News

Current position at St. Serra: First Grade Teacher

Years at St. Serra: 18

What she enjoys most: "I love working with my first grade team! They are the best and make working at St. Serra so much fun. The students are the highlight of my day. I love seeing the joy in the students faces when they achieve something new. Teaching the students about God is something I am truly passionate about. I love reminding them daily how much Jesus loves them and [I love] being able to support them and their families in anyway I can."

From Extended Care to First Grade

“I graduated from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa with a Bachelors of Arts degree. I have worked at St. Serra since I was 18! I started in Extended Care, then worked in Preschool, and now I've moved on to first grade. Recently, our first graders completed their Flat Stanley projects. They really enjoyed sending Flat Stanley off to their family and friends in different states."

She's a New Mom

“I have been married to my husband, Kurt, for four years, and we currently have a 9-month-old daughter. She has brought so much joy to our family this year. We also have two cats named Bruce and Sophie who are known to get into a bit of mischief throughout the day. Our favorite thing to do as a family is go to Disneyland. We love going and trying all the delicious foods.”

Four Things You Didn't Know About Mrs. Gosch

1. “I did color guard in high school.”
2. “I have been to Indonesia, France, and Cambodia doing missionary work.”
3. “I have always wanted to be a teacher.”
4. “My mom, Carrie Fiore, and I both are teachers here at St. Serra. She teaches 8th grade.”

Current position at St. Serra: Music Teacher, Grades 5-8; SerraBand Director; Bellissima (Handbells) Leader

Years at St. Serra: 4

What she enjoyes most: “I love our school and its students. I have made wonderful friends with our teachers and staff members. Sharing the love of music is the best part of my job. I would really love to build our band program for future Serra Bears.”

She's an Accomplished Musician

Mrs. Taylor started playing music in childhood, and started in the school band in fifth grade playing the alto saxophone. “Maneater” was the first song she learned. During high school, she took private lessons and performed with the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Choir and Orchestra. By her senior year, she had earned full music scholarships to UNLV, where she dual majored in Music Performance and Education. Her experience at UNLV led to many opportunities including gigs with a famous musician, traveling with the Runnin' Rebels, and unforgettable performances in New York City, Washington D.C., and Hawaii. Her college Jazz Ensemble was the first ever college band to play the Village Vanguard. Mrs. Taylor plays many instruments, from flute to tuba (plus a little piano), and has been teaching private music lessons for over 25 years.

She Met Her Husband in Middle School

Mrs. Taylor first met her husband, Mark, when they were middle school students. They have been married since 2015. Mrs. Taylor has a daughter who is married and lives in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor also have a dog named Buck.

What She's Thankful For, and What Her Classes are Working On

“I am so thankful we for the schedule we have this year, which allows me to teach a grade level for an entire semester! In fifth grade, we are making our names into music and in eighth grade, we will be starting a bucket drumming unit shortly.”

Four Things You Didn't Know About Mrs. Taylor

1. She plays in an 80's band called Radio Royalty as a sax player and backing vocals.
2. In 2013, she created a piece of art every day for 365 days and blogged about it. In 2019, she completed a "100 Day Project" and created more art with a toucan as the primary subject.
3. She has played for Kenny Rogers twice in her musical career.
4. She is also a math teacher and taught math to middle school students in Las Vegas from 2007 to 2012.

Current position at St. Serra: Teacher, First Grade

Years at St. Serra: 6

What she enjoys most: “I love seeing the academic growth as well as the social and spiritual growth of my students throughout the school year. It is also really special when former students come back to visit!”

She's a Former Anteater and Titan, and Currently an Antelope

“I went to the University of California at Irvine, where I double-majored in Education Science and Psychology. I received my teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton, and I am currently completing a masters degree through Grand Canyon University.”

Life Outside of St. Serra

“My fiancé, Kevin, and I were engaged last May (2022). I have a dog named Denny, who is a Pomeranian-chihuahua mix. I enjoy crocheting, doing nail art, and completing puzzles in my free time. I also love hiking and going to the beach.”

Fun Facts!

• “I named my dog after a NASCAR driver.”
• “Both my grandmothers were teachers.”
• “I currently own more skeins of yarn than items of clothing!”

Current position at St. Serra: Preschool Teacher, Pre-K

Years at St. Serra: 7

What she enjoys most: “I enjoy making an impact on young minds and watching them grow into young people. My favorite age is 4 turning 5. You can see so much development happening at this time, which is so much fun.”

