Meet Our Dedicated Staff
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"Fatima has been a second home to our family for over 13 years. Our oldest children who started in preschool at OLF enjoy coming back and visiting the school and past teachers. We have been loved and supported by this community and we try to share our love back."
~ Fatima Parent -
"This is our family’s first year to be attending Fatima! We have been truly blessed to join this school and the people here who love their student and families, especially Ms. Taylor and her faculty. Thank you for opening your doors to our family."
~ Fatima Parent
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Lisa Taylor
Principal
31 Years in Education
ltaylor@olfcs.comMs. Taylor grew up in Denver and attended Notre Dame Catholic School, Saint Mary’s Academy, and Regis University. Before becoming Fatima’s Principal, she taught third grade for thirteen years. 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. Ms. Taylor is currently a student in the Denver Catholic Biblical School. Ms. Taylor enjoys reading, traveling, and cooking with her Italian mother.
Patti Zarlengo
Secretary
22 Years Experience
pzarlengo@olfcs.comDuring her thirty plus years at Our Lady of Fatima, Mrs. Zarlengo has taken on many roles. First, as a parent while her three children attended Fatima from 1981 to 1996. She returned as first grade para-professional in 1999, and Mrs. Zarlengo has been the school Secretary since 2004. The Zarlengo family are pioneers of Our Lady of Fatima Parish and both she and her husband, Bob, are members of the parish community today.
Ruth Ondrusek
ELC/BASE Director
40 Years in Education
rondrusek@olfcs.comMrs. Ondrusek is proud to be a Colorado native. She lived in Lakewood throughout her childhood and her family were parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima. She married her husband of 29 years at Fatima and her daughter attended school at Fatima for 1st through 8th grade. Ruth received her degree in Early Childhood Education from Northeastern Colorado Junior College and became director qualified in 1980, when she began her continual career in Early Childhood Education. This marks the 19th year Ruth has had the privilege to work at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School; the early learning program she has developed over the years has brought her great pride. Mrs. Ondrusek loves working with the children on a daily basis and appreciates the humor that develops with the wonderful children at Our Lady of Fatima. During summers and time off, Ruth enjoys spending time outdoors, time with family, walking her dog, and working out. Ruth is also a long-time member of Alpine Rescue Team helping people having a bad day in the Colorado mountains.
Michelle Brown
Learning Specialist
15 Years in Education
mbrown@olfcs.comMrs. Brown was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. She and her husband, Jeff, lived in many different places while he served in the Air Force. Six years ago, they settled in Colorado with their three daughters, all who attend Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School. Mrs. Brown comes to the Our Lady of Fatima community with many years of teaching experience and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education. When not in the classroom, Mrs. Brown loves spending time outdoors with her family. You may also find her running with the Fatima Running Club and Cross Country Team as she helps coach both groups. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to teach at Our Lady of Fatima and is excited to work with the students and their families.
Nancy Waring
School Nurse
37 Years in Nursing
Mrs. Waring, better known as “Nurse Nancy”, 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.
Kim Simonson
Preschool Teacher
22 Years in Education
ksimonson@olfcs.comMrs. Simonson is a native of Colorado. She attended Catholic school from kindergarten through high school. Mrs. Simonson attended the University of Northern Colorado and has been teaching for 18 years. She is married and has two daughters and two dogs. Her daughters attended Catholic primary school and are currently students at Holy Family High School. Outside of school, she loves to spend time with her family, bake cookies, take cooking classes, and watch the Broncos.
Kathy Gertner
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
21 Years in Education
kgertner@olfcs.comMrs. Gertner is a product of twelve years of Catholic education. She attended Sts. Peter & Paul School and Holy Family School. While at Holy Family, she met the love of her life, Doug. God blessed them with four beautiful daughters. Now they also have three terrific sons-in-law and five fabulous grandkids. Mrs. Gertner says having a big family is so much fun! She studies Early Childhood Education at Metro State University and has worked in both Jefferson County preschools as well as the Archdiocese of Denver. She is looking forward to joining the team at Our Lady of Fatima.
