OUR TEAM
Our faculty and staff combine passion, dedication, and flexibility with the wisdom of many years spent teaching children to achieve their potential.
Pictured above: Our in-person professional development training with our teachers, two weeks prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year (come meet us as we are ready to inspire).
our school leadership
Wendy Xa
Founding Head of School
Neuroscientist. Nature Enthusiast. Quadrilingual. Mom.
After founding Presidio Knolls, the award-winning private Mandarin-immersion school in San Francisco, Wendy had a vision for a pioneering school that could combine language immersion, nature-based education, and social-emotional learning into a unified program. As we enter our fifth year in operations, Terra Marin is the exemplification of this vision.
Shauna Sullivan, M.Ed.
Preschool Director
Cat & child whisperer. Math wiz, Avid reader and book collector. Proud grandmother.
M.A. and B.A. in Education with a focus in mathematics from SFSU. Multiple Subject Clear Teaching Credential. 25+ years of classroom experience. Cat and children whisperer. Grandmother of three adorable preschoolers.
Teachers
are at the heart of our program
Teachers are at the heart of our program. With a <1% acceptance rate, we hire only teachers who can create magical learning experiences in the classroom. Our teachers have previous experience teaching in Forest, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Language Immersion schools. And small student-teacher ratios (5:1 in preschool through transitional kindergarten, 8:1 in kindergarten through 8th grade) allow our teachers to provide the personalized attention your child needs to thrive.
our Elementary TEACHERS
Tianxing Yao, M.Ed.
Mandarin TK/Kindergarten
Talented poet. Amusement park enthusiast.
M.A. in Education from the University of San Francisco. B.A. in Electrical Engineering from Xi’ an Shiyou University in China. 9 years of teaching experience.
Josephine Mong, M.A.
K-4 Literacy Specialist
Avid Hiker. Owned a theater company for 20 years, working with at-risk teenagers.
MA in Interdisciplinary Education-Reading Emphasis and BA in multisubject from Santa Clara University, CA. Has K-8 Multiple Subject Clear Teaching Credential. 20+ years teaching experience.
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Sandra Aranda, M.S.
Spanish TK/Kindergarten
Poetess, musicophile and star observer.
B.S. in Speech Pathology and Master of Science in Neuropsychology and Education in Mexico City. My love for children started from being raised in a big Mexican family. I look forward to teaching the youth Spanish while connecting with the incredible California nature.
Angela Perez, M.A.
1-4th Grade Spanish & Homeroom Teacher
Music lover. Avid reader.
Born in Mexico. Bachelor's degree in Preschool education and a Masters degree in Pedagogy. With 36 years of experience of teaching.
Ke Ding, M.A.
1-4th Grade Mandarin & Homeroom Teacher
Positive & Energetic, Cinephile, Dancer.
BA and MA in language education at Coventry University, UK. CDA(Child Development Associate) credential issued by The University of Pennsylvania. 8 years of teaching experience.
OUR PRESCHOOL TEACHERs
K - 8th grade Mandarin and Spanish classes, Preschool and TK Mandarin and Spanish Immersion
Boyan Harlie Li, M.A., PhD
Mandarin Preschool
Cat Lover. Professional Photographer
Ph.D. in Education and M.A. in Education and B.A. in of TESOL at at Lee University Cleveland, TN.
Ana K Escobar
Spanish Preschool
Epicure. Dancer.
B.S. in Education at Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla in Mexico. 8 years of experience with preschool, elementary, and college level teaching. My mother was also a preschool teacher, and my father was a teacher too. I am grateful to be here and can't wait to meet your children.
Jing Huang, M.Ed
Mandarin Preschool
Explorer
Master in Education from Guangxi University, China, and B.A. in Chinese Literature from Jishou University. 10 years of experience teaching Mandarin around the world, including Thailand, China, Texas, and England.
