MEET OUR KIDDO! FUNDED TEACHERS

Win Atherton
MUSIC TEACHER

Win Atherton began his teaching career in San Francisco in 2015, primarily working as a classroom teacher. With a deep-rooted passion for music, Mr. Atherton had the chance to teach music as a long-term substitute at Tam Valley Elementary in 2022. This experience fueled his love for teaching music. Now, Mr. Atherton is thrilled to be part of the Mill Valley community, which he finds inspiring due to its commitment to fostering creativity and its stunning natural beauty.

Nancy Bloch
ART TEACHER

Nancy Bloch taught high school art for many years before joining the Mill Valley School District as Tam Valley's new art teacher. Originally from Wisconsin, she attended the University of Michigan and holds a Master's in Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley, and a Master of Education from San Francisco State University, as well as a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Art. Nancy has lived in Mill Valley since 2012, and her two children attended Edna Maguire Elementary and are now at Mill Valley Middle School and Tam High.

Cayce Carnahan
MUSIC TEACHER

Music Educator, Grades 5-8
Cayce Carnahan is an active freelance trumpet player and music educator. He keeps a busy performance schedule and enjoys playing a wide variety of musical styles. Carnahan currently performs with Frobeck (original rock/funk), Juke Joint (Memphis Soul), Miles Ahead (a Miles Davis tribute band), ReBop (straight-ahead jazz), Dredgetown (funk/rock), The Latin Rhythm Boys (salsa) and the Napa Valley Theater Company. He has also performed with the Marin Symphony, the Marin Symphony Chamber Ensemble, Bill Champlin, Beach Blanket Babylon, Sonora Santanera and recorded for ID software.
Since 2006, Carnahan has been the Director of Bands for the Mill Valley School District, where he leads the award-winning concert bands, jazz band, jazz combo, percussion ensemble and guitar ensembles. He also teaches at College of Marin where he directs the Jazz Band and often works with the Jazz Improvisation class. Carnahan has also worked as an assistant conductor for the Marin Youth Symphony Crescendo Workshop and he holds a degree from CSU East Bay.

Olesia Gordynsky Castuera
MUSIC TEACHER

Olesia Gordynsky Castuera came to the Mill Valley School District in 2024 as a new choral teacher. Ms. Castuera loves choral music, musical theater, opera, pop, and creating her own music. Before coming to the MVSD, Ms Castuera taught choir and ukulele for 8 years in Berkeley, CA, and now celebrates a decade of teaching at Old Mill, Park and Strawberry Point.

Stephen Gardner
MUSIC TEACHER

Orchestra / Instrumental Music teacher, Grades 4-8
Gardner is a multi-instrumentalist who has been touring internationally for a couple decades. He is a founding member of Culann's Hounds and Beso Negro, he is a long-time violinist with La Mandanga, and has appeared on countless albums as a hired gun in such genres as country, rap, blues, rock, and more.
Gardner received his degree in Viola Performance at SFSU and also studied at the Aaron Copeland School of Music. Gardner has also taught fiddle, viola, guitar and music theory at his private studio for over a decade.

Katherine Hanson
ART TEACHER

Katherine Hanson, the art teacher at Strawberry Point, was raised in Marin County by parents who taught her to appreciate the arts and the natural world. She is passionate about sharing these values with her students. Teaching children to believe in their creativity by expressing themselves through art is her strength. As an artist herself, she prefers working with graphite, paint, and clay.
Hanson holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Design with a Minor in Art History, and a Master’s in Teaching.

Gretchen Klaubert
MUSIC TEACHER

Klaubert's journey in music education began long before she graced the classrooms of Mill Valley. Born and raised on the East Coast, she attended the renowned Hartt School, a performing arts conservatory that is part of the University of Hartford, in Connecticut. There, she pursued her undergraduate degree in vocal music education, laying the foundation for her future as a dedicated music educator.
Klaubert’s pursuit of musical excellence did not stop there. She went on to earn her master's degree at Oakland’s Holy Names University, specializing in Kodály Emphasis, a method that focuses on children’s choral training with the use of hand signs — a testament to her commitment to music education. Her deep-rooted passion for teaching music has spanned over two decades, with nearly a decade of those years dedicated to nurturing budding musicians at Neal Cummins Elementary in Larkspur.
Believing music to be a transformative art form that connects people, provides an emotional outlet, and spreads joy and peace, she simply concludes, “For kids this age, I want music to be fun.”

