Our faculty & staff
in alphabetical order
James Brunner
Science/STEM
Drawing on his background in Design Thinking, James has built a STEM program at NBA that is an engineering based program designed to cultivate inventiveness and teamwork skills. Prior to NBA, he taught a similar program at Cascade Canyon school in Fairfax. He first taught at Bayside STEM Academy in San Mateo. During his tenure he taught science, programming, robotics, and 3-D printing. James trained in design thinking at Stanford University's "D school" where he developed curriculum for teaching design thinking using technology. James has a BS in life science from Penn State University and holds credentials for teaching biology and chemistry.
Sam Beal
4th/5th Grade Head Teacher
Originally from upstate New York, Sam relocated to San Francisco in 2017, where he found a new home and met his future wife. They married in 2023 and currently reside in Sausalito with their three cats: Mars, Bunny, and Billy. Over the past three years at Charles Armstrong School, Sam served as a 6th grade history and language teacher, 6th grade team coordinator, and 8th grade basketball coach, playing a pivotal role in both academic and extracurricular activities. Outside of work, he is an avid reader, with interests ranging from historical nonfiction to fantasy novels. He enjoys playing basketball, exploring nature trails, and savoring the complexities of various wines.
Jennifer Cariadus
Expressive Arts and
Theater/Digital Arts
Jen joins North Bridge community from Star Academy, where she served for more than thirteen years as a Multisensory Language Arts Specialist, Adaptive Technology Assistant, and Classroom Teacher. She also taught Music/Drama, Yearbook, and Digital Arts. Jen also spearheaded and led a school-wide creative writing and publishing program. Before her tenure at Star Academy, Jen was a Clinician, Consultant, and Associate Clinical Director of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes Clinic (Marin). When she’s not teaching, singing, dancing, writing, or otherwise creating something, She can be spotted seaside, or searching the sky for eclipses, comets, and meteor showers. She lives in San Francisco with her wife, teenage twins, and two furkids.
Claire Cordon
Head Teacher, Grade 5
Claire has been an elementary teacher in San Francisco for 6 years and is thrilled to be teaching at NBA. She taught 3rd grade at the Hamlin School and Convent Elementary School. Claire holds a Masters in Education from the University of London, Goldsmiths. As an elementary student, Claire struggled with undiagnosed ADHD, and often felt alienated, shamed and misunderstood by her teachers. She strives to always remember how she felt as a student, and to never have a student feel that way in her classroom. Claire feels it is crucial that her students feel safe to make mistakes, empowered in their learning, and reminded of their innumerable strengths. Claire is also Canadian and has lived all over the world, but is happy to now call San Francisco home!
Annie Crowder
Head of School
Annie has led small, private schools for students who learn differently for the past 20+ years. Annie believes strongly in a strengths-based approach to education and that all children learn best with multi-sensory, direct instruction. It is her passion to lead school communities, holding collaboration, authenticity, diversity, and transparency as her highest ideals. Annie holds a BS in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MS in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. When not at school, Annie enjoys spending time with her two children, Ella and Chloe, and her partner, Tara. She loves walking on the beach, looking for sand dollars and sea glass, playing board games and bingo, riding her bike, and building Legos.
Shawn Davis
Receptionist
With twenty years as a nanny under her belt and over a decade of administrative experience, Shawn is thrilled to be a member of the NBA staff. She is excited to combine her love for children and learning with the ability to provide support throughout the school. Shawn is currently practicing Spanish and likes to make kimchi. She adores spending time with her family, cooking, hiking, reading and gardening. Spicy foods, rainy days and the ocean are a few of her favorite things. She lives in West Marin with her partner and their munchkin cat.
Emma Elizalde
Middle School Director of Learning and Instruction
Emma returns to North Bridge Academy after 5 years of working in San Francisco as a Reading/Learning Specialist at Town School. Recently, she completed her Slingerland training and is now a Certified Slingerland Instructor of Teachers (CSIT). Not only is Emma trained in Slingerland, she herself is dyslexic and learned through the Slingerland method. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Learning and Instruction at the University of San Francisco. She holds a Certificate in Educational Therapy, an Ed.M. in Mind, Brain, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a B.A. in Psychology and Education from Mount Holyoke College. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks through San Francisco with her partner and dog.
