Mater Campus faculty/staff assignments 2006-2007
Change is the only constant thing that we can count on and we are getting very good at embracing change and responding to it as a catalyst for growth. Please read the following assignments carefully as some teachers have moved to a different grade level or subject area.
Kay Higginbotham, Division Head
Laurie Friedrichs, Lower School Director
Toots Villere, Little Hearts/Preschool Director
Grade level teams are:
Toddler: Doretta Briede, Jessica Misuraca, Barbara Alpaugh
Lacey Lanier, Jenny Galpin
Nursery: Erin Sabludowsky and Elise Brundige, Connie Berner and Deena Cossich,
Patrice Mills and Margaret Adolph
Prekindergarten: Julie DesRoches, Emily Giovingo, Stephanie Gravener, Sr. Carmela Parisi
Kindergarten: Mary Fitzmorris, Olivia Eustis (Guider), Lucie Cavaroc, Sibby Gwin, Blair Laborde
1st grade: Kris Blamphin, Jean Johnson, Mittie LeCorgne
2nd grade: Ashley Melius, Cher Sarrat, Elizabeth deBlanc
3rd grade: Ruth Blum, Laurie Springmann, Sue Westphal
4th grade: Bridget Hagan, Cindy Soler, Jennifer Wilson
In addition, our special teachers are important members of our faculty whose goal is to educate your daughter in a specialized curriculum. They are:
Religion: Jeanie Perrilliat (N/PK/K, 1st), Jennifer Tompkins (T, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
Art: Abbie Brandao (N- 4th)
Computer: Lynette Moody (Prek – 4th)
Counselor: Janice Foulks
Foreign Language: Gail Klauder-Vaz (N-4th)
Library: Carrel Gueringer and Pat Hefler
Music: Jodi McWilliams (N-4th)
Nurse: Joni Colvin
Physical Education: Alice Atkinson (T/N/PK/K), Meliss Saltaformaggio (1st – 4th)
Administrative Assistant: Kathy Marino
Receptionists: Ginny Leftwich –mornings; Cheryl Korbel –afternoons
Preschool PLUS: Blair Laborde, Michaelynn Gacho
Lower School PLUS: LeLe Wood, Gayle Greiner
Below is a short introduction to each of the new members of our faculty/staff:
Deena Cossich is graduate from the University of New Orleans. She is
married to Phil Cossich who is a local attorney. They reside in Belle Chasse and
have four children, three daughters and a son. Deena volunteered in the nursery class last year and was a wonderful asset to the program. Education has always been important to Deena and her family, and she is excited to be joining the ranks of the Sacred Heart Faculty. Her hobbies
include aerobics, reading and traveling. Deena will be a co-teacher with Connie Berner.
Stephanie Gravener holds a bachelor and master degree in early education from Louisiana Tech and has been working in the preschool lab school in Ruston for six years. Stephanie is from New Orleans and is happy to return home. Stephanie is extremely creative and loves sports.
Olivia Eustis (Guider) is a 1999 graduate of Sacred Heart. She attended Washington and Lee University and earned a B.A. in psychology. Olivia recently graduated from Loyola University with a MS as a reading specialist. In her free time she enjoys walking, playing tennis and cooking. On August 12th Olivia will marry Bill Guider. She is thrilled to be back at Sacred Heart.
Sibby Gwin holds a B.A. in liberal arts from The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). She is from New Orleans and graduated from ASH in 2001. Sibby is pursuing her elementary teacher certification from UNO and anticipates completion next year. Sibby has worked in retail throughout college. You may have seen her in “Little Laughter” children’s store on Magazine Street. Sibby will be working as a kindergarten co-teacher.
Blair Michaelson Laborde is recently married and has relocated to New Orleans from our good neighbor, Baton Rouge. Blair holds a B.A. in social work with a concentration in psychology from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Blair has worked as a nanny, as an executive assistant to a senior lobbyist in Washington, D.C, and as an office manager in the U.S. Department of Treasury. She also worked as a social worker at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington. Blair will be working as a kindergarten co-teacher.
1st grade: Kris Andersen Blamphin holds a B.S. in elementary education from UNO and has been teaching for 3.5 years. Kris was born and raised in New Orleans, attending and graduating from Holy Name, Dominican, and the University of New Orleans. Kris has spent many summers at Carrollton Boosters and you may have seen her this summer as an umpire for girls softball. Kris and her husband, David, were married in January and love attending Saints, Hornets, and Tulane games.
4th grade: Jennifer Wilson is a native who grew up in Metairie. In 2001, she graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in Business Management. After working in the business sector for one year she decided that her true calling was to be a teacher. She enrolled at the University of New Orleans and completed her studies earning a teaching certificate. While attending UNO, she worked as a kindergarten teacher and married her college sweetheart, Mark Wilson. This will be her fifth year teaching. She enjoyed working with the toddlers for three weeks during summer camp at the Mater Campus and can’t wait to start the school year.
Nurse: Joni Colvin received her nursing diploma from Touro Infirmary School of Nursing and has been a RN for over 25 years. She is completing her bachelor of science degree in nursing this fall from Loyola University. Joni has worked as a surgical nurse, school nurse, and in corporate health programs. She is married with two daughters and is very excited to be at Sacred Heart. Joni is replacing Nurse Connie Staub who has taken a position in a local hospital.
Michaelynn Gacho is a student at Xavier University. She is excited to be in New Orleans and loves working with children. She worked with the ASH summer camp and made a great connection with the children. Michaelynn will be working in PLUS this semester.
Teachers moving grade levels:
Margaret Adolph has been a co-teacher in prek for the past couple of years. Margaret will be moving to nursery, working along side Patrice Mills. Margaret, a ’74 alum, is married and has three daughters. She holds a B.A. in child and adolescent studies from Stonehill College in Massachusetts and worked as a RN for many years.
Patrice Mills has been teaching at ASH for two years in the first grade. She is now joining the preschool as a lead teacher in the nursery class. Patrice taught prek last year while teaching at Duchesne during Katrina evacuation. She was a natural. Patrice holds a B.A. in elementary education from ULL and has taught for six years. She was recently married to Ron Mills.
Elizabeth deBlanc moves to 2nd grade from our prek class. Elizabeth is an alumna of ASH and holds a B.S. in elementary education from LSU. Elizabeth has taught many grade levels over her 18 years of teaching throughout elementary and middle school. Elizabeth has two young boys.
Jean Johnson moves from kindergarten to first grade. Jean is a ten year veteran teacher at ASH. She holds a M.A. in curriculum and instruction and a B.S. in elementary education and has taught in our 2nd and Kindergarten grades. Jean has also served as our resource specialist.
Abbie Brandao moves to art, having taught 4th grade last year. Abbie holds a B.A. in Art from Yale University. She is an avid photographer and has a passion for writing. Her husband, Sam, teaches English in our upper school.
August 8, 2006
