Administration
Miss Moffo has traveled the globe a bit, living in Leningrad, Russia (when it was the Soviet Union), St. Petersburg, Russia, Paris, France, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and The Bronx!
She formally began teaching four days after graduating from Saint Anselm College with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Russian Area Studies. She was an instructor on the Foreign Language faculty at the Saint Petersburg State University of Engineering Economics. She then worked at the Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy, teaching Russian sailors!
She also holds a Certificate in Paralegal Studies and International Economic Trade Law from The American University of Paris, a Certificate in NonProfit Leadership from Fordham University, and a Certificate in NonProfit Management from CUNY-Hostos Community College.
While pursuing a degree in Russian Literature and Linguistics, she was recruited and offered a position to interpret for the Department of Commerce.
She received her dual master's degree in Early Childhood Education in General and Special Education from Touro College, and is professionally duly certified. She also holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from The College of Saint Rose, and is also duly certified in both School Building and District leadership.
Currently, Miss Moffo is pursuing her doctoral degree from Concordia University in Leadership, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement.
She has worked as a consultant in Special Education
Miss Moffo is married to her beloved husband and has a 9-year-old daughter, who goes to school in the Lower East Side at a Gifted and Talented STEM school.
She likes to make jam, cook for her family, work on arts and crafts projects, especially for Christmas, makes a mean Pecan Pie, and is a knitter for pleasure. She is working on her second blanket for her 9-year-old and teases that she hopes to finish it by the time she goes to college!
Father James Rodriguez is the pastor here at Saint Rose of Lima Church. Father arrived in the summer of 2019. He is a lifelong New Yorker and the son of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic. He's been a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens for 15 years, serving at parishes in Queens, the Vocations Office, and Catholic Charities. Father credits his parents for their example of faith and hard work and draws his inspiration from Jesus present in the Eucharist.
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy is lucky to have an example of excellence, high standards, and profound faith.
Mrs. Bridget Murphy came to St. Rose in September 1978 as the 5th grade teacher. After 4 years, she became the 8th-grade teacher. Bridget then became the Assistant Principal in 2011. She retired in 2016 and is now the Director Of Religious Education [DRE] for the St. Rose of Lima parish and the board chair of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy. She loves St. Rose of Lima and has taught the children of her former students! She is in contact with many of her former students.
Lillian Mitsakos has been at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy since 2018. In the last five years at St. Rose of Lima, Ms. Mitsakos has been the middle school math teacher for grades sixth through eighth. She became the seventh-grade science teacher in 2019. In September 2021, Ms. Mitsakos began teaching science and math to middle school. Additionally, she also took on the responsibility of managing the school’s STEM lab and student technology.
In 2023 Ms. Mitsakos begins her new role as Assistant Principal and middle school science teacher.
Ms. Mitsakos’ journey into education has not been traditional. She holds a Bachelor’s in Science from the University of New Haven in Environmental Science, where she completed an independent research assessment of nitrate and nitrite levels in salt marsh sediment. After graduating, she ran a 300-mile relay run from Maine to Manhattan and raised money for the Christine B. Foundation, wanting to commit her life to non-profit work. In the 2017-2018 school year, Ms. Mitsakos completed a service year for Americorps in their City Year New York program as a teaching assistant. She again raised money for and ran for the Christine B. Foundation a second time that summer. Ms. Mitsakos graduated from Brooklyn College with her Master’s degree in Secondary Earth Science Teaching in 2021 and is fully certified.
Office Staff
Michelle Aliviado has already been a long-time advocate at St. Rose since 2005, when her daughter was enrolled In Kindergarten. Then, in September 2008, Michelle was hired as a PK/K Aide 3 days a week. She then transitioned to Aide/Office Support for 5 days a week before becoming a Full Time Secretary.
Before joining St. Rose, Michelle initially worked as a Secretary, straight out of high school, for a Maritime Law Firm. Michelle then went back to school and was hired as an Office Manager/Personal Assistant for the CEO/Chairman of an International Wireless Data Communications Company in the early stages of the wireless communication industry.
