Ojai Valley School is located on two campuses in Ojai, CA. The Lower Campus (grades PK-8) is located at 723 El Paseo Road. The Upper Campus (grades 9-12) is located at 10820 Reeves Road. The school also has a Business Office located at 510 Country Club Drive. Please call (805) 646-1423 for information or access the staff directory below.
Mr. Almanza serves as the Resident Coordinator for the boarding program at the Lower Campus, overseeing the youngest residents in grades 3-8. He also served as an Associate Director of Admissions, introducing boarding and day students to the primary, elementary and middle school divisions of the school. Mr. Almanza received his education from Eastern Illinois University and most recently completed an advanced degree at USC in enrollment management.…
Mr. Alvarez performs many roles at the Upper Campus, including College Counselor, teacher of Humanities and Journalism, and coach of Cross Country and Track. Before coming to OVS, he worked for more than two decades as a professional journalist for a number of California newspapers. His last stint was with the Los Angeles Times, where he worked as a metro reporter for 14 years covering immigration, agriculture, social issues, and government.…
Mrs. Bailey started her OVS career as a student in second grade. She adored her years growing up at the Lower Campus and graduated from eighth grade in 1998. Since she was a young student, Mrs. Baily has always wanted to work at OVS. She started as a teacher’s aide, taught in Summer Camp, served as a resident counselor for girls, and taught in the Learning Center before becoming the Pre-Kindergarten teacher.…
Ms. Belgum’s interest in riding started when her grandfather brought her to see his racehorses at the age of 4. Since then she has had a variety of riding experience. She rode at Shadow Hills Riding School for twelve years competing in hunter jumpers and eventing. At age 14 she bought her first horse, Stella.…
Mr. Benson joined the OVS faculty and staff in November 2022 and comes with extensive experience in technology and problem-solving, including cyber security. He plays a leading role in advancing the school’s technology initiatives on its two campuses.
Mrs. Bowden joined the Middle School faculty in 2022. She teaches Language Arts to 7th and 8th grade students at the Lower Campus. She earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism, and minored in Environmental Management, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She earned her Master’s in teacher leadership at California Lutheran University. Outside the classroom, she enjoys surfing, hiking, and curling up with a good book!
Mr. Bowden joined the Upper Campus faculty in August 2023. He teaches Photography, Digital Design, and Yearbook. Mr. Bowden lives at the Lower Campus with his wife, Lena Bowden, and sons Matthew and Taylor. The Bowden family came to OVS in August 2022 and Mr. Bowden continues to serve as a resident counselor for boarding boys living in Frost Hall.
Mr. Brunelle joined the OVS faculty in August 2023 in the role of School Counselor.nHe previously served as the Middle School Counselor at The Harley School in Rochester, NY. In his role at OVS, Mr. Brunelle will play a central role in monitoring and supporting the social-emotional well-being of boarding and day students across the grade levels.…
Mr. Byars teaches Geology and serves as the Coordinator of the Upper Campus Outdoor Education program. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in Texas. Beyond his academic pursuits, he has applied his teaching talents most recently to instruction in outdoor activities, including swift water rescue and wilderness medicine. He has taught skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and led ropes course activities.…
Mrs. Campbell is a long-time faculty member at OVS, working first as a teacher’s aide for Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade for nine years and later teaching primary, elementary and middle school art for more than seven years. She has also run the art program for OVS Summer Camp and a working artist herself. She lives in Ojai with her husband and daughter.…
Ms. Christiansen joined the Lower Campus resident faculty in August 2023 as the Weekend Coordinator, organizing fun and enriching activities for the boarding students in grades 3-8. Ms. Christiansen earned a BA in Anthropology at the University of Michigan. She previously worked as a substitute teacher and health care assistant. An animal lover, she also worked previously as a veterinary assistant.
Mrs. Clark joined the Lower Campus in June 2020. Originally from California, she earned her BA in Humanities from Fort Lewis College in Colorado. She went on to earn her MA in Education from Adams State College, as well as a Master Teacher Certification in Outdoor Education from Four Corners School of Outdoor Education. She also received her certificate in International School Leadership from the PTC.…
Mr. Clark serves as the Director of Facilities & Grounds for Ojai Valley School, overseeing new building projects and managing the ongoing care and maintenance of the two campuses.
