Teaching at La Jolla Country Day School

Faculty/Staff Directory

Department

Grade

Last Name

Porschia Talbot

Educator and Team Lead, ECC and LS Visual Arts

(858) 453-3440 x225

Bio

“I inspire greatness by introducing my students to new ways of viewing the world and giving them the tools to express themselves through art. I believe that creative expression is imperative in building self-confidence and creating a well-rounded individual. I strive to instill a passion for exploration, invention and understanding in my students so they may go on to build a more connected and loving world.”

Porschia Talbot ’03 believes that art is the glue that ties all the other subjects and skills learned in school (and life) together. She provides her students with a safe environment, where they can make mistakes, get messy and have fun while learning how to creatively express themselves.

Ms. Talbot was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia before her family moved to San Diego. She joined LJCDS in the eighth grade and graduated in 2003. She is thrilled to be back on campus to give back to the community that gave her so much.

Ms. Talbot has taught art programs in schools in Portland, San Francisco and San Diego. In 2009, she opened an art school, My Art Shed, in La Jolla, where she provided fine art and craft lessons, workshops and camps for ages 2 through adult. Since 2017, her business has been mobile, facilitating on-site enrichment programs. Ms. Talbot also teaches weekly adult painting lessons and creates custom murals and artwork for businesses on the West Coast.

She studied architecture at The New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego while teaching art at The Monarch School for three years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Portland State University.

In her free time, Ms. Talbot loves painting vintage cars and trucks and going on road trips with her wife, Dawn, and dog Spirit.
Tami Taylor

Educator, Grade 2

(858) 453-3440 x208

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by showing my second-grade students that it’s OK to make mistakes. When something is challenging and they don’t come up with the correct answer on the first attempt, I encourage them to continue to work through the problem until they reach a solution. When something challenges us, it makes us grow and learn.”

Tami Taylor is part of an amazing second-grade team of teachers. She came to La Jolla Country Day School to engage young children and get them excited to learn.

Ms. Taylor graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and obtained her teaching credential from the University of Phoenix.

Her two sons were both lifers at LJCDS. She was a parent at the school before becoming a faculty member. Knowing firsthand what a phenomenal education her children were receiving prompted her to apply for a coveted position at the Lower School.
Biology (H) and Physics Teacher
Jeff Terwin

Head of School

(858) 453-3440
Tiffany Thompson Ph.D.

Director of Community, Culture, and Belonging

(858) 453-3440 x410

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by inspiring my students to use the arts for healing. I use creative expression to transform lives by integrating mental health practices for self-discovery, connection and empowerment. I support students by helping them connect to themselves in a nurturing environment, using art, dance/movement, drama, music, mindfulness and poetry as tools to encourage their freedom of expression. This allows them to not only learn about themselves but also creates an environment for them to be open to social justice and change.”

Tiffany Thompson, M.S., M.Ed., is an accomplished professional school counselor with expertise in expressive therapies (ET), behavioral health (BH), mental health equity and program development. Her considerable experience in ET and BH includes working in Boston, Dubai, Kenya, Kentucky, Georgia, India, Indiana and Tanzania presenting several workshops on how to support students dealing with trauma and other behavioral disorders using expressive arts.

Mrs. Thompson has written books about self-help, mindfulness and empathy for adults and children/teens and has been instrumental in creating programs for bully prevention, equity awareness, expressive therapies, identity safety, mindfulness, and music healing. She has worked in private, public and non-profit sectors to help schools and organizations become more aware of mental health and social injustices.

While working at Pike Township Schools in Indianapolis, Mrs. Thompson was honored as Superintendent of the Year in 2017 and 2019. She received the American School Counseling Association RAMP award and was honored by the Indiana School Counseling Association for her work in developing a comprehensive counseling program for two elementary schools in Pike Township.

Mrs. Thompson is a graduate of Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana Wesleyan University and Butler University. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Lesley University and intends on graduating in the spring of 2023.

With her motto, “We are better through our differences, but we all have this human experience to connect us,” Mrs. Thompson goes above and beyond to make sure her students have a safe space to share and supports an identity-safe school environment for all students.

Mrs. Thompson enjoys yoga, pilates, sound healing, creating art, mindfulness and living a life around wellness. She thrives outdoors when hiking, kayaking and swimming. She is married to her wonderful husband Curtis, and she adores her three sons, Noble, Bryce and Logan, as well as their mini sheepadoodle, Schroeder. Mrs. Thompson loves spending time traveling the world, volunteering, writing, hosting sound baths, meditating/praying, reading, acting, and going to sporting events, amusement parks, art museums, aquariums and concerts.
Laura Tonini

Educator, Kindergarten

(858) 453-3440 x207

Bio

Read about Mrs. Tonini in a Faculty Spotlight article.
Maya Torres

Educator, MS and US World Language

(858) 453-3440 x355

Bio

“I inspire greatness by helping my students dream about new adventures in various parts of the world, by opening their eyes to other cultures, and by encouraging them to think beyond themselves, thereby acquiring the gifts of empathy and compassion for others. I give my students the opportunity to make mistakes and realize that taking risks will make them better learners, helping them to grow stronger and go further.”