Jessica Carter
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
20 Years in Education
jcarter@olfcs.comMrs. Jessica Carter is a Colorado native who has 20 years of Early Childhood experience. Twelve of those years were spent teaching Pre-Kindergarten at St. Joan of Arc Early Learning Center, the parish in which she grew up. She is so excited to become a part of the Fatima team as this was her grandparents’ parish. In her free time she loves taking care of her small homestead with her husband of 10 years, Nate. She loves to hang out with her 14 chickens, 2 potbelly pigs, and Barley the dog.
Holly Meyer
Kindergarten Teacher
3 Years in Education
hmeyer@olfcs.comOriginally from Phoenix, Arizona, Miss Meyer moved to Colorado with her family in high school and has been here ever since! Miss Meyer recently graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Human Development, and she is currently working on her Master's Degree at Regis University. This is Miss Meyer's first year at Our Lady of Fatima and she is very excited to be a part of the Fatima Family! When Miss Meyer isn't teaching, she enjoys spending time reading, with her friends and family, and with her two one-eyed kittens, Saylor and Simon.
Olivia Koch
Kindergarten Teacher
2 Years in Education
okoch@olfcs.comMiss Olivia Koch was born and raised in Denver. She attended St. Catherine of Siena and graduated from Bishop Machebeuf High School. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Northern Arizona University and has been working with children since then. She is happy to be in the classroom at Our Lady of Fatima and looks forward to sharing her faith and love of learning.
Michelle Rodriguez
1st Grade Teacher
15 Years in Education
mrodriguez@olfcs.comMrs. Rodriguez has taught both pre-kindergarten and first grade at OLF and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from 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 feel are blessed to have been students at Fatima, from Pre-K thru 8. She greatly enjoys working with the younger “kiddos” as they venture into school as “big” first graders.
Sylvia Trujillo
2nd Grade Teacher
28 Years in Education
strujillo@olfcs.comMrs. Trujillo is a veteran teacher at Our Lady of Fatima. She is a native of Durango, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Utah. Mrs. Trujillo is married and has an adult daughter who attended Fatima K-8. In her spare time Mrs. Trujillo loves to sew, read, and create beadwork. She enjoys taking walks around Crown Hill Open Space. Mrs. Trujillo is a product of Catholic schools and believes wholeheartedly in the spiritual and academic benefits of a Catholic education.
Sarah Vall
2nd Grade Teacher
2 Years in Education
svall@olfcs.comMiss Vall was born in Maryland but moved to Colorado Springs when she was young and considers herself a Coloradan. As a cradle Catholic, she has been blessed to receive a Catholic education her whole life. Miss Vall recently received her BA in Elementary Education from Benedictine College in Kansas. Her strong upbringing and dynamic liberal arts education prepared her for sparking a love of the faith in the future leaders of the Church. When she’s not in the classroom, Miss Vall enjoys mountain climbing, snowboarding, painting and watching her favorite teams, the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Browns.
Katie Weaver
3rd Grade Teacher
3 Years in Education
kweaver@olfcs.comMiss Weaver is not only a native to Colorado, but a Fatima Spartan Alumnus. Miss Weaver was a student at Fatima grades K-8 and has been our JV Volleyball Coach for several years. Miss Weaver earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Metropolitan State University of Denver and received her Teaching License from Regis University, where she is currently finishing her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. When Miss Weaver is not teaching or in school herself, she is often spending time traveling with her family, enjoying the outdoors, or relaxing with her sweet fur babies, Mimi and Noble.
Tiffany Moeder
4th Grade Teacher
19 Years in Education
tmoeder@olfcs.comMs. 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. Ms. Moeder spent three years teaching for the Oakland Diocese in Berkeley before moving to Colorado in 2000. She then joined the Archdiocese of Denver and is pleased to be a part of the Fatima family. Outside of teaching Ms. Moeder enjoys photography, traveling, and all outdoor activities.
