Preschool Faculty

Mrs. Patricia Stanchak - PreK-2 & 3 Lead Teacher
Mrs. Stanchak has been teaching pre-K 2's and 3's at Holy Spirit Prep since 2002. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, she and her family moved to Marietta, Georgia in 1989. Prior to Holy Spirit Prep, Mrs. Stanchak taught three-year olds at the Mt. Zion Preschool in Marietta for 11 years and also at the Goddard School for ten months. While living in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Stanchak worked as a social worker for the Luzerne County Head Start Program, as well as working as a juvenile justice planner for the Commission on Crime and Delinquency for seven years. Mrs. Stanchak attended St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist schools in Pennsylvania and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Misericordia College in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Stanchak and her husband, John have two daughters, Melissa 26, and Katie 24 years old.

Mrs. Michelle Travers - PreK-2 & 3 Lead Teacher
Mrs. Travers joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2004. She has a Child Development Associate certificate and is currently working towards her degree in Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining Holy Spirit Prep, Mrs. Travers was a teacher's assistant at a Catholic school. Mrs. Travers lives in Acworth with her husband JJ and new baby James.

Ms. Caroline Grandy - PreK-3 Lead Teacher
Ms. Grandy holds a BA in Elementary Education from Elon University and prior to Holy Spirit Prep, she taught preschool at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian in South Carolina. Ms. Grandy joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2005.

Mrs. Eva Kendrella - PreK-2 & 3 Assistant
Mrs. Kendrella is originally from Hungary and moved to Atlanta with her husband 1997. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 1988 and she has worked with children with special needs in a Hungarian school. Mrs. Kendrella joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2004. Mrs. Kendrella has a nine and a twelve year old son.

Ms. Lauren Betts - PreK-2 & 3 Assistant
Ms. Betts joins Holy Spirit Prep in 2007. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina where she graduated with a Marketing Degree. Ms. Betts was a tutor and mentor for several years at an elementary school. In her free time, she enjoys babysitting, volunteering at the Starlight Children's Foundation and playing tennis with family and friends.

Mrs. Victoria Jones - PreK-2 & 3 Assistant
Mrs. Jones joined the Holy Spirit prep pre-school family in 2006. She grew up in the Philippines and attended St. Paul's. Mrs. Jones and her family moved to Atlanta in 2000 from San Francisco, CA. Victoria has worked as a reading and writing tutor for elementary and middle school students. She has also worked as a teacher's substitute for various schools in the Atlanta Archdiocese. For the last 6 years, Mrs. Jones has been involved with USA swimming as a referee. She has served on the Home and School Executive Board and the task force for Pleasant Hill Citizens for a better community. Mrs. Jones and her husband Cliff, reside in Roswell. They have 2 children that attend Holy Spirit Prep. Max (class of 2008) and Mckenzie (class of 2012) In her free time, Mrs. Jones enjoys volunteer work, running, cooking and spending time with family, friends and pets.

Mrs. Heather Garcia Brian - PreK-3 Lead Teacher
Mrs. Brian has a B.S. with a major in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the Holy Spirit Prep faculty in 2004, she was a teacher in Colorado. Recently married, she is enjoying married life and residing in the Smyrna area. She is also a part-time nanny for a family in Brookhaven.

Ms. Diane Palermo - PreK-3 Assistant
Ms. Palermo joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2003. She brings several years of experience as a Kindergarten Aide. Ms. Palermo also has an extensive background in Recreation Therapy and is an active volunteer at church and in the community. Four of Ms. Palermo's six grandchildren attend Holy Spirit Prep.

Mrs. Stephanie Rogers - PreK-4 Lead Teacher
Mrs. Rogers joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2003. She attended Georgia Southern University and has six years of experience as a preschool teacher. She has also worked with special needs children. Mrs. Rogers and her husband, Chadd live in Alpharetta.

Mrs. Susan L. Ryan - PreK-4 Lead Teacher
Miss Susan has been at Holy Spirit Prep since 2004 and has been teaching pre-school children for 15 years. Miss Susan attended Montclair State University in New Jersey. She is originally from New Jersey and has lived in Roswell for almost 20 years with her husband Jeff and their two daughters Erin & Kelly. Miss Susan has served on PTA executive boards, has been a Girl Scout leader, a PSR teacher, a "Room Mom", and is an active volunteer in her community. The Ryan family attends St. Ann’s parish in Marietta. 