Xuan Luo, MD
SF Kindergarten Mandarin Teacher
Healer, Organizer, Mother of a Preschooler
Bachelor degree in Medicine from Changsha Medical university and have spend 10+ years as an acupuncturist and pediatrician. After having my baby girl four years ago, I find my career moving to Early Childhood Education.
Yan Zhang, M.A.
Mandarin Preschool
Chinese Painter, Artist and Epicure
Bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Business Adminstration at San Diego State University, and a Master's degree in Education at San Francisco State U. Previous a Preschool Assistant Director.
OUR ARTS, EARTH eDUCATION,
aftercare & PE teachers
Kenneth Berremen, M.Ed.
International Trip Coordinator & Earth Educator
Travel enthusiast. SAT tutor, Trilingual.
Masters in Multicultural and Bilingual Education at U de Alcalá - Instituto Franklin. B.S. in Environmental Science & Agriculture at UC Davis. 5+ years traveling and teaching English, Science, and Math around the world, in Spain, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam. " I am excited to use my knowledge of planning and running international programs to create meaningful experiences for students and give context to their education."
Dylan Turner, M.A., Ph.D
PK Earth Educator
Avid Hiker. Preschool Teacher, Equity Advocate
Accredited Early Childhood Educator, Ph.D. in Anthropology at City University of New York. M.A. in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. B.A. in Anthropology and Philosophy (Joint Honors) at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. 15 Years early childcare experience and Member of Marin Primary chapter of SEED, a peer-led professional development program that creates conversational communities to drive personal, organizational and societal change toward greater equity and diversity.
Alek Cordeiro
Physical Education (rejoining Terra Marin in August)
Growth Mindset, Goal-Oriented.
B.A in Psychology at Sonoma State University. 7 years experience with ages 18 months to 18 years. Will coach skills in soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, and track and field. Fluent in Portugese.
Our ADMINISTRATORS & Staff
Johanna Cervantes
Admissions
Marathon runner & standup comedian.
BA in Environmental Studies and Theology & Religious Studies from USF. Fluent in English and Spanish.
Melody Hitt, M.Ed., Ph.D.
Director of Institutional Advancement
Avid backpacker and have helped identify several species of fungi.
MS in Education from SFSU and BS in Organizational Leadership from California Lutheran University. Melody brings over 20 years of Contracts and Grant Administration to our school. Being an educator themselves, Melody understands the importance of funding collaboration, and how to meet the needs of the students, faculty, and school.
Mitch Harris
IT
Tech Geek. Cosmologist. Philosopher.
A Northern Arizona Honors Program Graduate in Psychology and English, Mitch helped folks with their computers in college and never stopped. For fun, Mitch likes music, poker, and debating the nature of reality.
Cassidy Moore, M.M.
Advertising and Communications Strategy
Hiker. Violinist. Creative.
Master in Music from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and Bachelor cum laude in Music from Lynn Conservatory of Music with full-tuition scholarship. Native New Yorker, Californian at heart. 3+ yrs in Social Media Content Development and Strategy.
Xavier Seguin, M.M.
Marketing
Traveler, Polyglot
B.A. (candidate) in International Business Management at Haute Ecole de Gestion, Geneva, Switzerland. Experience in marketing and business administration
Enhui Luo
Custodian
Loves seafood and being a grandfather.
B.A. in Mechanical Engineering at Yingkou University and worked 16 years as a mechanical engineer, designing products that help clear water pollution. Grew up in Yingkou, China, which is near North Korea and is known for its fresh seafood.
Michael Pastor
Bus Driver - Marin
Served in the Navy, Has a grown daughter
San Francisco native. Punctual, 17 years as a bus driver. Previously, served as a building and property manager.
Melvin Watson
Bus Driver - San Francisco
Loves bikes, father of four grown children.
Born in Galveston, TX. Previously owned and operated a bike shop, spent 22 years as a building manager in the Presidio, and worked a few years at another K8 school in SF.