As a coach and physical education teacher, Terri Bamford has taken on the task of helping to mold our students and athletes into future leaders. She is committed to assisting her athletes in becoming responsible, productive, and successful individuals. Coach Bamford provides endless support to LJCDS students and seeks to teach the importance of leadership, teamwork, character, and commitment both in the classroom and on the basketball court.  

 

During her time at LJCDS, Coach Bamford’s teams have won 21 league titles, 15 San Diego Section CIF titles, nine Southern Regional Championship titles and four State Championship titles. She has nurtured two USA Olympians, six CIF San Diego Section Players of the Year, and five McDonald’s All-Americans: Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams (2023); Te-Hina Paopao (2020); Kelsey Plum (2013); and Candice Wiggins (2004).

 

In December 2024, Coach Bamford was named the CIF San Diego Section’s all-time wins leader in girls’ basketball, breaking a 35-year record and placing her No. 8 all-time in the state. Other accolades include being inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Sports Association (2024); Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame (2023); Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School National Coach of the Year (2020); and ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Girls State Coach of the Year (2012 and 2001).

 

Prior to her arrival at LJCDS, Coach Bamford served as head coach of the San Pasqual High School girl’s basketball team. She led Mira Costa College to two undefeated Pacific Coast titles, and in 1994, she led Palomar College to its first Pacific Coast Conference title.  

 

Coach Bamford’s son Frankie ’12 is an LJCDS lifer.

Sandra Bashore joined LJCDS in 2023 as a first-grade associate teacher working with Sally Krause to create an engaging classroom for all students. She believes in developing the whole student in academics and social-emotional growth. 

Ms. Bashore earned her Master of Education from the University of Florida, specializing in elementary education and her Bachelor of Science from Florida State University, majoring in child development. She was a second-grade teacher for two years.

In her free time, Ms. Bashore enjoys traveling with her fiance, Madie, and goldendoodle, Bear. She is up to 35 states of her goal of visiting all 50 states. After living in Seattle for two years, she is excited to be in sunny San Diego. 

 

Briana “Brie” Benson joined the LJCDS team in 2021 as a physical education educator and women’s head soccer coach. As a PE teacher, Ms. Benson sees her role as developing an environment where students love to move, work hard, learn, and especially, have fun. As a coach, she looks to ignite and instill healthy mind–healthy body habits that lead to a life full of happiness through sports.  

Ms. Benson played on the women’s soccer team at Chapman University, where she remains one of the all-time leading scorers. She earned her degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in science followed by a teaching credential, a Master of Education and an International Baccalaureate certification. This took her abroad to teach in Chile, Peru, Thailand and South Korea, where she was part of the founding faculty of Chadwick International School. Ms. Benson is fluent in Spanish. In South Korea, she taught fifth grade, started and coached the women’s soccer program, and created after-school soccer programs for elementary and middle school students. After South Korea, Ms. Benson taught second grade and coached the women’s soccer team at Chadwick School in her hometown, Palos Verdes.      
                                          

Ms. Benson became a mother in 2020 and loves spending family time at the beach, surfing, hiking and showing her son, Moss, the beauty of nature.

After coming to LJCDS to coach girl's lacrosse in 2017, Christa Bentley recognized the passion, love for education, and emphasis on character building that Country Day embodies on a daily basis. She believes LJCDS holds a welcoming atmosphere that accepts everyone for who they are while helping students reach rigorous goals. She is extremely grateful and proud to have been teaching sixth-grade English at LJCDS since 2019. 

Christa is originally from Westwood, Massachusetts, and is an avid New England sports fan. Before teaching in California, she taught classrooms ranging from K-5th in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Elementary Education from Keene State College, a Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities from Lesley University, and a Master of Education in Literacy & Digital Learning from the University of San Diego.

Christa is a firm believer in making learning hands-on and highly engaging while building personal connections and fostering positive relationships with each student to thoroughly support their overall growth and success.

Matt Bessler, M.A., joined LJCDS in spring 2021 as a long-term substitute teacher and started the 2021–2022 school year full-time. It did not take long for him to feel a connection to the students and his colleagues. Mr. Bessler loves teaching Middle School students because every day is a new adventure. Their needs change often, and he likes the challenge of figuring out how to empower them to be successful learners. 

Mr. Bessler earned a B.A. in business marketing from Franklin College in Indiana and his M.A. in teaching from Point Loma Nazarene University. He has taught middle school science to sixth through eighth-grade students since 2010 and helped design and implement a successful STEM lab at his previous school. He was twice recognized as Teacher of the Year by The Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair. 

Mr. Bessler loves to be in nature. He enjoys hiking, stand-up paddleboarding and golfing. He is also an avid sports enthusiast. During the fall, you can often find him cheering on his favorite football teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mr. Bessler has a 10-year-old son who shares his love of sports.