She Was Teaching Before She Graduated High School

“I started teaching during my junior year of high school. My high school had an opportunity where you could start early to earn college credits and get a head start. I was able to teach my peers about early childhood education, which was my major, and graduate with a teaching credential up to third grade. I also completed a minor in special needs, science, and theatre art.”

She Loves Teaching in a Catholic School

“I did my student teaching in a Catholic school and loved it. Through the years I had many different jobs that supported children from infancy through age eight. I also tried different faith-based schools but felt most at home in private Catholic schools.”

Family Life and Italian Cooking

“My husband's name is Bruce have been married for 32 years. We have two kids, a daughter who is 25 and a son who is 23. We love the outdoors, long walks, traveling, trying new restaurants, going to concerts, dancing, watching movies, and cheering on our Boston teams. I also love to cook and bake for my family and friends, especially Italian food!”

Fun Facts!

• “My parents are both from Italy and I am first generation in the U.S.”
• “I am also the first in my generation to earn a college degree.”

“Make good choices.” It is a phrase students hear often from Mr. Catey, if not every day; a reminder that the choices you make today can have a significant impact on what tomorrow brings. As a religion and social studies teacher for seventh grade, Mr. Catey knows how important it is for young teens to be reminded of this important message, so he tries to chisel it into their minds on a regular basis.

“Make good choices.” It's not just a phrase, but a concept Mr. Catey tries to live by as well. He originally majored in Criminal Justice as a young college student, intending to pursue a career as a lawyer, in law enforcement, or in a prison setting. He knew that his end goal was to somehow make a positive contribution in the lives of others. With graduation came the reality that those jobs were not so easy to come by, so Mr. Catey ended up in the corporate jungle instead. He worked in business for over twenty years before realizing that he wanted to make a change. The “a-ha moment” came when a colleague asked him what he was doing to make the world a better place, and he didn't feel like he had a good answer. Further introspection led him to recognize that he felt significantly inspired by the teachers at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School in Everett, Washington, where his daughters attended. He could see clearly that they were making a difference in his daughters' lives, and he wanted to do the same for others. He went back to school while working full time to earn his teaching credential. The rest is history.

Now in his tenth year at St. Serra, Mr. Catey appreciates the choice to make a career change, and is grateful for the support he receives from his colleagues and the parents at the school. “I enjoy the subjects I teach because I find them interesting,” he says. “Teaching religion helps me continue to live and share my faith with students." Mr. Catey definitely finds ways to demonstrate what it means to live and share one's faith. His religion classes recently finished up a service project as part of their Lenten almsgiving. Aside from teaching in the classroom, Mr. Catey is involved in Campus Ministry and runs St. Serra's annual presentation the “Living Stations of the Cross," a time-honored tradition that takes place every year on Holy Thursday.

Life outside of St. Serra is busy for Mr. Catey. He is married and has two grown daughters; one lives in Washington and the other in New Mexico. He is proud to share that he became a first-time grandpa in June of 2022. He and his wife take full advantage of living in southern California by spending a lot of time outdoors, and whenever possible, on the water. A “fun fact” that many may not know about Mr. Catey is that he is an UBER driver in the summertime. When he is not working, Mr. Catey enjoys following the Seattle sports scene and the occasional golf outing, but most of all, he cherishes the time spent with family and friends.

“Make good choices.” Mr. Catey's choice to pursue a career in education has been a good choice, and most certainly a rewarding one. He is known for caring about his students, and often asks about them even after they have gone on to eighth grade and high school. “I try to pass on what I have learned and experienced to them,” he shares. And although being an educator comes with its challenges as well as occasional hard days, Mr. Catey always approaches his job with an attitude of gratitude, and a healthy dose of humor. “Being a teacher is a rewarding job and I love it,” he says, and continues with a wink, “even on those days when it may not seem like it.”

Mr. David Woolgar is in his first year at St. Serra as the teacher for seventh and eighth grade Advanced-Plus ELA and seventh grade Academic Skills. A native from Newfoundland, Canada, Mr. Woolgar enjoys finding ways to challenge students while maintaining a learning environment that is both fun and encouraging. He finds that students respond very well to this style of teaching, sharing that, “It's great to see the students evolve academically and take on assignments presented to them with a positive attitude.”

