To contact a teacher, use the school email address: use first letter of the teacher's first name followed by the last name@sdfrenchschool.org Example: Paul Simon would be psimon@sdfrenchschool.org

• Murielle Brimaldi-Jensen

  Murielle is French-American and has been teaching pre-elementary and kindergarten for the past 14 years. She worked as an activity coordinator for children's summer programs in Italy, Switzerland, Greece, The Bahamas and Mexico. She then moved to the United States and began her teaching career at the Portland French School in Oregon. She moved on to teach at L'Ecole Française du Maine where she was a teacher and the curriculum coordinator for the pre-elementary and elementary grades. During her tenure in Maine, she taught CP and CE1 and was the study hall tutor for elementary grades. With her excellent experience as a first grade teacher and as a curriculum coordinator, we are delighted to have Murielle join SDFAS to teach first grade.

• Aline Bunod

  Mrs. Bunod has taught for several years at San Diego French-American School at both the lower and middle school levels. She took a brief hiatus when her husband was transferred to Canada. She is a credentialed teacher (French Diploma: Capes), holds a Master's Degree plus one year (French diploma: DEA) from La Sorbonne, Paris. She taught for several years in Paris, and in Montreal for a year (in a French-accredited School),,and six years at San Diego French-American School. She is the author of the introduction of two books: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) and L'homme au Sable (Hoffmann) for the French editor Garnier Flammarion. She is married and has one son and one daughter.

• Dorothée Cantagrel

  Born in Normandy, Dorothée studied English in Caen. She became a French credentialed teacher of English after having spent a year as a French assistant in Cambridge, England and a year in Dublin, Ireland completing a Master's Degree. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in French as a Foreign Language. In addition to teaching English in high schools and in a university, she taught French to students coming from all over the world in summer classes. Her numerous travels and experiences abroad, as well as the various situations of teaching she encountered, have helped her develop an ability to convey elements of the French or Anglophone culture in respect to the profile of her students.

• Francis Carlier

  Originally from Bayonne (Pyrénées Atlantiques), Mr. Carlier studied at the Schools of Fine Arts in Pau and Lyon before his military service. He then enrolled at the University of Toulouse Le Mirail where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Art History. After teaching art in middle school for a year, he completed his Masters of Education at the Academy of Versailles. He taught at the French school for two years in Portland, Oregon and then moved to the east coast to join the faculty of L'Ecole Française du Maine, where he worked for three years before joining SDFAS. Since 2011, Francis has been the director of the Lower School, and he also continues teaching, as he loves to keep in touch with the students. In San Diego, he discovered a new passion: surfing.

• Pierre Chauvet

  Pierre Chauvet was born in Pessac, Gironde (France), and began his studies in history at the University Michel de Montaigne in Bordeaux. While working as a study supervisor at schools in the Aquitaine region, he discovered his love for teaching by tutoring boarding school students. After obtaining a master's degree in history, specializing in modern economic history, he started a career at a loan company, but did not want to miss the opportunity to reconnect to his love of teaching. This is how he decided to leave for Paraguay, to teach history, social studies and economy to students at the French High School of Asuncion. After this experience, he pursued his career in education, teaching history and language arts. He then taught history and geography for four years at the French school of La Marsa, in Tunisia. Before moving to San Diego, Pierre spent seven years in schools in the Mission Laïque Française network, in Scotland and Norway. Apart from teaching history, geography, language arts, social studies and economy, he likes to share with his students his passion for music and new technology.

• Delphine Colomb

  Delphine Colomb is originally from the Burgundy area from France where she earned her undergraduate degree in Literacy with a double major in foreign languages and philosophy. She went on to specialize in foreign languages before earning a Master's of Education. She started appreciating the enrichment of teaching in foreign countries during an internship in England. After 14 years of teaching, she is now specialized in pre-elementary school. Delphine has a strong interest in foreign languages, having studied Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic and English. This passion for foreign languages naturally took her to teach abroad in different countries: After teaching a few years at the Dallas International School and then at the St Petesbourg André Malraux School in Russia, she ended up teaching at the Carthage Bilingual International School in Tunisia. Delphine loves traveling to discover new environments and to create new friendships with various people from different cultures. She's quite athletic, but also enjoys reading and photography.