Maya Torres has a Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages and civilizations from La Sorbonne, in Paris, as well as a TESOL/TEFL/TESL certification from Oxford Seminars in New York City.

As La Jolla Country Day School’s Middle School and Upper School French teacher, Ms. Torres has a passion for foreign languages that expresses itself in sensitivity and compassion to the needs of students. Ms. Torres appreciates the reduced class size at LJCDS, which provides her the opportunity to genuinely connect with each one of her students.

Ms. Torres joined LJCDS in 2011. She has taught French I, French II, French III and French III Honors in the Upper School. She has also taught Spanish 1A and 1B in Middle School, as well as French 1A and French 1B.

Before working at LJCDS, Ms. Torres was a dance teacher and traveled extensively, teaching in four different languages. Ms. Torres’ language proficiency in English, French, Spanish and Arabic provides her with the desire to teach these skills in the most sincere and compassionate way. She also shares her facility and love for languages by raising her three young sons in trilingual fluency. In her spare time, she enjoys the practice of martial arts with her family, salsa dancing, reading, experimenting with new recipes from different cultures, baking, hiking and traveling.
Felicia Tripoli

Associate Educator, ECC Jr. Kindergarten

(858) 453-3440 x417

Bio

“I inspire greatness by exposing my students to diversity at an early age. I celebrate diversity by reading books, switching out photographs and dramatic play accessories, collaborating with my co-teacher on lessons, as well as inviting families to come in to share their home traditions.”

Felicia Tripoli has a master’s in teaching and learning. She believes that exposing and introducing our students at the preschool age to diverse cultures, living situations and families, helps them build tolerance, acceptance and an understanding of the world. As an associate junior kindergarten teacher, her role is to provide a safe, nurturing and fun environment for students ages 3 through 5, where they build the skills to resolve conflicts, be assertive with their needs and develop the abilities to be successful at school and beyond. Most important, she wants her students to enjoy coming to school and learning every day.

Ms. Tripoli grew up the daughter of a preschool director and unknowingly started her career by volunteering at a very young age. In high school, she continued to volunteer in the mainstream program and knew for certain that working with youth was her calling. After graduating from San Francisco State University with a liberal studies degree, she began to substitute teach long-term while working toward her master’s, in addition to studying early childhood education.

Ms. Tripoli enjoys the art of crafting and tries to travel abroad at least once a year. Crafting, to her, is her meditation, and traveling keeps her grounded and grateful for all that she has.
Andrea Trottier

Educator, ECC

(858) 453-3440 x406

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by introducing character education to our children. I help by giving them the tools they need to navigate situations with their peers and others. As their skills grow, I am confident they will feel empowered now and throughout their future to become upstanding citizens.”

Andrea Trottier believes that children truly are our future, and to work with children of such an impressionable age is an honor, not to mention extremely fulfilling. In addition, she finds herself learning from her children frequently.

Mrs. Trottier was introduced to the world of early childhood education through an internship program in high school. That was when she first fell in love with working with children and decided to take college courses in the field. Prior to joining the LJCDS community in the 2010–2011 school year, she was substituting in schools around the county and also worked in radio.

In her spare time, Mrs. Trottier enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys going on weekend getaways, trying new restaurants, fostering kittens, and waiting for Halloween so she can decorate!
Dani Tucci

Educator, US Science

(858) 453-3440 x 480

Bio

“I inspire greatness for a better world by sparking students’ curiosity in science and the world around them. I believe that every student can learn and ‘do’ science and that my role is to model what scientists do and how we can ask questions that can be tested in the laboratory. From the simplest atoms to the most complex structures, science is everywhere, and you just have to keep looking and searching for answers.”

Dani Tucci, M.Ed., loves teaching science and wants to inspire students to achieve their academic goals, provide support and resources to succeed and empower them to tackle challenging problems both in and out of the classroom.

Before starting at LJCDS in 2023, Ms. Tucci earned her bachelor’s degree from Scripps College in 2012 and her Master of Education from UC San Diego in 2016. Since graduation, she has taught everything from biology to chemistry to environmental science in various school settings, from Title 1 public schools to small private schools. Ms. Tucci is a San Diego native but has taught mainly in the Bay Area for seven years. She is excited to return to southern California, where the weather is a bit warmer!

Ms. Tucci loves the outdoors, spending time with her family, playing board games and reading a good book.