Michelle’s favorite holiday is Halloween, and has enjoyed dressing up, most recently as Rex the Dinosaur from Toy Story, a Red Dog Balloon Animal, and, last year, as Mike Wazowski.
Tonia Coll, Tuition Secretary. Joined St. Rose of Lima in September 2015 as a Teacher’s Aide for our PreK program and, after 3 years, became the Tuition Secretary.
Prior to St. Rose, Tonia worked part-time as an administration assistant for an accounting firm, Schiff/Epstein CPAS, for 7 years while raising her family. Tonia is a wife and mother of triplets: Christopher, Grace, and Peter are 21, and all attend Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. She is a proud mom and passionate about Catholic education.
Connie Vertucci is an experienced accounting bookkeeper at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy. Her responsibilities include overseeing the overall financial data, ledger entries, processing payments, vendor transactions, conducting banking transactions, UPK monthly invoicing/reimbursements, UPK expenditure reporting, producing financial reports, payroll, and human resources.
Before joining the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2017, Connie worked as a Practice Manager for a radiology center for over twenty years. After a successful career in the healthcare system, she decided to shift gears completely and enter the education sector.
Connie's goals are to manage and organize financial records to ensure that financial transactions are recorded correctly, are up to date, and are completely accurate. Connie is amazing at what she does, and manages to get it done with ease!
Mauricio Arias is a highly dedicated and accomplished Director of Facilities who has been an invaluable member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy for the past 18 years. With an unwavering commitment to maintaining a clean, safe, welcoming environment for students, staff, and visitors; Mauricio consistently goes above and beyond his responsibilities, making a lasting impact on the school community.
Throughout his time at St. Rose of Lima, Mauricio has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic. His detailed approach to custodial duties ensures that all areas of the school are well-maintained and ready for students to learn. Mauricio’s remarkable ability to build positive relationships with staff, parents, and students. His approachable personality has made him a trusted and respected figure within the school community.
Universal Pre-K
Jillian Capo joined St. Rose of Lima in 2014, where she implemented the first 3-year-old-only class. From there, she taught the Pre K 4 program as well as Kindergarten. For the last 2 years, Ms. Capo has taught in the new UPK program; one year in the 4-year-old class and one year in the 3-year-old class. She will be continuing her teaching in the UPK this upcoming year.
Prior to working at St. Rose, Ms. Capo worked for 7 years at the Brooklyn College Early Childhood Center. In her time there, Ms. Capo worked with children from 4 months old to 3 years old. This is also where she completed her year of student teaching.
Ms. Capo has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, with a concentration in Sociology. She also has a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Capo holds her New York State certification in Early Childhood.
Ms. Capo has a 6-year-old son going into 1st grade. She loves to spend quality time with her son and 2 dogs, go on hikes, and plays a variety of sports.
Jenna Psihogios has taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, and fourth grade during her ten years at St. Rose. Prior to that, she worked for six years in a public school teaching Pre-K students. She knew she wanted to become a teacher when she was five and would pretend to teach her grandma!
Mrs. Psihogios has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Childhood Education and a Master of Science Degree in Literacy. She holds New York State Certification in Early Childhood Education, Childhood Education, and Literacy.
Mrs. Psihogios strives to create a fun and welcoming classroom environment where every student is respected and valued. She truly believes that each student should be supported and challenged as needed. Mrs. Psihogios loves the color green, reading, gardening, and baseball. She also enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two children.
Mrs. Cheryl Moore joined Saint Rose of Lima as a Teacher’s Aide and Afterschool Aide in the year of 2009. Before joining Saint Rose, she worked as a parent volunteer in the school cafeteria, assisting the children.
Prior to that, Cheryl worked as an Administrative Assistant at The Bank of New York in Manhattan. Cheryl has three children who are Saint Rose of Lima alumni. Ephraim (TSA Officer), Stephanie (who graduated from Purchase College with a Bachelor in Arts), and Samantha (attending Mercy College for Business Administration). Cheryl’s hobbies are reading (especially poetry), listening to music, and walking.
Alexandra Popescu has taught Pre-K and Kindergarten at Saint Rose since 2015. She has a passion for helping children begin their path on the journey of educational growth. She finds it rewarding to observe their progress throughout the school year. Mrs. Popescu developed this love for teaching from her high school Science teacher. She was the person that inspired Mrs. Popescu to pursue the educational profession. Mrs. Popescu hopes to inspire all of her students in a similar fashion.
Mrs. Popescu has a Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Education with a Specialization in English from St. Francis College. She holds a New York Initial Certification and is currently working on completing her Master’s Degree.
Mrs. Popescu loves spending quality time with her family and friends. She enjoys cooking, skiing, and hot vinyasa yoga, and loves traveling the world with her husband.
Rafaela Vouitsis joined St Rose of Lima Catholic Academy as a Teacher's aide in 2018. Before becoming a member of the school faculty, she volunteered for school events and lunch duty.
Prior to joining the St Rose family, Mrs. Vouitsis worked as an office manager for an electrical firm and NYC Children's Services as a Child Care provider. Her employment with the electrical firm is ongoing.
Her family has been a part of St. Rose for many years – 20 years to be exact! She has 2 family members who are graduates. Her two daughters and three godchildren are currently enrolled.
Mrs. Vouitsis loves to spend time with her family, go for walks, play volleyball, and catch up with friends. She is also fluent in Portuguese and speaks some Spanish.
Early Childhood
Sister Beth McEneaney, IHM joined St. Rose of Lima School 33 years ago, where she implemented the first Pre-K Program with two half-day sessions. These half-day classes grew into the full-day program grew into more sessions as the need increased, to the program we have now.
Prior to joining St. Rose, Sr. Beth began a Pre-K Program in St. Gertrude Parish in Far Rockaway, where she became a Foster Mother and cared for 2 young children whose mother was incarcerated. This responsibility was shared with 3 other Sisters.
Sr. Beth spent three years teaching at Our Lady of Grace Montessori School in Manhasset, Long Island, where she became a certified Montessori teacher. Before joining Our Lady of Grace, she spent seven years teaching at St. Matthew School in Wilmington, Delaware, teaching kindergarten, first, and second grade.
Sr. Beth completed her student teaching at St. John the Evangelist School in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Sister holds a B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and a M.S. in Early Childhood Education.
Katherine Marin is a highly regarded, respected, and joyful kindergarten teacher at St. Rose. She has been teaching at Saint Rose for 5 years, and has been working for the Brooklyn and Queens diocese for 16 years. Before joining St. Rose, she was a UPK director at St. Adalbert Catholic Academy in Maspeth. In addition, Katherine has taught in St.Michael’s (Flushing) for 10 years, where she was involved with the TWINN network dual language with Boston College. Ms. Marin is a Queens College graduate with a degree in Elementary Education and Theatre/Dance.
Ms. Marin is CPR/AED/First Aid certified through the YMCA. She has been working for the Flushing YMCA for 24 years. She started working at the YMCA as an after-school counselor, then camp counselor, and later moving up to unit director for camp and a Summer Camp director. Her final step in the YMCA is being a Dance/ Ballet specialist.
Ms. Marin’s passion is teaching children to read and to instill a love of learning in her students.
Ms. Marin has run the New York City Marathon twice and is training to run this year's marathon for the 3rd time.
Ms. Marin has a love of animals. She had rescued a rabbit (Thumper) who became her pride and joy, but he recently passed away due to old age (almost 10). She is looking forward to rescuing another animal in the near future.