Joelle Biedenbach believes that all students are capable of finding enjoyment through problem solving. Being curious and asking questions are life-long learning skills that show up in her classroom daily, as she cultivates a culture of confidence in math. Being able to explain your reasoning and support your work is critical and, through risk-taking and practice, attainable by all. 

Ms. Biedenbach graduated from Lafayette College, in Easton, PA, with a joint degree in Mathematics and Economics. While always passionate about learning and education in general, Joelle first realized that her path would be teaching high school mathematics during her senior year at Lafayette. She started teaching and coaching swimming in 2003 and completed her California teaching credential through University of California, San Diego. Joelle has been teaching mathematics in the Upper School since 2011.

Ms. Biedenbach grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia and, after swimming all four years at Lafayette, transplanted to the San Diego region. She loves running, swimming, the ocean, yoga, and is fiercely devoted to the Philadelphia Eagles. Joelle lives in (and loves) North County, keeping busy by chasing after her two young daughters.

Celeste Bilbao began teaching at LJCDS as a long-term substitute for the Heritage Spanish class in Middle School. She felt a strong connection and motivation with the school's vision, care for the students and sense of community. She is grateful to be part of this nurturing community where each person has a voice.

Ms. Bilbao was born in Santiago, Chile, where she earned her university degree as an ESL teacher. Before starting her professional path in Chile, she flew to London to experience living in a foreign country. This nurturing life experience made her recognize the importance of being a global citizen, which she is now passionate about instilling in her students. Back in Chile, Ms. Bilbao taught different age groups and one-on-one lessons in language institutes. Her most enriching career development was the 14 years teaching lower and middle school students at St. Ignatius El Bosque. During those years, she continued learning different strategies to teach languages and received training in Visible Thinking Routines and project-based learning. 

Ms. Bilbao and her family are pretty new in the USA so she enjoys traveling around her new home, going to the beach, dining out on Mexican food, as well as surfing the web to learn more about second-language acquisition.

Dani Bonfield, M.A. Ed., believes that academic, social and emotional growth are important to every child’s development. As a specialist in the Learning Resource Center, Ms. Bonfield’s role is to offer assorted educational opportunities and strategies to a diverse body of learners. The best parts of her day are sharing in the elation of accomplishments and the many smiles and hugs she receives from her students.

As an athletic coach deeply committed to making a difference, Jos Burkett ’01 saw the potential in using sports as a tool for social impact. She worked tirelessly to instill values of discipline, dedication, and perseverance in her athletes, emphasizing that their achievements on the court were a means to a greater end. Seeking fresh adventures at her alma mater, Ms. Burkett discovered her niche in the philanthropy department—a role that perfectly marries her devotion to the school with her altruistic inclinations. The prospect of collaborating with familiar faces and kindred spirits filled her with a sense of excitement and admiration, igniting a new chapter in her ever-evolving professional life.

After graduating from LJCDS in 2001, Ms. Burkett attended Arizona State University on a full athletic scholarship for tennis where she earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in Spanish. Upon returning home, she rejoined the tennis program at LJCDS by becoming a coach. Eventually, she was promoted to head coach in the fall of 2009, a role she would keep until the winter of 2017. During her tenure, she led both the men’s and women’s tennis teams to a total of eight team CIF titles, three individual titles, and numerous league championships. After briefly living in Los Angeles and continuing her coaching as the assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, Ms. Burkett returned to her alma mater and joined the office of philanthropy at LJCDS in the spring of 2023.

Ms. Burkett enjoys embarking on thrilling escapades with her wife, Lisa, including traveling to visit friends, exploring the enchanting lands of Disneyland, losing themselves in the magic of live concerts and savoring the flavors of new restaurants. At home, they share their abode with the dynamic duo of Rocco and Andy, their dogs who add another layer of joy to their lives. Ms. Burkett also finds solace in staying home, diving into the pages of a good book, challenging her intellect with puzzles, or immersing herself in the irresistible allure of binge-worthy TV shows.

Emma Buttery is the Lower School administrative assistant. Her job includes greeting and assisting all who visit the Lower School office. She is always willing to jump in and help, whether out on the playground at recess or connecting with families to help students be successful throughout their day. Ms. Buttery makes sure the Lower School faculty feels supported so that they can create an environment for students to thrive.

Before joining LJCDS in 2020, Ms. Buttery was an assistant supervisor in the education and conservation department at SeaWorld San Diego. She helped facilitate and build a curriculum for SeaWorld’s summer camps and field trip programs. Ms. Buttery partnered with San Diego Unified School District to help create SeaWorld’s Ocean Link Lab, a free program for middle school students, to help expose them to STEAM careers at SeaWorld and in San Diego. Ms. Buttery graduated from Cal State, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. She danced professionally for 10 years before retiring her pointe shoes to start a family. 

In her spare time, Ms. Buttery likes spending time with her husband, Michael, and son, JP. She enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors in the beautiful San Diego sunshine.