Mr. Colborn began teaching at the Upper Campus in 1997. While his primary focus has been teaching math, he also taught science, coached football and baseball, served as Athletic Director for 8 years, and recently started the new Woodshop program at the Upper Campus, providing another visual art offering for the high school. Born and raised locally, Mr.…
A lifelong resident of Ventura County, Mrs. Colborn received her undergraduate degree in history from UC Santa Barbara. Thereafter, she entered Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles earning her juris doctor degree. She passed the California State Bar Exam and joined the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office before leaving to practice civil litigation in Santa Barbara.…
Ms. Cosio teaches Elementary Spanish at the Lower Campus. She holds a BA in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Ms. Cuccio has been a teacher’s assistant in the primary program since 2001. She enjoys working with our youngest students in the PreKindergarten class, and also helps with the school’s plays. She has also worked during Summer Camp and assisted with after-school care. She enjoys getting to know students of all ages and feels a part of the whole Lower Campus.…
Ms. Davis has spent more than 30 years teaching at the Upper Campus, primarily in the English and Social Studies departments where she taught all levels of English and developed the Humanities curriculum. She also serves as the Assistant Head of Upper Campus, overseeing Student Affairs. For the 2023-24 school year, she stepped away from teaching literature and took on a new role as the Ceramics teacher for grades 9-12, bringing her own experience as a potter and artist to the classroom.…
Mrs. DeMoor is an Ojai Valley native and began working in the Business Office in the fall of 1976. She did a little bit of everything in the office and eventually ended up running the student store and processing student bills. After her second child, Chris, was born in January 1985 she stayed home with her children.…
Mr. Driscoll teaches Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and a section of Algebra 2. He also serves as resident counselor living in the Hermes Hall dormitory for boys. Mr. Driscoll joined the Upper Campus faculty in August 2023. He previously taught Honors Environmental Science at Lick Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and served as a tutor for students who required additional support in math or science.…
Mrs. English attended UC Santa Barbara, where she played tennis and earned a BA in English. She spent more than a decade teaching elementary school in the Ventura Unified School District before joining OVS as a fourth grade and later fifth grade teacher. She and husband Scott have twin daughters, Anna and Frances. She loves reading, swimming, camping, tennis and spending time outdoors with her family.
Mr. Farmer teaches AP Statistics, Business Math and Video Production at the Upper Campus and helps lead Outdoor Education trips. Born and raised in San Diego, he earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Davis in Business, minoring in Economics and Psychology. After college, he spent more than a decade guiding multi-day river trips all over the west coast of the United States, his favorite being the Rogue River in Oregon.…
Mrs. Ferro has spent most of her life at Ojai Valley School as either a student, summer camp instructor or first grade teacher. She first arrived at Ojai Valley School during her primary years. Both parents worked at the school. Her father, Gary Gartrell, served as Head of Lower Campus, and her mother, Linda Gartrell, developed the Pre-Kindergarten program.…
Mr. Floyd stepped into his administrative role in June 2017. He previously served as Director of Summer Programs, Athletic Director for the high school, and as the Assistant Head at Upper Campus. A graduate of the school in 1983, Mr. Floyd has always followed his passion for sports. He began his coaching career as a sophomore in college, when he coached girls basketball and boys football at Marello Prep in Santa Cruz, CA.…
Mrs. Floyd has held various teaching and administrative roles, most recently stepping into the job as Assistant Head of Lower Campus in fall 2023. She is a graduate of San Diego State University, where she earned her BA in Spanish. She launched her teaching career as a bilingual teacher in Watsonville, California, before moving to the Santa Cruz Mountains, where she taught first grade for 12 years.…
Mr. Fulton serves as the Dean of Residential Life and teaches Biology and AP Biology. He previously taught environmental science, biology, and culinary arts at a school in Oregon and developed curriculum emphasizing conservation, community engagement and ecological restoration. He also coached Cross Country and Track coach. Prior to working in Oregon, Mr. Fulton taught at the Besant Hill School in Ojai, where he served as the Coordinator of Experiential & Outdoor Education and taught science.…
Mrs. George earned her undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara in liberal studies with emphasis in history, anthropology, religious studies and sociology. She has a teaching credential from the Montessori World Institute and holds an associate degree in childhood development. A native to California, she taught at the local Montessori School in Ojai for ten years before coming to Ojai Valley School in 1989.…
Ms. Goodenough joined the faculty and staff in August 2023 as a nurse in the OVS Health Center. She lives locally in Ojai and her three children attend the Lower Campus.
