Faculty and Staff

At St. Pius X Catholic School, we know that a great education comes partly from having outstanding teachers. We pride ourselves on having a stellar faculty and staff, who are here to serve your child by providing the best academic and faith formation. Our teachers are licensed in their subject areas, and many of them hold advanced degrees or are working towards advanced degrees in their field. 
 
Father Jorge Agüera, Pastor                       
Father Agüera has been the pastor at St. Pius X Parish since June of 2014. He oversees all school and parish operations. He has been a priest for 20 years, the last eight in the Archdiocese of Denver. He works to connect the school and parish, and to light a fire of faith in his flock. 

Mrs. Eileen Michalczyk, Principal              
Mrs. Michalczyk has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in theology. She has been teaching for 12 years and has been in school administration for six years. She is passionate about Catholic education, and understands that our two primary goals as Catholic educators and Catholic parents are to help our children get to Heaven someday and to prepare them in all aspects for life on Earth!

Mrs. Cindi Marchese , Business Administrator
Mrs. Marchese worked for St. Vincent DePaul Catholic School for the past twelve years.  She was a classroom assistant and a middle school administrative assistant over those years.  She also has a bookkeeping background and has worked in various office settings.  Mrs. Marchese will be a great asset to our office team.   

Mrs. Jackie Morales, Director of Advancement 
Mrs. Morales is responsible for assisting with marketing, communications and outreach for the school. She worked for 20 years in the corporate world prior to working for the church. She is also a mother of two students who attend our school. She helps parents stay connected through frequent communication, and she works with the office staff to welcome new families to the school.

Mrs. Leticia Hernandez, Administrative Assistant 
Mrs. Hernandez has been part of the administrative team for more than ten years.  She is the face of the office team and assists our Spanish speaking families. She coordinates the school office activities, and assists all members of the community with their needs.

Mrs. Deann Aquino, Preschool                    
Mrs. Aquino has been at St. Pius for ten years. She holds a degree in early childhood education and teaches our preschool class. She does an excellent job preparing students for continued education by introducing them to the foundational skills needed to progress in their schooling.

Ms. Julia Neath-West, Pre-Kindergarten       
Ms. Neath-West comes to us from St. Bernadette’s where she has taught for the last eleven years.  She has her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loretto Heights College and her master’s degree in early childhood education from Capella University.  She is director qualified as well. Ms.Neath-West brings great experience to our preschool team.

Mrs. Maribel Talafuse, Pre-Kindergarten
Mrs. Talafuse comes to us after spending the last several years homeschooling her seven children.  She has classroom teaching experience as well.  She has her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on early childhood development from the University of Texas Pan American College of Education.  She loves working with kids and is excited to return to the classroom!

Ms. Grace Keller, Kindergarten
Ms. Keller is a recent graduate from John Carroll University with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.  She did her student teaching in a kindergarten classroom, and she is excited to have a class of her own!  Ms. Keller just move here from Ohio, we are happy to have Ms. Keller as our new Kindergarten teacher. 

Ms. Eileen Czapla-Haslam, First Grade
Ms. Czapla-Haslam comes to us with many years of teaching experience in Aurora Public Schools.  She has been a classroom teacher and a music teacher for grades K-8 over the years.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Chadron State College, and a master’s degree in arts and curriculum from Lesley College.  She brings great experience to our primary team.

Mrs. Kendra Bissonnette, Second Grade
Mrs. Bissonnette has been teaching at St. Pius for ten years, first as a fourth grade teacher, then in middle school, and now in second grade. She has a strong knowledge of education at all levels and has great experience in our primary grades.

Mrs. Christine Arellano, Third Grade
Mrs. Arellano is a returning teacher to St. Pius X School, she was the fourth grade teacher , but now she is ready for her new role as the third grade teacher. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Creighton University. Mrs. Arellano has six years of teaching experience. She is excited to work with third grade and help them prepare for the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.

Ms. Ariel McKinney, Fourth Grade  
Ms. McKinney has just moved here from Alabama.  She has just finished her master’s degree in music, with an emphasis on vocal performance, from The University of Alabama.  She also has her bachelor’s degree in music, with a minor in theology, from Ave Maria University.  She has a strong love of music, but she also has a love of teaching!  She was the Spanish and Art teacher at a Catholic school in Alabama for two years.   

Ms. Erin Thielke, Fifth Grade
Mrs. Thielke is our fifth grade teacher and is returning to teaching after spending time in the last years subbing and home schooling. She has taught at St. Therese and Our Lady of Loreto. Mrs. Theilke has a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and art from Western State University. She works hard to help our fifth graders prepare for their transition to middle school!

Mr. Paul Buchholz, Middle School Social Studies and School Language            
Mr. Buchholz is a dedicated Catholic educator who has taught in our Archdiocese for more than ten years. He has been working with our middle school team for four years. He is the homeroom teacher for sixth grade, because he brings a great ability to help sixth graders with the challenging transition to middle school. He has a passion for social studies and science that helps the students get excited about these areas as well!

Mrs. Sharon Tracy, Middle School Religion and Literature 
Mrs. Tracy comes to us after having taught at St. James for several years.  She has taken the last two years off to be with her family, and is ready to re-enter the teaching world!  She has her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint Mary’s College, and her Master’s degree in history from Roosevelt University.  She received her alternative teaching license through the Office of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Denver a few years ago. 

Mr. Steven Kiper,Middle School Math and Science
Mr. Kiper comes to us after being a math teacher at ACE Community Challenge School in Denver, which closed its doors in June.  He has taught both math and science in various education settings over the years.  He also has worked as an engineer prior to his teaching career.  He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Colorado, and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology from Texas Southern University. 

Mrs. Carol Tufano, Resource Teacher
Mrs. Tufano has been teaching at St. Pius X for more than thirty years. She transitioned into the resource teacher role after having taught in the classroom for many years. Among many things, she supports young readers develop their reading skills. She works with students at all levels to help them develop a love for reading and writing!  She also coordinates our Title I tutoring program, as well as other programs in our school that support students who learn differently.   

Mr. Bruce McClaran, Physical Education             
Mr. McClaran has been the PE teacher at St. Pius for more than twenty five years.He brings a passion for lifelong physical health to the students he works with. He has high expectations for his students, and he supports them to reach those expectations. The students thoroughly enjoy his classes!

Ms. Kristen Ergenbright, Art and Library            
Ms. Bright has been teaching at St. Pius for almost ten years. She splits her time between assisting budding artists with their talents and administering the library. She is a talented artist herself, and she helps the students discover their own art abilities. One of their favorite art projects is using clay and the kiln to make wonderful creations!

Mrs. Erin Murdock, Music 
Mrs Murdock has taught music to children and adults in many settings over the years.  She has a Master’s degree in opera performance from Eastman School of Music, and a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Purchase College Conservatory.  She is also the director of music at Queen of Peace.   

Mrs. Mercedes Kent, Preschool and Extended Day Director
Mrs. Kent has been a teacher at St. Pius X and  other Catholic schools . She has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Human Resources and Public Administration. She has a lot of experience working with children, and enjoys overseeing the business side of our preschool and extended day programs  Mrs. Kent oversees both programs for compliance and assisting with the operating of both of them.