• Anne-Laure Denis

  Born in Brittany, France, Anne-Laure studied in Vannes and Rennes for her B.S in physics. She then earned the CAPES (credential) in physical chemistry after four years of teaching math and science at junior and high school levels. For the past four years, she has been teaching Physics and Chemistry at a private school in Brittany, St. Paul of Vannes, where she served as the coordinator of the science faculty. Anne-Laure is particularly interested in making science accessible to all students through hands-on experiments and projects as well as field trips. She enjoys sharing science with her students, because it is a subject that applies to their everyday lives. She has also organized numerous study trips for her students in Germany, England, Italy and Turkey. Her hobbies are music (guitar and vocals) and sports (jogging, tennis, ping pong).

• Laura Gebeau

  Ms. Gebeau moved to San Diego in 2004 from New Jersey, where she taught second grade for four years. She holds a Degree in Early Childhood Education and Biology. She has a strong passion for children and loves the joy that they bring to the world. She enjoys traveling, playing tennis, running and hiking.

• Mr. Casler-Goncalves

  Mr "G" graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004 with an A.B. in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Upon his graduation, Christopher spent a year working closely with special needs children before gaining experience teaching highly diverse groups of 5th and 6th graders in his home state of New Jersey. He currently resides in Chula Vista with his wife, Jennifer. Mr. Casler-Goncalves's passions include playing and coaching golf and baseball, both of which he has enjoyed since Childhood.

• Lauriane Guigonis

  Originally from Provence, Lauriane studied mathematics before obtaining her teaching credentials. After earning her Master's of Education, Lauriane taught several levels from PK1 to 5th grade. She often worked in multi-grade classrooms, practicing differentiated pedagogy. She also is passionate about photography and recently completed an exhibition in Vancouver. Her many talents will bring a lot to her students: she has been playing Badminton and was the vice champion of the PACA region and a three-time champion in Vaucluse. Lauriane also plays the guitar, and enjoys all outdoor sports (climbing, skying , hiking, etc.) and she loves chocolate!

• Karine Hucher

  Originally from Paris, Karine studied history at the Sorbonne. After obtaining her B.A., she worked as an assistant teacher at a middle school and an elementary primary school. She then earned a Master's of Education and taught in both preschool and elementary schools. Karine has a passion for theater, which she has involved in for many years. It's a passion she loves to share with her students, passing on to them the pleasure of memorizing scripts in both French and English. She is also very interested in teaching History and Art. Karine will appreciate the climate of San Diego as she enjoys hiking and rollerblading.

• Sylvie Jarlov

  Originating from the Southeast region of France, Sylvie graduated from the College of Education in Grenoble. Learning and teaching English was a family tradition, so she decided to have her first teaching experience in the US and worked in Louisiana as a French Teacher. Her career took her to many exotic countries, such as Zimbabwe where she was sent as headmistress for the French school co-founded with her husband. She specialized in Asian languages, learning Japanese, and later Mandarin in Singapore. She also has a strong interest in music; she practiced the organ at an early age, and is passionate about theater, as well as traditional movements like Tai Chi or Chi Kung. Her son Clément , a former student of SDFAS, is now pursuing a PHD in Physics in Switzerland.

• Alice Jean

  Originally from Paris, Alice studied at La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris for her Bachelor's Degree in Literature, Language, and British Civilization.While studying, she obtained a youth leader certificate (BAFA) and worked at youth camps. While studying for her master's of education (IUFM of Livry-Gargan), Alice went to the Dallas International School and enjoyed teaching PK2. Alice has been teaching in kindergarten and in elementary school for the past three years near Paris. She also traveled abroad (U.S.A, UK and Ireland) and appreciated the experience of staying with a host family. In her free time Alice enjoys traveling, cooking, exercising, watching a good movie and spend time with friends.

• Julien Mistre

  Originally from Southern France, Julien earned his Master's of Education (Academy of Nice). Then, he earned a B.S. in Biology at the University of Provence in Marseille. He has been teaching for eight years at various levels ranging from preschool to 5th grade. Julien enjoys the versatility of his work and appreciates teaching Literature as much as Art or Sports. He motivates his students by exposing them to various projects including theater and sports. In his spare time, Julien enjoys outdoor sports such as hiking, biking, swimming and kite surfing.

