Our faculty is composed of dedicated, passionate individuals who have been selected not only for their effective skills in curriculum development and inspired teaching, but also for their love of children, strength of character, and personal values. Click here to view the faculty and staff directory.

KINDERGARTEN

"Kindergarten is a magical year filled with learning, building friendships, and teaching social skills children need to become good citizens. We love to instill a love of learning and hear that our children enjoy coming to school each day!"

Jennifer Southern

Ronnie Feldman

FIRST GRADE

"Teaching and learning is a reciprocal relationship in 1st grade. We teach and learn from each other every day through explorations, inquiries, projects, and collaborations. In our combined 68 years of teaching, it’s never been more fun!"

Lisa Becker

Geneva Conway

SECOND GRADE

"Every day in 2nd grade is an adventure. We love creating a caring environment where students support each other and feel comfortable taking risks. Our students’ enthusiasm and desire for learning is contagious."

Cathy Sedlock

Yolanda Ferguson

THIRD GRADE

"As 3rd grade teachers, we enjoy playing a part in guiding our students as they become more independent, transition from simple to complex thinking, and develop their outlook on learning and the world around them."

Courtney Coghlan

Eileen O'Hare

FOURTH GRADE

"In 4th grade, we balance hard work and fun and get to know students as unique individuals. This allows us to meet each student at his or her level and provide appropriate challenge for everyone."

Donna Young

Jennifer Rees

FIFTH GRADE

"We are honored to work in such vibrant and collaborative classrooms. Fifth grade students are encouraged to take risks and make mistakes, as we believe this is the most authentic path to learning."

Deb Pannell

Lacy Zehner

SIXTH GRADE

"Sixth graders keep us on our toes, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Witnessing our students grow in confidence as learners, and experience moments of discovery and inspiration, makes coming to work fun!"

Tim Evans

Dana Kirk

UPPER DIVISION MATH

"We feel extremely lucky and grateful to be able to teach in an environment and be part of a community that supports and celebrates our individual teaching styles and fun-loving nature! It all adds up!"

Beth Bonzell
(7-8)

Norm Lyons
(4-8)

MUSIC

"We love teaching music at Mark Day School. Every day with our students, we get to sing, dance, and play, encouraging them to find the best way to express themselves through music."

Brian
Wilkerson

Rachel Allen

7TH/8TH GRADE HISTORY

"It’s important to learn from history not necessarily to ensure we’re avoiding the same mistakes, but to understand how the past brought us to where we are now. In my classes, students primarily learn through role play, simulation, and discussion, always rising to meet high school-level projects and expectations.”

Melissa
Villarreal

7TH/8TH GRADE ENGLISH

"I am honored to be able to play such a vital part in helping students become more responsible and self-reflective world citizens. Seventh and 8th Grade English is a powerful two-year arc where students are challenged to explore their identity and become more empathetic individuals through texts which raise their awareness of diversity and social justice."

Matthew
Behrman

TRANSPORTATION

"At Mark Day School, we provide daily bus transportation across Marin to maximize convenience for parents and minimize the amount of cars on campus and on the road. I enjoy greeting students as they come on the bus every day, and transporting them safely to their destinations all over Marin and San Francisco."

Steve Voss

SPANISH

"At Mark Day, we appreciate the opportunity to get to know our students through teaching and appreciate them as individuals. We truly believe that this community discovers, engages, and nurtures what is finest in each child."

Tracy Caton

LuzMa Strohm

MANDARIN

"We are grateful to teach Mandarin at Mark Day. We are passionate about learning from our partner school in Beijing, challenging kids to expand their global education, and encouraging them to become a lifelong language learners."

Julia Huo-Kuramoto

Joyce Chen

TINKERING

"Our students shine when given the opportunity to design and make things by inventing, repairing, or reusing objects. We love facilitating their development with tools, programming code, and a growth mindset."

Tatian Greenleaf

David St. Martin

7TH/8TH GRADE SCIENCE

"Mark Day School is a supportive and caring environment where academic excellence and creativity are supported. I feel grateful to be part of this community and teach science to Upper Division students."

Minna
Leigh

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

"In physical education, having fun encourages students to be active not only during class activities but throughout their lives. Students in grades K-8 have PE every day, where they engage in a variety of sports games and coordination activities."

Ray Orwig

Robert Bowers

ART & DRAMA

"One of the most satisfying aspects of teaching arts is seeing the students’ pride and excitement in their creative expression. We are inspired when we collaborate in multi-disciplinary projects like the Lower School Arts Festival and the 4^th Grade Trickster Tales."

Karen Klier

Tori Truss

GARDEN

"My role as the garden teacher is to cultivate a love of nature in our students. The Mark Day organic garden is a uniquely wonderful place on campus to learn about plants, taste something new, enjoy nature, and simply practice deep observation."

David
St. Martin

LEARNING COMMONS

"We love working with every grade and watching them develop through the years. From genre exploration in Kindergarten to learning research skills in 2nd grade to cross-divisional research in 8th grade, we seek to promote lifelong literacy, community, and digital citizenship."

ReAnna
Gailes

Beth
McMurphy