Ms. Juana Marquez, Teacher

Pre-K 3

        We are very happy to welcome "Mrs. K" to our staff.  It is a blessing to have someone as experienced and talented as Ms. K join our team.  Mrs. K, a National Board Certified teacher, has taught preschool for over 10 years, has her Masters in Elementary Education, and is experienced in running our specific preschool curriculum.  She has her bilingual Spanish and ESL endorsements and is also an enthusiastic dance teacher and will include lots of tap and dance lessons into our preschool 4 classroom.

        Ms. Graber has been a wonderful leader for our 2nd  grade students, possessing a personal instructional style that wins praise from both students and families.  The remarkable growth students experience in 2nd grade plus the consistently high standardized test results are just a few of the testaments to her high quality classroom instruction.  Ms. Graber has been at St. Sylvester since 2005 and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has her Masters in Education from Loyola University. You can visit her classroom blog here.

Second Grade

    Third grade is a crucial year in a child’s academic and social growth as it is filled with many transitions and important developments.  We are blessed to have a very talented teacher who easily connects with our students and leads them through this vital year of elementary school.  Ms. Jones has taught 3rd grade at St. Sylvester since 2007 and has also been very active in this time in our after school activities as well leading drama, flag football, and tutoring clubs.  A wonderful communicator, Miss Jones was an elementary education major at Indiana University and is currently finishing her Masters program at Concordia University. You can visit her classroom blog here.

Third Grade

           Mrs. Lindo has been a fantastic 4th grade teacher at St. Sylvester since 2006.  Her creative lesson plans, genuine student evaluations, and emphasis on small, differentiated group work has created a classroom in which all students advance holistically.  A 2005 graduate from the University of Notre Dame with her Masters from Loyola University, Mrs. Lindo has also been instrumental in leading our after school art and Go Green clubs. You can visit her classroom blog here.

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

       Mrs. Garber has beautifully served countless children in the archdiocese of Chicago in the 25+ years that she has taught.  Serving as a trusted listener and guide for junior high school students at St. Sylvester for the last 5 years, Mrs. Garber has played a central role in the lives and educations of all of our recent graduates.  Very active with the science outreach programs of the Big Shoulders Fund, Mrs. Garber has the 6th grade homeroom and teaches science to all of the junior high classes.  Through experiments, differentiated activities, and audio-visually enhanced lessons, Mrs. Garber brings a love of science to our junior high students. You can visit her classroom blog here.

Seventh Grade

Eighth Grade

Spanish/Gym

        Leading what we believe is one of Chicago’s premier elementary school technology programs, Ms. Perkins transfers her love of Mac computers and their capabilities onto her students.  Seeing all students every week, Ms. Perkins is able to introduce students to dynamic concepts and practices like podcasting and movie making and editing.  Ms. Perkins has worked in the archdiocesan school system for the last 16 years.  You can visit her classroom blog here.

Computers

School Secretary

Ms. Whitney Shaffer,

Teacher Assistant

Ms. Nellie Barrett,

Teacher

Mrs. Veronica Loyola,

Teacher Assistant

Pre-K 3/4

Pre-K 4

Mrs. Kathlyn  Katsoudas,

Teacher

Ms. Nora Herrera,

Teacher Assistant

Ms. Molly Graber

Ms. Lindsey Jones

Mrs. Rachelle Lindo

Ms. Emily Fruge

Mrs. Christine Garber

        A 2008 graduate of Illinois State, Mr. Smolen leads the social studies classes for our junior high team.  Through exploration, discussion, debate, and research, Mr. Smolen opens up the worlds of history, culture, and geography to our students.  He is also the homeroom teacher for the crucially important 7th grade year.  Mr. Smolen will be very active in our extended day program and in the high school preparation for our 7th and 8th grade students.

Mr. Eric Smolen

        Ms. Copre came to St. Sylvester with rave reviews as a junior high math instructor and our 5th -8th grade students can affirm her skill as a teacher.  A mathematics major from Northwestern University with her Masters from UIC, she has been instrumental in helping students get accepted into Chicago's top high schools and earn considerable scholarships.  Ms. Copre is heavily involved in our after school program, leading the High School Prep, Math Club, and Glee Club among others.

Ms. Christina Copre

         Ms. Fruge wins praise from our students for her ability to both work closely with them and to advance each child's language arts proficiency.  Her constant communication with children's families has further earned her accolades and helps strengthen the family-school connection.  Ms. Fruge's classroom features differentiated assignments and assessments that challenge each child and help bring about better writers and more critical thinkers.  She holds her bachelors and Masters degrees from LSU and North Carolina-Charlotte, respectively.

Ms. Denise Perkins

Mr. Patrick Hurley

Music & Choir

Ms. Erin Fox

Principal

Mr. Daniel Bennett

Ms. Vanessa Vazquez

Lunch Program / Extended Care

Custodians

    Mr. DeLeon and Mr. Quizhpi have worked together for many years to beautifully maintain our school facilities.  Visitors to St. Sylvester School are always impressed by the open and clean feel to our school building.   