Upon arriving in the U.S. from Canada, Mr. Woolgar initially began teaching English at Anaheim High School. “It was a great challenge coming from such a small place and teaching at a school as big as Anaheim HS. There were more students enrolled than people in my entire community,” he says. Mr. Woolgar eventually moved over to Oxford Academy to teach English Honors for eighth and ninth grade. During that time he was able to complete an MBA, which led to a teaching opportunity at Santa Ana College. After several years at Santa Ana College he moved to Irvine Valley College, and then eventually to Saddleback College, where he has remained for several years. The experience he gained from teaching at the high school and junior college levels has helped Mr. Woolgar realize the value of his role in education: “Teaching at many different academic levels, in diverse socio-economic cultures, has enabled me to develop an appreciation of what a privilege it is to be able to help students maximize their potential.”

It was while backpacking through Europe thirty years ago that Mr. Woolgar met his wife, Shannon. They have been married for twenty-six years and have two children. Their son is a senior at Boise State, and their daughter is a freshman at the University of Mississippi. They also have a rescue dog named Olive. Growing up, Mr. Woolgar played soccer and hockey. He attended St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia on an academic scholarship, and also played hockey there. He still enjoys playing hockey regularly, and has been involved in coaching with the Junior Ducks program. But when asked about his favorite activity, he currently loves to play golf. He tries to get out on the links as often as he can.

Mr. Woolgar and his students keep very busy throughout the year. To engage his students, Mr. Woolgar makes sure to creatively infuse his lessons with concepts they find interesting or to which they can relate. His Advanced-Plus ELA students in seventh grade are currently wrapping up the novel Crispin: The Cross of Lead by author Avi, during which they explored the character development of the protagonist and how it could be compared to the life of a teenager in today's society. In his eighth grade Advanced-Plus ELA class, they are studying creative writing, multiple-level plot development, and character development while reading Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. And the students in his Academic Skills class are completing a photography portfolio that focuses on a theme or images that they find impactful. “I have always believed that you can have fun while learning,” says Mr. Woolgar, “and that is a philosophy I try to bring to the classroom every day.”
 

For Mrs. Susan Kennelly, teaching third graders is a significant responsibility. Now in her fifth year teaching third grade at St. Serra, she recognizes what makes this grade level such an important year. “The thing I enjoy most about teaching is seeing [the] children grow in knowledge and maturity throughout the year,” she shares. “[In] third grade [we are] helping children learn responsibilities and getting them to take an active role in their education.”

Mrs. Kennelly has a Bachelor's Degree in Child Development and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Florida State University. She initially spent five years in Atlanta teaching second grade. When she and her husband, Tim, got married, they moved back to Florida where Mrs. Kennelly taught Kindergarten for nine years. “Having the experience of different grade levels has helped me become a better teacher,” says Mrs. Kennelly. “I can pull from prior knowledge and understand the various stages that children have to go through before and during third grade.”

Mr. and Mrs. Kennelly have been married for 33 years. They have four children; three boys and one girl. Their two oldest sons live and work in Florida, and their youngest son and daughter are both attending Saddleback College. They also have a yellow Labrador retriever named “Chubbs.” During her free time, Mrs. Kennelly enjoys traveling, going to the beach, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Currently, Mrs. Kennelly's third graders are keeping busy with several classroom assignments, including a Lenten almsgiving project in which they read the book The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, and adopted a silverback gorilla. Mrs. Kennelly tells us, “it is important for the children to have as many real world experiences as possible, to help their understanding of what they are learning. I am truly blessed to teach these children every day!”

This week, we are getting to know Mrs. Jessica Miyashiro, Preschool Teacher at St. Serra, and known to her students as “Miss Jessica.” Miss Jessica was a parent volunteer at St. Serra initially, and eventually joined our staff as an assistant in Transitional Kindergarten in 2017. Now working in our Preschool, Miss Jessica finds that she truly enjoys working with small children. “I enjoy the innocence in Preschool,” she shares. “I get to create an entertaining, engaging and creative classroom. My goal is to promote learning as well as social, cognitive and emotional development. Each day brings unexpected learning experiences as the children engage with each other.” One of the many things Miss Jessica’s class focuses on is growing closer to God everyday. For Lent they have planted gardens to grow alongside the students, and they are anticipating blooms by Easter.