Julie Leonard
ART TEACHER

Art Teacher Julie Leonard has taught at Mill Valley Middle School since 2000, but she was familiar with her classroom well before that – she did her student teaching here as well!
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Leonard graduated from Tyler School of Art with a degree in Fibers and Fabric design, working in costumes and wardrobe for the television and film industries after college. Leonard discovered her love for teaching while volunteering with at-risk youth in an after-school program. She returned to school herself, and got her teaching credential in art from Sonoma State University.
Leonard loves working with middle schoolers; in particular, she loves their energy and enthusiasm. Of her work at MVMS, Leonard says, “I’m so grateful to be in a community that supports the arts. I love interacting with the students as they create – I learn as much as I teach, and I laugh so hard every day.”
Leonard's teaching inspires her students to think creatively as well as critically about their art. She encourages them to stretch their ideas and use new materials and techniques. It’s important to her that her students can go outside their comfort zones and take chances with their learning, in a safe and fun environment.

Danny Marsh
ART TEACHER

I was born and raised in Mill Valley. I live in town with my wife, Emily (Old Mill Class of ‘83) and daughter, Elloise (Park School class of ‘23). After 26 years of teaching elementary school in Mill Valley, I am so excited to make the switch to the art room. I have a background in the areas of printmaking and ceramics and I have already been planning some fantastic units that I’m sure the students will enjoy. I look forward to meeting you all and welcoming your children back into the art classroom this fall.

Jessica Nicholson
MUSIC TEACHER

Chorus 5-8 grade
After receiving a Bachelor of Music from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music, Jessica began her career teaching elementary classroom and choral music in the East Bay. She began teaching in Mill Valley in 2000. Jessica has built the choirs from the ground up and into a large, award-winning program serving hundreds of students.
In addition to teaching choral music in the schools, Jessica has been a vocal coach, producer, and assistant director for dozens of MVMS musical theater productions.
Outside of MVSD, Jessica has taught private voice and piano lessons, and founded and directed the 142 Throckmorton teen vocal ensemble, “Throckappella” from 2009-2013.
Jessica lives in Richmond with her husband, Jonathan, who is also an active musician in the Bay Area, and their two children.

Katie Thiel
ART TEACHER

Katie Thiel has been a teacher with the Mill Valley School District since 2007, and has taught at Old Mill, Edna Maguire, and Mill Valley Middle School.
She says art has been a part of her life ever since she can remember.
“Art helped me be present with my feelings and gave me a sense of accomplishment that nothing else could,” she says, adding that she wants to show children the magic and influence that art can have on their lives. “We learn best by engaging physically and emotionally, and art is powerful in that way.”
Katie attended School of the Arts High School in San Francisco (now the “Ruth Asawa School of Art”), where she developed her technical skills. She went on to study Art with an emphasis in Painting at University of California Santa Cruz. It was during her time at UCSC that her eyes opened to the world of art, and she learned to use art as her voice.
Katie keeps busy raising her twin boys, painting, and making mixed media arts and crafts.

Kim Tran
ART TEACHER

Art teacher Kim Tran grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She attended Northern Illinois University and received her bachelor's degree in Art Education with a concentration in Graphic Design, along with her K-12 teaching credential. Of her interest in art, Tran says: "My high school art teacher, Mrs. Castella, encouraged me to become an art teacher. I've taught Art Exploration, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, and Photography, and I enjoy taking photographs, doing printmaking, and painting with watercolor. I strive to help students develop strong technical skills while encouraging them to be creative thinkers and to take artistic risks. I love teaching art to middle school students, and am inspired by my students every day." Tran has taught art to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at MVMS since 2000.

Bethany Womack
ART TEACHER

Bethany Womack, or "Ms. B" as her students call her, is Edna Maguire's art teacher. While this is her first year of teaching art, she is no stranger to the classroom. With over 20 years of teaching experience she has been a classroom teacher in the Mill Valley School District for nine years. Before that, she worked as a classroom teacher in San Francisco. She has a masters degree in Teacher Education and a multiple subject teaching credential from USF. She is pursuing her single subject teaching credential in Art this year.
Ms. B grew up in Hudson, Ohio and comes from a long line of artists. "Art was not just a hobby, but a way of life in my home," says Ms. B. "I have continued this tradition with my own children. Art is our go-to activity to energize our spirits and feel alive!"
She describes her teaching philosophy as inclusive, and wants each student to take risks while learning about themselves through artistic expression. "In my classroom there is no right way to do art," asserts Ms. B. "As long as you are expressing yourself and learning about new mediums, your voice will show through!"

MEET OUR KIDDO! FUNDED TEACHERS

Kiddo! funds several more teachers and specialists each year through these (and more!) programs: