7911 Buhman Avenue, Pico Rivera, CA 90660 | Phone: 562-949-1234

About SMS

St. Marianne Directory

Dear School Community,
I hope that you and your children share in my excitement that a new year is underway! I am excited to share a few things as we start: we received some new desks that we were able to place in a few of the primary classrooms; we converted our St. Ignatius Room into a school Science Lab for student use; we utilized a grant to purchase planters and add new greenery to our school campus; and we will also be adding a new library in our after school daycare room. You might also have noticed that we are bringing back some of our treasured traditions this year. I think you will be happy to see the direction in which we are moving.

Beyond these new additions we have a talented and dedicated teaching and support staff. Our aim is to provide a safe environment, rigorous curriculum and a faith-filled experience that will lead our students to become leaders and contributing members of our community.

Our theme this year is “Dreaming our Best Future Together.” As we think about the many possibilities to grow in the future, we all need to acknowledge our dreams (big and small) for St. Marianne School. And of course, as we dream, we can begin to prioritize and ultimately realize some of our bigger dreams for the school.

Finally, as we dream our best future together, I encourage you to step forward to assist our school in any way you can. This year we will need coaches for our athletic teams, volunteers for yard supervision, help in the office with the distribution of our newsletter, and much more! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you are available to help in a specific area. Together we will dream our best future for St. Marianne School!

My name is Maria Contreras and I’m currently the 7 th grade homeroom teacher and part of the middle school team where I teach religion and social studies. I have been blessed to be a part of the St. Marianne School and Parish community for over ten years. Through my years here I’ve also served in different roles such as the sacraments and religion coordinator and am the current vice-principal.

I am passionate about teaching and work hard to engage my students in learning. As we prepare to be gin the sch ool year remotely through distance learnin g our team is working hard to find the best possible way to ensure that learning is happening effectively and that our teaching emulates the classroom setting as closely as possible. We understand the difficulties that arise from working from home and look forward to working in partnership with you to make this a successful school year for all of our students. We will be using Google Classroom as our main educational platform and holding class sessions via Zoom. Our daily schedule will be composed of a rotation very similar to the one we would have in-person at school. I am excited to start off the new school year and look forward to embarking on this new journey together!

I am in my sixth year at St. Marianne’s School. I am also an alumnus of the school, and a proud resident of Pico Rivera!

I am the 8th grade homeroom teacher and teach ELA for middle school students. The academic focus for my students is to help them become strong writers and readers while also developing critical thinking skills. Through stories, informational text, class discussions, and research we develop a sense of empathy and social responsibility as well. A goal for our class is to always foster a love of reading through creative reading projects and activities. High school readiness is also central in our classroom.

My vision and goals during distance learning remain the same. I am dedicated to providing engaging and interesting lessons for all my students. Through the use of Google Classroom and other helpful resources, such as Common Lit, this distance learning program will help students with building critical ELA skills.

Building relationships with my students and families is critical to my teaching philosophy. I look forward to working with you in realizing the academic success of your child.

I am in my sixth year at St. Marianne’s School. I am also an alumnus of the school, and a proud resident of Pico Rivera!

Building relationships with my students and families is critical to my teaching philosophy. I look forward to working with you in realizing the academic success of your child.

My name is Michael Juarez, and I will be teaching 6 th -8 th grade math and science. I have received my BA in English Education from California State University, Dominguez Hills. I am a Virtus facilitator with clearance from the Los Angeles Archdiocese. I am also in Phase II of Catechetical Formation to be a certified catechist and was presented with the Excellence in Catechetical Service award in 2019.

As a member of your community, I am empathetic to the overwhelming impact this pandemic must be having on you r lives. Although disruptive, the quarantine and distancing measures put in place are undoubtedly going to keep our families safer. In the meantime, while we wait for things to improve, I am looking forward to providing some structure, distraction and learning opportunities through our newly adopted Distance Learning Program!

