Emma Buttery is the Lower School administrative assistant. Her job includes greeting and assisting all who visit the Lower School office. She is always willing to jump in and help, whether out on the playground at recess or connecting with families to help students be successful throughout their day. Ms. Buttery makes sure the Lower School faculty feels supported so that they can create an environment for students to thrive.

Before joining LJCDS in 2020, Ms. Buttery was an assistant supervisor in the education and conservation department at SeaWorld San Diego. She helped facilitate and build a curriculum for SeaWorld’s summer camps and field trip programs. Ms. Buttery partnered with San Diego Unified School District to help create SeaWorld’s Ocean Link Lab, a free program for middle school students, to help expose them to STEAM careers at SeaWorld and in San Diego. Ms. Buttery graduated from Cal State, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. She danced professionally for 10 years before retiring her pointe shoes to start a family. 

In her spare time, Ms. Buttery likes spending time with her husband, Michael, and son, JP. She enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors in the beautiful San Diego sunshine. 

Cassandra Castillo believes that all children are capable and competent and thrive in an environment where they are provided with boundless opportunities and surrounded by educators who love and support them. Her passion for teaching young children started back in high school with a child development internship program. After working with multiple schools throughout high school, she gained a love for early childhood education and decided to pursue her passion for educating young children. 

After graduation, Ms. Castillo enrolled in child development classes at a community college, where she received an associate’s degree in child development. She has taught at different preschools in San Diego over the years and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in family and human development at Arizona State University.

Briony Chown believes that young children are capable of far more than most adults believe. She is delighted to be part of the La Jolla Country Day School community where the curiosity and talents of both students and educators are nurtured and students’ intellectual and social-emotional growth are always at the forefront.

Ms. Chown is an experienced educational leader with a strong early childhood and elementary school background. Most recently, and since 2015, she has been the director of High Tech High Explorer Elementary in Point Loma. In addition, she has been a Grades 2–5 teacher. Originally from the United Kingdom, she has an undergraduate degree in literature and philosophy and a graduate degree in primary education, multiple subjects.

Throughout her career, Ms. Chown led the redesign and oversight of a K–4 curriculum; shaped and developed schoolwide facilities; hired, mentored and evaluated faculty; designed and facilitated professional development for her school community. She is committed to the development and success of our youngest students in the classroom, on the playground and beyond.

Originally from London, Ms. Chown enjoys theater, museums and the arts, although she is also now fully immersed in the San Diego lifestyle of paddleboarding, camping, hiking, yoga and brunch. She is a proud mother of twin boys born in 2017.

“I am inspired by the young child. Each time I enter their world to be a part of their learning, I fall in love with being an educator all over again. My goal is to support and create inclusive environments where children feel valued, respected and part of a community. I inspire greatness for a better world by helping the adults in children’s lives hear their voices, understand their feelings and learn the language of play.”

Maria Curtis has dedicated her 32-year career to the early childhood field. She was the owner of a private day care, a preschool director and a teacher of children 18 months to 5 years old. In addition, Ms. Curtis has worked as a residential care worker at Polinsky Children’s Center, the county’s 24-hour emergency shelter for children under 6. Ms. Curtis started at La Jolla Country Day School as the head teacher/director and nursery teacher in the Early Childhood Center in 1997. She joined the administration team as the Lower School assistant director in 2006, which has allowed her to work with students and families from Tiny Torreys through fourth grade.

Ms. Curtis studied human development at Pacific Oaks College, where she received her Bachelor of Arts with specialization in early childhood education. She continues her studies, researching the development of relationships among preschool girls and relational aggression. She received nine years of education from the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, which validated her commitment to the social and emotional development of young children. Ms. Curtis raises awareness about topics pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion. She has participated in the (NAIS) People of Color Conferences among other professional development opportunities.

Devin Grant believes that physical education teaches fundamentals and lessons that spread beyond the classroom and field. As a physical education educator, his role is to build the basic fundamentals for locomotor, ball, kicking and perceptual skills within the Lower and Middle School. Coach Grant helps support the Upper School teams in football and softball as an assistant coach.  

Coach Grant grew up in the Bay Area and developed a love for sports from an early age. He quickly transferred that love onto the field and court and earned a scholarship to play football at the College of Idaho, where he also earned a degree in Human Health and Performance. 

Shortly after graduating in 2021, Coach Grant moved to San Diego and began working at LJCDS as a Middle School coach for flag football and softball. In 2022, he also became a physical education teacher.

Coach Grant's love for sports spreads beyond his profession. He participates in adult flag football and softball leagues. When he’s not doing that, he is hanging out with his two cats, Spooky and Naya, and his girlfriend Caitlynn. Coach Grant is a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and UCLA softball, so if you're ever in need of talking sports, he is your guy.

 

“I inspire greatness through my passion for sports medicine and helping others. I accomplish this by integrating the most current research with personalized care in order to optimize patient outcomes and keep athletes at their highest performance levels, both on the court and throughout the community.”