Miss Jessica attended Azusa Pacific University, majoring in Human Development and minoring in English. She graduated from the school’s integrated Bachelors and teaching credential program in 2003. In addition to working at St. Serra, she has been the Early Childhood Coordinator at San Francisco Solano Catholic Church for the past five years. Her role at Solano involves welcoming young families to become involved in their faith. Prior to working at St. Serra, Miss Jessica enjoyed teaching kindergarten and fifth grade in the Diocese of San Bernardino, and third grade in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Her involvement in her parish and in being a teacher at Catholic schools has proven to be a vocation and a calling for Miss Jessica, as she loves sharing her faith with others.

Miss Jessica is married to Mr. Miyashiro, one of our very own second grade teachers at St. Serra. They have been married for fourteen years. They have two daughters who are students at St. Serra as well. Their oldest daughter will graduate from eighth grade at the end of this school year. Their youngest is currently in sixth grade. Spending time at St. Serra is definitely a family affair! “We are so proud of our Serra Bears,” says Miss Jessica. “[We] know that St. Serra has prepared them for their [future] educational and spiritual journeys.”
 

As the teacher for Advanced Plus ELA and Math for Grades Two and Four, Mrs. Stephanie Leavey finds that working with different age groups is especially rewarding. She shares, “I get to see the students in two different stages of development.” She also enjoys bringing her experience as a former Catholic school student into her role at St. Serra, remembering fondly, “how kind and patient the teachers and nuns were at my elementary school.”

Mrs. Leavey attended Catholic school herself, starting in Kindergarten and continuing through her senior year of high school. She believes her faith was strengthened as a result of being able to talk and learn about religion at school. She is a graduate of Chapman University and worked in the Garden Grove Unified School District, teaching first and second grades, until she had her first child. She feels fortunate that she was able to stay home with her children when they were little. She returned to teaching when her youngest child was in first grade, which is when she first started St. Serra.

Mrs. Leavey’s husband, Greg, is also a teacher. He teaches U.S. History to eighth graders at Corona Del Mar Middle School. They are looking forward to celebrating twenty-three years of marriage this July. Both of their children attended school at St. Serra from TK through eighth grade, and then went on to Santa Margarita Catholic High School (“SM”). Their daughter is a sophomore at Butler University in Indianapolis, and their son is a senior at SM and currently deciding on where he will attend college. They also have an Italian greyhound named Finn, who keeps them very busy. He is affectionately referred to as their “third child.”

In her spare time, Mrs. Leavey loves to cook and bake. She is always trying out new recipes, which are not hard to come by due to her sizable collection of cookbooks! A fun fact that she shares: “Right after college graduation my roommate and I were on Supermarket Sweeps and won! My five minutes of fame!”

Mrs. Leavey’s second graders are currently reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. It is the second of three novels they are reading this year - they already read Freckle Juice by Judy Blume, and their next read will be E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. In math they are working on multiplication facts. Her fourth grade students are starting the Sid Fleischman novel, By the Great Horn Spoon!, which is a tale that takes place during the California Gold Rush. In math they are currently enjoying lessons on fractions.
 

This week we are excited to get to know Mrs. Tricia Crowe! Mrs. Crowe teaches Small Group ELA and Math to Grades Two and Four. “I enjoy getting to work with two different grade levels,” she shares. “It is fun to see how much they learn, grow and change throughout the year.”

Mrs. Crowe received her teaching credential from Concordia University, after which she worked in the Saddleback Unified School District for many years. She was one of the original staff when Robinson Elementary School was established in 1994 in Trabuco Canyon. From there, she went on to Portola Hills Elementary where she shared teaching contracts with Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Jung (both are current St. Serra teachers!). Mrs. Crowe also spent time as an instructional assistant in Special Education, and was the intervention teacher at Serrano Intermediate in Lake Forest.

Mrs. Crowe and her husband, Bill, are currently looking forward to celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on July 31, 2023. They have three daughters and aone-year-old maltipoo pup named JJ. Their oldest daughter is a school counselor at Tesoro High School. Their middle daughter lives in San Diego and is an interior designer for a restaurant development company. Their youngest daughter will be graduating from San Diego State University in May of this year, and already has a job lined up as an accountant, starting in the Fall. In her spare time, Mrs. Crowe enjoys taking JJ on walks, trying new restaurants, and most of all, spending time with her family. “My family is the greatest joy of my life,” she says.

Mrs. Crowe’s classes keep busy throughout the school year. Her second-grade class is currently focused on some special projects related to Read Across America and Grandparents and Special Friends Day. In her fourth-grade class, they have been learning about our school’s patron saint, St. Junipero Serra, and are currently finishing up their essays about his life and accomplishments.
 

