4Art. She implemented a ceramic program there, installing a kiln and glaze lab for the community. Ms. Grinbold taught full-time at LJCDS, building the ceramics program and teaching AP Art History before moving on to teach at a community college in Palm Desert, CA. There, she started a partnership with the Desert Institute for the Joshua Tree National Park Association, teaching wilderness cooking and baking workshops. Ms. Grinbold returned to LJCDS in 2021 after teaching art and art history at the University of Redlands, Crafton Hills College, College of the Desert and San Diego City College.

When she is not teaching or working in the art studio, Ms. Grinbold is reading or watching anything related to sci-fi, ancient civilizations or animation. She also loves baking and being in nature with her son who inspires her to be an explorer in the world.
Liesl Hansen

Educator, MS Band

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Bio

“Music is an essential part of our humanity. I inspire greatness every day by exposing middle school students to the hard work, dedication and teamwork it takes to make that music happen. These remarkable students will go on to become even more remarkable adults, and my hope is that wherever life takes them, they are able to look for and appreciate the culture and beauty around them.”

Liesl Hansen is the Middle School band director at La Jolla Country Day School and takes students from producing their very first notes in fifth grade to being ready to join the Upper School program when they are finished in eighth. Ms. Hansen has been the director since 2007 and has watched the program grow to be an integral part of the culture, not only of the Middle School but of the community as a whole.

Ms. Hansen began her training when she was in fifth grade, when she chose to play the French horn, and music has been a part of her life ever since. She received her bachelor’s in music education from Michigan State University, where she was a member of the Spartan Marching Band for five years. She also spent a semester studying horn performance abroad in Vienna, Austria, and had the honor of studying with Wolfgang Tömbeck, principal horn soloist for the Vienna Philharmonic.

Ms. Hansen performs with various community ensembles, is an avid member of Hornswoggle, an all-French-horn ensemble, and is also a member of the orchestra for San Diego Musical Theater.

Ms. Hansen enjoys spending her free time with her husband and two young sons, Legos and parks being some of their favorite activities to share.
Stephanie Heinrich

Educator, MS Science Grade 5; Team Leader Grade 5

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by creating a safe environment where students can challenge themselves, both in academics and athletics. In a world where solutions often create additional obstacles, I empower students to collaborate and develop ideas that will provide scientific solutions for real-world problems on a global scale.”

In her first year, Stephanie Heinrich brought new opportunities to our Middle School community by starting a marine biology elective. She hopes to engage students through local marine life and by connecting them with marine scientists. As a science teacher, Ms. Heinrich believes that by educating our students about Earth, we can initiate the change that is needed to conserve global habitats.

Ms. Heinrich’s career began at the University of California, San Diego, where she double majored in psychology and ecology, behavior and evolution while playing on the intercollegiate water polo team. She competed professionally in Australia before returning to San Diego in 2011 to begin her coaching career with La Jolla Country Day School. Ms. Heinrich coached the varsity women’s water polo team for three years at LJCDS while working at SeaWorld San Diego as a scuba diver before transitioning to a research associate position with SKS Ocular, a biotech start-up, until February 2014.

Before returning to LJCDS in August 2015, Ms. Heinrich taught English in South Korea for one year, and that is where she developed her enthusiasm for teaching. Ms. Heinrich is currently working on her Master of Science in science education through Montana State University and spends her summers completing field courses in Montana.

Ms. Heinrich is an avid traveler and a scuba diving instructor. She loves being outdoors, especially in or near the ocean, paddle boarding and snowboarding.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-heinrich-7b43144b
Ekua Impraim

Educator, MS History Grade 5

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Bio

“I inspire greatness by empowering students to think critically, creatively, and empathetically about the world around them. I am committed to providing students with a holistic education that helps them develop into compassionate global citizens and lifelong learners.”

Ekua Impraim, M.S.Ed., comes to La Jolla Country Day School after six years of working as an educator in Hawaii. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she is happy to be back in her home state. At LJCDS, Ms. Impraim teaches a 5th grade humanities course that focuses on world culture and geography. As a lifelong explorer, she is passionate about teaching students about the stories behind the diverse cultures of the world. In an interdependent world, Ms. Impraim believes in the importance of helping students understand global issues and exploring ways to resolve the challenges the world is facing.

Ms. Impraim holds a Master of Science in Education degree from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree from University of the Pacific. She has taught at both the middle school and high school levels. In addition to teaching academic content, Ms. Impraim is passionate about supporting students’ social and emotional growth as an advisor as well as in her humanities classes.

In her free time, Ms. Impraim enjoys spending time in nature, traveling both locally and internationally, music, writing, eating food from a variety of cultures, and watching the sun set behind the Pacific Ocean.
Miranda Katz

Educator, MS English Grade 5

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by creating a strong community of learners, explorers and risk-takers. I deeply value storytelling and diverse literature. I believe in the power of sharing our stories with each other and encouraging our students to do the same. It is through community and collaboration that we learn and grow. I believe that together we are better.”