Ms. Carmen Jimenez

Mr. Lucino Deleon

Mr. Jeronimo Quizphi

          Our Kindergarten class is heavily sought after and fills quickly every year, a true testament to the quality of the staff who lead it.  Mrs. Garcia, with her bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters degree in Special Education, has taught Kindergarten at St. Sylvester for the past 3 years.   The core of Kindergarten instruction takes place in Mrs. Garcia’s dynamic centers which involve small groups, constant activity and engagement, and the formation of math and language arts skills.  Mrs. Garcia and her teacher aides brilliantly prepare their students for the increased rigor and development ahead of them in 1st grade.

Kindergarten

Mrs. Deirde Clark-Garcia,

Teacher

Mrs. Lisette Irizarry,

Teacher Assistant

        The 1st grade year at St. Sylvester School is one that is filled with so many new experiences and milestones.  Mrs. Gilmore, our 1st grade teacher since 2006, leads our 1st grade class with beautiful creativity and personal involvement.  With Mrs. Gilmore’s emphasis on personal responsibility and children’s social and academic development, our families see a tremendous deal of growth in their children.  Mrs. Gilmore has 2 Masters degrees from Loyola. 

First Grade

Mrs. Lynn Gilmore,

Teacher

Mrs. Beatrice Mazon,

Teacher Assistant

    Mr. Bennett started teaching here at St. Sylvester in 2001 and since 2007 has served as the school principal.  A graduate of Notre Dame University with a Masters in teaching, he has overseen a dramatic increase in the number of new students, programs, and opportunities.  Mr. Bennett feels fortunate to work with such a remarkable staff and to be part of such a dynamic and engaging learning community.

    Ms. Marquez has been teaching preschool at St. Sylvester for 13 years.  Over that time she has won raves from her students’ families for the instrumental role she has played in their early development.  Ms. Marquez has always been very active in the school community here and even had her 3 daughters all graduate from St. Sylvester.   The youngest students in our preschool program have Ms. Marquez as their teacher. 

   A 2011 Cum Laude graduate of Columbia College specializing in Film & Video, Ms. Whitney brings her artistic talents to the classroom to enhance our strong preschool 3 experience.  In a short time within the classroom she has already displayed the strong connections with children that entrust her to the children and their families.   

        Ms. Barrett, a graduate of Creighton University with her Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from St. Thomas University, has been a stellar member of our staff since the 2008-09 school year.  She is highly requested by school families who see their children take great academic and social strides in their time with her.  Miss Barrett’s classroom is made up of our older 3 year olds and younger 4 year olds.  

Mrs. Loyola has been a strong aide at St. Sylvester since 2005 and also has a daughter in our 1st grade classroom and her twin boys in our preschool program. 

        Ms. Herrera has worked with Mrs. Katsoudas at the Cesar Chavez School in Chicago and is currently in the midst of her own early childhood education degree.  She is the mother of twins who are enrolled at St. Sylvester and will team with Mrs. K to help prepare our 4 year olds for their upcoming transition into Kindergarten. 

Mrs. Irizarry has over 10 years of experience working with Kindergarten-aged children. 

        Mrs. Mazon is the mother of 3 St. Sylvester students and serves as the full-time teacher’s aide in the first grade classroom.  Mrs. Mazon puts her tremendous work ethic and creativity to great work in easing the transition for our students and in supporting all the exciting things that take place in 1st grade.

        A 2003 graduate of Marquette University, Mr. Hurley is a crucial part of our staff.  Building on his own experiences studying and living in South America and incorporating his own athletic experiences in college and today, Mr. Hurley serves as our Spanish and Physical Education instructor, while also leading many of our successful sports teams. 

Title I

Ms. Georgia Siannas

  We are fortunate to have a pull-out Title I program which aims to provide extra help to students in reading and math.  For the past 6 years, Ms. Siannis has been the Title I teacher at St. Sylvester, working closely with small groups of students to help advance their math and reading skills.  Ms. Siannis is finishing her Masters through Concordia University.  

        We want to expose our students to all of the riches and beauty that comes with the study of music and feel fortunate to have Ms. Fox to open this world up to our students.  She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and has a wealth of experience in choir and instrumental performing and in teaching music classes as well as private lessons.  She leads all of our music classes and choirs as well as after school clubs while offering private lessons. 

        Serving all student and school families in our school office is Ms. Vanessa Vazquez.  Herself a graduate of St. Sylvester, Ms. Vazquez handles a wide array of tasks daily plus all of the school office responsibilities.  She is a steady source of assistance for all school students and families. 

        “Ms. Carmen” has served as the lunch program coordinator and extended day supervisor for the last 6 years.  Ms. Carmen serves students at all grade levels and has strives to create a safe and welcoming environment for all children and their families.  

        It is a wonderful return to St. Sylvester for Ms. Patock as the gifted alum and former teacher’s aide leads our new Kindergarten classroom.  We are very happy to have Ms. Patock, a 2010 graduate from Northeastern Illinois, bring her creativity and vision to the classroom.  She has a plethora of new ideas and plans and we are very excited to see all of these dynamic lessons come to fruition.  We’re very excited to see the growth that she inspires in her students. You can visit her classroom blog here.

Kindergarten

Miss Marianel Patock,

Teacher

Mrs. Selene Perez,

Teacher Assistant

Mrs. Perez many years of experience working with Kindergarten-aged children.