Miss Alexandra Zbeeb - PreK-4 Lead Teacher
Miss Alex joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2004. Although she was born in the Boston area, Miss Alex grew up in the Druid Hills neighborhood in Atlanta.  She attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in Child and Family Development in 1999. After graduation, Miss Alex moved to St. Simons Island where she began her teaching career with the Glynn County School System. During her three years there, Miss Alex taught both special education preschool and regular Pre-K. Throughout the years, Miss Alex has also worked off and on as a nanny. Most recently, she spent the summer in Greece working with a family. In her free time, Miss Alex enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family, friends, and black lab, Onyx.

Mrs. Mary Shaw - PreK-4 Lead Teacher
Mrs. Shaw joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2005. Mary, her husband Brad, and three children moved to Atlanta from San Diego in 2004. Mary has three children at Holy Spirit Prep; Mike & Jack (twins) in the class of 2010, and Kevin who is in the class of 2014. Mary received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Sweet Briar College in Virginia in 1988 with a major in Philosophy, and a minor in Education. Mary also received her Child Development Master Teacher credential from the state of California in 2002. In San Diego, Mary was a preschool aide for one year, and then a teacher for two years. Mary truly enjoys being with children and is happy to be a part of Holy Spirit Preschool.

Mrs. Judi Higgins - Developmental Class Assistant
Mrs. Higgins joined the Holy Spirit Prep staff in 2005. Mrs. Higgins attended Kennesaw State University and worked for Post Properties supporting Executives in Landscape, Management and Interior Design for 22 years. Her daughter Kali attends Holy Spirit Prep (class of 2010) along with 3 nieces and 3 nephews ranging in age from Kindergarten to 11th grade. She also has a daughter Molly who is a Junior at Savannah College (SCAD Atlanta) and pursuing a degree in Interior Design. Mrs. Higgins, her husband Mike and daughters Molly and Kali live in Marietta and are Holy Spirit Catholic Church Parishioners.

Mrs. Ann Pastorello - PreK-4 Assistant
Miss Ann joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2005. She and her family moved to Atlanta in 2001 from Maryland. While in Maryland, Ann worked as a reading tutor with elementary school children. Currently living in Marietta, Ann and her husband Ben have two boys at Holy Spirit; Jeff who is in the class of 2008 and Greg in the class of 2010.

Mrs. Zita Vegso - PreK-4 Assistant
Mrs. Vegso is from Hungary and moved to Atlanta seven years ago. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. In the last four years she worked at Northwoods Montessori School with 3-6 years old students. Zita is also an active member at the Cowart Family Ashford Dunwoody YMCA where she has worked with children for the past 6 years. Zita and her husband, Marc live in Marietta with their son, Benji.

Mrs. Mary Agrippina - PreK-4 Assistant
Mrs. Agrippina graduated from St. John's University with a B.S. in accounting. Upon graduation, she worked for 15 years as an accountant for the U.S. Treasury. She currently resides in Sandy Springs with her husband and four children, all of whom have attended Holy Spirit Prep since 2004.

Mrs. Michelle Bertany - PreK-4 Assistant
Mrs. Bertany joins HSPS in 2007. She grew up in Atlanta and attended St. Pius X High School. She graduated from Georgia State University with a B.A. in Spanish and English literature. Mrs. Bertany and her husband, David, have three children, Alexandra, Michael, and Nicholas, all of whom attend HSPS. She and her family live in Atlanta and are members of Holy Spirit Church.

Mrs. Jan Haverty- Developmental Class Teacher
Mrs. Jan Haverty was born and raised in Watertown, Connecticut. In Connecticut, Mrs. Haverty taught kindergarten for nine years. She attended the University of Southern Connecticut and received a Bachelor and Masters of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Haverty moved to Atlanta to attend Life University in Marietta where she earned a Doctorate degree in Chiropactic. After years of clinical practice and running her own clinic, Mrs. Haverty longed to work and teach children again. She taught third grade here at Holy Spirit for two years and this past year has taught developmental kindergarten. She is excited and once again thrilled to be part of the teaching staff here at Holy Spirit Prep teaching developmental kindergarten again this year. Mrs. Haverty resides in Dunwoody with her husband David and is a member of All Saints Catholic Church. She enjoys playing the piano, tennis, hiking, reading and the beach!