• Julien Moncelet

  Mr. Moncelet is a native of Vosges, France. After earning his undergraduate Degree in Physical Education, he went on to earn a Master's of Education at Aix-Marseilles. In 2005, he began his teaching career as a substitute in a fourth grade class in Alexandria, Egypt. He is as passionate about music and theater as he is about sports and enjoys integrating his skills into his teaching method. Specializing in reading acquisition in First and Second grades, Mr. Moncelet has designed special projects to give students a lifelong appreciation for reading.

• Aude Morvan

  Born in the south of France, Aude spent her childhood in India (Pondichéry), and on the French Island La Réunion. She returned to France to continue her studies in Montpellier. Passionate about travel, Aude continued traveling abroad for her own enjoyment, visiting such places as Maurice Island, Madagascar, Greece, the United States, and England. A desire to work with children led Aude to a career in teaching and completing a Master's in Education. She then taught at different grade levels in the Paris area and later spent some time at the Dallas French-American School during an internship. She recently published a book, "Incredible Universe" with Larousse editions (2011). Aude practiced horseback riding for many years and also is skilled at tennis and table tennis. She enjoys sharing her passion for theater with her students.

• Jean-Jacques Nani

  Born in Nice in 1961, with roots in both Italy and France, Jean-Jacques Nani has been teaching since 1988 and specifically Mathematics since 1996. He worked in Northern France in middle school and in a college, before teaching in a high school and in a Teacher training center in the South Pacific (New Caledonia) starting in 2002. He also provided continuing education for adults, gave lectures at four French universities and assured inspection missions. An avid traveler who has visited more than 50 countries on five continents, Mr. Nani is keen on the United States and happy to join the SDFAS team. He likes reading, movies, music, nature, and hiking, etc.

• Anne-Sophie Nguyen Trégouët

  Born of Lebanese-Vietnamese origin near Paris, Anne-Sophie earned her B.S. in Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Paris North and a Master's of Education in the Academy of Livry Gargan. She taught for four years in the Paris suburbs to help children in need. With her husband, François Trégouët, an SDFAS teacher too, they moved to the United States in 2007 to work in a French-American School in New York where they discovered the bilingual education system. Then they had the opportunity to open a bilingual school in the city of Al Ain,in the United Arab Emirates which has enabled them to discover the traditions and cultures of the Middle East and to explore the desert. Anne-Sophie specializes in science and she loves singing and walks along the ocean. Through her travels in Mexico, Vietnam and Nepal, she had the opportunity to meet local families, and to better understand their traditions and living conditions. She speaks English and Spanish and enjoys traveling.

• Tiep Nhu Tan

  Born in Viet Nam, Tiep Nhu grew up in Paris where she has lived for more than 20 years. Tiep earned a Master's of Education after graduating from Paris VII - Jussieu with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. She started to teach in France before deciding to have her first experience abroad as an au pair. She really appreciated living with an American family in New York, the beginning of her adventure. She has been teaching several levels from PK to 5th grade in Cambodia, the USA and China. Her students' backgrounds were French and from all over the world, she is fascinated by the way children learn a second or third language! Tiep Nhu enjoys discovering new cultures and places, outdoor activities (running and hiking), watching movies and reading books.

• Birka Nielsen

  Ms. Nielsen was born in Germany, but grew up in Fallbrook, Ca. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Education and teaching credential from the University of San Diego. She joined the SDFAS team in March of 2005 and has taught English for First and Second Grade. When she's not teaching, Birka enjoys running, reading and spending time with friends.

• Yuriko Patino

  Ms. Patino was born in Puebla, and has been in San Diego for seven years. Working at San Diego French-American School for four years in the preschool, she teaches Spanish in our middle school. Passionate about education, she continues studying for her BA in education and currently holds an AA degree in preschool teaching. She is fluent in Spanish and English and speaks some French. Married, she has a daughter and a son, and of course, she loves working with children.

