Milford Teacher Welcomed with New Staff at Sacred Heart Academy

President Sr. Sheila O’Neill, ASCJ, Ph.D., ’71 and Principal Sr. Maureen Flynn, ASCJ, ‘81 announcethe following appointments for the 2015-16 academic year:

Tara Cantore of East Haven  has joined the Social Studies Department and teaches Western Civilization, AP U.S. History, and Asian Studies. Her undergraduate work was completed in 2004 at Coastal Carolina University where she double majored in history and political science. In 2006, she earned a M.S. in journalism from Quinnipiac University and in 2015, a M.A. in history from Central Connecticut State University. Tara comes to us from Capital Community College in Hartford where she was a history and government adjunct professor and Southern New Hampshire University’s online degree program where she taught journalism and public speaking. Prior to entering the field of education, she worked in marketing and publishing as a writer and editor.

Samantha Church of Hartford has joined the Guidance Department as a guidance social worker. She holds a M.S.W. from New York University Silver School of Social Work with a focus in macro social work and policy, as well as a B.S.in social work from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Samantha comes to Sacred Heart from New York City where she worked for two years at the YMCA of Greater New York in various roles in the Youth and Family Department while completing her graduate degree. She enjoys photography, travel, and theatre.

Kristin Filipowicz of Milford has joined the Mathematics Department as a teacher of Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Functions/Statistics/Trigonometry. Kristin earned a B.S. in mathematics and completed a five-year math secondary education master’s program at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She student taught at Springfield High School in Philadelphia focusing in Algebra III/Trigonometry. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, running, crafting, and going to the beach.

Rebecca Lendroth Hyland, Esq., ’01 of North Branford is excited to return home as a member of the Social Studies Department. She teaches Psychology, AP Psychology, and Constitutional Foundations. After graduating with a degree in psychology and political science from Quinnipiac University, Rebecca studied at Bard College’s Globalization and International Affairs Program in NYC. She then attended The George Washington University Law School in D.C. Rebecca became a member of the Virginia State Bar in 2009 and practiced as a public defender for six years. She and her husband are thrilled to be back in the Northeast with their two cats, Lucy and Desi.

Jessica Kapteyn, Ph.D. of Hamden is teaching Latin. She attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where she earned a B.A. in classics. She recently graduated from the University of Washington with a M.A. and Ph.D. in classics, with a focus on Latin prose. While there, Jessica taught courses in the Classics Department. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and volunteering on archaeological digs. A transplant to Connecticut from Seattle, she looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm for the Latin language and classical world with our students.

Peter Litwin of Orange a new member of the Science Department, teaches Physics, AP Physics, and Astronomy, and co-moderates the Science National Honor Society. A Connecticut native, Peter graduated magna cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University in 2015 where he was awarded departmental honors in physics. He participated in applied physics research internships at both SCSU and Yale University and has served as a mentor for Yale’s Evolutions Program. Peter is a volunteer assistant coach for the Amity High School wrestling team and coaches an area youth team. Outside of physics, his interests include astronomy, materials engineering, electronics, and history as well as hiking, camping, and fitness.

Margaret O’Rourke, Esq. of Huntington is teaching Business Management. She is a 1983 graduate of City University of New York, Brooklyn College with a B.A. in political science and 1987 graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law. Margaret works with her husband in their Stratford law firm and is hoping to bring real-life experience in running a small business to the classroom. Daughter Katie graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 2015 and her son is a high school freshman. Margaret most enjoys volunteering and spending time with family and their new rescue dog.

Carlos Plaza has joined the Mathematics Department as a teacher of Pre-Calculus, Statistics, and AP Statistics. His undergraduate and graduate work was done at Central Connecticut State University. He comes to us from the Hartford area, where he taught math courses at CCSU for several semesters and substitute taught in various public schools. Carlos has lived in five different countries and enjoys spending time with friends, physical exercise, and investing.

Arthur Salhanick, Ph.D. is teaching Honors Biology, Genetics, Human Gene Discovery, and Microbiology. He completed undergraduate work at Northeastern University and graduate work at Boston University where he earned a Ph.D. in biology. He has held positions in industrial research at Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Cytrx Corporation. He began a second career after completing the Alternative Route to Certification Program (ARC) certifying him as a middle and high school biology and general science teacher. He gained secondary school teaching experience in Bridgeport, Waterbury, and West Hartford and is excited about the opportunity to each at our school. His wife, Adele, teaches in the Science Department at Guilford High School; they are proud parents of seven children. Raised in Massachusetts, Arthur is a long-time Red Sox fan with warm memories of watching Ted Williams at Fenway Park.