Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Home of the Saints
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School Hours:
8:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

Extended Care:
7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M. and
After School to 6:00 P.M.

Staff Bios

MRS. SHEILA ORTEGA
Mrs. Ortega earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and multiple subject credential from San Francisco State University. She began her teaching career seventeen years ago and has worked at OLPH for the past fourteen years. She is currently 7th grade homeroom as well as junior high Science teacher. She is the school's vice-principal, facilitates the school science fair, choreographs the school plays, serves on the grant writing committee and helps moderate the school fundraisers.

MRS. CORRINE MUSCAT
Mrs. Corrine Muscat grew up on the S.F. Peninsula and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Philosophy and a Specialization in Education and Diversified Liberal Arts. She then attended CSULB where she earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Currently, Mrs. Muscat is finishing her Master's in Educational Administration at NDNU in Belmont. Mrs. Muscat has been teaching since 1997, and has been at OLPH since 2010.

MS. MARY TUNNELL
Ms. Tunnell grew up on the S.F. Peninsula, graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Communication Studies, and from Boston University with a Masters in Mass Communication. She has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University at Monterey. She has taught at OLPH since 2003, is the school website coordinator, and also helps with the junior high drama production. She is currently the 6th grade homeroom teacher, as well as the junior high Math teacher. Before OLPH, she taught Math at Junipero Serra High School.

MS. JAIME STELLA
Ms. Stella grew up in San Francisco and graduated from San Francisco State University with her undergraduate degree in sociology. She later attended UCSB where she received her Masters of Education as well as a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Before becoming the 5th Grade teacher at OLPH she worked as a computer teacher and classroom aide for the upper grades. She is on the technology committee as well as coordinating the yearbook.

MRS. AMELIA AXLER
Mrs. Axler, who has been in the education field for sixteen years, currently serves as the fourth grade teacher at OLPH. During her first two years, she worked as a substitute teacher at various grade levels in many different schools. During that time, she completed multiple-credential courses, while completing her Masters degree. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 1996 with a Masters in Education. Her undergraduate courses were completed at the University of the Philippines, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Developmental Communication.

SISTER PHILOMENE GOLONKA, RSM
Sister Philomene is a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. She received her B.A. from the College of St. Mary. She also spent one full year studying at the Jesuit Graduate School of Applied Theology in Berkeley. She has received credit in theological updating from USF and Dominican University. Sister is the third grade teacher at OLPH. She is moderator for the Holy Childhood Association and serves as religion coordinator for the school. She is the OLPH CYO athletic director and enjoys being involved in furthering good sportsmanship among the student athletes. She represents the school on the OLPH Parish Council. As a native daughter, Sr. Philomene enjoys outings in beautiful California.

MS. KERSTIN SJOSTROM
Ms. Sjostrom has been the 2nd grade teacher at OLPH since 2000. As part of the second grade curriculum, she is responsible for preparing the students for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. She is a San Francisco native where she attended Catholic schools from first grade through high school, and she received her B.A. and teaching credential from San Francisco State University. Ms Sjostrom is also the proud mother of four grown children, whose lives were also enriched by parochial education. She is grateful that with her children finally raised, she can fervently pursue her passion for teaching full-time.

MRS. CASILDA LAZALDE
A native of San Francisco, Mrs. Lazalde received her Associate of Science, Associate of the Arts and Early Childhood Education Certification from Skyline College. She completed her Bachelor Degree in Liberal Studies from Notre Dame de Namur University and received her Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at the same school. She then continued her education at UCSD to in order to obtain her Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She has worked as a teacher's aide, a substitute, and a teacher in the Archdiocese of San Francisco since 1996.

MRS. GEMMA GLEAN
Mrs. Glean has experience working with different age groups. She worked with young pre-schoolers for 7 years at Genentech's 2nd Generation in South San Francisco. She had the opportunity to work with bilingual middle school students at Fernando Rivera School in Daly City, and has been teaching Kindergarten since 1999. Mrs. Glean graduated with a degree in Secondary Education from the University of the Assumption, majoring in English. She took master's courses in Guidance Counseling and hopes to be a guidance counselor some day. She obtained a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from UCSD Extension in 2010.

MR. WILLIAM KOVACICH
A product of local Catholic Schools, Mr. Kovacich received his B.A., California Teaching Credential, and Administrative Masters Degree from the University of San Francisco. He has worked in education for thirty-eight years, over thirty of them as a principal in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Besides his administrative duties, he teaches 8th grade English and writes and directs the school plays. He served on the Principals' Administrative Council, chaired over a dozen WASC evaluation committees, and has coached and officiated various sports at both the grammar school and high school level. He is serving his ninth year as principal of OLPH.



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