About Us - Teacher Bios

School Principal

Miss Lisa Taylor is in her twentieth year as an educator in the Archdiocese of Denver's Catholic Schools. Miss Taylor grew up in Denver and attended Notre Dame Catholic School, Saint Mary's Academy and Regis University. After teaching third grade for thirteen years at Fatima and Saint Mary's in Littleton, Miss Taylor became assistant principal at Our Lady of Fatima. One year later, the principal position opened up and Miss Taylor was hired for the job. In addition to her Bachelor's Degree from Regis, she also holds a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Colorado in Curriculum and Instruction. Miss Taylor enjoys reading, card making, traveling and cooking with her Italian mother.

School Secretary

During her twenty five plus years at Our Lady of Fatima, Mrs. Patti Zarlengo has taken on many roles. First, as a parent when her three children attended Fatima from 1981 to 1996. She became a classroom para-professional in 1999 and since 2004 Mrs. Zarlengo has been the school secretary. The Zarlengo family are pioneers of Our Lady of Fatima Parish and both she and her husband are active members of the parish community today.

School Nurse

Mrs. Nancy Waring better known as "Nurse Nancy", has been Fatima's school nurse for thirteen years. She holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Nursing. She enjoys working with the students, especially during the 9Health Fair that she organizes for Fatima every year. She and her husband, Bruce, have two sons. Mrs. Waring loves spending time with her family, camping, hiking and biking.

Pre-Kindergarten

Mrs. Michelle Rodriguez Rodriguez is in her fourth year teaching pre-kindergarten at Fatima. She is currently completing her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education at Regis University. Before teaching, Mrs. Rodriguez worked in the corporate world and then worked at home with her two children whom she and her husband, Carlos, feel are blessed to be students at Fatima. She greatly enjoys working with the younger "kiddos" as they venture into their first "real" school experience.

Kindergarten

Mrs. Sylvia Trujillo Trujillo has taught at Our Lady of Fatima for sixteen years. She is a native of Durango, Colorado and attended the University of Utah. Mrs. Trujillo has one daughter, Tina, who attended Fatima then went on to Holy Family High School. She is now a Junior at the University of Denver. Mrs. Trujillo's husband, Wes, is a long time girls' basketball coach at Fatima. In her spare time Mrs. Trujillo loves to read, dabble in pottery and beadwork and takes walks around Crown Hill. Mrs. Trujillo is a product of Catholic schools and believes wholeheartedly in the spiritual and academic benefits of a Catholic education.

Mrs. Sally Jane Michaud returns to the classroom to teach Kindergarten at Our Lady of Fatima after being home with her two children for the past eight years. Mrs. Michaud graduated from Loyola University of Chicago, received her Association Montessori Internationale (A.M.I.) Diploma in London, England and her Kindergarten-8th grade teaching license from the University of New Mexico. She has taught in Colorado, New Mexico, Bangladesh and England. Her children, Andrew and Kathleen, currently attend Our Lady of Fatima. Mrs. Michaud and her husband, Chris, are so pleased with the education Our Lady of Fatima has provided for their children, and Mrs. Michaud is excited to be back in the classroom once again!

First Grade

Ms. Susan Dougherty is in her seventh year of teaching, all at OLF. She acquired her teaching license at Metro State College and continued on to receive her Master's Degree from the University of Colorado at Denver. Ms. Dougherty is the co-sponsor of the Student Council and the Rosary Club. She also coaches widget basketball and volleyball. Ms. Dougherty says she absolutely loves teaching at Fatima!

Teaching is the second career for Ms. Ann Sullivan. Before serving six years at Our Lady of Fatima School, she worked for AT&T in customer facing organizations. She had wonderful jobs in several locations, but took an early buyout offer in order to pursue education. Ms. Sullivan has earned a Bachelor's Degree in French from Saint Mary's University, a Master's Degree in Education from Regis University and a Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Second Grade

Mrs. Kim Bunker is in her twelfth year at Our Lady of Fatima. She has a Technical Journalism Degree from Colorado State University and an Elementary Education Degree from the University of Denver. Mrs. Bunker is married and has five children. She likes to read, do jigsaw puzzles and shop. Mrs. Bunker is a native of Colorado and attended Catholic schools from third through twelfth grades.