Shannon Garcia
3rd/4th Grade Head Teacher
Shannon is thrilled to be a part of the NBA community! She joins North Bridge from The Hamlin School where she taught Lower School Science, and for the past two years, has been a Fourth Grade Teacher. Shannon was born and raised in San Francisco, and in 2023 bought a home in Petaluma with her husband. They have a three-year-old Belgian Malinois, Malone, whom she trains competitively in sport. Shannon holds a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction. Shannon loves spending time with her family and friends and has a deep passion for baking. She owes a lot to who she is today, to her college soccer career. Shannon devoted her athleticism to the Athletic Department at Hamlin, coaching middle school soccer and running. Shannon is excited to be a Lower School Head Teacher at North Bridge and do what she loves, educating and bringing creative minds together!
Peter Hagan
Van Driver
Peter retired after almost 40 years in the corporate world and loves the change of pace and the sense of community at North Bridge Academy. A native San Franciscan, he and his family have lived in Novato for almost 30 years. During his free time he enjoys home improvement projects, almost anything relating to classic cars from the 60s and 70s, and getting away to Donner Lake.
Stephanie Hoyt
Math & ELA Support (Part Time)
Stephanie began her career as an ELA teacher in Cape Town, South Africa. After returning to the Bay Area, she obtained her teaching credential at Dominican University and spent the next five years teaching lower school at San Domenico and math and history Mt. Tam School. Before joining North Bridge Academy, Stephanie taught Middle School math and ELA at St. Anselms for five years. In 2019, she completed a reading intervention certification at the University of San Francisco. In her free time, she enjoys being a new mom.
David Klemas
Middle School Dean,
Social Studies & Wellness
David has worked with middle school students in both public and private schools since 2000. In his role as Dean of MS Students, David is committed to helping students build their academic and social confidence, as well as strengthening the NBA community as a whole. He enjoys working to solve conflicts through restorative practices utilizing his training from the Marin County Youth Court. Dave also finds time to coach NBA's basketball team. Outside of the classroom, you can find David on the ice playing hockey, cooking up something delicious, or out seeing live music.
Kristen Lang
Special Projects Coordinator
Bio coming soon!
Erin Minuth
Lower School Director of Learning and Instruction
Erin is a dyslexic educator who strives to ensure that all her students' needs are met while learning in a safe and fun environment. She was taught the Slingerland method as a student and overcame her difficulties with reading and writing. Erin graduated from Teton Science School with a certificate in Place-Based Education and then taught gap semesters abroad. Following that she obtained a Master’s Degree in Ed. at the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute. Since then she has worked in elementary education at Convent School and Hamlin School. Erin has advanced Slingerland Certification and uses it each day to meet the needs of all her students.
Jeanette Molineaux
Learning Specialist/Executive Function Skills Lead
Jeanette has worked in early childhood and special education as a credentialed teacher and early intervention specialist in New York, Washington, DC and in California public schools. She has an MA in Special Education from The George Washington University and completed post-graduate work in Educational Leadership, Child Life Studies and Parent Education.
Jeanette is trained in Slingerland, Orton Gillingham and Handwriting Without Tears. She enjoys exploring the bay area, reading, hiking and spending time with her family.
Julia Myers
Assistant Head of School/Director of Admissions and Transitions
Julia has worked in the field of special education in Marin since 2008, both as a classroom teacher and as a Slingerland Specialist. She is a Slingerland Certified Teacher (SCT) and an International Dyslexia Association Certified Dyslexia Practitioner. Julia is also trained in Project Read’s Framing Your Thoughts curriculum and Structured Word Inquiry. Since 2012, Julia has privately tutored students using the Slingerland approach. Prior to living in the Bay Area, Julia lived and worked in Washington, D.C, London, France, Belgium and Switzerland. In addition to her Slingerland certification, Julia holds an M.A. in both French Studies and International Relations. She is a former high school French and English as a Second Language teacher. When not teaching, Julia enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and dining out.
Christian Naventi
Science Teacher, Grades 4 - 8
Christian has been working with students with learning differences since 2007. Previous to joining the North Bridge community he taught at Star Academy for 11 years, primarily in their middle school and high school. There he focused on writing skills, growing self advocacy, transitions and developing a science program centered around community involvement and project based learning. He has a B.A. from UCLA in Political Science and Multiple Subject and Education Specialist credentials from Dominican University. He is also a certified naturalist from the UC California Naturalist program. Christian enjoys exploring the great outdoor opportunities throughout the Bay Area and beyond, playing music with friends and hanging with his wife and 3 year old daughter.
