Administration

Paige Arnell

Head of School

B.A., English, University of Dallas

M.A., English, Middlebury College

Paige Arnell has over 15 years experience working in the field of education. She holds a B.A. from the  University of Dallas and a M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. A graduate class with the renowned British educator Michael Armstrong coincided with the birth of her first child and launched an abiding interest in early childhood education. While her primary focus was originally literacy, her interest has expanded to a broader study of systems of education and how they impact learning for all students. Throughout the years she has undertaken numerous classes in professional development, most recently completing coursework for Creating Cultures of Thinking: Exploring the Purpose and Promise of Schools offered through Harvard’s Project Zero. She is also engaged in a writing and research project exploring the intersection of household technologies and historical studies. 

When she is not immersing herself in all things school, Paige loves to spend time exploring the natural beauty of Central Texas alongside her four children: Althea, Ella, Wren, and Whitman. They also enjoy tasting treats at different bakeries in town and visiting libraries to maintain a steady supply of books. 

Jared Dailey

Dean of Students, Mathematics and STEM Instruction & Athletics

B.A., Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin

Jared has been at Kirby Hall School since 2006. He teaches Math and STEM and coordinates the MakerSpace program. Jared also serves as a passionate and enthusiastic coach for many of the school’s athletic teams. Prior to joining Kirby Hall, Jared spent two years as the Educational Coordinator, zookeeper, and night watchman at the Austin Zoo. Jared loves all things logical (sometimes even the illogical), sports, and nearly any activity that involves friends and the outdoors. He also loves spending as much time as possible with his family–daughter Greta, son Nolan, and wife Kristin.

Emily Lopez Roberts

Director of Admissions

B.A., Sociology, Texas State University

Emily joined Kirby Hall School in 2018 as the Director of Admissions. Having been a student here at Kirby Hall from kindergarten through graduation in 2011, she is familiar with and passionate about what it means to be part of the Kirby Hall family. Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas State University with a degree in Sociology.  She is delighted to have returned to Kirby Hall as a member of the administration and to share her love of the school with prospective families. In her spare time, Emily enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.

Emily is currently working towards her Masters in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood.

Alyssa Drury

Marketing and Communications Officer

B.A., French and International Relations, Lake Forest College

Alyssa shares with Kirby Hall School her nearly two decades of marketing experience from a variety of fields. She studied French and International Relations in Chicago and then spent several years working in public relations there prior to returning to her home state of Texas. She most recently served as an independent communications specialist before joining Kirby Hall.  Away from school, Alyssa enjoys multiple book clubs, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their two busy daughters. 

Yvette Jimenez

Front Office Assistant

We are thrilled to have Yvette and her friendly smiles gracing the front office of Kirby Hall. Yvette shares with us nearly 40 years of experience in administrative support and executive assistant roles, having worked for the State of Texas and more recently at Manor ISD. She has also worked as a licensed massage therapist for 20 years.  Outside of school, Yvette loves spending time with her family and friends visiting restaurants and parks, enjoying boat rides on Lake Austin, sometimes crocheting and puzzling, and performing community outreach with her church. 

Kim Ihle

Librarian

B.S., Education, Texas State University

MBA, University of Phoenix

Kim spent 28 years in the classroom teaching a variety of subjects. She joins Kirby Hall as our new librarian and brings to us a wealth of knowledge about childhood education and her love of reading. She is a mom to three amazing children and a grandmother to four! In her free time (when not immersed in a good book!), she loves spending time with her family dog, cooking, and decorating. Kim hopes to live in a tiny house one day to travel the world!

  

Faculty

Kimi Bowman

First Grade

Kimi is eager to share her 13 years of experience teaching all subjects from Kindergarten to 5th grade in the public and private school realm along with her Masters in Art and Design Education. When not at school, she loves to be in nature with her dogs, read, make art, do yoga, and spend time with family.

Lupy Cepeda

Fifth Grade to Middle School Humanities

Lupy has worked in both public and private education for the past 28 years and continues to have a deep love for teaching and learning. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Austin four years ago and quickly made it her home. She is also the proud mother of a 23-year-old and someone who truly believes that learning is a lifelong journey. 

Emma Chesonis

Second Grade

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood Education

Emma joined Kirby Hall after having moved here from Rochester, NY. She is thrilled to be teaching  second grade with us again! In her spare time outside of school, Emma can be found hanging out with her family, checking out the amazing hiking trails around Austin, painting or cooking.  

