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Meet Mr. Arturo Gutierrez, Extended Care Aide at St. Serra! Mr. Gutierrez also helps out when needed as a substitute instructional aide in the lower grades, as well as with yard duty. Known to students as “Mr. G” or "Mr. Arturo," he is thoroughly enjoying his first year at St. Serra. He has a passion for working with kids, and he appreciates being part of the Extended Care team because it allows him to “build connections with the kids [through] helping them with homework or playing outdoor [and] indoor activities."

Mr. Gutierrez graduated from El Toro High School in 2017, and went on to receive an AA in psychology from Irvine Valley College. He will be starting classes at Cal State Fullerton in the fall of 2023, with a goal of earning his Bachelors degree and becoming a school guidance counselor. He brings his experience from working in before- and after-school daycare with the YMCA to his role at St. Serra, and often finds himself enjoying games such as bingo, Uno and Monopoly with the children.

When he is not working or studying, Mr. Gutierrez enjoys being active and often works out at the gym or plays basketball. He often organizes 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 basketball games for the Extended Care students. He also loves spending time with friends and attending music and sporting events. Although he is a big Lebron James fan and will sometimes root for the Lakers just to see Lebron win, his favorite NBA team is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While Mr. Gutierrez is looking forward to pursuing his education this fall, he plans to continue working in Extended Care at St. Serra. He says he wishes to “keep building connections with all [of] the students, as well as the wonderful staff, teachers and parents, who are all so nice and friendly!”

When someone first walks into our School Office, they are immediately greeted by a friendly face and welcoming smile. Mrs. Diana Myers, also known as “The Face of Serra,” has been a positive fixture at our school’s reception desk for a number of years. It’s a job that, of course, involves answering the phone and greeting visitors, but Mrs. Myers has always pitched in beyond standard receptionist duties. She is often a key contributor to PTO’s administration of events, she assists students in various ways, and she regularly acts as a liaison when parents need to get in touch with their student, a teacher, or staff. Working closely with our parents and students brings Mrs. Myers great joy. She shares, “Interacting with my Serra Bears [and] getting to know our families has warmed my heart in so many ways.”

Prior to working in education, Mrs. Myers had pursued her passion in the food industry. She was forced to make a change when a back injury and subsequent surgery made it too physically challenging to continue, and found a job as a secretary for a brokerage house in Newport Beach where they dealt in gold, silver and platinum. After many years of anticipation, she and her husband, Ralph, welcomed their first and only child, a daughter, into the world. Mrs. Myers enjoyed many years being a stay-at-home mom, and when her daughter began attending school at St. Serra, she started volunteering.

When her daughter was in her eighth grade year at St. Serra, Mrs. Myers began officially working as a staff member in the yard supervision department. A year later, she was asked to be an instructional assistant in fourth grade. She greatly enjoyed working with the fourth grade team of teachers, one of whom at that time was Mrs. Ellen Burrola, who is currently our Assistant Principal for the Lower School. When one of the fourth grade teachers had a baby, Mrs. Myers took some time away from her job as an instructional aide to provide care for him. But she could not stay away; she eventually returned to St. Serra and started working in our School Office.

Mrs. Myer’s husband, Ralph, is a retired engineer. They are looking forward to celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary this July. Mrs. Myers has decided to retire at the end of this school year, and will be spending more time doing things she loves, such as enjoying time with family, cooking, being outdoors, working in her yard, and traveling. And one of the things she is looking forward to most is traveling to Washington, D.C., where they will visit with their first grandchild, a baby boy, who was born just this past December.

And while Mrs. Myers may have plans to retire, it does not mean that she will be a stranger. She plans to occasionally help out as a substitute teacher. Her love for our school stems from our parent involvement and foundation of faith. “The success of our school is apparent by all the volunteers that pass through the School Office,” she says, and she loves starting everyday “in prayer with our Serra community on SerraVision, and then [praying] the Angelus at noon.”
 

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.
 

Meet Ms. Cindy Melton, who works primarily as a senior accountant in our Business and Financial Operations department and spends a portion of her time supporting our Information Systems department. Although Ms. Melton originally thought she wanted to be a teacher, this is the first time she is working for a school. A graduate of the University of La Verne with a degree in English and French, she initially went to work in accounting for Rockwell International because teaching jobs were scarce at the time. Through her work experience and additional education in accounting and business administration, Ms. Melton found herself landing a job as the controller for an advertising agency. There, she had oversight of the finance and human resources departments as well as administrative staff, and managed a team of eight employees. Her time at the agency spanned more than thirty years, during which she held responsibility for two software conversions. The agency eventually closed, and Ms. Melton went on to manage all of the accounting functions for a mortgage company. She has also spent time as the accountant for a few small churches.