Robyn O’Toole
5th Grade Teacher
8 Years in Education
ro'toole@olfcs.comMrs. O’Toole’s passion for teaching began at age 16 when she decided to be a teacher’s aide for the special education classroom in her high school. It was the first time she experienced the incredible joy of witnessing someone learn to read. Mrs. O’Toole went on to pursue a career in Special Education and Elementary Education at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. After graduating in 2013, Mrs. O’Toole went on to teach special education for 5 years both in Kansas and Colorado. In her 5th year, she taught both part time special education and half day kindergarten. This year, Mrs. O’Toole comes to Our Lady of Fatima because she realized that she could no longer teach in an environment where she could not talk about Jesus with her students. She is thrilled to finally be able to share her love for God and the Catholic Faith with her new class. In her spare time, you might find Mrs. O’Toole trying a new recipe, enjoying a long evening walk, or playing Irish music with her husband, Devin.
Laura Fracchia-Riviello
Middle School Language Arts
16 Years in Education
lriviello@olfcs.comMrs. Riviello was born in San Francisco. She has a BA in Literature and received her Elementary Education certification from Ramapo College of New Jersey. Mrs. Riviello has lived in the Bay Area, New York, and New Jersey. She moved to Denver in 2016. Mrs. Riviello is married and has two daughters, one stepson, and two grandchildren. She has taught Middle School Language Arts for the past 13 years in New Jersey, San Francisco, and now, Denver.
In 2016 Mrs. Riviello completed the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. She continues to strengthen her faith through retreats and spiritual direction. Mrs. Riviello and her husband are members of St. Catherine of Siena parish in Denver.
Mrs. Riviello’s hobbies are reading, crocheting, jewelry making, and walking. Two of her favorite books are To Kill A Mockingbird and The Book Thief. She loves the Harry Potter series and the Oz books. Some of her favorite movies are “Gone With The Wind”, “Despicable Me”, and “Pretty In Pink”. She listens to almost every kind of music. Mrs. Riviello enjoys spending time with her family.
Stephanie Koch
Middle School Religion & Math
34 Years in Education
skoch@olfcs.comMrs. Koch teaches 8th grade Algebra, 7th grade Pre-Algebra, 6th grade Math, and Religion to 6th through 8th grades. She is currently studying at the Catholic Biblical School and loves it! She grew up in Michigan and Florida, graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor’s in Education in 1984. That same month, she married her husband, a native of Colorado, and moved to Denver. They have four daughters, all of whom attended Catholic school, and two of whom also teach at Our Lady of Fatima! Mrs. Koch has taught in both Catholic and public schools. She has focused mostly on middle school and (believe it or not) preschool. She loves teaching middle school students with all of their ups and downs, their keen sense of justice, and humor. She loves reading, baseball, hiking, gardening, and cooking.
Sara Theisen
Middle School Science & Religion
3 Years in Education
stheisen@olfcs.comAlthough she grew up in Colorado, Ms. Theisen received her college education in Kansas. After graduating with a B.A. in Physics Education and a minor in Mathematics from Benedictine College, she taught high school chemistry in Leavenworth, Kansas, before returning home to Lakewood. Ms. Theisen’s liberal arts, Benedictine education has prepared her academically to teach through a Catholic lens, as well as spark an even deeper love for the faith that she hopes to pass on to her students. When not in the classroom, she enjoys going for walks around town, playing trumpet, and hanging out with her cat, Dinah.
Taylor Sandusky
Middle School Social Studies & Language Arts
5 Years in Education
tsandusky@olfcs.comMrs. Sandusky is a Colorado native. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in religious studies. After graduating, she worked with patients with traumatic brain injuries at Craig Hospital before realizing she was called to education. Mrs. Sandusky then earned her teaching license from Regis University. She previously taught middle school in the Archdiocese and looks forward to teaching fifth and sixth grade. In her free time, Mrs. Sandusky enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends. She enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, kayaking, and arts and crafts. Mrs. Sandusky is excited to be joining the Fatima family.
