Teaching at La Jolla Country Day School

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Faculty and Staff Directory

The La Jolla Country Day School faculty, administration and staff are strong, diverse and talented individuals who have been drawn together for a common purpose. Ours is a vibrant community with an exciting charge—to create a stronger, better place where our children and those of future generations can grow to become excellent individuals, citizens and adventurers of the world.

Below is a list of the administration, staff and faculty. To locate a member, click on the drop-down menus below to search by division, department or last name. Faculty and staff bios are also available below.

Faculty/Staff Directory

Department

Grade

Last Name

Tyler Hales

Dean of Students, MS; Coach - Football

(858) 453-3440 x193

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by being a positive and enthusiastic role model for young men and women in the classroom, on the playing field and in the hallway. I encourage students to think about others before themselves. I hope that students leave my classroom and football program ready and eager to make positive impacts on others and the world around them.”

Tyler Hales believes that there is no finer school in the country than La Jolla Country Day School, and he approaches each day with gratitude that he has the privilege to work with the best students, faculty and staff anywhere. His role on campus is to teach students perseverance, accountability, integrity and enthusiasm through his eighth-grade U.S. history curriculum and Upper School football program.

Mr. Hales graduated from Colby College with honors in American studies and earned his professional certification in education. While at Colby, he played both football and baseball, serving as a baseball captain for two years. He earned his master’s degree in teaching and learning: research in curriculum design at the University of California, San Diego.

At LJCDS, Mr Hales taught third grade for two years and fifth grade for three years, and served as the junior varsity head baseball coach for seven years. He has also coached Torrey football since he joined LJCDS in 2007 and was named the head varsity coach in 2014.

Mr. Hales is originally from Lexington, Mass., and lives with his wife, Jena, who is an assistant professor in biological psychology and behavioral neuroscience at the University of San Diego. They have two young children, Coleman '31 and Delaney '33.

Tyler Hales on LinkedIn
Stephanie Heinrich

Educator, MS Science Grade 5; Team Leader Grade 5

(858) 453-3440 x239

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by fostering a safe space where students push themselves both in and beyond the classroom. I empower them to take risks through collaboration and hands-on inquiry, guiding them to develop ideas rooted in evidence. I work to connect students with nature and use the power of outdoor education to help them grow as individuals.”

In her first year, Stephanie Heinrich expanded opportunities for our Middle School community by launching a marine biology elective. She engaged students through the study of local marine life and by connecting them with practicing marine scientists. As a science teacher, Ms. Heinrich believes that educating students about Earth sparks the change needed to conserve global habitats.

Ms. Heinrich began her career at the University of California, San Diego, where she double majored in psychology and ecology, behavior, and evolution while competing on the intercollegiate water polo team. She later played professionally in Australia before returning to San Diego in 2011 to begin her coaching career at LJCDS. She coached the varsity women’s water polo team for three years while also working as a scuba diver at SeaWorld San Diego, before transitioning to a research associate role at SKS Ocular, a biotech start-up. In 2014, she taught English in South Korea, an experience that deepened her passion for teaching, before returning to LJCDS in 2015.

In July 2024, Ms. Heinrich completed her Master of Science in Science Education at Montana State University. Her program included field experiences such as participating in an archaeological dig in Montana, summiting Gokyo Ri in Nepal (17,600 ft) to study the geology and culture of the region while viewing Mt. Everest, and exploring the endemic species and ecology of the Galápagos Islands—experiences she now integrates into her Earth science curriculum.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Heinrich is an avid traveler and scuba diving instructor. She enjoys being outdoors, especially in or near the ocean, and loves paddleboarding and snowboarding.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-heinrich-7b43144b
Nate Heppner

Educator, MS English Grade 8; Coach - Swim and Dive

(858) 453-3440 x227

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by enveloping our students in literature and writing, which allows them to confront their own humanity, the humanity of others or, more likely, both at once. The ultimate purpose of eighth-grade English is to offer a variety of paths that converge on the road of life, by which students might exit the school year as more complete versions of themselves.”

Nate Heppner grew up in Palmer, Alaska. He is a 1998 graduate of Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. He taught for two years in Portland, Ore., and one year at Crawford High School before coming to La Jolla Country Day School. He could hardly believe his luck to arrive at a school where the curriculum includes “Ender’s Game,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Romeo and Juliet,” plus trips to Catalina Island and Sequoia National Park.

Mr. Heppner has been teaching Middle School English and coaching the Upper School swim team at LJCDS since the 2002–2003 school year. In addition, he teaches public speaking as a first-trimester elective for seventh- and eighth-graders.
Jeff Hutzler

Director of Athletics and Physical Education

(858) 453-3440 x129

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by leading an athletic department dedicated to students’ development of personal integrity, self-responsibility, self-sacrifice, teamwork and the pursuit of excellence. For more than 30 years I have been teaching young people through athletics to master these qualities, and I empower La Jolla Country Day School’s young men and women to tackle their personal goals and to shape a better world.”

Entering his 22nd year as LJCDS’ director of athletics and physical education, Jeff Hutzler is the winningest football coach in the school’s history, with a won-loss record of 101–37 from 2002–2013. His teams claimed six league and three CIF Championships. After playing eight-man football from 2001–2004 and returning to 11-man football in the Pacific League in 2005, the Torreys rejoined the Coastal League, California’s most competitive small-school football league, in the fall of 2011. Coach Hutzler was honored as one of California’s 13 model coaches in 2009. During Coach Hutzler’s tenure, 207 championship banners have gone up in Smith Gymnasium.

Before coming to LJCDS, Coach Hutzler coached football, track and field, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball in Nevada, Los Angeles and New York. He is a two-time Football State Coach of the Year, six-time Southern Nevada Track and Field Coach of the Year, and he was inducted into the Southern Nevada Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005.

Coach Hutzler grew up in Kailua, Hawaii. He competed in cross country, track and boxing at the University of Nevada, where he earned a degree in education in 1983. Coach Hutzler graduated from UNLV with a M.Ed. in physical education in 2000. He has two sons, Coleman and Luke, and two grandchildren, Micah and Leila. Coach Hutzler lives in Encinitas with his wife Janice.

Faculty and Staff Directory

Faculty/Staff Directory

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