Mr. Halkett joined the Ojai Valley School faculty and administrative team in August 2023 as the new Equestrian Director, replacing retiring director Stephanie Gustafson. He will lead operations and serve as the middle and high school equestrian team coach. Ojai Valley School offers the only equestrian program on the West Coast with onsite stables and a program for day and boarding students in grades PK-12.…
A fifth-generation Ojai resident, Ms. Hall joined the Ojai Valley School staff as Associate Director of Admissions following a career in journalism. She grew up camping and roaming the mountains around Ojai, giving her a profound love and respect for nature. Prior OVS, she worked as Managing Editor for the Ojai Valley News and Visitors Guide Magazine.…
As a member of the Admission team for more than 20 years, Ms. Harris provides a wealth of experience in her role as Admission Coordinator. She is most often the first contact for new families interested in learning more about the OVS community, and she supports families in completing new enrollments and returning enrollments. Ms.…
Ms. Hersk teaches Drawing, Advanced Studio Art & AP Art. She is an alumnus of both the Upper and Lower campuses. Her mother taught Art at Ojai Valley School for more than 30 years, and Ms. Hersk has followed in her footsteps. For six years she was also the head of the Upper Campus girl’s dorm, then took a break to become certified as a crime and intelligence analyst with the California Department of Justice.…
Mr. Inman has performed numerous roles at OVS Lower Campus during his career, including teaching biology, physics and chemistry to middle school students and serving as the boys’ soccer coach. But starting in the 2021-22 school year, he began to focus exclusively on leading the Outdoor Education program. Mr. Inman earned degrees in Environmental Studies and Law and Society from UC Santa Barbara before entering the teaching profession.…
Mr. Kim teaches Math IV (Pre-Calculus), AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. He joined the Upper Campus faculty in August 2023 having previously taught at Ventura High School and working as a private math tutor. Mr. Kim’s early career was spent as a Software Quality Analyst for Microsoft. He earned his MS from Washington State University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington.
Ms. Kocijan serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Head of Upper Campus. She joined the faculty and staff in August 2023. Mrs. Kocijan earned a BA in Spanish at California State University Channel Islands and worked in the Conejo Unified School District supporting English language learners. Before joining the Upper Campus staff, she worked for the Ojai Unified School District as the office manager at San Antonio School’s LEADS Academy and Summit School’s Independent Study Program.…
An experienced educator and administrator, Mr. Kuelling was appointed in November 2021 to serve as the next Head of School at OVS, succeeding longtime President/CEO Mike Hall-Mounsey. The Board of Trustees voted to return to “Head of School” as the title for the school’s top officer and Mr. Kuelling received the full support of the Board following a nationwide search.…
Mr. Lang teaches woodshop to students in grades PK-8 and serves as the Fine Arts Coordinator at the Lower Campus. Born and raised in the Ojai Valley, Mr. Lang brings local knowledge of the environment into the classroom. His parents were both long-term faculty members at OVS, so his experience at the school is deeply rooted throughout his entire life.…
Mr. Luneau teaches AP U.S. History, AP World History, and World History. He is also introducing two new semester courses in Environmental History and Environmental Justice. A Native of New England, Mr. Luneau holds a Masters degree in French Colonial History, Imperial Russian History and Latin American Environmental History from the University at Albany, and he is nearing the end of his research work for his Ph.D from the same institution.…
Ms. Macaluso teaches Kindergarten at the Lower Campus. She has previously taught Kindergarten in other schools in Ojai and Northern California. Ms. Macaluso holds undergraduate degrees from California State University, Channel Islands and a Master’s Degree in education from California State University at Chico.
Ms. Morgan joined the Lower Campus faculty as a first-grade teacher in August 2023. She previously worked as an Intervention and TK-5th Grade Support Teacher for the Carpinteria Unified School District and has extensive experience in both math and reading intervention. She spent most of her career teaching grades 1-5 in the Oxnard school district and also has devoted much of her career to arts education.…
Mr. Pearson is an experienced educator who has taught at the middle school, high school and college level. He joined the faculty at Lower Campus in August 2023 after previously teaching at two schools in Germany. At the Swiss International School in Kassel, a bilingual K-9 international school, he taught third grade English, math, and science as well as seventh and eighth grade European history, politics, German law, and economics.…
Devyn Reynolds holds a Masters from San Jose State and a BA from the University of Redlands. She joined OVS in 2018 after working in Dallas, Texas for Mountain View College. Devyn is an outdoor enthusiast and frequent trip leader at the Upper Campus. In 2021-2022 she will continue her role as librarian in the new JB Close Memorial Library.…
Steve left his hometown of San Diego to attend UC Santa Barbara. He graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies in 1994. After college he served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he spent two years teaching environmental education, developing his Spanish skills, and exercising his love for adventure and the outdoors.…
After earning his bachelor’s degree in Texas, John moved to the temperate rainforests of Southeast Alaska. His first teaching position was as the high school teacher in a small logging community. John migrated south to OVS, where he teaches seventh-grade and eighth-grade history classes. He also advises the Student Council, leads the eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C.…
Ms. Sandoval rejoined the OVS faculty in August 2023 as Weekend Coordinator, a Resident Counselor, and the girls soccer coach. She lives in the Grace Hobson Smith House dorm with her family, and is excited to be back at OVS. Ms. Sandoval previously worked in the Health Center. She is an alumna of both campuses (L02, U06) and attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising after graduation from OVS.…
Mr. Schlaak joined OVS in July 2021. He previously served for 15 years as Assistant Head of School, Academic Dean, and Head of Upper School at Woodside Priory School where he managed all school-side aspects of a grade 6-12 day and boarding school in the Silicon Valley.