• Elisabeth Perdereau

  Ms. Perdereau was born in Paris, France the oldest of four children. She holds a Degree in English, University of La Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris and is accredited as a teacher from Pre-K to 5th grade by the IUFM d'Antony, Academy of Versailles. She also completed a Masters in French as a Second Language, University Stendhal, Grenoble. She worked mainly in North America at the French American School of San Francisco (1 year), she substituted in French for private American schools in the Mainline area (Philadelphia), French International school of Philadelphia (2 years) and the French International School of Vancouver in Canada (2 years). Her 8 years old daughter born in the US attends the San Diego French-American School. Ms. Perdereau loves traveling, arts, reading and genealogy.

• Cécile Ponti

  After earning a bachelor's degree in literature, languages and British civilizations (University of Bordeaux), Cécile worked as an assistant in elementary and middle schools. She then earned her Master's of Education in Périgueux (Dordogne) and worked several years, of which one spent in a CLIS (school integration class) in that region of France. She has been dancing for a long time and volunteering for international environmental projects.

• Catherine Rebiffé-Newman

  Mrs. Rebiffé joined SDFAS in 2005 as a preschool teacher (PK1). She has a Master of Education and is a Credentialed Teacher (Tours and Orléans, France). She has taught French and English to diverse populations in France, England and the United States for the past seven years and has been since 2007 in charge of teaching French as a Second Language.

• Barbara Regan

  Barbara Regan was raised in a Navy family and has lived all over the United States. At the age of 10, she was first exposed to French at Sacred Heart School in Coronado, where she fell in love with the language and continues to cherish it to this day. Ms. Regan earned a B.A. from the University of Florida, and because she is a Francophile, she studied for part of one summer at L'Université de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France. She earned a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from San Diego State University and an M.S. from National University. After teaching for 10 years and then spending several years raising her two sons, she was drawn back to her love of teaching by a substituting position at Bishop's and then at SDFAS. Now with some 15 years experience teaching in both elementary and middle school, she still delights in reading to and with her students, always searching for a new opportunity to expose her students to good writing. When not teaching, Ms. Regan enjoys running and swimming to stay in shape. Ms. Regan is the proud mother of two sons who graduated from The Bishop's School: Sam, who attends Macalester College (MN) and Tom who will attend Boston University.

• Anne Ricart

  Mrs. Anne Ricart came to the United States for the first time as an exchange student when she was 18, lived with an American family for a year and graduated from the high school she attended. Back in France, she majored in English with a minor in French as a Second Language (Français Langue Etrangère) from the Université de Provence and spent another year in the States, this time as a French teaching assistant in a small college. She then obtained her Professional Secondary Teaching Credentials with an emphasis on Information Science. After 4 years as a school librarian in France, she was hired by the Lycée Français de New York where she worked for 5 years. She is now married to a Californian, and perfectly at home in San Diego where she joined the SDFAS team in 2006.

• Angie Rosenkrans

  Mrs. Rosenkrans earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Pepperdine University. She received her Masters of Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from the University of La Verne. Mrs. Rosenkrans has extensive instructional experience in the San Diego and Santa Barbara areas, teaching preschool through sixth grade students a varied array of subjects over nine years. She and her husband have one daughter. In her spare time she enjoys playing co-ed indoor soccer and spending time with family.

• Sophie Ricouard

  Originally from Brittany, Sophie earned a Masters of Education Degree in Montpellier. Since 2001, she has taught in pre-elementary school, from PK1 to Kindergarten. After three years of teaching in France, Sophie worked at the Lycée Français de New York for four years and then at Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley for a year. For her first year at SDFAS, she is teaching one of the three Kindergarten classes. While not working, Sophie shares her leisure time between her family and her passions: music, photography and the ocean.

• Emily Schaerer-Sims

  Mrs. Sims grew up in the French part of Switzerland. In 1999, she moved to the United States to attend the University of San Diego where she received her Bachelor's Degree in communication studies. She then spent seven years in the business world working mostly in the .com industry. Emily then decided to pursue her true passion and went back to school to become a teacher. She attended Point Loma Nazarene University and received her multiple-subject teaching credentials. Emily is bilingual and loves going on long walks with her dog and traveling.

