Dedicated Professionals
Office Staff:
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Jim Trombley, Executive Director, has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education from Northern Michigan University, Masters in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from University of Phoenix. Jim served as the Vice Principal for West Contra Costa Adult Education from January 1999 through June 2010 where he was responsible for ESL, Parent Education, Community fee and Career & Technical Education leading a staff of 70+ teachers at eight campuses. His background includes 7 years teaching high school industrial arts and 2 years for the county jail in Michigan, 20 years part time for community colleges, universities and corporations in the Bay area. Jim brings 20 years of business management experience (manufacturing, engineering, finance and contracts) and likes just about everything; sports, musicals, movies, and especially school.
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Angela Raffa, Office Coordinator, started as a parent volunteer nine years ago. Her two sons Nick and Joey are former Manzanita students. She has studied Fashion Design & Psychology at Alameda and Contra Costa Colleges, and plans to continue her education in psychology. She was a Teacher's Aide at Seaview Elementary in San Pablo for six years. In her spare time she enjoys swimming and scrapbooking.
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Edith Saavedra, Bilingual Administrative Office Secretary, is a former Manzanita parent who has been an invaluable part of the Manzanita Office team for the past seven years. Edith works closely with the school's families to ensure that everyone's unique talents are put to good use.
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Colleen Thomas, Data Systems Manager, has worked with educational institutions for over 20 years including Redwood Day School, Lakeshore Children's Center, and Children's House Montessori. Her work in other fields has included domestic violence advocacy, art-house box office theatre management, and membership coordination for the Screen Actor's Guild. Colleen earned her BA in Chinese Language from Grinnell College and her Masters in Religious Studies from Naropa University. This is her 8th year at Manzanita.
Academic Staff:
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Beth Berlin-Stephens, 7th and 8th grade English teacher, graduated Cum Laude from Occidental College in Los Angeles. She earned her B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice. She also holds a minor in Education and a single subject teaching credential in English. She is very excited about this upcoming school year and is eager to continue teaching at Manzanita. For fun Beth enjoys listening to music, reading, and playing sports.
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Michael Gravelle, 7th and 8th grade History teacher, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Xavier University and just finished his Masters of Arts in Teaching at Marlboro College. He holds Social Science (Social Studies) credentials in both California and Vermont. He spent two years teaching English as a second language in the Cape Verde Islands of West Africa and a year teaching health and founding/running a youth center in Botswana. Michael's teaching philosophy is rooted in community, critical thinking, and individualized instruction, which is why he is so happy to join Manzanita! When he's not reading history or writing poetry in four languages, Michael enjoys hiking, biking, and practicing TaeKwonDo.
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Nathan Jacobson, Physical Education Teacher, was born in Wisconsin and raised on a small dairy farm. He has been a Health and Physical Education teacher for 11 years. Nathan received his degree from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. His career began in Wisconsin where he taught middle school PE and seventh grade Health. In the year 2000 he migrated West and taught 7th grade Health classes for 5 years at Columbus Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. His travels then took him North to the Bay Area where he began teaching Physical Education in the Catholic School Diocese of Oakland, grades K-8. He still teaches PE at St. Leander School on Tuesdays and Thursdays when he is not teaching at Manzy. During his free time Mr. Jacobson enjoys watching the Green Bay Packers, hiking in the woods to hunt deer and turkeys, and heading to the mountains for trout fishing and skiing.
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Luna Paesch, Art teacher 6th-8th grade, studied art in West-Berlin, Germany. After moving to the Bay Area, she started working as a printmaker in her own studio and at the art facilities of Laney College. Her favorite medium is woodcut and ceramic sculpture. Her favorite subject is portraits. Luna earned a Multiple Subject CLAD Credential from New College of San Francisco and a Single Subject Credential in Art completed at Cal State Hayward. She has been teaching for 11 years.
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Nicole Smith, 7th and 8th Grade Math teacher, graduated magna cum laude from Sacramento State and holds a multiple subjects teaching credential. She is currently working on her single subject mathematics credential at Sacramento State. She is CLAD and ELA certified and holds a B.A. in Psychology. She worked previously as a Sylvan Learning Center Teacher, a teachers assistant at HSU, as well as a general education teacher. She is an avid runner, voracious reader and yoga enthusiast.
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Stacey Tiffany-Diaz, 6th Grade English and History teacher, has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. Before coming to Manzanita she worked for the National Park Service on Alcatraz and as a teachers aide for five years. She is dedicated to providing the best educational possible to her students. In her spare time she acts with a local theater company and likes to sew.
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Laura Tobben, 6th grade Math and Science teacher, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and German Language/Literature at Washington University in St. Louis. She continued her education at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada, where she received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Prior to teaching at Manzanita, Laura worked in a number of different educational settings. In addition to substitute teaching for over two years in both Lake Tahoe and in our own district, she taught in a Juvenile Detention Center in Missouri and spent three years teaching English in Germany and Japan. Laura loves traveling and the outdoors and in her spare time enjoys hiking, cycling, yoga and rock-climbing.
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Fred Werner, 7th and 8th grade Science teacher, has two degrees in Natural Resources, a B.S. from the University of Michigan, and an M.S. from Cornell University. For the past four years, he taught Integrated Science, Biology, Bioethics, and Environmental Science at the Bentley School in Lafayette and College Prep in Oakland. He previously taught in public and private schools in New York and Connecticut, at the University level at Cornell and in Costa Rica, and 3rd through 8th grades in Bolivia as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and has led several wilderness and overseas trips for students. Fred plays the piano, leads birdwatching walks, and enjoys almost anything that takes him outside in nature or overseas.
Substitutes:
Our substitutes come from the West Contra Costa School District "Sub Finder" system. If you are a substitute and need information on the school, please call our office.
Board Members:
- Board Co-Chair: Marisela Claveria
- Board Co-Chair: Betsy Privette
- Board Secretary: Christine Zeichner
- Fiscal Manager: Jill Perry
- Maintenance Chair: Jose Luis Gutierrez
- Registrar: Vera Corprew
- Personnel Chair: Victor Berumen
- Liaison Chair: Maria Enriquez
- Fundraising Co-Chairs: Corky Maley and Michael Maley
- Technology Chair: Anthony Bourque
Board members may be contacted through the office.