top of page
first mass 3.JPG

MEET OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

MRS. MELISSA ZIZZO
MRS. MELISSA ZIZZO

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Mrs. Zizzo graduated from Elmhurst College in Illinois with a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She taught in the public school system for 8 years at the Pre-K to 3rd grade level. She has had the pleasure of utilizing her education and experience in assessing for Pre-K disabilities. Her educational background includes:   Prekindergarten/Primary Education, Preschool Education, Prekindergarten Disabilities, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). She recently completed the Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator Training.  Mrs. Zizzo is thrilled to be part of the St. Ann family and to be contributing her experinces from raising six children through Catholic Education.  She is looking forward to continuing the tradition with her three grandchildren.

MRS. LINDA PASQUARELLO
MRS. LINDA PASQUARELLO

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Mrs. Linda Pasquarello is in her second year at Saint Ann School and her seventh year in education. She is certified to teach in Florida grades K-6 and is Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator trained. She is from NYC where she graduated from Pace University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She moved from New Jersey to Florida back in 2015 with her husband and two children. She is very happy to be a part of the Saint Ann community.

MS. COURTNEY HILL
MS. COURTNEY HILL

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Ms. Hill is originally from a small town in Massachusetts. She graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Communications. Following the sun and beautiful beaches, she moved to Naples in July of 2019. Ms. Hill has taught Kindergarten in Collier County for the past three years and is excited to continue to teach Kindergarten at Saint Ann!

MRS. KARON PAISAN
MRS. KARON PAISAN

FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Paisan has been teaching at Saint Ann in 2001. She is a graduate of James Madison University in Virginia and has completed post-graduate work at FGCU. Mrs. Paisan's experience includes Middle School Math, Resource, and Early Childhood Education (PK-3rd).  She is Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator trained and STEM trained through the Conservancy of SWFL's STEM Institute.

MS. KAREN OLSEN
MS. KAREN OLSEN

FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Ms. Olsen earned her Master's Degree in Education from Oakland University and her BAA in Early Childhood Education from Central Michigan.  Ms. Olsen has taught Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade.  Ms. Olsen joined Saint Ann in 2019.

MRS. CAROLYN MCCORMICK
MRS. CAROLYN MCCORMICK

FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. McCormick joins our 1st grade team this year. This will be her 6th year teaching elementary school. She is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from California State University San Marcos. Mrs. McCormick is excited to join the Saint Ann family.

MRS. MACY LABRIE
MRS. MACY LABRIE

SECOND GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. LaBrie is an Ohio native and recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. She is certified to teach Pre-K through 3rd grade. Mrs. LaBrie has experience teaching Preschool and first grade and is thrilled to be teaching second this school year. Mrs. LaBrie is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her dog. Mrs. LaBrie feels so blessed to be a Naples resident and be a part of the Saint Ann family!

MRS. DANIELLE STETTS
MRS. DANIELLE STETTS

SECOND GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Stetts is a mother of three and has been teaching for 11 years. She is excited to be teaching second grade this year! Mrs. Stetts graduated from Misericordia University, a Catholic Liberal Arts University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, with a B.S in Elementary and Special Education. Her experience includes Fifth, Third, First, Pre-K, and Early Intervention Autistic Support. Mrs. Stetts is certified in Birth to 4, Elementary Education K-6, and ESE K-12. She also has her ESOL Endorsement and has completed the Orton Gillingham Classroom Educator training. Mrs. Stetts is looking forward to being part of the Saint Ann family with her three children!

MRS. SUE CHLEBEK
MRS. SUE CHLEBEK

THIRD GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Chlebek joined the St. Ann faculty in 2012 and has taught both third and fourth grades. She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University and her M.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Miami. Mrs. Chlebek, the mother of six, has earned gifted and ESOL certification endorsements. She is also STEM trained from the Conservancy and FGCU.  Mrs. Chlebek started her career at St. Pius X Catholic School in Grandville, MI and taught second and third grade in Collier County schools.

MS. JENNIFER TOWNSEND
MS. JENNIFER TOWNSEND

THIRD GRADE TEACHER

Ms. Jennifer Townsend joined the Saint Ann faculty as a third-grade teacher. She is a mother of 2 and has been teaching in Naples for 12 years. Her experience includes teaching Pre-K, kindergarten, and second grade. She is a class of ‘97 graduate of St. John Neumann Catholic High School. She earned her B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Florida Gulf Coast University and is certified in Prekindergarten/Primary Education. Ms. Townsend also has her Reading and ESOL Endorsement, attended the Everglades Teacher Symposium, and recently completed the Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator training. She will be teaching 3 rd grade!