Having been at St. Serra now for almost a year, Ms. Melton feels that her background with various software programs and experience with all facets of accounting have helped her to succeed in her current position. She finds joy in working in a Christian environment; she loves walking by the chapel and reflecting pool each morning and hearing the Angelus at noon. Her favorite part of the day is traffic duty at 2:00 p.m., when she gets to help with the students in TK through second grade. “I love interacting with these students and keeping them safe,” she shares.

Ms. Melton lives in Lake Forest with her son and their two dogs - a pit/shepherd mix named Moose and a chihuahua mix named Ziggy. Weekends find them attending services at Calvary Chapel Foothill Ranch and walking their dogs at a nearby park. Ms. Melton has a passion for working with dogs, and volunteers regularly at the Pet Adoption Center in Lake Forest and the Irvine Animal Care Center. Last July, she and her son walked in the Lake Forest parade with the Pet Adoption Center, along with a chihuahua named Bud.

Having varied responsibilities at St. Serra is something Ms. Melton appreciates. She says, “I enjoy learning new things and doing lots of different things keeps it interesting.” Currently, she finds herself busy with accounting support for PTO events, as well as managing a few special projects on the technology side. “I am happy to help wherever I can,” she affirms, “and [I] look forward to contributing to the school’s success.”
 

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.”

Meet Mrs. Luciana Swoboda, Instructional Assistant for Second Grade at St. Serra since 2019. Her position supports Mrs. Hoey and she works with students in learning elements of the curriculum, preparing classroom materials and activities, and managing daily class routines.  She also serves as a supervisor in St. Serra’s Extended Care program. "I love being part of my students’ life!” says Mrs. Swoboda. “There is nothing more gratifying than helping them learn new things and overcome new challenges everyday so they can achieve new milestones in their lives.”

Mrs. Swoboda received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at PUC-SP Catholic University in São Paulo, Brazil. She pursued a career path in the banking industry and worked at Santander Bank while in Brazil.She eventually moved to the United States to complete her Master of Business Administration degree from SSU – San Diego. It was while she worked in the travel and hospitality industry that she met her husband, Jeff. After having children and volunteering at St. Serra, she found her love for teaching and is now about to receive a teaching credential from Saddleback College.

Mrs. Swoboda has two children at St. Serra in seventh grade third grade. The Swoboda family lives in Dove Canyon with their sweet golden retriever, Charlie. Both she and her husband were educated in Catholic schools growing up, and after visiting St. Serra they knew that it would be the place for their children to grow spiritually and academically. She believes the opportunities provided by a strong Catholic education with a supportive faculty and staff can be life-changing for students and families alike.

Her husband, Jeff, works in the auto racing industry. Their family enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and going for hikes with Charlie. One of their favorite family traditions is to spend Christmas at their family beach house at Guaruja Island in Brazil. When Mrs. Swoboda is not working or tending to her family, she also loves serving as a volunteer at Solano Catholic Church in Rancho Santa Margarita.

In second grade, the students are currently learning math concepts about time and money.  They are also working on ocean habitat dioramas in Science. Mrs. Swoboda is currently working to prepare their classroom for the upcoming Grandparents and Special Friends Day, and is looking forward to seeing all the students that day with their special guests.
 

He says he is known to the students as “JJ, Mr. JJ, Mr. Lopez,” or as he jokes, “the guy who stands outside the [Chapel] gate in the mornings”. Mr. Jesse Lopez, Jr., affectionately known to most of the staff as “JJ”, is currently our Help Desk Technician, and the son of our very own Director of Facilities, Mr. Jesse Lopez (Sr.). He has officially been part of the St. Serra family for five years as staff, but he remembers visiting the St. Serra campus often as a young child: “Having my dad work at the school before I was even born gave me the opportunity to be around the school a lot growing up.”

Mr. Lopez graduated from Rancho Verde High School in 2017, and continues to take classes at Mt. San Jacinto College in order to earn an Associate Degree in Computer Information Systems. Having a job in a related field at St. Serra has helped him get a foot in the door of an industry that continues to grow. It’s work he truly enjoys because it allows him to interact with many different people at St. Serra, including teachers, students, and staff, and even our parish priests who visit the campus on Mass days. He especially appreciates the opportunity to get to know some of his co-workers, who he considers to be great people - yet he says the best part of his job is “getting to be with my dad everyday.”

He is the youngest of three children in his family, his older siblings being one brother and one sister, and enjoys being a proud uncle to two beautiful nieces. When he’s not working, he and his girlfriend, Daniela, both Disneyland Annual Passholders, find themselves enjoying rides and attractions regularly at the famed amusement park. JJ also finds time to enjoy multiple hobbies, including playing in softball and baseball leagues and making fun modifications to his car. He shares, “I am a big car guy and [I have] won a few awards at car shows.” He passionately follows his favorite sports teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Minnesota Vikings, and often attends games. “I usually go to Dodger games all season,” he says. “I have seen the Vikings play everytime they are in town and have seen them play a few times in Minnesota as well.”