• Diesa Eléonore Seidel

  Diesa holds a French and American nationality. She has a French mother and an Austrian father. She has progressed through her life-experiences and initiations as a collegiate scholarship athlete, professional athlete, private school teacher, coach, and ultimately as the founding director for the accredited non-profit United Initiatives for Peace. After a distinguished athletic career at Red Hook High School (Red Hook, NY), Diesa graduated cum laude from Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY), receiving her B.A. in Psychology/Public Relations. Following a professional basketball career in France and Italy, Diesa developed a passion for teaching and became a Physical Education teacher. She taught for 4 years at St. Virgil's Academy in New Jersey. During that time, Diesa also worked on creating a character education through sports curriculum with Peace Dream Foundation, where she co-presented seminars to thousands of athletic clubs throughout south Asia. Diesa participated in numerous international service projects, completing over 15 programs in 13 countries with four organizations. Through her experiences, she has honed a keen interest in global issues, specifically those invoking gender equality. Diesa is bilingual in English and French and has traveled and served in more than 58 countries on five continents. Her untiring commitment to positive social change has been recognized worldwide. Today, Diesa enjoys competing in triathlons and marathons, snowboarding, surfing, hiking, cycling, indoor rock climbing, coaching basketball, and organizing service trips that bring sports and recreation to under-served populations.

• Claire Selva Huerta

  Originally from the Southeast of France (Ardèche), Mrs. Selva Huerta received in 1995 the female scientific achievement award (Rhône-Alpes region). After 2 years of intensive math prep courses (Math sup, Math spé) in Grenoble, she enters the ENESAD (Dijon) and graduated in 2002 with a M.S. in engineering specialized in agriculture. After four years of work experience spent in the development of agriculture, she moves to California to be with her husband. In November 2006, Mrs. Selva Huerta joined the San Diego French-American School as a preschool assistant (PK1) and substitutes math from the 3rd to the 8th grade. In the meantime, she earned her certificate in early childhood education (ECE) from San Diego City College. Passionate about music, Claire started playing the flute at the age of seven. Since September 2007, Claire has taught a PK0 class. Claire is trilingual in French, English and Spanish. She loves traveling, South America, ceramics, South-American music and dance (salsa, tango...).

• Mylène Stalin-Powers

  Originally from Joinville Le Pont, France, Mylene moved to San Diego in 1994. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree, Ecole Normale "Academie d'Amiens" in Education and an Associate Degree in Economy and Law from University Paris XII . She is now an Elementary school teacher since 1988 teaching preschool, second, third and fourth grades. Mylene is the most senior teacher at San Diego French-American School, having been here since 1995. Over the past 10 years at San Diego French-American School, Mylene has taught preschool, and at the elementary level, she also taught French as a Second Language (FLE), Sports, Art, History and Geography. Mylene has traveled extensively around the world and has trekked in remote areas such as the Everest Base camp and the Annapurna in the Nepali Himalaya, the Andean Cordillera and throughout and Chilean Patagonia. Hobbies include tennis, hiking, skiing, and reading; passionate about Painting, she donated one of her pieces to the 2004 San Diego French-American School Silent Auction fundraiser. She worked as a volunteer doing mosaic work along side world-renowned artist and architect, James Hubbell at Colegio la Esperanza (School of Hope) in Tijuana, Mexico.

• François Trégouët

  Originally from Brittany, François Trégouët discovered North America for the first time while studying computer science at Laval University in Quebec. He then organized humanitarian missions in Peru for two summers. Back in France, he earned his Master's of Education in Paris. After several years of teaching in France, he moved to New York in 2007 as a teacher at the Lyceum Kennedy, where he also coordinated the computer program. Conquered by the bilingual education system, he ventured off to the Middle East and opened the first French/English School in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. He was the school's headmaster for three years. Passionate about traveling and outdoor activities, François Trégouët is delighted to settle in San Diego. He brings to SDFAS his computer skills and his experience in teaching in a bilingual school.

• Laurence Zede-Humbert

  Mrs. Zede-Humbert has been a French teacher at San Diego French-American School since September 1996. Prior to coming to San Diego French-American School, she taught in France for 10 years. Bachelor of Science in Education (Elementary) with double majors in Teaching and Educational Science, plus a state-issued Early Childhood Teaching Credential. She is the mother of Emily, who attends the San Diego French-American School.