This year we will be using Google Classroom as an interactive participation-based course. We have developed a modified rigorous curriculum, which will provide your child the opportunity to engage in activities relating to all subjects aligned with common core standards. Our program entails excellence, flexibility, and personalization to tailor the needs of all students. I look forward to working in partnership with you to make this a successful year!

Greetings from 5th Grade!

T his academic school year, I am excited to teach 5th grade. I have been a Catholic school teacher for thirteen years. I received my Masters in Education from Loyola Marymount University- Los Angeles, and my Bachelor’s degree in History from California State University Los Angeles. I am a Los Angeles native who enjoys whale and dolphin watching, museums, spending time at the happiest place on earth with friends and family, and traveling during my spare time.

Our 5th-grade curriculum will consist of Common Core Language Arts and Mathematics, Early American Civilization, Human Rights, Human Body Systems, familiarizing themselves with our classroom iPads by learning to use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and how to live a Catholic life. My purpose in teaching is to ensure students reach their full potential which will make them lifelong learners and great citizens.

– “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)” Dr. Seuss

Greetings from 5th Grade!

– “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)” Dr. Seuss

Welcome to 4th grade! I am very excited to be your child’s 4th grade teacher, even with the very different start of the school year. Yes, it looks like we will be starting this school year with distance learning. The good news is since we were forced to do school from home at the end of the last school year, I am confident that we will be better prepared to provide your child with the best education possible despite the challenges.

Let me tell you a bit about my self. I am going on my fifth year of teaching, which includes my third year here at St. Marianne. I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mexican American studies also known as Chicano Studies from Cal State University Los Angeles. Before teaching at St. Marianne, I had long term subbing assignments teaching High School Spanish, Middle School Language Arts, 5th and 2nd grade. In addition to this I subbed a lot for El Rancho Unified School District’s various Special Education classes. In addition, before becoming a teacher, I was a Spanish language radio announcer for about 16 years.

My home life includes my two beautiful daughters, Xcaret 21, who is currently pursuing a career in film, and Lupita 19 who is special needs, as well as my 81 year-old mother. I love the performing arts; acting, singing, and dancing. Finally my teaching philosophy is based on a Brazilian educator Paulo Freire’s vision that includes the understanding that a teacher without love for her students cannot adequately teach her students. My goal is to create a nurturing, safe space for my students to thrive educationally as well as socially.

I am the 3rd grade teacher here at SMS. This will be my sixth year as a proud member of the SMS faculty and my 28th year teaching in the Catholic school system.

I n my years of teaching I have enjoyed working with students primarily in 1st and 3rd grade but also have some years spent with junior high school students. My experience also includes coaching cheer/drill teams, theater arts directing , Christian service clubs and teaching P.E. in LAUSD for several years. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to moderate Student Council here at SMS.

I look forward to continued interactions with the SMS community. My goal is to prepare students with the knowledge and an action plan to become a successful student in the years ahead of them. Through the standards taught, practice of good habits and modeling of service and compassion of others, I aim to prepare students for the journey that lies ahead of them. My hope is that in becoming well rounded individuals and disciples of Christ who challenge themselves every day, they will go forward and make this world a better place.

I am the 3rd grade teacher here at SMS. This will be my sixth year as a proud member of the SMS faculty and my 28th year teaching in the Catholic school system.

” I will teach in a room, I will teach over Zoom. I will teach in a house, I will teach with a mouse. I will teach you here or there. I will teach you because I care.”

Although these unprecedented times have changed how and where I teach, my view of education has not changed. I am still committed to three main things: building meaningful relationships with my students, supporting the achievement of all learners, and personal growth.

I am dedicated to providing a quality education by addressing the needs of the whole child. In addition to academic instruction, students’ social and emotional needs will also be met. This will occur through daily “check-ins” and regular extracurricular discussions. These will build relationships with my students and establish an environment where they feel safe, valued, and capable.

I will address the academic needs of my students by providing daily quality instruction. Through our online learning platforms, students will receive whole group and small group instruction, and the academic content presented will be engaging and developmentally appropriate.