Fatima Arias was hired in 2022 as a teacher’s aide for Kindergarten. With her passion for supporting students along their academic journey. Fatima has recently completed her high school education class of 2022 at Richmond Hill High School, Queens. Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to both personal and professional growth. Looking ahead, Fatima intends to continue her educational journey aspiring to pursue a degree in education. With experience as a Kindergarten, aide has solidified her passion for working with invaluable insights into the field of education.
Elementary
Katherine Liotta joined the St. Rose of Lima staff as a first-grade teacher in 2022. Miss Liotta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education from Macaulay Honors College. Throughout her college experience, she grew a passion for teaching and excelled in all her classes. She completed student teaching in her last semester of college at P.S. 69 in Brooklyn. Eager to stay in the classroom, Miss Liotta continued her teaching career right after graduation.
Miss Liotta’s goals are to continue to assist and aid in the learning and development of young minds! Her classroom is a safe and nurturing environment for everyone. While at St. Rose, Miss Liotta has enjoyed creating a welcoming environment for her students, where they feel valued and supported in their education.
Miss Liotta enjoys baking and caring for animals! She has three cats and a dog. She is also a Disney lover, and enjoys bringing magic into her classroom.
lcassidy@stroseoflimacatholicacademy.org
Lauren Cassidy joined the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy staff this year as a second-grade teacher. Ms. Cassidy holds her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ms. Cassidy began working at The Learning Academy of Saint Marks in 2018 as a teaching assistant. It was there that she found her love for educating children. She went on to spend her time through the pandemic getting her CDA and returned for the 2020-2021 school year as a lead classroom teacher. In October of that year, Lauren returned to school to earn her Master’s of Education while continuing her budding career as an educator.
Ms. Cassidy began her student teaching at Francis X Hegarty Elementary School in Island Park, New York, and returned as a substitute at the end of the school year. Ms. Cassidy values her time in the classroom and her impact as a role model for her students. She hopes that the children at Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Academy find her classroom to be a place of peace, acceptance, and, most importantly academic and spiritual growth.
Kayla O’Sullivan has been a part of the Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Academy staff since 2018. Ms. O’Sullivan started as a 2nd-grade teacher and has taught 3rd-grade for 4 years. Prior to joining Saint Rose, she worked as a substitute teacher in the DOE for two years. She also taught summer classes for the Catapult Program during the pandemic. Ms. O’Sullivan graduated from St. Joseph’s College in 2015, with a dual degree in Child Study and Psychology.
Ms. O’Sullivan is a graduate of Saint Rose of Lima. She felt inspired by her late grandmother and long-time St. Rose of Lima parishioner, Helen O’Sullivan, to take pride in Catholic Education. Ms. O’Sullivan is passionate about teaching, forming relationships with her students, and watching them develop life skills. In her classroom, Ms. O’Sullivan’s priorities are making sure her students' individual needs are met, nurturing a warm and safe classroom community, and creating a space where children can have a voice and express their feelings.
Alexandra Kislowski joined the St. Rose of Lima team this year as the 4th and 5th Math and Science teacher. Ms. Kislowski graduated from Molloy College in 2012 She received a BS degree with concentrations in Math and Business.
For almost eight years she was a Teacher Assistant at the Association for Children with Downs Syndrome (ACDS) in Plainview NY. This school caters to the needs of children (birth to 5 years old) with severe disabilities as well as general education students. It was during this time that she realized how much she loved teaching.
This experience lead her to pursue a MS degree in childhood education as well as special education, graduating from Molloy University in 2022 After graduation, she was a permanent substitute for the North Bellmore School District.
Alexandra brings her love of teaching as well as her many years of Special Education experience to help her reach the needs all students When she is not thinking of exciting classroom activities, she loves to bake, travel, and shop online.
She is enthusiastic, excited, and looking forward to being an active member of the staff.
Middle School
Jill Bonfiglio-Spano joined the St. Rose of Lima staff in 2021 as the 5th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher. She has expanded her classroom to include 4th grade ELA and Social Studies. Prior to coming to SRLCA, Ms. Bonfiglio worked as the 7th and 8th ELA and reading teacher at St. Martin of Tours in Amityville, NY. She has also taught 11th & 12th grade ELA summer school, SAT prep, PSAT prep, ELA Regents, and ACT prep since 2011.