Mrs. Mary Beth Thompson - MMO
Mrs. Thompson grew up in the Atlanta area. She is a graduate of Georgia State University where she graduated with a B.S., R.N. Her Nursing experience includes working primarily in Woman’s health with an emphasis in obstetrics. She also has experience a children’s library assistant, and substitute teacher. She lives in Roswell with her husband, Phil, and their son William (class of 2011). Her hobbies include gardening, school volunteering, and her family pets. She and her family are members of St. Peter Chanel Parish.

Mrs. Kristine DiFiore - MMO Assistant
Mrs. DiFiore joined the HSPS family in 2007, working with the children in Mother's Morning Out. Mrs. DiFiore worked in the mortgage industry for nine years before tackling the full time job of raising her children. She lives in Sandy Springs with her husband and two children and attends The Cathedral of Christ the King where she has taught Sunday School for the past two years. Her children, Gracie and Luke will be new to HSPS this year as well.

Ms. Danyale Collins - MMO Assistant
Ms. Collins joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2007. She is a recent graduate of Fort Valley State University with a bachelor's degree in Social Work. She has experience working with children from being a mother of a two year old son, Kevin, and also through an internship at the Department of Family and Children Services and The Georgia Center. Ms. Collins plans on attending Georgia State to complete a master's degree in education. In addition to MMO, she also works at the nursery and the after school program at the lower school. Ms. Collins attends Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and she has a cousin who is currently enrolled at Holy Spirit Prep. Ms. Collins loves children and hopes to help better a child's life through her work.

Mrs. Leanne Aspinall - Art
Mrs. Aspinall is originally from Melbourne, Australia. She joined the Holy Spirit Prep staff in 2005, but she has been an active parent volunteer at the school for several years. Mrs. Aspinall's son Patrick is in the Holy Spirit Prep Class of 2016 and Ryan is in the Holy Spirit Prep Class of 2019. The Aspinalls are parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Mrs. Paula Garlen - Music
Mrs. Garlen grew up in York, Pennsylvania where she attended 12 years of Catholic school. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from West Chester University. Her training at West Chester included a focus in early childhood music education techniques such as Orff-Schulwerk and Kodaly. She maintains her professional development as a member of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). She first became associated with Holy Spirit Preparatory School in 1998 when her son joined the Pre-K 2 program at the Pre School. Over the past nine years she has participated as a parent volunteer in many different capacities throughout the school. In 2004 she joined the teaching staff at the Holy Spirit Prep Upper School to help build the Performing Arts program. Over the past 13 years Mrs. Garlen has also served as a cantor and soloist for Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Her goal as a professional educator and musician is to instill as much enthusiasm and love for music in her students as she has.

Mrs. Kiley Jannetta - Creative Movement
Mrs. Jannetta joins the preschool staff as the creative movement teacher this year. She graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a degree in Mathematics. Mrs. Jannetta has spent the last seven years as a Learning Lab specialist at The Lovett School, specializing in elementary through upper school math. Mrs. Jannetta's daughter Molly is in the Holy Spirit Prep class of 2021. Mrs. Jannetta and her husband David are the proud parents of 4 young children. The Jannettas and their family have been parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for over 20 years.

Mrs. Karen Langell - Library
Mrs. Langell attended St. John's University in New York. She worked in Manhattan for over 10 years and was a V.P. at Lehman Brothers. Karen and her husband Tim live in Midtown with their three children; Alexandra-Holy Spirit Prep Class of 2018, Nicholas-Holy Spirit Prep Class of 2020 and Samantha. Mrs. Langell joined Holy Spirit Prep in 2004 and the Langells are members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Mrs. Gloria Narea- Spanish
Mrs. Narea is originally from Michoacan, Mexico. She graduated in 1988 from Escuela Nacional para Maestras de Jardin de Ninos (National School for Kindergarten Teachers) with a Bachelor's Degree in Education in Mexico, City. She moved to Toluca, Mexico and worked as a full time teacher at Instituto Cenca for five years. In 1994, she moved to Atlanta to get married. She successfully completed EASL (English as a second language) at Mercer University. Prior to joining Holy Spirit Prep in 2007, Mrs. Narea has been a stay at home mom. Her two children, Monica and Daniel both are Holy Spirit Prep students. The Narea Family are parishioners at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Marietta.