Full of energy and optimism, Ms. Armstrong began her journey in 2014 at Laguna’s Lower School campus as the Grades 3 & 4 Instructional Assistant. In 2015, she transitioned to the Hope Ranch campus, where she took on the lead teaching role in sixth grade. Ms. Armstrong has been instrumental in curriculum development and in building strong connections with students, families, and colleagues. Not only has she excelled as the sixth-grade lead teacher, but she has also played a key role as a faculty advisor for Laguna’s TEDx program, showcasing her commitment to fostering innovative ideas and empowering students. Additionally, Ms. Armstrong’s dedication to environmentalism shines through in her participation in the annual CA Coastal Cleanup Day. Driven by her passion for science, she brings her infectious enthusiasm to the classroom, returning to the Lower School community in 2024 as the science instructor. Ms. Armstrong holds a B.A. in history from Whitman College and a master’s degree in education from UCSB.
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.
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.
Kay de Veer has worked as an educator for nearly 15 years as both an elementary school teacher and an educational therapist. She earned her B.S in Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an M.Ed in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University, Oakland. Kay has run a private educational therapy practice for the past six years supporting students, families, and schools throughout Santa Barbara. She has been a featured speaker at national education conferences and her thesis work on sensory integration and learning was published in the Educational Therapy Journal. Kay attended Laguna Blanca Lower School and is thrilled to be returning again as an Owl! When not working with students, Kay can be found at the beach with her husband and two kids.
Greer and her husband, Ted, have called Santa Barbara home for about 13 years. They have two daughters, Lily and Isla, and a beloved Bernedoodle named Arrow. Before joining Laguna Blanca, Greer spent the last three years as an Associate Teacher at her daughters' elementary school, where she developed a deep love for teaching.
In addition to her work in education, Greer and her husband own a restaurant in the Funk Zone called "We Want The Funk," where they share their passion for food and hospitality with the Santa Barbara community and beyond.
When Greer isn't on the Lower School campus, you can find her in Carpinteria riding horses with her daughters, enjoying the beach, hiking with friends, or catching a show at the SB Bowl.
Brooke's commitment to education and her dedication to students are at the very core of her values and vision. Over the course of a decade, she brought her passion for teaching to Laguna Blanca School, where she not only excelled as the third grade teacher, but also served as a learning specialist. Her roots run deep at Laguna Blanca, as she is an esteemed alumna who was recognized in 2016 with the school's prestigious Faculty Excellence Award.
With a Master’s in Education from the University of San Diego with a specialization in Universal Design for Learning, she advocates for individualization and differentiation for each child. Beyond her dedication to supporting and building programming around academic excellence, she values social-emotional learning in alignment with the school’s core values of character, scholarship, balance, and community.
During her free time, you'll find Brooke in the pool, where she thrives as a competitive swimmer. She contributes her time and expertise to the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Masters Swimming. She is also the proud parent of a college-aged daughter.
Nissa Hales is a fourth-generation Santa Barbaran and third generation graduate of Santa Barbara High School. Throughout her fifteen-year tenure as lead sixth grade instructor at Laguna, Nissa assisted the Director of Technology and served on the Technology Committee to design and implement the one-to-one Laptops for Learning program in the Middle School. During that time, Nissa served as fifth and sixth grade technology instructor as well as adjunct Educational Technology instructor at Antioch University. In the fall of 2015, Nissa transitioned out of the classroom to become Laguna’s Instructional Integration Coordinator, responsible for helping students and teachers integrate technology into their curricula.
The son of a teacher and a contractor, Zack always knew he would study engineering in college, but two years into a seven-year stint at CSULB he discovered his love for physics. He would end up investing the time necessary to acquire a physics degree in addition to his engineering degree. He began to see the world around him through the lens of his education. Whether it was in his hobbies like archery or juggling or in his work, the things he learned in school made his life so much more interesting. It became clear that he wanted to share his love of learning with other eager individuals and become a teacher. Zack is so grateful to have the opportunity to work and teach at Laguna Blanca, while sharing his knowledge and passion with the next generation.
Zack's curiosity and eagerness to search out the unknown have also generated an incredible sense of adventure. During his vacations, he regularly takes long road trips to nowhere in particular with little to no plan. He also spent four weeks backpacking across Europe after a semester studying abroad in Ireland. For his next big adventure, he plans to hike across the Grand Canyon. Despite this great wanderlust, he is a California boy, born and raised.
Darla McDavid brings to the Lower School over 40 years of secretarial and administrative experience as well as a genuine love for working with children. She came to Santa Barbara as an infant with her family, attended local elementary and high schools, and received her bachelor of arts degree in Communication Studies from UC Santa Barbara.
Darla’s first office position came at age 13 when she was secretary to the director of the Downtown Boy’s Club for a summer, and she’s enjoyed office work ever since. Prior to joining Laguna, Darla operated a home-based secretarial service for 15 years, was on staff at Westmont College as the assistant to the vice president for administration, and carried a local start-up company through its first year as the administrative manager.
Darla loves cats, the Dodgers (since 1973!), gardening, reading, writing, serving in her church, and spending time with her family.
Ray Robitaille was born in New York City and raised in the suburb of Long Island. He received his teaching credential in Physical Education from Central Connecticut State University (1979) where he played football and lacrosse. He received his Master's Degree in Athletic Administration from Azusa Pacific University (1993).
Ray has coached many sports for boys and girls at Laguna since 1980. He became the Athletic Director and served in that capacity from 1983-1993. He organized the first Laguna Blanca School Invitational Relays an event in which to this day, brings hundreds of potential families to the Laguna campus. He is credited for starting up the first lacrosse team for boys at Laguna in 1985, and the first football team at Laguna in 1999. He is responsible for establishing the UCSB Summer Day Camp for children (1981) at UC Santa Barbara.
In 1997 the flag pole in front of the Merovick gymnasium was named in his honor. Ray was also the recipient of the 2004 Laguna Blanca School Walk of Fame and was awarded Coach of the Year in 2005 from the Coast Valley League. That year the Owls were league champs (11-2) and went to the semi-finals in the CIF 8-man football playoffs. He is the founder of the Santa Barbara Lacrosse Club Inc. which has evolved into the current Santa Barbara Lacrosse Association in which Ray is one of the original board members.
Ray is married to his wife, April, and has three children.