Ms. Bonfiglio holds a BA in English from Adelphi University (2005), an MS in School Counseling from C.W. Post (2007), and an Advanced Degree in Teaching Secondary Ed. ELA from Queens College (2011), and an Extension Certificate in 5th and 6th Grade ELA from Stony Brook University (2019).
Within the SRLCA community, Ms. B. runs the Student Council, teaches the TACHS review class, and has recently been adopted as the Dean of Students. 5-1 Mrs. Jill Bonfiglio [ELA & Social Studies
Amanda Casalaspro joined St. Rose of Lima in 2019 as our middle school ELA teacher. Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from St. Francis College (2017). Amanda is inspired to enhance professional learning through curriculum and classroom experiences.
During her career at St. Rose, Amanda has adapted instructional materials through interactive differentiated lessons, coordinated and set up the New York State ELA Exam, and was Terra-Nova Testing coordinator. Her desire to earn inspires others!
Brandon Benn is an enthusiastic and dedicated educator entering his third year at St. Rose. With a passion for Math and a commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, Mr. Benn brings a wealth of experience and innovative teaching methods to the classroom. After completing his Bachelor's in Finance and Master's in Business Analytics degree from St. John’s University, Mr. Benn embarked on his teaching journey determined to inspire and empower young minds. Over the past two years, Mr. Benn has honed his instructional strategies to create engaging lesson plans that cater to diverse learning styles and abilities.
Known for his ability to make learning relatable and enjoyable, Mr. Benn integrates real-world examples and technology into his teaching approach. Mr. Benn believes creating a strong teacher-student rapport is key to facilitating a positive and effective classroom experience. Mr. Benn is also dedicated to fostering a growth mindset within their students, encouraging them to embrace challenges and see mistakes as opportunities for growth.
In his third year at St. Rose, Mr. Benn is excited to continue their journey of shaping young minds and nurturing a love for learning. With a track record of fostering a collaborative and supportive classroom environment, Mr. Benn is dedicated to making a positive impact on students' lives.
Kerry Colberg has not only been teaching at St. Rose for over twenty years, but she is also a graduate of the school. Ms. Colberg began teaching Pre-K at St. Rose, then moved to fifth and sixth grades, and eventually to grades six to eight. She has taught various subjects, but social studies has always been the one constant. Kerry really enjoys her family, and music.
Support
MaryAnne Diehm joined St. Rose of Lima 12 years ago, where she currently teaches Physical Education to Pre-K - 8th grade. Prior to working at St. Rose, MaryAnne graduated from Castleton University in Vermont with a B.S. in Physical Education and an M.S. from Adelphi University in Adapted Physical Education. During the summer, MaryAnne is a NYC Lifeguard on Rockaway Beach.
Nurse Mary has been a Registered Nurse since 1982. She had mainly worked in adult medicine until she arrived at St. Rose of Lima in January, 2021. Since that time, she has loved working in a school setting with all the children and staff. Nurse Mary lives in Breezy Point with her daughters, Molly and Courtney, and her doggie, Zuzu. She loves beach living, walking on the beach, and playing pickleball and bocce. She feels being part of the St. Rose Family has truly been a blessing.
Jerome Murdaugh is a passionate and hard-working security guard who joined the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy in the 2022-2023 school year. Although a new member of the St. Rose of Lima family, Jerome is a valuable asset in keeping the school safe and secure. He has the knowledge and capabilities through his many years in the security industry, gaining experience that aids him in protecting the well-being of all students, faculty, and staff.
Mr. Murdaugh holds St. Rose of Lima in high regard, and he constantly hears great words about it since his niece began attending four years ago. He is honored to be a member of such a prestigious institution. His goals are to continue to grow as a security guard and gain insight from the school community for future educational endeavors and better service.