Want to know a cool fact about Mr. Brian Allison, one of our Fourth Grade Teachers at St. Serra? He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended high school with NFL quarterback, Tom Brady. He also loves going out to eat at exciting restaurants and considers himself a “foodie.”

At St. Serra, Mr. Allison finds fulfillment teaching fourth grade. He says, “I really enjoy fourth grade because I get to start preparing the students for middle school. I enjoy working with all the fourth graders since we rotate classes throughout the day.”

Mr. Allison feels fortunate to have attended private Catholic schools all his life, including in college. He attributes his deep faith to his Catholic education and upbringing. Before he came to St. Serra, he worked in both the Cypress Unified School District and the Capistrano Unified School District, where he taught multiple elementary grade levels. He feels this experience provided him with the ability to work with students of varying ages and abilities. He draws upon his strong Catholic faith to impart wisdom and life experience to his students, saying “I feel that…my experiences throughout my life have been great examples to my students…[the students] are building a stronger relationship with God as they develop their faith.”

February has proven a busy month for this husband, father of three, and active parishioner of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. His youngest turned two at the beginning of the month, which was followed by the celebration of 17 years of marriage with his wife, Selena. They have two older sons as well;  a 12-year-old in seventh grade at Ladera Ranch Middle School, and a 9-year-old in third grade at Oso Grande Elementary. He and Selena met in college, and once they were married, they moved to Orange County. They love traveling! Favorite family vacation spots include Lake Arrowhead and Palm Springs.

Currently in fourth grade, they are preparing to read their second novel of the year in ELA. Students will get to learn more about California history and the Gold Rush in the book, By The Great Horn Spoon, a novel by Sid Fleischman. Mr. Allison always looks forward to reading this book with his class every year, saying, “We get to engage in meaningful discussions, complete fun activities, and conclude the novel with creating a scrapbook project.”

Mr. Chris Gray is a well-known teacher to our middle school students! In addition to teaching history to 6th grade (Ancient Civilizations) and 8th grade (U.S. History), he manages all of our sports programs and teams as our Athletic Director. He has a passion for both teaching and youth sports, sharing, “I most enjoy getting to know my students and forming lasting relationships.  Watching students grow and learn is fulfilling to me both inside the classroom and on the courts and field. When students find success and develop new skills, whether in their studies or in sports, I know I have made a difference.”

Mr. Gray has a degree in History from the University of California at Irvine. He received his Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate and teaching credential through Concordia University, also in Irvine. A teacher within the Diocese of Orange for 24  years, Mr. Gray has taught at St. John the Baptist in Costa Mesa, Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, and St. Simon and Jude in Huntington Beach. Once a former student himself at both St. John the Baptist and Mater Dei, he feels called to teach in Catholic schools. One of the things he remembers most about being in school is playing sports. He says, “Some of my best friendships, to this day, were made in the eighth grade and high school playing sports.” Because of this, Mr. Gray tries to make sure to include as many students as possible in sports at St. Serra, in hopes that they will have similar positive experiences and memories.

Mr. Gray and his wife, Barbara, also a teacher, live in Huntington Beach. They have a very active gray labrador named Kody, who enjoys getting up early for three-mile morning walks. When they are not working, the Grays enjoy riding their bikes to the beach, kayaking in the harbor and swimming in their pool. They also enjoy traveling (their most recent vacation included a visit to Boston, Massachusetts, where they walked the Freedom Trail and visited many historical locations) and going to concerts (Mr. Gray loves the band U2 and has seen them in concert more than two dozen times!).

And yet, at the end of the day, Mr. Gray’s love of sports dictates where he spends most of this time. During the Winter sports season, for example, Mr. Gray can also be found running the Varsity basketball team through practice drills at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, where he has been the team’s assistant coach for 13 years. His favorite quote is one from John Wooden: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” To Mr. Gray, it means that everyone is good at something, “we just have to find out what that something is!”
 

Mrs. Angela Johnson wears many hats at St. Serra! Her primary role is as Educational Technology Coach Teacher, in which she trains and supports the teachers as they learn new digital tools and online platforms, and helps them effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Her job includes creating video tutorials for both teachers and students, working closely with our Information Systems Department, and managing all educational software including our Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas. In addition, she also serves as the Advisor for the SerraVision Crew and Director for the Chromebook Boot Camps during the summer. Says Mrs. Johnson, “I enjoy being able to use my skills in technology and my knowledge as an educator to help others! I also love working with our seventh and eighth grade students on SerraVision to plan each morning’s broadcast and bring our faith community together in prayer.