Christine Mitchell is committed to helping students do more than overcome their injuries by working to improve their functional movement so they can succeed as athletes and improve their joint health.

Here at La Jolla Country Day School, Ms. Mitchell started a student athletic training program in order to share her love of sports medicine. She hopes to inspire students to pursue careers in the medical field. At the very least, students will learn about their bodies and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and how to perform CPR and use an AED.

As LJCDS’s certified athletic trainer, Ms. Mitchell ensures the safety, well being and success of all Torrey athletes, whether it’s caring for abrasions, rehabilitating reconstructed ACLs, educating on concussions, developing injury-prevention plans, or implementing emergency action plans.

Ms. Mitchell obtained a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Science in exercise physiology from Boston University. She has worked with South Carolina’s football and basketball teams, Boston University’s field hockey team, the New England Revolution’s academy soccer teams and San Diego State’s women’s soccer team. In her spare time, she teaches injury prevention at the San Diego Circus Center, where she is also learning to hand-balance.

After exploring the East Coast, Ms. Mitchell returned to Escondido, where she resides with her chihuahua, Charlie.

“I inspire greatness for a better world by fostering a child’s curiosity of the world around them. I encourage them to be thinkers and to ask questions.” 

Kristin Owen loves being a teacher and working at La Jolla Country Day School. She finds it fulfilling as it provides her an opportunity to put her knowledge into practice. Since 1999, Ms. Owen has explored summer camps, after-school care, third grade, Tiny Torreys and, currently, junior kindergarten. She enjoys seeing young children who were in her care grow into young adults as they progress through LJCDS. Her goal is to help lay the foundation for a love of learning and the early skills needed for these individuals to be successful on their journey through life.

Ms. Owen knew at an early point in her life that she wanted to be a teacher and work with children. In junior high and high school, she actively sought opportunities to learn about working with children by volunteering with summer and after-school programs. She studied sociology at UC San Diego, where she received her bachelor’s with a minor in teacher education. She honed her craft in the credential program at San Diego State University, where she earned a multiple-subject teaching credential. She has an interest in using art, music and movement to help develop both social and academic skills in young children.

When she is not teaching, Ms. Owen enjoys spending time with her husband and two children: Milo ’28 and Keiahni ’31. She loves watching soccer, traveling, going to the beach and nurturing her Pinterest addiction.

Click here to read a Q&A with Ms. Owen.

Jezabel Rabaneda Boo first chose La Jolla Country Day School as a mother. She was looking for an educational environment that would inspire her daughter to think big and have an open mindset, to develop her abilities and to embrace and support the emotional aspect of her being. Then, Ms. Rabaneda Boo had the opportunity to be part of LJCDS as an educator, which she thought was a true blessing, as she aligns with the school’s core values. She started in 2019 as a Spanish educator in the Early Childhood Center and the Lower School.

Ms. Rabaneda Boo received her B.A. in Education from Barcelona University, followed by a postgraduate degree in Social Theater and Educational Intervention. She taught in Spain for a few years of her career and then moved to the United States to work as a Spanish teacher in bilingual schools and at an International Spanish Academy in Florida. That was followed by five years as a Spanish teacher at Ideal School of Leadership, a multiple intelligence school that applies current brain research to educate.

Ms. Rabaneda Boo believes knowledge is the beginning of improvement, love is the way, and oneness is the ultimate truth. She likes being in nature, reading, writing, listening to music, practicing yoga and learning about neuroscience and growth mindset. She is passionate about essential oils and holistic medicine. Her goal is to be a better version of herself every day and help to build a world where everybody wins.

“I inspire greatness for a better world by creating an environment that allows each student to find their true potential physically, emotionally and intellectually. Being a teacher and coach for the past 40 years, I have experienced the greatest sense of community at La Jolla Country Day School. There is no other institution that provides a young person with all the tools necessary to go out into the world to make it a better place.”

Kevin Reaume has been teaching and coaching for 40 years and began coaching full-time at LJCDS in 1990. As LJCDS’s physical education educator, athletic performance director, full-time football coach and head men’s and women’s track and field coach, Coach Reaume is the most successful track and field coach in LJCDS history, with a combined men’s and women’s dual meet record of 282-75, with 19 team championships. Throughout the years Coach Reaume has produced eight individual Division 2 CIF champions, seven California state qualifiers and 19 Torrey student-athletes continuing their growth at the likes of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury and Emory.

Coach Reaume was instrumental in all 12 of LJCDS’s football championships (four of which were CIF Championships), including the school’s first-ever 11-man CIF title as well as three 8-man titles. He has worn many hats for the Torrey football program, including defensive coordinator, offensive and defensive lines, and athletic performance director.

Coach Reaume grew up in Canada, where he was a standout football, basketball, and track and field athlete. He played football at St. Francis Xavier University, earning a Bachelor of Science in physical education, two-time first-team All-League honors, preseason All-Canadian and three conference championships. He was also the captain of his team for two years. After graduation, Kevin was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, opting instead to pursue a career in teaching and coaching.