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

  • Ransom Davis
    (858) 453-3440
  • Photo of Laura del Moral
    Laura del Moral
    Educator, MS World Language Grade 7/8
    (858) 453-3440 x329
    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.
  • Photo of Alicia Deutz
    Alicia Deutz
    Administrative Assistant and Attendance, MS
    (858) 453-3440 x115
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness by listening and appreciating the little things. Students, faculty and parents will always receive a warm welcome and an open ear from me. I strive to make sure everyone has a unique and fulfilling experience every time they walk into the Middle School office. Sometimes all people need is a smile and someone who appreciates them so they can go on to accomplish great things.”
    Alicia Deutz is the administrative assistant to the Middle School director and assistant director, although you will often find her applauding the drama class, encouraging the football team, setting up hot cider on chilly days, listening to parents, and helping out wherever she can. She wears many hats and helps make La Jolla Country Day School an environment where everyone can thrive.
    Mrs. Deutz attended Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H., and Shiller College in Madrid, where she studied philosophy and Spanish. She used this education when she moved to Mexico City, where she was active in the Junior League and other volunteer organizations that helped the community. An active parent, she was always involved with her children’s school activities, and after moving back to the United States and settling in San Diego, she continued that involvement. In 1993, Alicia began working at another school with a similar position for 10 years. Then she made a fortunate connection and began working at LJCDS, where she has been for 12 years.
    She enjoys working with her professional colleagues, and she feels privileged to have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of students and their families.
    When she’s not at school, you’ll find her hiking, kayaking, spending time with her family, and cooking.
     
  • Photo of Joan Diener
    Joan Diener
    Educator, US Strings and Orchestra and LS Strings
    (858) 453-3440 x270
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness in my students by instilling a lifelong appreciation of music.  Through the study of a string instrument, I teach students to develop creativity, self-expression, self-confidence, teamwork and innovative problem-solving skills as they become musical artists.”
    Music is medicine for the soul and body. It is one of the few activities that involve using the entire brain. Music is intrinsic to all cultures and has surprising benefits not only for learning language and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development. Joan Diener’s role is to use music education to help students become better human beings and to encourage them to share their passion for music with others.
    “For Einstein, music acted as a catalyst through which he could clarify, define and understand the complexities of his scientific studies. Music was not a pastime or distraction but a vital tool in focusing his mind upon the deeper questions he was analyzing in his work.”

    As the Upper School orchestra director, Mrs. Diener believes that all children should be introduced to music at the earliest possible age. Mrs. Diener received dual bachelors’ degrees in performance and music education at the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts, where she studied with principal violinists of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mrs. Diener moved to San Diego in 1987, where she earned her master’s degree while playing with the San Diego Symphony. She started the strings program at LJCDS in 1990, and she is proud of an instrumental program that has demonstrated over 30 years of success. Mrs. Diener also enjoys competitive couples dancing as her second passion. She won two World Championships in Nashville, Tenn., in 2005 and 2007.
 

Faculty and Staff Spotlights

La Jolla Country Day School

9490 Genesee Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440

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