Administrative Team
Dr. Vivian Rhone-Lay
Dr. Vivian Rhone-Lay is proud to be the founding principal of Kathleen MacDonald High School and is excited to be a part of Santa Clara Unified School District. Dr. Rhone-Lay brings with her a wealth of experience in public education leadership. She has served as a dean of students at Foothill and Independence High schools, as an associate principal of educational development at Evergreen Valley High School, and most recently as a principal at Santa Teresa and Phoenix High schools in San Jose.
Prior to that, Dr. Rhone-Lay has taught grades 8-12, served as an English department chair and new teacher induction coach, and was a teacher education instructor and program chair at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. She has also worked on various research teams and was part of an award-winning software development team centered on the California High School Exit Exam.
Dr. Rhone-Lay has a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Education from UCSB, and a Ph. D in Education from UCSB.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Dr. Rhone-Lay knew from a very young age that she wanted to be in public service. During the weekends, she enjoys long walks with her family, which includes her husband, a toddler, and her dog, Lulu.
Principal
Nelson Hori
Nelson Hori is truly grateful to be given the opportunity to be the Interim Principal of Kathleen MacDonald High School and he is extremely excited to be serving this amazing school community. It is his utmost intention to provide guidance, stability, patience, a compassionate ear, and a collaborative approach to build upon the groundwork that has already been established at this wonderful school.
Throughout his 21 years as an educator, he has had the opportunity to serve in a handful of different roles in Santa Clara Unified School District. His first 14 years were spent as a science teacher at Cabrillo Middle School, where he helped develop the curriculum for the STEM Leadership Program, followed by three years as a Vice Principal at Cabrillo. In 2020, he moved to Santa Clara High School as a Vice Principal, and has supported Special Education, 504 plans, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), discipline, attendance, technology, Title IX investigations, just to name a few.
Nelson was born and raised in Hawaii until the age of 8, then moved to the Bay Area. He attended SJSU, where he received his Bachelors degree, his Masters degree in Administration and Supervision with an emphasis in Educational Leadership, and his Administrative Services Credential.
In his personal life, Nelson enjoys traveling, camping, surfing and snowboarding with his two teenage boys.
Interim Principal
Dr. Terry Flora
Dr. Terry Flora is honored to be part of the founding Vice Principal team at Kathleen MacDonald High School. He was born and raised in Santa Clara, and attended SCUSD schools throughout his childhood. He has been in education for over 16 years and has served students and families in a variety of capacities.
Dr. Flora began his education career serving students and families in the Campbell Union High School District. He began as a high school social science teacher before moving into school administration as a Dean of Students and then as an Assistant Principal. He spent a year working at San Jose State University as a researcher, a lecturer for the teaching credential program, and also as a project manager for a teacher professional development program focused on English learner support strategies. Dr. Flora then moved to Santa Clara Unified School District as a site administrator. While at SCUSD, Dr. Flora has served as a Vice Principal for Santa Clara High School, High School Summer School Principal, and Principal at Cabrillo Middle School.
Dr. Flora, a first generation college graduate, earned his B.A. in Social Science at San Diego State with an emphasis on obtaining a teaching credential. During this time earning his B.A., he spent two semesters traveling to various parts of the world while living on a ship as part of the study abroad program, Semester at Sea. His time abroad allowed him to learn about various world cultures, experience many adventures, and helped to shape his path as a professional educator. Dr. Flora earned his M.A. in Education from San Jose State, and then obtained his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership as part of the first doctoral cohort from San Jose State.
Dr. Flora enjoys spending time with his family, watching his daughters play sports (soccer and softball), and getting out to play golf whenever possible.
Vice Principal
Dr. Nicole Tafoya
Dr. Nicole Tafoya joined Santa Clara Unified School District in 2022 from Ridgway High School in Santa Rosa, California where she was the Vice Principal. Before Dr. Tafoya joined the MacDonald administration team she was the Vice Principal at Cabrillo Middle School in the SCUSD. She has worked in the education field in various capacities for over 18 years and prides herself on being student centered. Dr. Tafoya holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s degree in applied criminology and another master’s degree in school counseling. She currently is working on a third master’s degree in school psychology. In 2021, she successfully defended her dissertation entitled: High School Counselors and the Cultural Intelligence Strategies They Use to Create a Culture of Inclusiveness. Dr. Tafoya graduated with a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University. Outside of the school day, she enjoys spending time with her own children Angelina & Anthony. Her favorite thing to eat is papusas’s, loves sweets and enjoys a Taco Bell Pepsi.
Vice Principal
