Faculty

Amy joined Presentation community in 2007 and is thrilled to return to the Kindergarten classroom as our lead Kindergarten teacher. Amy has spent the past 11 years working in private and independent schools in Napa and Sonoma counties. She enjoys working with our youngest learners and believes that the social and emotional component of learning is the cornerstone of the educational experience. In her spare time you can find Amy bike riding around town with family and friends. Amy lives in Sonoma with her husband Braiden and young son Benjamin.

Maggie joins The Presentation School with over twenty years of experience in teaching and education. Maggie has had a diverse range of qualifications in her teaching career, including time spent in special education, health, and lead elementary school classroom teacher. She has a passion for academic and love of children, and is excited to share a desire to instill our values in young people. Outside of school, you can find Maggie outside! From rock climbing and hiking, running and gardening, she’s a lover of nature and animals. Maggie lives in Napa and has an adult daughter and a large extended family here in California. 
 

A Napa native, Haley has spent the last several years starting her career in education. She has spent time teaching primary school at Phillips Brooks School and Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy. She is thrilled to be back in the North Bay close to family and to join the Presentation community. Haley is excited to collaborate with faculty and to build relationships with students and their families. She chose to become an educator because she loves watching students have those “aha moments” in their learning. Haley enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring new places, reading and cooking.

Originally from upstate New York, Melissa moved to Southern California when she was 10 years old. Beginning her teaching career in Southern California, she brings over 20 years' experience in education. Prior to joining Presentation, Melissa taught at a fellow Bay Area Independent School, San Domenico in Marin. Melissa feels passionately that it's critical to ensure students grow to understand that mistakes are a necessary part of the learning process. She believes helping her students grow both emotionally and academically is important for the development of the whole child.  In her spare time, she enjoys walking, reading, teaching at the gym, and spending time with her family. Melissa currently lives in Petaluma with her husband Domenick and their two daughters, Bella (TPS Class of 2024, and current student at Justin-Siena) and Gianna, TPS Class of 2027.
 

Born and raised in Sonoma, Teresa began teaching at Presentation in 2003 and has over 20 years experience in education. Teresa is passionate about helping children become thinkers, problem solvers, and helping them develop an ability to articulate themselves clearly. She is also interested in encouraging students to respectfully communicate their ideas with each other and with the greater community. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends. Teresa currently lives in Sonoma and has a daughter who is a Presentation alumna.
 

Laurel joins Presentation after years of experience teaching middle school, with a sweet spot and love for the fifth grade. She lives in Glen Ellen with her husband.

Originally from New England, Keefe moved to the Bay Area at age 17. Keefe has spent the last three years as a part of the Presentation community. He is passionate about connecting lessons to the outside world and to current events. He also likes to make learning relevant and meaningful by integrating ideas and content that matter to the students. When not in the classroom, Keefe enjoys backpacking in the Sierra and biking all around the Bay Area. 

A Sonoma native, Jenn brings over 6 years of experience in education and a part of the Presentation community for 4 years. She is passionate about getting students to enjoy math by using non-traditional methods and making it fun. Outside of the classroom, Jenn enjoys gardening and interior design. Jenn lives in Sonomawith her husband Ernie, and daughter Marren.

Gina brings 15 years of teaching experience and has been a part of the Presentation community since 2015. She loves to engage her students with the world around us, specifically becoming engaged with current events locally, nationally and world-wide. Gina lives in Sonoma with her husband and two sons, Finn and Jameson. In her spare time, Gina enjoys reading and camping.

Dr. Garrison carries over 32 years experience in science and math education. Greg is passionate about coming up with creative projects that enable students to show their successes in learning. He currently lives in Sonoma and has a daughter who is a resident physician in Honolulu. In his free time, Greg enjoys sailing, scuba, hiking and camping.

Julie taught art at a private school for nearly a decade prior to joining Presentation. Additionally, she spent time teaching 4th and 5th grade through a homeschool network, where she developed a curriculum that incorporated California core standards with a cross-curricular program of historical novels/art and social studies. Julie is passionate about developing and encouraging a love of learning and believes you cannot force learning if you don't love it first. Outside of the classroom, Julie enjoys attending baseball games and watching movies. She currently lives in Sonoma with her husband and has a son in high school and a daughter in college.