Aside from managing the Help Desk and assisting students, teachers and staff with technical problems on a daily basis, Mr. Lopez also works on inventory management and internal deployment of software and devices. He feels fortunate to be working alongside his dad and the community at our school, stating, “I’m lucky to call Serra my home.”

 

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. Kathy Tonokawa, St. Serra’s Director of Information Systems (IT). Mrs. Tonokawa first joined St. Serra in 1995 as a volunteer before her children were old enough to attend the school. At that time, she supported St. Serra’s Founding Principal, Mrs. Audrey Tellers, as her assistant. She formally joined the St. Serra ranks in 1996 as the Office Manager, and has worked in a variety of positions since then. She assumed the role of Director of Technology in 2010, and has been notably influential in our school’s technology systems and infrastructure ever since.

“I love working at the school and seeing the students on a daily basis,” says Mrs. Tonokawa. “Education has always been very important in our family growing up, and with our own children. Working with the Principals, it is very rewarding to be part of the team that is making a difference in our students’ lives and preparing them for jobs which may not even exist today.”

Mrs. Tonokawa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with an emphasis in Advertising, from Cal State Fullerton. In addition to her roles at St. Serra, she has also worked in the HOA industry for over 30 years, producing newsletters and special projects for a large association in Irvine. One of her roles at St. Serra was Director of Communications, where she put her marketing and advertising skills to good use. She shares, “Marketing all of the activities and accomplishments of the school over the years, I knew that we were doing great things.” Mrs. Tonokawa’s affinity for technology and problem solving eventually led her to her current role as our IS Director, where she feels she has even greater involvement in shaping the educational experience at St. Serra. “My team and I now have the opportunity to directly impact what happens in the classroom, supporting the teachers and students to be successful.” Her team at St. Serra is currently working to evaluate the school’s network to ensure the strongest foundation possible to support current and future projects on campus.

Mrs. Tonokawa has been married to her husband, Kyle, a Civil Engineer, for 35 years. They have two children who are both St. Serra alumni. Their son, who graduated from St. Serra in 2005, is now practicing veterinary medicine in Naperville, Illinois. Their daughter graduated from St. Serra in 2009. She was trained as a pastry chef at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and currently works as the Assistant General Manager at Din Tai Fung in Las Vegas.

Outside of her work at St. Serra, Mrs. Tonokawa and her husband spend time together enjoying many activities, including photography, volunteering, walking and traveling. One of their most memorable trips was to Rome to see the Vatican. There, they stood in St. Peter’s Square to see the Pope and listen to him recite the Angelus, the same prayer recited together at noon every day by all of the students, teachers and staff at St. Serra.

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!

Meet Mrs. Tania Alvarado, Instructional Assistant for First Grade at St. Serra. Her position supports Miss Mazloomian, working with students to help them understand the curriculum, keeping them focused, and preparing their learning materials. “I LOVE to get to know my students and their families,” said Mrs. Alvarado. “Helping them grow academically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually, is a blessing for me.”

Mrs. Alvarado received her Bachelors of Science in Industrial Design from the ITESM University in Mexico. She continued her studies through UCLA extension with Interior Design courses. She also earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Early Childhood Assistant Teaching from Irvine Valley College.

Prior to St. Serra, she worked for an Architectural Firm in Mexico as a furniture designer and at Kelly Wearstler Interior Design Firm in L.A as graphic designer. Mrs. Alvarado has also worked for multiple church ministries, teaching faith formation to children in Grades Kindergarten through Fourth. In addition, she has performed as coordinator for Catholic Family Missions in Dallas, Texas, where groups of families ministered to a mobile home community.

Mrs. Alvarado’s hobbies are hot yoga and running! She has two children at St. Serra in 3rd grade and 7th grade. Mrs. Alvarado’s husband, Juan, is an AR/VR producer for live events. They also have a lovely Aussie labradoodle named Ollie. Their family recently moved to Rancho Mission Viejo, where they have volunteered in several community events, such as Gather and Give for the Mission Basilica and the Pumpkin Patch at the Farm.

Currently, Mrs. Alvarado is working with the first grade class getting ready for the upcoming Catholic Schools Week and Open House.

Meet Mrs. Jessica Martignetti, Community Events Coordinator at St. Serra. Her position supports St. Serra’s Parent Teacher Organization in planning school events and fundraisers.

Mrs. Martignetti received her Bachelors of Science in Marketing from the University of Arizona. She came to St. Serra with fundraising and event planning experience, having previously worked as a Campaign Coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

She has three children ages 9, 11 and 13, and her husband is an IT Business Consultant. Mrs. Martignetti and her family reside in Ladera Ranch where she has been an active member of the PTOs at her children’s schools. She has been involved in various PTO events including Art Night and annual fundraising galas.

Currently, Mrs. Martignetti is working hard with our SEASONS Tuition Assistance Luncheon Event Committee as they are finalizing the final details for the luncheon taking place next Sunday, January 22. In addition, she is currently supporting the Book Fair team, Father Daughter Dance event committee and upcoming Anchor Ball event committee.