Mr. Schlaak grew up in Northern California.…
Ms. Shilo joined the Lower Campus faculty in August 2023. She previously taught 6th grade English, Science, and Drama at Matilija Middle School in Ojai. She also taught at Meiners Oaks Elementary School and San Antonio Elementary School in Ojai, and worked as a Special Education Instructional Assistant. Ms. Shilo has BA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Spanish language from Pepperdine University.
After a childhood split between Spain and Southern California, Micah Sittig graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a degree in applied physics and then spent nine years teaching science and math in Shanghai, China. In Shanghai he was involved with a local amateur astronomy group, served as the director of the school’s astronomical observatory, and he volunteered for the city’s subway system.…
Born in England, Andy Street began playing music as a young child; by the age of 12, he was composing and performing professionally. Andy received his formal education in music at Cambridge University, where he earned his M.A. in musical composition at Emmanuel College. He studied piano with Gordon Green and Doreen Clemes of the Royal Academy of Music in London.…
Marcia Thacher teaches Middle School Spanish at the Lower Campus. An experienced educator who previously taught both Elementary and Middle School Spanish, she has deep roots in the OVS school culture and community. Mrs. Thacher is a native speaker who has recently completed her Master’s Degree in Teaching Spanish Language and Culture from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.…
Gretchen started working at OVS in the summer of 2004, when she taught math and surfing at the summer camp program. Before coming to OVS, she taught at Ojai Christian Academy for four years and as a substitute teacher in the Ojai Unified School District.
Born and raised in Ojai, she became a competitive downhill mountain bike racer in the national circuit.…
Duncan holds a degree in business from CSU Channel Islands. Since coming to OVS in 1996, Duncan has held a variety of titles during the academic year and summer programs. He believes that the powerful tool and language of mathematics is essential to the success of all students. This drives his desire to challenge and support each student in and out of the classroom.…
Brad was drawn to California when the lacrosse coach at Whittier College called him at his boarding school in Connecticut during a snowstorm and mentioned sunshine, palm trees and the ocean. He graduated from Whittier with a B.A. in English and moved to Seal Beach and began his teaching career. Brad spent five years teaching special education before he found the Ojai Valley School.…
In search of a healthier environment to teach and raise his children, Chris moved to Ojai Valley School in 2015 after spending 12 years as an educator in China. For seven of those years, he taught computer science and coached robotics at the Yew Chung International School in Shanghai. His experience with technology and mathematics were a perfect match for OVS, which is broadening it STEM curriculum in the middle and high school curriculum.…
Quite literally, Brittany Whipple grew up in the Ojai Valley School family. She attended OVS starting in Pre-K, and graduated from Upper Campus in 2006. Her father, uncle, siblings and brother-in-law also attended OVS, and her mother works at Upper Campus.
Brittany graduated with honors from National University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and then completed her Master’s degree in English while working as the weekend coordinator at Upper Campus.…
Kirste currently serves as the Learning Center Director at the Upper Campus, but she has performed a myriad of roles in the OVS community since 1995. Coming from Scotland with a degree in education from Glasgow University, she has been a dorm parent, taught second and third grades, as well as Middle School English and served as the Middle School Coordinator.…
Terry lives on her family’s citrus ranch in Ojai – a ranch they have farmed for more than seventy years. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a dual major in English/Speech and History. After teaching for eleven years first at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek and then at Castilija School in Palo Alto, she retired to have a family.…
Tracy has served as Admissions Director at Ojai Valley School for 16 years. She has traveled extensively to meet prospective students and enjoys introducing families to the unique programs and close community at OVS. Tracy graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in English and previously worked as a news reporter for the Los Angeles Times.…
Shandon Woll is the Athletic Coordinator on Lower Campus. She has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Physical Education, years of experience working with children, and a passion for wellness and disease prevention. Having the opportunity to impact children and create fun habits is what excites her most about this role.
She leads by example through healthy lifestyle choices and her zeal for health and physical activity is infectious.…