Michele Meyer
Art Teacher
15 Years in Education
mmeyer@olfcs.comOriginally from Phoenix, Mrs. Meyer and her husband plus two of their three children and their three dogs, moved to Colorado during the summer of 2012. After teaching at several Archdiocesan schools, Mrs. Meyer is very excited to be part of the Fatima Family. Mrs. Meyer earned her B.F.A. in Art Education from Arizona State University in 2005, and began her teaching career that same fall at St. Francis Xavier School in Phoenix. Prior to teaching, Mrs. Meyer worked in an architecture firm as a Space Planner and Project Manager. Mrs. Meyer has three kids: ages 25, 21, and 14, as well as 3 grandkids: ages 3, 2, and 7 mo. In her spare time, Mrs. Meyer enjoys reading, seeing movies, and going for long bike rides with her husband. When there is time for creating art Mrs. Meyer can be found in her basement working with clay and glass.
Michael Amidei
Music Teacher
6 Years in Education
mamidei@olfcs.comMr. Michael Amidei was raised in a family of professional musicians, where learning to play and perform music was considered as vital as breathing. As a by-product of Catholic schools (St. Louis in Englewood), he has become passionate about the benefits of this type of education.
Professionally, Mr. Amidei has performed as an opera singer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist across genres, including a stint with the Flying W Wranglers, within which he was inducted into the Western Music Hall Of Fame. As a theatrical director, Mr. Amidei has directed over fifteen stage productions and adaptations. He also is a working radio show/podcast host and an author.
When Mr. Amidei is not working, he enjoys reading, movies, camping, cooking, and traveling.
Jim Stevens
PE & Health Teacher
26 Years in Education
jstevens@olfcs.comMr. Stevens grew up in Santa Barbara, California. He attended Regis College in Denver. Mr. Stevens has taught Physical Education and Health for 22 years for 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 including tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Mr. Stevens enjoys being a member of the Fatima family. Mr. Stevens is married and together, the Stevens’ enjoy playing tennis, riding bikes, and traveling. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are parents to a sweet golden retriever named Sadie and an adorable kitty, Abby.
Trinidad Vera
Spanish Teacher
14 Years in Education
tvera@olfcs.comMy name is Trinidad Vera and I am the “new” Spanish teacher. I have previously taught at Our Lady of Fatima from 2008 to 2012. I am very happy to be back. I am originally from Lima, Peru but have been living in the USA for the past 30 years. My family and I moved from Dallas, Texas almost 19 years ago and we love living here. This is my eleventh year working for the Catholic schools in Denver. I am working at Our Lady of Fatima two days a week and the other three days I work at Notre Dame Catholic School in Denver also teaching Spanish. In my free time I enjoy dancing Zumba and working on Sudoku puzzles. During summer time I enjoy hiking and camping. I have two adult children, Pablo and Elsa. I feel really blessed for the opportunity to teach at Our Lady of Fatima.
Stephanie Chaney
Librarian
15 Years in Education
schaney@olfcs.comMrs. Chaney grew up in Nebraska where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska. Shortly after that, she moved to Colorado and stayed home with her two children. Once they were in school, Mrs. Chaney earned her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Denver. Mrs. Chaney spent nine years working at Bishop Machebeuf High School. This is Mrs. Chaney’s second year at Our Lady of Fatima. Mrs. Chaney loves reading and loves to talk about books - just ask her! She also loves to watch Nebraska football, Broncos football, and Avalanche hockey!
Mike Weathers
Athletic Director
17 Years as Athletic Dir.
phgs4mike@msn.comReflecting back on his 26 years at Fatima, Mr. Weathers feels truly blessed and honored to not only coach here for the past 21 years, but also to serve as the Athletic Director for the past 15. It has been a joy! His wife of 37 years, Leslie, served on many committees during this time while their children Kati and Kevin were attending OLFCS. He is a graduate of Mullen High School and Regis University with stints at the University of Hawaii and University of Denver thrown in for good measure (actually the golf teams at both were the calling). Mr. Weathers' coaching philosophy is: if you, as a player, don’t improve, I have failed you. He truly cherishes working with the kids and plans to continue for as long as he is able. GO SPARTANS!