Miranda Katz, M.Ed., Middle School English educator, is inspired by innovative educational communities. Mrs. Katz felt an immediate connection to LJCDS’ commitment to social responsibility when she started in 2021. She believes that together we can inspire a community of learners to lead through intention and connection.

After graduating from The Ohio State University, Mrs. Katz taught third grade at a Title I school in Columbus, Ohio. It was during this experience that she grew her love for diverse literature. She hopes to write her own children’s book in the future.

When Mrs. Katz isn’t in the classroom, she loves to spend her time outdoors at the beach or farmers markets. She enjoys cooking for friends and family. She believes that joy and connection are often found through the comfort of sharing food with the ones you love.
Dan Lenzen

Director of Design & Innovation

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by teaching our students to empathize with the difficulties others face and how to be proactive problem solvers. Human-centered design requires a deep interest in how others experience the world, a sharp analytical eye and the courage to try to improve the world. I teach students the technical and human skills that will allow them to tackle problems of any size.”

Before to coming to LJCDS, Dan Lenzen earned his Master of Science in cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, where he designed methods to study gesture and sign language with the Microsoft Kinect and taught design to undergraduates. This work built on his interest in how cognition exists in our mind and bodies that began when he earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Colorado College (with a focus on social psychology). He spent three years as a researcher at the University of Chicago, investigating the role of gesture in learning in middle school students. These experiences provided Mr. Lenzen with skills in human psychology, research design, web design and computer programming.

Mr. Lenzen is the director of Design & Innovation and teaches courses in the Upper and Middle Schools.

As a native Chicagoan, Mr. Lenzen has joyfully embraced the San Diego lifestyle—surfing, hiking and actually enjoying the months between October and April.
Betsy McCallum

Educator and Advisor, MS Math Grade 6 (Emeritus)

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by preparing my students to embark on a lifelong journey of creativity, curiosity and imagination. I encourage my students to trust that they have the strength and the passion for a limitless future and the infinite ability to change the world.”

Betsy McCallum is a sixth-grade math teacher, advisor and mother of two La Jolla Country Day School lifers. She inspires her students by leading by example and by challenging, encouraging and supporting them. She helps her students set goals that are personally challenging, yet realistic. By creating an invigorating classroom culture, she supports her students on their quest to realize their future goals, both in and out of the classroom. Mrs. McCallum guides our future thinkers, mathematicians and negotiators of change. Learning to have a positive attitude enables her students to overcome the most difficult of obstacles along the path to success. Her classroom environment exemplifies dedication, inspiration and determination, where nothing is impossible.

Mrs. McCallum embodies the quote by Albert Schweitzer: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Ciara Rafferty

Educator, MS Art

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Joe Rowling

Educator, MS Strings and Orchestra

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world through music. I motivate students to strive for excellence and inspire them to recognize their greatness individually and collectively.”

Joe Rowling believes that music education is important for the sake of music. As the Middle School orchestra director at La Jolla Country Day School, Mr. Rowling’s role is to teach students perseverance, dedication, teamwork, beauty and creativity through playing a string instrument. Students in Mr. Rowling’s classes hopefully leave with a lifelong love and appreciation of music.

Mr. Rowling was born in San Diego. He began studying piano and violin at age 7, and later the viola. Growing up, Mr. Rowling was a member of several school and youth orchestras around San Diego County. After “messing around” on the piano one day, he gained an interest in composing. This led to him entering and winning a few young composer competitions.

Mr. Rowling continued his education at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he studied music education. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s of music. While studying in Los Angeles, Mr. Rowling participated in USC’s Outreach program, where he taught free after-school music classes to local elementary schools that did not have music programs of their own.

Mr. Rowling started at LJCDS in 2007. Besides teaching, Mr. Rowling is currently principal violist of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra, does quartet and duet gigs with colleague Joan Diener, and works as a real estate agent for his family’s company. When Mr. Rowling has free time, he enjoys seeing friends and family, traveling, and playing disc golf.
Robert Wagner

Director of the Arts

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Bio

“Through an arts education, is an education in the human condition. Through painting, building, singing, performing and shaping, students learn to understand themselves and the world around them. I inspire greatness by ensuring students have a safe place to discover their true selves as they experiment with how to create art which shapes, reflects and challenges the world around them.”

Robert Wagner received his Bachelor of Arts in theater and dance from Muhlenberg College. He founded a nonprofit high school performing arts program for inner-city youth in Allentown, Pa. and served as the manager of education and outreach for Muhlenberg College’s Summer Music Theatre.

Mr. Wagner started at LJCDS in 2012 and has taught Middle and Upper School dance and drama and choreographed and directed all of the theatrical productions. In 2022, he became the director of visual and performing arts.

Professionally, Mr. Wagner performed with the Enchantment Theatre Company’s national tour of The Velveteen Rabbit, sang and danced his heart out in countless summer stock productions on the east coast, and choreographed and assistant-directed the La Jolla Playhouse W.O.W. Festival productions of Heaven on Earth and Under Construction. He has served on the board of the international nonprofit Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, Inc., and was the director of performing arts at the Swain School for four years.

In his free time, Mr. Wagner loves playing with his Goldendoodle, Midas, and traveling with his husband Brent.