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

  • Photo of Elaine Gain
    Elaine Gain
    Associate Educator, Kindergarten
    (858) 453-3440 x217
    Bio
     
    “Every day I strive to be a role model who inspires greatness for a better world. In my class, I listen to the ideas, needs, passions, emotions and lessons that the children bring in and apply them to my planning every day. Doing this allows the children to gain confidence, feed their curiosity, understand their emotions, provide for others, ask questions, and find their little voice in this big world.”

    Elaine Gain began her career in early childhood education through her high school’s ROP program.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts and sciences and teaching credential with an embedded Crosscultural Language and Academic Development certificate (CLAD) from San Diego State University. Ms. Gain continues to obtain more early childhood education units to further her development as an instructor and holds a California Site Supervisor Permit for early childhood centers.  Before coming to La Jolla Country Day School, Ms. Gain worked as a substitute teacher in the San Diego Unified School District, as a site supervisor/program coordinator at an early learning center, and as a pre-K teacher through the YMCA.

    Outside of school Ms. Gain enjoys cooking, trying new food, visiting Disneyland and traveling. She is also passionate about living a more Eco-friendly life that will keep our planet healthy for many more generations to come.
  • Photo of Stephanie Garcia
    Stephanie Garcia
    Educator, US English (Interim)
  • Photo of Patricia George
    Patricia George
    Nurse
    (858) 453-3440
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by being available to help students in their time of need, whether for physical or emotional support.”

    Patty George, R.N., has been in nursing for many years and hopes to use that experience to make the health office a safe place for students. She believes in providing students with age-appropriate coping strategies and self-care habits that may help them manage their well-being.

    Nurse Patty earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Ohio University. She has provided patient care in various settings and taught at the high school and college levels.

    Nurse Patty loves spending time with her family, including three children and two grandchildren. She enjoys cooking, especially fulfilling requests from her grandchildren. The family enjoys outdoor activities; one of their favorite things is watching the sunset at Windansea. 
  • Photo of Lauren Giesemann
    Lauren Giesemann
    Educator, Kindergarten
    (858) 453-3440 x760
    Bio
     
    “I strive to inspire greatness in my students by giving them the resources to become excited and passionate about learning. I believe that my ultimate goal as a classroom teacher is to build lifelong learners. My educational belief is that all students need to be given a space where they can think, question and create.”

    Lauren Hansen believes that a strong educational foundation can make all the difference in instilling a child’s passion and love for learning. This is what drew her to teaching in the Lower School. Having attended independent schools herself, she understands the value of an independent school education and is very excited to grow as an associate teacher in the Lower School.

    Lauren Hansen’s love for teaching began when she was in high school at Marin Academy in the San Francisco Bay Area when she taught a journaling class to a group of local middle school students. She attended Baylor University where she served as a student teacher in a variety of elementary grades through Baylor’s School of Education. She was immediately drawn to the early grades and began her teaching career as a lead preschool teacher at Carlsbad Country Day School.

    When Ms. Hansen is not in the classroom, you can find her spending time with family and friends outdoors. She enjoys taking her dog to the beach and taking advantage of the beauty of San Diego. She is also very passionate about service and has been to Mexico, Kenya and Jamaica on community service trips.

  • Photo of Kailey Giordano
    Kailey Giordano Ph.D.
    Educator, US Humanities
    (858) 453-3440 x473
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by deepening students’ connections to great literature, the study of which helps us understand the complexity of human experiences and, in that way, encourages us to be more accepting and compassionate. I challenge students to think in a concentrated, nuanced way about human problems and to find humane solutions to them.” 

    Kailey Giordano, Ph.D., is the co-chair of the Upper School Humanities Department. She teaches Upper School English I and English III and Science, Technology, and Literature. Dr. Giordano is the Upper School book club advisor and is developing an Upper School writing center, which will support all forms of writing across the disciplines. She earned a Ph.D. in Literature from UC San Diego and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from UC Los Angeles.

    Dr. Giordano’s work on 17th-century England examines the concerns women writers raised during this period about the intensified exploitation of nature as England transitioned from a feudal economy to an agrarian-capitalist economy. She is currently adapting this research for her book-length project entitled Miranda’s Daughters: Women’s Ecological Thinking in Seventeenth-Century English Literature.

    Before joining LJCDS in 2021, Dr. Giordano taught for two years at UC San Diego and the University of San Diego. 
  • Photo of Kiara Grant
    Kiara Grant Ed.D.
    Counselor, Grades 6-9
    (858) 453-3440 x 476
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by supporting students and their families socially and emotionally as we navigate a world full of uncertainty. I believe that a part of my role is to be influential by listening, being proactive in addressing mental health concerns that impede students’ academic performance, and collectively partnering with the community to pinpoint solutions that will strengthen our village in a rapidly evolving society.”

    Kiara Grant, Ed.D., wants to inspire students to achieve their personal wellness goals, provide empathy and compassion during challenging times, and empower students to address social and emotional concerns impacting their academic success. She offers social and emotional support to students and their families by providing a safe space for students that allows parents and guardians to address their concerns. Dr. Grant supports faculty and staff with strategies to help students best socially and emotionally. She offers individual and group counseling and health and wellness classes.

    Dr. Grant has a Master of Arts degree in education with a discipline in school counseling and a Doctorate in education organizational leadership. She started her journey as an educator and mental health professional in 2008 and has worked with pre-k through college students in three states before joining LJCDS in 2023 as the wellness counselor for Grades 6–9. 

    Dr. Grant loves being able to impact the lives of children and their families. She is a military spouse and a mother of two who enjoys traveling, community service, shopping and hanging out with her family.
  • Photo of Robert Grasso
    Robert Grasso
    Assistant Director of Athletics and Physical Education; Coach - Football
    (858) 453-3440 x259
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by mentoring students and athletes on a daily basis. I also conduct leadership training workshops to help develop the next generation of inspirational leaders.”
     
    Robert Grasso has been working at La Jolla Country Day School since 1999. He is a member of the athletics department, serving as assistant director of athletics. Mr. Grasso was a student at LJCDS from 1978–1985. He is a graduate of La Jolla High School where he played football and baseball.

    After graduating from Georgetown University and earning a teaching credential from the University of San Diego, he began teaching at the elementary school level. At LJCDS, Mr. Grasso taught third, fifth, and eighth grade before moving to the Upper School as a humanities teacher. He also served as an assistant football coach for 11 years and an assistant baseball coach for 19 years, winning league and CIF titles with both programs. He mentors students and coaches, develops leadership skills and helps to define the athletic department’s culture as leadership coordinator. In addition, Coach Grasso directs athletics communications including managing the LJCDS Torreys app. In 2022, Coach Grasso earned a Master's in Athletic Administration from Ohio University. 

    Coach Grasso and his wife Claudia are the parents of two Torreys, Gabriella '20 and Santino '25.
  • Ada Greenwood
    Coach - Soccer
  • Photo of Alexis Grinbold
    Alexis Grinbold
    Educator, US Ceramics and MS Visual Arts
    (858) 453-3440 x751
    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.
  • Jason Gutierrez
    Director of Security
    (858) 453-3440 x200
 

Faculty and Staff Spotlights

La Jolla Country Day School

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

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