Kitric Dixon

Physical Education and Athletics

B.S., Kinesiology, California State University San Marcos

Teaching Certification: Physical Education

Coach Dixon is a lifelong enthusiast of athletics, having excelled in many sports himself, and served as a high school football strength and conditioning coach as well as a youth boxing instructor in Southern California.  Prior to his career in education, Coach Dixon was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He was also stationed in Japan where his leadership role entailed ensuring that his platoon met designated Weight and Physical Conditioning standards. While in Japan, he enjoyed volunteering as the basketball coach for a local middle school near his post.

In his free time, Coach Dixon loves spending time outdoors with his family, cheering on his own three children in their sports activities, learning about other cultures and languages, and trying new foods. He loves doing his part to help develop healthy and mentally and physically strong students here at Kirby Hall.

Ryan Frosch

Drama & Music

The 2026-2027 school year will be Ryan’s fourth year as a teacher (6th year if you count music school during college). He studied sociology at Texas A&M University. Ryan has been a musician his entire life. He plays many instruments and is so excited to share his love of music and performance with the students at Kirby Hall!

Claire Halstead

Fourth Grade

Originally from South Houston, Claire earned her Bachelor of Science from Texas State University. She began her teaching journey in her hometown, where she spent five years in the elementary classroom. A career move for her husband brought them to Austin, and with it came an opportunity for Claire to step away from teaching and explore the world.

Her travels led her to Bali where she became a certified yoga instructor, and then spent time teaching at an elementary school in Tanzania. Most recently, she became a certified life coach. These cross-cultural experiences have deeply enriched her approach to education and life, giving her a unique perspective on connection, resilience, and creativity in the classroom.

In her free time, Claire enjoys being in nature, writing for her blog, and spending time with family. She’s excited to bring her heart, curiosity, and global perspective back into the classroom and is thrilled to be a part of the Kirby Hall community!

Dee Jammal

First Grade

Dee is a native Texan from San Marcos and comes from a big, close-knit family, which has shaped her love for community and connection. She brings 19 years of experience as an elementary teacher and seven years as the owner of an inquiry based preschool. Dee looks forward to helping her students build curiosity, deepen their understanding of the world, and a love of learning. 

Sydney Loyd

Kindergarten

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood – Sixth Grade

Sydney is a true local, born and raised in Austin. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, she began her teaching career as a first grade teacher and spent several years teaching Pre-K in South Austin before joining the Kirby Hall community, where she now enjoys teaching Kindergarten. Sydney has a passion for supporting young learners and creating a strong foundation for a lifelong love of discovery. She loves watching students grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence as they explore new ideas, take risks, and celebrate their accomplishments. In her free time, Sydney enjoys cooking new vegan recipes and going on adventures with her dog, Wayne.

Nicole Mann

Art

Nicole shares with us at Kirby Hall her several years of robust experience in fine arts education having taught on both coasts at Green Farms Academy in Westport, CT and Gateway School in Santa Cruz, CA. Nicole also teaches high schoolers at the neighboring Griffin School here in Austin.

Nicole was raised in Caracas, Venezuela and studied textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design, followed by earning dual masters degrees in art education, and curriculum and teaching, respectively from Boston University and Columbia University, Teachers College.

Outside of school, she operates a small online store selling handwoven goods and enjoys hiking as much as possible with her son Mateo and Vizsla named Cilantro.

Elizabeth McGinnis

PreK4 through Second Grade Spanish

Prior to joining Kirby Hall, Elizabeth taught bilingual Pre-K and Kindergarten in AISD as well as Spanish classes for Eanes ISD and Parkside Montessori. Additionally, Elizabeth spent nearly three years teaching English online to children in China and has experience as a Lindamood-Bell reading instructor. When not teaching, she enjoys yoga, hiking and visiting the beach.

Michelle Noid

Kindergarten

J.D., Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law

Michelle joins Kirby Hall as a new Kindergarten teacher this year. She is certified in Elementary Self-Contained teaching, General Special Education, and is an ESL Generalist. In May of 2024, she retired from teaching with Austin ISD after 25 years, primarily working with kindergarten and first grade. She most recently was a part of the Ace Academy family, where she taught PreK through first grade. This fall, Ms. Noid will be  entering her 28th year of teaching, and she is thrilled to be doing it at Kirby Hall! When not teaching or working in her classroom, you can find her playing with her kitties Cali, Cricket, Lovebug and Dan D. Lion or hunting for antiques at auctions and shows. 

