PRIMARY GRADE LEVELS
Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
Marilee Gallucci Pre-Kindergarten Co-Teacher
Extended Care Director
Mrs. Gallucci attended St. Jerome’s Catholic School, St. Mary’s Academy, and UCLA, where she received her B.A. in 1978. She taught in the Pre-K classroom at Sherman Oaks Nursery School for eight years, and in the spring of 2001, she began substitute teaching in the Pre-K classroom at St. Cyril. She became a permanent teacher in the fall of 2001. Mrs. Gallucci is well acquainted with St. Cyril because her 7 children have graduated from the school.
Mrs. Gallucci believes that the Pre-K classroom is the perfect place to develop a positive attitude toward learning and school. Her goal is to give children a good foundation for future learning experiences in a loving, Catholic environment.
Marcia Olgin
Pre-Kindergarten Director and Co-Teacher
Mrs. Olgin joined the St. Cyril staff in 2000 when St. Cyril initiated the Pre-K program. Mrs. Olgin attended Notre Dame High School and continued her education at Cal State University Northridge. She completed her B.A. in Child Development with a minor in Psychology. She is the director of the Pre-K program and a co-teacher.
Our Pre-K philosophy is to give children a foundation for future learning experiences, develop a positive attitude toward learning and school, and encourage problem solving, independent thinking, and making positive choices.
Lourdes Laguilles
Kindergarten Teacher
 Mrs. Laguilles loves to teach. Born, raised and educated in the Philippines, Mrs. Laguilles migrated to the United States twenty-one years ago bringing with her a passion for the profession. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and has taken units in graduate school. She has three decades of teaching experience, and has been the Kindergarten teacher at St. Cyril since 1996. She has taught students of various grade levels from Pre-K to 6th Grade and was a Preschool assistant director and director. Currently, Mrs. Laguilles teaches English as a second language to adults at LAUSD. Her exposure to a variety of learning environments as well as to learners of diverse age, culture, and ethnic backgrounds has contributed to her adaptability, versatility and resourcefulness as an educator.
 As a Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Laguilles is patient and has a positive outlook in dealing with the day-to- day challenges that come with educating five year olds. Her philosophy is each child is unique, learns differently from others, and is capable of reaching his/her potential. She makes sure her lessons cater to the needs and learning styles of her pupils, and plans a variety of interesting and age appropriate activities. She incorporates music and movement into her curriculum to enliven the class, make learning more fun, stimulate young minds and imagination and to build self-confidence. She believes that the little ones thrive well in a structured but caring and loving environment. She encourages kindergarteners to be independent and responsible by assigning them tasks. She also emphasizes the importance of listening skills and self control. At the end of the year, she expects her students to have enough academic and social skills to move on. As a Catholic school teacher she stresses Christian values such as kindness, compassion and love of God, family and others. In her opinion, what children learn in Kindergarten will play a vital role in who they are in the future.
 Sister Anne Paul Clare
First Grade Teacher
Sister Anne Paul is a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet who has been actively involved in Catholic education for over 30 years. All of her years in education have been in teaching grades 1 through 4 and serving as Principal in three Catholic elementary schools. She has received her BA and California Lifetime Teaching Credential from Mount St. Mary’s College. In addition, she has received her Master’s Degree in Catholic School Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Her love for children and belief that our youth are our greatest resource led Sister Anne Paul to enter the field of education. She believes that Catholic education provides the environment in which educators and parents partner together in order to meet the needs of each child.  Learning will take place when a variety of learning approaches are employed in order for each child to acquire the skills and knowledge he/she needs to succeed.
She holds as sacred and holy the opportunity to help each child come to know and love Jesus, grow in self-confidence, and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to be a happy, successful and productive young people. In addition, she helps children grow in acceptance and appreciation of others and believes that through their choices they will make a difference for the better in our world
Rene Smith Second Grade Teacher
Mrs. Smith received her B.A. and Teaching Credential at UCLA. She has close to 30 years of teaching experience in the Los Angeles Catholic school system, and she has been at St. Cyril since 1985. In 2008, she was a finalist for the Encino Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year.
Her philosophy is based upon recognizing the uniqueness of each child and inspiring each child to reach their full potential. This is accomplished through various teaching modalities which all rely on a loving, creative, encouraging, and stimulating classroom environment. Mrs. Smith strives for a well rounded child and hopefully a life-long love of learning will be developed and cherished within each student. |