Born and raised in Sonoma, Fernando has been in and out of the classroom teaching Spanish for the past 5 years. Most recently he spent time at
Vintage High School in Napa teaching Honors Spanish for Spanish speakers.Fernando brings extended experience working with youth thanks to his position as mentor with California Mini-Corps where he tutored migrant students at multiple schools in Sonoma County. Fernando is introduce students to cultural aspects of the Spanish language that are often overlooked in traditional language classes. When he's not in the classroom you can find Fernando playing soccer, spending time with his family and planning his bucket list visit to Spain.

Erin joins us with 15 years of experience working as a school counselor, therapist, and mental health advocate in diverse roles and settings. She holds a joint Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Masters of Education in School Counseling from the University of Massachusetts Boston. “My greatest joy comes from learning alongside my students, guiding them in their social and emotional development, and working closely with devoted educators”. Originally from the greater Boston area, Erin and her family relocated to Hong Kong from 2017 to 2020 where she took on the role of therapist and school consultant for Central Health and the English Schools Foundation, an opportunity which expanded her expertise and perspective by working with children, adolescents, and their parents in an international context.“I chose to become an educator because I deeply believe that when we nourish young minds with curiosity, knowledge, and discovery, they have the power to change the world for the better.  Erin lives in Marin with her husband and their three children. 
 

With nine years of K-8 PE teaching experience and six years coaching wrestling at Stuart Hall in SF, Griffin is thrilled to make TPS his home. He has a passion for all things athletics like designing engaging PE curriculum and coaching a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, track & field, flag football and disc golf. In his own words, "I believe everyone should enjoy a sport or hobby that can lead to success in a variety of ways including physical and mental health, character development, and being an outstanding community member. I believe TPS can be my forever home. The values of Love, Learn, Lead co-align with my own beliefs." Griffin lives in San Rafael with his wife, Grazielle, and their daughter Colette.
 

Israel joins the Presentation community with a robust appreciation for both music and teaching. In both public and independent school classrooms, Israel’s talents reach beyond musical instruction as he has experience as a lead middle school math teacher, helping shape his pedagogical approach through a lens of problem solving and critical thinking. With a degree in Jazz and Classical Music Theory from San Francisco State University, Israel looks forward to helping students explore music through the world around them and introducing them to instruments. Israel is a guitarist and vocalist for bands and combos. Outside of his passion for music, he is a sports and video game enthusiast, likes to take apart computers and can solve a Rubik’s cube. Israel comes from a large family and is the oldest of six siblings! “I chose to become an educator because I know these children are the future of our world. I want to spread joy and laughter while improving lives, one mind at a time."

As a Presentation alum, Alex joined the community again 8 years ago as a classroom teacher. Before moving into the classroom, Alex spent a year working as an Applied Behavior Analyst working with neurodiverse children with behavioral differences, as well as children on the autism spectrum. Alex held the position of Assistant Director of Ross Valley Nursery School, where she spent time developing programs and overseeing faculty and curriculum. In addition to her role as Coordinator of Curriculum, Alex leads our Transitional Kindergarten program where she is active in the classroom each day. Outside of school, she's happiest spending time with her family and getting outside for hikes, bike rides, and beach trips. Alex lives in Sonoma with her husband Nick, and two sons, Tyler (a Presentation student) and Colton.

Jeanette Cardamone is passionate about education and supporting students to achieve their best. She is originally from Southern California where she raised her children with her husband of 45 years. Jeanette and her husband moved to beautiful Sonoma two years ago to be near their grandsons and to escape the intensity of urban life. Her career began in early childhood education as a teacher, director and curriculum developer. Later she moved to K-8 education as a teacher, learning specialist and principal. She has been an educator in these capacities for 40 years. As a learning specialist, she is intrigued by how each student learns and how to unlock their individual puzzle to achieve success. 
 

A Presentation School alumna and Sonoma native, Diana is happy to be back at her alma mater! Diana has a background in early childhood education, and prior experience working with preschool students in Sonoma Valley. Diana enjoys working closely with our students to support their academic success and social emotional growth.