Mrs. Stephanie Dawson moved to Colorado from Texas in February of 2008 after her husband accepted a football coaching position at the Colorado School of Mines. They have been married for eighteen years and have two children who attend Fatima. She earned her Master's in Education from Austin College-Texas in 2008 and after two years of student teaching (the last semester at Fatima); Mrs. Dawson accepted the second grade position at Fatima. She also holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from Arizona State and spent sixteen years working with children and families. Mrs. Dawson feels God led her family to Colorado and Our Lady of Fatima and she is very excited to be part of such a wonderful school community.

Third Grade

As a 30 year veteran of Catholic elementary education, Ms. Renee Updegrove considers her vocation a ministry to children as well as the one of teaching, mentoring and building character. Subsequent to her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, Ms. Updegrove has years of course work building knowledge of how children learn and how to apply this knowledge in the classroom. In addition, she has gained invaluable experience helping children discover their potential, appreciate their differences, find commonality with their classmates and enjoy the learning process. Her joy is coming to understanding particular learning styles and finding appropriate instructional responses.

Fourth Grade

A Denver native, Mr. Fred Scherrer graduated from Regis University in 1972 with an American Chemical Society accredited degree in Chemistry. He worked and consulted for the soft drink industry for thirty years in technical and general management. Mr. Scherrer has owned two soft drink companies; Tickled Pink Enterprises, Inc. and Big Shot Enterprises, LLC which marketed the Ed McCaffrey "Creamy Root Beer" and "Orange Cream" sodas, Bob Uecker "Squeeze Play Lemonade" and "Rocky Mountain Summit" artesian water as the official water of the Denver Broncos Football Club. Sales supported the Ed McCaffrey Family Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin and the Denver Broncos Charities. Mr. Scherrer is a parishioner at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church. He enjoys writing, reading, cooking, gardening, wood carving, hiking and golf. He loves spending time with family and friends. Mr. Scherrer has previously coached, mentored, tutored and instructed both children and adults. For the past eight years Mr. Scherrer has taught Religion, Math and Science to fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School.

Mrs. Tiffany Moeder comes to us from California. She spent her primary years in San Diego and made a move up north to California State University, Chico where she graduated with a degree in Education. Mrs. M spent 3 years teaching for the Oakland Diocese in Berkeley before moving to Colorado in 2000 with her husband’s job. She joined the Archdiocese 3 years ago and is pleased to be apart of the Fatima Family. Outside of teaching Mrs. M enjoys photography, traveling and all outdoor activities.

Fifth Grade

Miss Laura Brummer was raised in Kansas and received a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Fort Hays State University. After completing an internship at a Catholic youth magazine in southern California, she stayed in that area and earned her Master's Degree in Elementary Education at California Lutheran University. She taught for three years at Palisades Elementary School in Pacific Palisades, California. Upon her arrival to Colorado, she taught in an Aurora Public School for one year. This is Miss Brummer's third year teaching fifth grade at Our Lady of Fatima.

Middle School

Mrs. Courtney Serpa grew up in southern Idaho. She attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. In 2004 Mrs. Serpa graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts. She majored in Philosophy and received a teaching certificate with an elementary education endorsement. Upon graduating from Gonzaga, Mrs. Serpa moved to Seattle, Washington and began her first teaching job at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School teaching fourth grade. She taught at Guadalupe for two years until she moved to the Denver area in 2006. Mrs. Serpa taught fourth grade at Saint Catherine of Siena School. During this time she completed her Master's Degree in Education from National University. After one year at Saint Catherine's, Mrs. Serpa transferred to Our Lady of Fatima where she began teaching fifth grade. After two years of teaching fifth grade, Mrs. Serpa will now be teaching sixth grade Language Arts and fifth grade Social Studies. The 2009-2010 school year will mark Mrs. Serpa's sixth year of teaching.

Mrs. Susan Gilbrideand her family moved to Colorado from the Washington, D.C. area and is beginning her third year teaching at OLF. While in Virginia, she taught sixth, seventh and eighth grades at a Catholic school. Throughout her nineteen years of teaching she has taught several different levels and subjects, but she says middle school and science are her favorites.

Mrs. Stephanie Koch teaches Language Arts to seventh and eighth grades. Mrs. Koch has taught for twenty three years in both Catholic and public schools. She has focused mostly on middle school and (believe it or not) preschool. Although these two age levels seem very different, they also have many similarities! She loves teaching middle school students with all of their ups and downs, their keen sense of justice and humor. Middle school is a big transition time between the strong guidance they receive in the elementary grades and the more independent learning that occurs in high school.

