Laguna Blanca School | Contacts & Directions

Faculty & Staff Directory

Department

Grade

Letter

Dana Caldwell

Performing Arts

Theater Instructor & Performing Arts Department Chair

2015

805.687.2461 x0217

University of California, Santa Barbara - B.F.A.

Bio

Dana Caldwell has been a proud Owl since 2014, serving as the Gr. 5-12 Theater Teacher, Director, and Performing Arts Chair at Laguna Blanca School. A Santa Barbara native, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has been actively engaged as an actor, costume designer, director, and educator throughout her career. When she is not in the theater she can be found enjoying the great outdoors with her husband, Charles, and son, Jack (a young Swoop in training!).

On Theater at Laguna: “There is no greater practice of empathy than the work we do in theater as actors and as storytellers. We actively walk in others' shoes, we imagine a world other than our own—lessons we learn within our walls but take with us well beyond the theater. We engage in critical and creative thinking to solve problems as we dive into the unknown. We learn that our own unique gifts are vitally important. We learn that our voice matters and that we can’t do it alone. That it takes a village, showing up for your team, commitment, and follow through. And that humor and friendship get us a long way when the going gets tough. We learn that it’s okay to make mistakes and that perfection is a fool's errand, but sometimes, in that darkly lit theater, in those moments of profound human connection, we get pretty close to it.”
Jennifer Carney

Fifth Grade Teacher

2019

805.687.2461 x0232

Colorado State University - B.A.
Adams State College - M.A.

Bio

Jennifer Carney joins the Laguna faculty as a Fifth Grade Instructor, after living in the mountains of Colorado for most of her life. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Colorado State University, a Master’s in Curriculum and Assessment from Adams State College, and holds a professional license in Secondary Social Studies and Elementary Education. She is certified in Linguistically Diverse Education, having taught many students whose primary language is other than English. After teaching high school history for four years, Jennifer transitioned to the homeroom classroom and has over 17 years of teaching experience as a lead teacher for the upper elementary grades.

She and her husband, Richard, are parents to son Taylor, and three dogs (Rango, Rosco, and Lola). Jennifer enjoys exploring Santa Barbara’s hiking trails, listening to live music at the Santa Barbara Bowl, hanging out on the beach, and living in a place where it always feels like summer. She is elated to be part of the Laguna community.
Chris Chan

Admission

Administrative Assistant to Admissions Office

2023

805.724.0330

University of Pittsburgh - B.S.

Bio

Chris has been part of the Santa Barbara community since 2000 when she relocated with her husband and children from the San Francisco Bay Area. Chris raised her two children, now young adults, in Santa Barbara. During this time, she was an active volunteer in their classrooms and enjoyed extensive interaction with their teachers. Chris’ previous experience also includes instructive positions in the Goleta Union School District, as well as in the Santa Barbara County Education Office. In addition, Chris was an instructional assistant at Laguna Blanca Lower School in 2010 and has been a substitute teacher at the Lower School before joining the Admissions Department in her current role. Chris has a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was a software engineer in the Silicon Valley before relocating to Santa Barbara and discovering her passion for education.
Ursula Chan

Administration

Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

2018

805.687.2461 x0429

University of California - Santa Barbara - B.A.
California State University Fullerton - M.A.

Bio

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director, Ursula Chan, started at Laguna Blanca in 2018 as the Lower School Spanish Instructor and Fourth Grade Teaching Assistant and began her work as DEI Coordinator in 2020. Chan holds a B.A. in Feminist Studies from UCSB and a Master's with honors in American Studies, deepening her expertise in history, society, culture, and critical theory.
David Dave Childers

Facilities & Maintenance

Grounds

2013
Paul Chiment

Mathematics

Mathematics Instructor

1990

805.687.2461 x0508

University of California, Santa Barbara - B.S.

Bio

Paul Chiment has been sharing his love of math and his love of learning with students for over 30 years. After earning a degree in Mathematical Science, and then a teaching credential in Mathematics Education, he taught math and computer science courses in Los Angeles and Switzerland until returning to Santa Barbara in 1990. He joined the Laguna Blanca faculty that year and has thrived with Laguna’s friendly and academically-motivated student population. Paul makes it a point to weave humor and history into all of his math lessons and to focus on the deeper conceptual meaning of mathematics’ relationship to philosophy, science, and our everyday lives. Paul has been a master teacher for many graduate students in the field of math education, has served as a senior fellow with the Tri-County Mathematics Project, has served on Laguna Blanca’s Board of Trustees, and has chaired and participated on numerous committees related to mathematics and learning. When not teaching, Paul can be found strumming his guitar, surfing somewhere between San Diego and Santa Barbara, cooking Italian dinners for his family and friends, or playing with his two poorly behaved dogs.
Ron Cino

Administration, Head of School

Head of School

2021

805.687.2461 x0308

Trinity College - B.A.

Bio

A Brooklyn native, Ron graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School and then went on to earn his B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he was a student leader, athlete, and mentor to incoming students. Ron has been Head of School for the past nine years at Worcester Academy (WA), a co-educational independent school for 575 day and boarding students in grades six through twelve and postgraduates in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Under Ron’s guidance, WA successfully completed the final phase of the school’s largest capital campaign and the development of strategic and campus master plans which included completion of major renovation projects and the creation of a new Performance Center. Ron also established community partnerships at the Worcester Ice Center – now WA’s home hockey rink – and with the new Worcester Red Sox AAA baseball franchise. In addition, Ron held various roles at Worcester Academy during his twenty years at the school. He arrived as director of college counseling, following several years working in admissions at Trinity College. Ron then served as director of upper school and associate head of school before becoming the head of school. As a result, Ron brings exceptional knowledge of how independent private schools nurture student motivation and responsibility for their own learning, as well as preparing their students for college and beyond.
Kelli Clifford

First Grade Teacher

2020

805.687.2461 x0401

University of Nevada - Las Vegas - B.S.
University of Nevada - Las Vegas - M.A. Ed

Bio

Kelli Clifford is thrilled to join the Laguna Blanca team as a first grade lead teacher. She was born in Northern California, where she has fond memories of summers in Santa Cruz and camping trips in Yosemite.

She most recently taught first grade in Las Vegas where her school has been recognized on the superintendent's honor roll for high performance, ranking in the top 5% of elementary schools in Nevada. With 16 years of early childhood experience, she welcomed collaboration with her peers and established a rotating science program that benefited over 150 students each year with engaging hands-on activities and lessons. Kelli feels that meaningful relationships create student success and has been inspired by Laguna Blanca's core values.

She holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education from UNLV and could not be more thrilled to be moving from the desert to the coast! Kelli initially fell in love with the area after attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and spending her weekends visiting friends in Santa Barbara. For the past eight years, she has spent every summer in Carpinteria, enjoying paddleboarding, kayaking, and hiking. She is most proud of her high school-aged son, Brady, a spirited young man who shares her love for the outdoors. He is overjoyed to be near the ocean with his interest in surfing. Brady is a drummer in Honors Stage Band at Laguna Blanca and is excited to get back into music. Both feel Laguna has been a great place to land, with meaningful experiences, rigor, compassionate leadership, and community.
Isac Contreras Santillan

Facilities & Maintenance

Groundskeeper

2022
Jose Cordova

Facilities & Maintenance

Groundskeeper

2022

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