Finally, I am always seeking to improve my teaching skills and practices. I encourage feedback and will do my best to support your family in every possible way.

” I will teach in a room, I will teach over Zoom. I will teach in a house, I will teach with a mouse. I will teach you here or there. I will teach you because I care.”

Finally, I am always seeking to improve my teaching skills and practices. I encourage feedback and will do my best to support your family in every possible way.

My name is Renee Torres, and this is my 9th year teaching at St. Marianne School. I was fortunate to be the first teacher to open our Jr. Kindergarten Class. Currently, I’m the yearbook Coordinator and Kindergarten Teacher and have enjoyed seeing the growth of many students. As a mother and Teacher, I am a strong believer in Catholic Education, as both my son and daughter are graduates from St. Marianne School.

Kindergarten is created to meet the needs of each student, it provides a bridge between Jr. K and Elementary School while preparing each student with important academic foundations needed for their future years of study. Our distance learning will consist of a regular daily schedule beginning with whole class instruction by taking attendance, going over Calendar and Morning Songs. Followed by ELA and Math small group instructions, with breaks in-between. Ending our day with whole group instruction introducing Religion, Science or Social Studies. We will be working primarily through our online platform, which is Skies Learn and Seesaw as well as communicating with parents through Class Dojo and Email.

A goal for your child is to leave Kindergarten being disciplined, well-rounded and academically prepared individuals.

I am Ja cqu eline Mora, the Junior Kindergarten (JK) teacher at St. Marianne’s School. I am excited to be apart of the dedicated staff and fortunate to also have my three children attend SMS. As I enter my second-year teaching here, I feel the sense of community and commitment from both the school and parish staff, but also the families. St. Marianne’s is a great place to be!

I grew up in the surrounding cities and went to Cerritos College to study child development; which lead me to California State University, Long Beach where I received my Bachelors of Arts Degree in Child Development and Family Studies. I worked several years at Downey Unified School District and gained extensive experience working with typical and atypical children ages three to five. I’ve also attained a Site Supervisor Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

My teaching philosophy includes a hands-on approach to teach the whole child and support the learning efforts of each student in an organized, faith centered environment that will encourage them to want to learn. I use positive classroom management methods and develop a curriculum where your child can strengthen their socio-emotional skills and build confidence in their ability; all while achieving the Transitional Kindergarten standards set by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

As we approach the beginning of another school year, I am carefully taking into consideration the class structure and schedule, due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Since we cannot return to in class instruction at this time, JK will begin the school year with distancing learning (DL). The structure for JK DL is very different of that of an older child. Parents will be required to “sit-in” during zoom meetings and guide their child to complete activities with my direction. Zoom meetings will take place every day as I incorporate multipurpose lessons which will be appropriate for each child’s ability and skill level. Working in large group and small groups will provide social-emotional development, but also allow flexibility when teaching the core basic TK concepts. I will also plan one-to-one virtual meetings to further develop the student/teacher and parent/teacher relationships.
I strongly believe children need support from home and school to succeed in their education. I look forward to building a strong partnership with my parents which will make a great difference in the child’s education. Thank you for visiting our web page and I look forward to meeting you and your child.

About SMS

Directory

St. Marianne Directory

Rev. Lazaro "Larry" Revilla

Rev. Sam

Dr. Frank Montejano

Maria Barrozo

Jeni Perez

Roberta Arroyo

Allan Gomez

Michael Rivera

Lisa Wilson

Jamie Veverka

Maria Lomeli

Renee Torres

Jacqueline Mora

Erica Fonseca

Natalia Macias

Rev. Lazaro "Larry" Revilla

Rev. Miguel Menjivar

Dr. Frank Montejano

Maria D. Contreras

Jeni Perez

Roberta Arroyo

Gilbert Morales

Rosario Soto

Rebecca Rodriguez

Lisa Sentif

Mrs Maria Lomeli

Renee Torres

Mrs. Jacqueline Mora

Natalia Macias