Mrs. Dilia Mapelli Taylor has spent forty three years in education. The first twelve years were at the middle school level in Denver Public Schools. After marrying her husband, Richard, and staying home with their two children for ten years, Mrs. Taylor taught for fifteen years at Notre Dame Elementary in fifth through eighth grades. Mrs. Taylor was then promoted to principal of Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic School and spent the next fifteen years leading that school until her retirement in 2007. After one year of retirement, Father Jeff approached Mrs. Taylor and offered her the job of teaching Religion to the OLF middle school students. Catholic education has always been a priority with Mrs. Taylor. Mrs. Taylor, as well as her two children, attended Catholic schools through college. She is delighted to be at Fatima bringing the precious children closer to Our Lord and Our Lady.

Mr. Jerry Birdsall has been a Catholic school teacher for twenty one years, nineteen of which have been in the Archdiocese of Denver. Mr. Birdsall currently teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade Mathematics. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Colorado at Denver in English and History. After a successful career in the oil industry, he returned to school to become a teacher. Mr. Birdsall earned his teaching degree and licensure from Georgian Court College in Lakewood, New Jersey.

A former student of Our Lady of Fatima, Mr. Taras Wynar is beginning his fourth year teaching at Fatima and is currently teaching middle school Social Studies. He completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Regis University in History and Fine Arts and his Master's of Education with a focus on Mathematics Education at the University of Colorado at Denver. Mr. Wynar's love of travel has seen him visit over thirty countries and much of the United States. These experiences have enriched his understanding of the world and its cultures which he has enjoyed sharing with his students as they study the world and its peoples.

Arts

Ms. Anna Phelan Phelan grew up in southern Ontario on the Great Lakes. She attended the University of Windsor where you received her Bachelor's Degree in Music. Before coming to Fatima she traveled in "Up with People," an educational organization that takes young people and travels the world for a year. She traveled to the southern states, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France, Austria and British Columbia, Canada. During that year she lived with host families, did community service and performed a musical show in each city. Ms. Phelan met her husband in "Up with People' and they now have two young sons. In 2002, Ms. Phelan joined the Our Lady of Fatima faculty and has been teaching music ever since and loving it!

Ms. Janelle Sowers graduated from the University of Denver in 2001 with a Bachelor's Degree in Art and French. She studied art and French in southern France for one academic year abroad. Ms. Sowers has been teaching Art at Fatima for six years. When she's not teaching, she creates and showcases her work in the Denver area. She also loves gardening, reading, hiking, weightlifting and Latin dancing.

Mrs. Mary Vulcani hold's a Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Illinois University. As a volunteer, aide and substitute teacher, Mrs. Vulcani has been involved at Fatima for more than eleven years. This is her fourth year as the school librarian. She and her husband, Steve, are active members of the parish and both of their sons graduated from OLF. A recent graduate of the Denver Catholic Biblical School, Mrs. Vulcani looks forward to applying what she has learned to her daily life at Fatima.

Mrs. Trinidad Vera is the Spanish teacher for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. She is originally from Lima, Peru. She has been in the USA for twenty years, the last nine in Colorado. Mrs. Vera is married and has two children. In Peru, Mrs. Vera graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Catalica del Pera. In the United States, she graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Master's Degree in Bilingual Education. She has been teaching for eight years. This is her second year at Our Lady of Fatima. Mrs. Vera's motto is "treat others the way you want to be treated."

Ms. Shirley Lia-Cheadle is a passionate teacher who always looks forward to new challenges. Ms. Lia has two young children at Fatima. Ms. Lia has worked successfully with at-risk students, gifted students and main stream students in Australia and the United States. Ms. Lia was educated at the University of Sydney and Charles Sturt University with a Bachelor's Degree in Education: Technological and Applied Studies and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration. Ms. Lia has extensive involvement training staff as a professional development facilitator, curriculum developer and serving as student representative council coordinator. Ms. Lia has been employed as a middle and high school teachers since 1997. She has taught large areas of elective curriculum, developed curriculum and tailored it to the needs of individual schools. Areas have included computer technology, interior design, food technology, design and technology and wood technology. Ms. Lia is a creative, energetic person who loves to meet new people, cook, decorate, enjoy the outdoors and travel.

Mr. Jim Stevens grew up in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Regis College in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Stevens has taught Physical Education for the past fifteen years, fourteen in the Archdiocese of Denver. "I love teaching and coaching all age groups," says Mr. Stevens. Mr. Stevens has also coached many sports over the years. Mr. Stevens looks forward to being apart of the Fatima tradition. Mr. Stevens also stays busy coaching and playing tennis.

Contact Us   |    Privacy  

Powered by Centennial Web Design