Elementary Faculty
Mrs. Belgum leads the Animal Science classes for students in grades PK-3 as well as our Land & Climate curriculum for students in grades 4-5. Her interest in animals, horses especially, 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.…
Ms. Brock joined the Lower Campus faculty in August 2026 and will be teaching fourth grade. Ms. Brock earned her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Westmont College and her teaching credential. While she is new to OVS, Ms. Brock has grown up in the Ojai Valley and is excited to be joining the school community as part of the elementary division.
Ms. Cosio teaches Elementary Spanish at the Lower Campus. She holds a BA in Spanish and Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mrs. Emanuel joined the OVS family in 2008, shortly after moving to the U.S. from Ukraine. Over the years, she has worked on both campuses in a variety of roles, including Weekend Coordinator, Dorm Parent, ESL Teacher, and English Language Program Coordinator. After taking a short break, she returned to OVS several years ago as an ESL Teacher and Advisor.…
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 her husband, Scott, celebrated the graduation of their twin daughters, Anna and Frances, from the Upper Campus in spring 2024.…
Mrs. Ferro serves as the Director of Primary and Elementary School, overseeing the academic and co-curricular programs for grades PK-5. She also teaches First Grade. Mrs. Ferro completed her undergraduate work at San Diego State University and completed her credential at Cal State University, Channel Islands. Mrs. Ferro has spent most of her life at Ojai Valley School as either a student, summer camp instructor or teacher.…
Mrs. Floyd serves as the Director of Student Services and Curriculum at the Lower Campus. In this role, she oversees curriculum development for grades PK-8, coordinates teacher mentoring programs, assists with student assessments, liaises with different departments and manages disciplinary issues. Mrs. Floyd has held various teaching and administrative roles over her years as an educator.…
Ms. Hall joined the Lower Campus faculty in 2025 and teaches performing arts in the primary and elementary grades. Ms. Hall grew up on their family’s apricot orchard in Upper Ojai and began performing in Kindergarten at Summit School. Throughout their teenage years, Ms. Hall sang and played flute, piccolo, piano, and mallet percussion in ensembles up to the national level.…
Ms. Hardy is starting her fifth year teaching fourth grade at Ojai Valley School. Prior to joining the faculty, she taught Reading Literacy at Frank Middle School in Oxnard, CA. She earned my Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential in Elementary Education at California State University Channel Islands in 2022. Ms. Hardy says, “Being a teacher gives me the greatest joy and inspiration for life to share my knowledge, enthusiasm, and love of learning with growing minds.”
Ms.…
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.…
Ms. McCarthy joined the Lower Campus faculty in August 2026 after teaching art for the past few summers at OVS Summer Camp. Ms. McCarthy, or Ms. M as the students know her, brings a passion for art, music, and learning to her classroom in the Pearson Center for the Arts. She is graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor’s of Music and Vocal Performance, with an emphasis on Music Theory and Composition.…
Ms. Pilgrim attended Charleston Southern University in South Carolina where she played softball on a full scholarship. There she earned her BS in Social Science. She attended graduate school at National University where she earned her masters degree in education with an emphasis in teaching practices. She spent six years teaching fourth grade in her home town of Taft before joining OVS as a fifth grade teacher.…
Mrs. Smith teaches Second Grade and has been part of the Ojai Valley School community since 2021. A lifelong learner, she holds four associate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Humanities. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from California State University Channel Islands and a PK-3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Instruction Credential.…
Mrs. Vanetti was born and raised in Ojai and attended local schools before earning her BA in Spanish and Music from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. She then earned her M.Ed and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with BCLAD and additional subject authorizations in Spanish and Music from UCSB. She spent the first nine years of her teaching career in Santa Barbara charter and independent schools, where she taught sixth grade and first grade.…
Mrs. Woll serves as the Athletic Coordinator and P.E. teacher for the 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.…