Teaching at La Jolla Country Day School

Faculty/Staff Directory

Department

Grade

Last Name

Colin Dalton

Educator, US Humanities

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Bio

I inspire greatness for a better world by creating an environment in my classroom for all students to be seen and heard. Our classroom is a safe space where everyone can try out new ideas or reflect thoughtfully without fear of judgment. Students recognize that being wrong is not final, but instead is a wonderful opportunity to grow and understand.”

Colin Dalton joined LJCDS in the middle of the 2019–2020 school year as an Upper School humanities educator. He teaches Justice and Injustice and AP Psychology.

Mr. Dalton earned a Master of Arts in Education from the University of San Diego and his bachelor’s degree in American History from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before joining LJCDS, he taught AP U.S. History and AP Government at Summit Shasta Public High School in Daly City, CA. He helped develop a project-based curriculum and served as a mentor/advisor to a group of 25 students while there.

Mr. Dalton lives in La Mesa, loves rugby and is a huge Warriors fan. His main focuses in class are creating engaged citizens who understand the intricacies of American government and helping students explore the complexities of the human psyche.
Jenna Dalva

Educator, MS History Grades 7/8

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Bio

“I believe my role as an educator is to be that of a facilitator, rather than a narrator. As a result, I inspire greatness by encouraging students to be curious, think critically, make connections and collaborate with each other to curate their own understanding of our content. In doing so, students take ownership of their own education and become greater leaders and thinkers.”

Jenna Dalva joined the LJCDS community in 2020 as a seventh-grade social studies educator. She was drawn to La Jolla Country Day School because of the school’s commitment to creating an inclusive and dynamic learning environment for all students, as well as its focus on instilling students with a passion for social justice and an understanding of their social responsibility. Mrs. Dalva incorporates these ideals into her work with her Middle School students as they examine patterns and themes of history.

Mrs. Dalva earned an undergraduate degree in social studies education from Boston University and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Florida. Prior to moving to San Diego, she spent five years teaching social studies in both Massachusetts and Florida schools. While in Florida, Mrs. Dalva was awarded the honor of “Social Studies Teacher of the Year” for Clay County in the high school division. She is a military spouse and has been fortunate to travel and experience many places and cultures.

In her free time, Mrs. Dalva enjoys exploring San Diego’s diverse food scene and hiking with her husband and lab mix, Jeter.
Erin DaSilva

Coach - Softball

(858) 453-3440

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by using my passion for softball and my business abilities to be an example for the students and peers at LJCDS. I strive to guide tomorrow’s leaders through the development of perseverance, accountability, integrity and enthusiasm, and being a part of something greater than oneself.”

Erin DaSilva joined LJCDS in 2015 as assistant softball coach. In 2016, she accepted the position as head softball coach, and in 2019, she became purchasing coordinator. In her first five years as the head softball coach, she amassed a record of 68-44-1, won two league titles, and sent four athletes to play on scholarship at the college level. Coach DaSilva’s role as the head softball coach is to lead and mold young women into future leaders through the game of softball. Her role as the purchasing coordinator is to provide faculty, staff and students with everything they need to succeed.

Coach DaSilva’s career began in accounting during her senior year at Biola University where she received a degree in business management and a minor in biblical studies. She earned her MBA from San Diego State University with an emphasis in sports administration.

Coach DaSilva has worked in a range of positions, including race directing, event management, athlete management, substitute teaching and solar quoting. She also coaches young women year-round for The Factory Softball Club based in Rancho Bernardo where she and her fellow coaches won the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018.

Coach DaSilva is a skilled crafter/DIY-er and loves to attend concerts, mostly country music. She is also a baseball lover and has attended games at 17 of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums.
Andrew Davanzo

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.
Amy Davidson

Coach - Field Hockey

(858) 453-3440
Ransom Davis

(858) 453-3440
Rebekah Dawson-Bowman

Access and Instruction Librarian

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by striving to create an open and welcoming community in the library, encouraging students to follow their own curiosities and inspiring a love of lifelong learning.”

Rebekah Dawson-Bowman originally joined the LJCDS community in the fall of 2021 as the library assistant. After a short time working at an elementary school in Escondido, she rejoined the library team in 2023. Ms. Dawson-Bowman enjoys connecting with staff and students across all grade levels and works towards enriching and implementing the broad library program.

Ms. Dawson-Bowman is from Scotland but moved to Northern California for a few years before making her way down to San Diego. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from UC San Diego and a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University in 2022. While attending SJSU, Ms. Dawson-Bowman also completed an internship with the UCSD library, focusing on reference services and workshop design. In her free time, Ms. Dawson-Bowman enjoys spending time on the coast, baking and of course reading!
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.
Alicia Deutz

Administrative Assistant and Attendance, MS

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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.
Joan Diener

Educator, US Strings and Orchestra and LS Strings

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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.
Kathy Dinwiddie

Athletic Business Manager

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Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by assisting an athletic department that teaches La Jolla Country Day School’s young women and men life lessons in personal integrity, developing a work ethic, self-responsibility, responsibility to others, self-sacrifice, delayed gratification, teamwork, overcoming fears, attacking challenges, setting goals, pursuing excellence, building community and being part of something bigger than oneself.”

Kathy Dinwiddie has worked in the athletic office since 1999. She is a team player and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Mrs. Dinwiddie lives in Vista with her husband, Dan, and two daughters: Shayla, an LJCDS class of 2011 lifer, graduated in 2015 from Chapman University with a major in graphic design and a minor in integrated educational studies and Maggie is in the class of 2022.

When Mrs. Dinwiddie is not working, she can be found spending time with her family, cheering on her daughter Maggie at her soccer games, or volunteering in her Girl Scout troop. She also volunteers her time with events that help raise awareness and fund the fight against cancer.
William Doerge

Educator, US Science

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Bio

“How do machines and devices work? Automobiles, wind generators, smartphones? Why do objects move and behave as they do? An airborne soccer ball, a bicycle, an airplane, the solar system? What are the scientific ideas behind their operation? From my childhood to now, I have always wondered how and why things work, and through teaching physics I aspire to stimulate a similar curiosity and enthusiasm in my students. I inspire greatness by facilitating lab activities that allow students to directly gather evidence for physics ideas in a hands-on manner, such that they are able to better understand where the ideas and equations originate. Then my students apply these ideas to solve engineering-like problems, to explain how vehicles move and devices function, and to design and build their own devices.”

Bill Doerge hails from Pittsburgh, and he started his career as an electrical engineer for Motorola in Phoenix, Ariz. While working with middle school students as a volunteer, he became interested in teaching and has taught high school and college physics in both Arizona and San Diego. He also worked as a science curriculum developer and physics instructor at the Center for Research in Math and Science Education (CRMSE) at San Diego State University.

Mr. Doerge particularly enjoys working with students on engineering projects, which have included an electric vehicle conversion, robotics competitions, Rube Goldberg machines, solar-powered vehicles and a rideable hovercraft.

Outside of school, his interests include hiking and cycling, both on and off road.