Mrs. Johnson graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School (SMCHS) in 1995, and went on to earn a Bachelors of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Saint Mary’s College - Notre Dame. She began her teaching career in 1999 as a first grade teacher here at St. Serra. Two years later, she was teaching in St. Serra’s newly established Primary Technology Lab, as appointed by our Founding Principal, Mrs. Audrey Tellers. She later earned a Masters degree in Education (with a specialization in Educational Technology) from National University, and held numerous teaching positions in both public and private schools, including a stint in Europe where she taught at the American Overseas School of Rome. She eventually returned to both California and St. Serra; she is now in her fifth year as our EdTech Coach.

Mrs. Johnson’s husband, Tom, is a Senior Product Marketing Manager in Critical Care for ICU Medical. In addition to being on staff at St. Serra, Mrs. Johnson is also a proud

 “mama bear” to her own three Serra Bears! Their son graduated from St. Serra in 2022, and is now a freshman at SMCHS. Their daughters are currently in second grade and TK at St. Serra. They spend their weekends taking Tori (their Rhodesian Ridgeback) on trail hikes, rolling out wrestling mats in their garage for family Jiu Jitsu matches, and cheering on their kids at soccer games and wrestling tournaments.

Currently, Mrs. Johnson is supporting our teachers in evaluating materials and digital platforms for a new ELA curriculum they will be piloting. She shares, “Whether it’s troubleshooting software, meeting with educational software reps, working with teachers, or supporting parents and students, each day brings something new and challenging my way!”
 

Meet Mrs. Melodie Kabashima, Middle School Teacher for Grade 5 Science and Grade 6 Religion at St. Serra. Mrs. Kabashima truly enjoys teaching this age group. “I love teaching 5th and 6th grade,” she says. “The students are fun and overall eager to learn.”

Mrs. Kabashima received her teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine. She took some time off from her teaching career to be home with her two children when they were born. That was a number of years ago. Now, her son and oldest child, is a freshman at the University of California at Riverside. Her daughter is a sophomore at The Orange County School of the Arts and a dancer in musical theater. Both kids are also talented in playing the piano.

During the years when Mrs. Kabashima was not actively teaching in the classroom, she found a passion for teaching fitness classes. She says, “I love all dance cardio!” In her spare time, she still teaches Zumba and strength training classes at the YMCA.

Currently, Mrs. Kabashima’s 5th graders are working on an Ecosystems project, and learning about how living and nonliving things are connected in an ecosystem. Her 6th grade Religion students have a retreat coming up at the Sacred Heart Retreat center in April. They are looking forward to learning from the Sisters of Sacred Heart and attending Mass with them as part of the retreat.

Meet Ms. Sheela Rao, Lower School Art Teacher for Grades TK - 4 at St. Serra. As our art teacher, she helps our students find their creative and artistic side. “I love encouraging students to be creative,” says Ms. Rao. “I want them to explore their own ideas and express themselves, in the form of art.”

Ms. Rao received her Bachelors of Art from California State University - Fullerton. She also has her multiple subject teaching credential and extra coursework, focusing on teaching art to elementary-aged students. This is her nineteenth year teaching art at St. Serra. Prior to joining St. Serra, Ms. Rao helped to organize, and volunteered in, the “Meet the Master’s Art Program” for the Capistrano Unified School District.

When Ms. Rao is not working, she loves to spend time with her family, go on hikes, create her own art, work on home renovation, and take on fun projects. She has one daughter and has been blessed with two grandsons. Ms. Rao’s oldest grandson is now a third-year Serra Bear, in our current Kindergarten class. “We really love our school,” says Ms. Rao.

Currently, Ms. Rao’s TK and Kindergarten classes are learning about perspective and the art concept known as a “resist” using pastels and watercolors to create a snowman. In first grade, students are focusing on still life art and creating a gumball machine using pastels. For our 2nd and 3rd grade students, they are learning about the French Expressionist Artist Georges Rouault and recreating his stained-glass themed portraits with pastels. And finally, our 4th grade students are currently creating a realistic depiction of their assigned California Mission, which will serve as the cover for their 4th grade written report. So much fun here in our St. Serra art classes, thanks to Ms. Rao!