Eloy Ochoa

Teaching Assistant

Lola Perez

Third Grade to Middle School Spanish

Lola was born in southern Spain, Andalucía, where she developed a love for flamenco and the poetry of Lorca. She loves teaching because she loves learning, and sharing what intellectually captivates her is at the heart of her work. Lola has been teaching Spanish for seven years, and finds great joy in seeing her students embrace the beauty of communicating across languages and cultures, discovering the richness and wonder of being human. 

Rosa Perez

PreK4

We are thrilled to have Rosa with us at Kirby Hall to benefit from her more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has worked with children of all ages from six weeks old to teenagers. Rosa is originally from New Jersey but was raised in South Texas from five years old. She earned her education degree from Eastfield College in Dallas and moved to Austin four years ago. In her spare time, Rosa enjoys crafting and being creative, traveling, and also spending time with family and friends.

Lauren Piccone

Fifth Grade through Middle School English

Lauren landed in Austin from Philadelphia after completing  both her undergraduate and graduate programs at Temple University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Secondary English Education. She spent three years teaching middle school English outside of Philadelphia before joining us at Kirby Hall. In her free time, Lauren enjoys running, reading, and going to shows around town. She also adores curating book lists for people.

Claudia Ronchetti

Third Grade

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood – Sixth Grade & Third – Fifth Grade Reading

Claudia has come to Austin originally from Rochester, NY. She holds a degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan as well as being a certified reading specialist for third through fifth graders. Claudia loves being a part of the Kirby Hall family and is looking forward to her fifth year here at KHS! In her spare time, Claudia enjoys working out, cooking, and, of course, reading! 

Paul Schumann

Lower School: STEM & Fifth Grade through Middle School: Science

M.S., Geology, The University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Paul was born and raised in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York. He studied Geology at both the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, later earning his teaching certificate from LeTourneau University. Paul worked for 15 years in the Environmental Consulting field for several firms across the country before discovering that he loved to teach. Prior to joining Kirby Hall School in 2019, Paul was a science teacher at Connally High School in Pflugerville ISD for 12 years. During his time there, he taught a variety of courses including Chemistry, PreAP Chemistry, IPC and Astronomy. Paul and his wife of 30 years have three children. He enjoys all kinds of music and regularly attends the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Paul also writes online reviews for a popular website on high-end audio equipment.

Jennifer Sturley

Learning & Student Support Specialist, CALT   

M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction: Language and Literacy Studies, The University of Texas at Austin

Jennifer is passionate about helping children learn!  She was a classroom teacher for almost a decade until working with her dyslexic students inspired her to expand her knowledge and make a career shift.  Now she is working towards a PhD in Special Education: Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders at The University of Texas at Austin.  She has experience with students from preschool through graduate school and all ages in between — it’s impossible to pick a favorite age, but she has an extra-soft spot for middle schoolers and 1st graders.  As an Austin native, she herself is a product of Austin’s public and private schools, and she is thrilled to be joining the creative and curious students and educators at Kirby Hall.  In her rare moments of free time, Jennifer enjoys reading, playing with her two dogs, or working on puzzles.

Devin Vandergriff

Outdoor Learning Specialist

Devin is an outdoor educator with a background in environmental studies and cultural anthropology, currently working at Nature’s Way Preschool and leading public programming through the Nature Center alongside the Zilker Nature Preserve. She helps students connect with the natural world through hiking, identifying local flora and fauna, and building hands-on outdoor skills—using their bodies to climb, balance, and explore, growing familiar with the plants and animals around them, and developing confidence through experience. 

Leah van Hée

Lower Grades Makerspace

Leah is thrilled to bring her background in child development, research, and hands-on creativity to the PreK–2nd Grade Makerspace. Holding both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Texas, Leah has years of experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist, working with young children in both preschool and home health settings. Her clinical background gives her a deep understanding of how children think, communicate, and solve problems, while her work in research fuels her love for structured curiosity, trial-and-error, and guided discovery.

At home, she is an avid maker—dabbling in everything from painting and sewing to upcycling household materials into creative treasures with her two children. Leah firmly believes that creativity is core to who we are as human beings and that every child harbors their own unique genius. When not in the classroom, Leah loves spending time in nature with her husband, two kids, and their dog, Ducky.