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 23 years, the last 11 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 more than seven 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 is 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 fifteen 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 more than 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.

Mrs. Maribel Talafuse, 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. 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. Erin Thielke, Third 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!

Miss Tasha Bourassa, Fourth Grade
Miss Bourassa comes to us from Iowa. She has her teaching license in elementary education with an endorsement in language arts from Iowa State University. She is so excited to be teaching in a Catholic school and sharing her faith with our students!
 
Miss Grace Keller, Fifth Grade
Ms. Keller is a 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, now as our fifth grade teacher.  Ms. Keller move here from Ohio.

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 five years. 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 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. 

Mrs. Loretta Shekleton, Middle School Math and Science 
Mrs. Shekleton came on board as a long-term sub last school year. She did such an excellent job, and we are thrilled to have her on board full-time this year!  She is very excited about teaching math and science to our students!

Mrs. Heidi Wilson, Middle School Theology
Mrs. Wilson comes to us after teaching at St. James Catholic School for the past few years. She has a master's degree in theology from Franciscan University where she also earned her bachelor's degree also in theology. 
 
Mrs. Carol Tufano, Resource Teacher
Mrs. Tufano has been teaching at St. Pius X for more than 35 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 30 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. Thammy Muriel-Bauer, Art         
Ms. Muriel joins St. Pius as an experience art teacher, having taught at Machebeuf High School and at various elementary and secondary schools. She holds a master's degree in elementary education and a bachelor's degree in graphic design. 

Miss Katie Gilllett, Music
Miss Gillett just graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in theater and we are happy to have her on board. She has an extensive music and theater background.