Faculty & Staff
It's the ministry of Catholic educators to embody the faith in everything they do. They model and teach children how to form a personal relationship with Jesus and build a foundation for lifelong learning and discipleship. Meet our talented and dedicated faculty and staff!
Meet Our Principal and Our Pastor
Joseph is excited to serve in his second year as the principal and looks forward to collaborating with the Catholic Community of Ascension and Saint Augustine’s parish and school families. Joseph Miller has served in education as a middle school science and math teacher for over thirteen years including three years as an assistant principal. Joseph holds a Bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, a Master's in STEM Leadership, and Admin certification from Notre Dame of Maryland University. Both Joseph and his son were baptized at Saint Augustine Catholic Church. Besides his work in education, he has served as the head coach for the summer swim team at Rollingwood Pool for the past twenty years. He is thrilled to be serving the Catholic Community of Ascension and St. Augustine as principal of St. Augustine Catholic School.
Fr. Dale Picarella
Fr. Dale is thrilled to join and collaborate with Saint Augustine Catholic School as pastor. Father Dale brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for ministry, evangelization, and working closely with school families. Father Dale's hope for CCASTA is that we encounter Jesus Christ in a personal way so as to grow in being his followers with Christ at the center of our lives. In this way, we are able to share His good news with our families, our neighborhoods, the sick, the poor, the broken of heart, and the estranged.
Please visit our church website at www.ccasta.org.
Faculty and Staff
We are so blessed with our dedicated faculty and staff. 100% of our teachers are in compliance with the State of Maryland teacher expectations, with many having earned a graduate degree or higher.
School Admin Team
Reverend Dale Picarella, Pastor
Joseph Miller, Principal
Laura Kaplan, Assistant Principal
Kristin Tsamoutalis, School Counselor
Rhonda Cynkar, Office Manager
Jennifer Ross, Director of Admissions
Susie Lynch, Director of Advancement
Lisa Toles-Felton, Administrative Assistant/VIRTUS Coordinator
Early Childhood Team
Aida Nichols, PK3 Teacher
Laura Tully, PK3 Instructional Assistant
Christie Hanna, PK4 Teacher
Linda Schuman, PK4 Instructional Assistant
Betsy Kulp, Kindergarten Teacher
Terri Hunter, Instructional Assistant
Karissa Harris, First Grade Teacher
Stephanie Cramer, Instructional Assistant
Sue Mackay, Second Grade Teacher, Social Studies Department Chair
Patty Zaranski, Instructional Assistant
Intermediate Team
Brittney Reder, Third Grade Teacher
Grace McCarthy, Fourth Grade Teacher
Ashley Krause, Fifth Grade Teacher, ELA Department Chair
Middle School Team
Tiffany Roberson, 6th Grade Homeroom, MS English and Language Arts
Mehul Gandhi, 7th Grade Homeroom, MS Math and Social Studies
Shannon Benedetto, 8th Grade Homeroom, MS Science and Religion, and Science Department Chair
Laurie Kaplan, MS Math and Math Department Chair
Specials Team
Marie Murphy, Technology Integration Teacher, Religion Department Chair
Jillian Rydl, Music and Art
Madison Scheimreif, Physical Education
Minerva Rodriguez, Spanish (The Maryland Language Project)
Susan Day, Band (The Band Program)
St. John Neumann Resource Program
Anne Susie, Resource Director
Support Staff
Karen Shouse, R.N. Lead Nurse
Karen Munter, R.N
Brittany Roper, R.N
Lisa Toles-Felton, Before/After Care Supervisor
Stephanie Hernandez-Sanchez, Before/After Care Team Leader
Laura Tully, Before/After Care Assistant
Marla Gilbey, Before/After Care Assistant
Maintenance
Sean Seymour, Facilities Manager
Miguel Jimenez, Facilities Assistant