MRS. CINDY SWINDELL
MRS. CINDY SWINDELL

THIRD GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Swindell graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. Additionally, she has endorsements in Language Arts and Social Science for grades 5 through 8 and is a certified Catechist through the Archdiocese of Chicago. For the past 18 years, she has taught at a Catholic School in Illinois, where she values her experiences teaching Physical Education, First Grade, and most recently, Third Grade. Mother of seven and grandmother of four, she enjoys spending her free time with family and friends. For the past 25 years, she and her husband have run a Scholastic Chess Program, and they are proud to have students who are ranked at the state and national levels. Mrs. Swindell looks forward to making Florida home, serving the Saint Ann School Community, and is delighted to be continuing her vocation in Catholic Education.

MRS. AIMEE THOMPSON
MRS. AIMEE THOMPSON

FOURTH GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Thompson graduated from Florida Southern College with a BA in Education and is certified in Florida in Elementary Education. She is a graduate of St. John Neumann Catholic High School. Mrs. Thompson began teaching at Saint Ann School in  2002 and has taught grades K - 4. She is the chairperson for the school wide K4J – Kids for Jesus Virtue Program and the STANN store.

MRS. KELLY SANDERS
MRS. KELLY SANDERS

FOURTH GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Kelly Sanders graduated with a Master’s in Education (Elementary) from Griffith University, Australia.   She spent almost a decade teaching abroad before moving to Southwest Florida in 2017 to be closer to her family.  Mrs. Sanders has been awarded several science grants, including the Sapaki STEM award for her integration of Rube Goldberg machines in the classroom.  In her free time, you will find her swimming or shelling at the beach. She will be teaching 4th grade!

MRS. KATIE SCARANTINO
MRS. KATIE SCARANTINO

FIFTH GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Katie Scarantino was born in Illinois, but she grew up in Naples and is a  fellow graduate of St. Ann's and St. John Neumann. She earned her B.A. in  Elementary Education from The University of Central Florida. She taught in  Orlando for 7 years, working with 4th and 2nd grade. After moving back to  Naples, she has taught VPK and 5th grade. She has over eight years of teaching  experience. Mrs. Scarantino has a passion for teaching and making a difference.  She is married, with 3 children. In her free time, she enjoys spending it with her  family, boating, reading, or going beach. She is excited to be part of the St. Ann's  Team.

MRS. ELIZABETH BENITO
MRS. ELIZABETH BENITO

FIFTH GRADE TEACHER

Mrs. Benito was born and raised in sunny Miami, FL and is happy to have made the Naples area her home 2 years ago. She is certified to teach in the state of Florida (K-6, ESOL endorsed). She graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Mrs. Benito has been teaching for 16 years and has taught in Miami-Dade and Collier County. She feels passionate about making sure each child in her classroom feels valued, loved, and respected. She attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 12th grade and is very excited to be back to her roots and join the Saint Ann faculty. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.

MS. AMY RICHARDSON
MS. AMY RICHARDSON

FIFTH GRADE TEACHER

Ms. Richardson was born and raised in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina. After earning her B.A. in Elementary Education with a concentration in math at Appalachian State University, she moved to Chicago to experience big city life. She taught for 15 years in Chicago Public Schools. She briefly taught kindergarten, then fifth grade, followed by fifth and sixth grade reading. While in Chicago she earned her ESOL endorsement from Benedictine University and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, being at the beach, and boating. She is excited to make the transition from the snow to the sand and be part of the St. Ann community.

MRS. MICHELLE MARKS
MRS. MICHELLE MARKS

GIFTED/ 8TH GRADE ALGEBRA

Mrs. Marks is our Gifted/8th Grade Algebra teacher. She has been teaching for 20 years. She has taught grades K, 1, 2 and for the past 15 years has been an upper elementary Gifted and Talented, Science and Accelerated Math teacher. She has a BA from the University of Delaware and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Montclair State University. Mrs. Marks is the author of the educational book Enrichment Is Not A Packet! and is a proud NASA Explorer School Educator.  She has even flown their Zero-G Aircraft as part of the "Teaching from Space" initiative.

bottom of page