Nick Nordlinger
Middle School English Teacher
Nick joins North Bridge for his 9th year of teaching. He has a background in both English and Special Education. He spent 6 years managing a caseload of IEP students while also teaching Literacy Lab and AP English Literature at City Arts and Tech High School in San Francisco. After that he spent 2 years teaching Middle School English and 5th Grade at Brandeis-Marin. He is excited to now be working in Mill Valley, one of his favorite Bay Area towns. Outside of work Nick writes fiction and works on creative audio projects. He has strong opinions about books, music, and movies. His favorite place in the world is the Balboa Theater. His other interests include labyrinths, cribbage, pinball, and the phases of the moon. He also takes the seasons very seriously. He lives in San Francisco on the edge of Golden Gate Park with his wife and corgi.
Dr. Lauren Ogren
School Counselor
Lauren Ogren has over a decade of experience as a licensed clinician working with youth in the public and private educational setting, as well as years of clinical experience as a former member of the Kaiser Permanente psychiatry team. Most recently positioned at San Domenico as the full time Middle School counselor, she also has a private practice counseling teens and adults. Her areas of expertise include supporting neurodivergent students from a Social Learning perspective, experience guiding students and teachers in the Responsive Classroom model, and strong clinical skills in supporting the emotional needs of the students during their important developmental years. Lauren holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Psychology, and is licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. When not working, Lauren enjoys spending time with her family, fashion, and writing.
Rando Rode
Middle School Math Teacher
A lifelong learner with a passion for teaching, Rando is thrilled to provide math assistance and instruction to North Bridge Academy’s middle school math classes. Rando’s degree is in Latin literature. In subsequent years, his interests in math and working with junior and high school students led him to develop a tutoring practice, helping students in various subjects. Rando lives to learn and loves to teach; even in his free time, he is frequently found curled over a textbook or puzzling through a math problem.
Jen Rost
Associate Teacher
Jen Rost began her teaching career as an environmental educator and went on to teach 6th grade Science in New Hampshire. After moving to CA, Jen was so enchanted by the gorgeous variety of plants that she went back to school and studied horticulture and practiced landscape design. She loves gardening, but education called her back. Jen attended the 2022 Slingerland Summer School Intensive and discovered the amazing power of this approach to literacy instruction. She has been working with the very bright and loveable students at North Bridge Academy in a variety of positions since. She returns for the 2024/25 school year as an Associate Teacher. In her free time, you can find Jen exploring the Bay area, walking in the woods, reading and cooking yummy dinners with her housemates.
Felicia Sanchez
Head Teacher, Grade 4
A former Pastry Chef, Felicia discovered her love of teaching through hosting culinary apprenticeships for San Francisco middle school students. Prior to joining NBA two years ago, Felicia taught multiple grade levels as an Associate Teacher and Lower School Tutor at Marin Country Day School. She earned her Masters in Reading & Literacy Education from CSU Fullerton and is currently completing a post-graduate certificate in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham methodologies as well as Structured Word Inquiry. Felicia brings both compassion and energy into the classroom, cultivating a culture of belonging through the Responsive Classroom approach and guided mindfulness practices. Outside of the classroom, Felicia enjoys spending time with her family, rescuing houseplants, and strolling through the Sunday Farmer's Market.
Chrissy Sohn
2nd/3rd Grade Slingerland and Homeroom Teacher
Chrissy received her Teaching Certification from The University of Massachusetts with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She was the Director and Lead Teacher at Shalom Preschool in Carmel Valley, CA and taught at The University Lab School at Georgetown University. Chrissy became interested in working with dyslexic learners when her son was diagnosed several years ago. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy and the Slingerland methodology. Chrissy has two children and lives with her family in San Anselmo.
Priya Tjerandsen
Consultant
Priya Tjerandsen shares with NBA nearly twenty years of experience working with students with learning differences. She has been a classroom teacher for many of those years as well as a consultant to teachers and families. Priya has also worked with teams that provide assessment and diagnostic work to individuals with a variety of learning challenges. Her areas of expertise range from language-based learning differences (Dyslexia and Dysgraphia) to working with students who have attentional and/ or Executive Functions weaknesses. She is trained in Slingerland and Wilson. Priya holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education and has worked with students in a classroom setting as well as doing individual and small group work.
Brandon York
Karate Sensei
Brandon York has a very diverse professional background ranging from Autotainment Team Management to Martial Arts Instructor to Project Management to Estate Management to Mentoring. He thrives in people oriented projects and believes in the power of teamwork. As the North Bridge Academy’s Martial Arts instructor, he teaches the power of self- awareness, focus and community.