Faculty & Staff Highlights

Personnel Service Awards

2021-2022

5 Years:

Jessica Dupepe

Amy Ferguson

Claire Gallagher

Katie Ibarra

10 Years: David Ruth

15 Years:

Shannon Hauler

Claudia Vallejo

20 Years:

Patricia Byrne

Paul Garvey

Kwantrell Rideau

30 Years: Brenda Castillo

55 Years: Sr. Angeline Magro, O.P.

LOUISIANA SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year

Dominican science teacher Crissy Giacona was selected as a Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA) Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year for 2021. She was one of three educators honored with this designation. The LSTA presents the annual Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year Awards to one science teacher at each level (elementary, middle, and secondary) who has demonstrated exemplary science teaching.

In 2013, the year Giacona joined Dominican’s faculty, she started the school’s robotics programs. To date, Dominican has participated in more than 20 events and competitions that involve FIRST LEGO League (FLL), Vex, and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). In 2016 she started Domini-Science Saturday that offers Domini-Science fun to girls in grades fourth to seventh who collaborate with Dominican students and faculty, conducting experiments, and exploring the wonders of science.

LOUISIANA TRACK & FIELD COACHES ASSOCIATION

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dominican Assistant Prinicpal Dennis Panepinto received the 2022 Louisiana Track and Field Coaches Association (LTFCA) Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Drew Haro, the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Brother Martin High School.

Introducing Panepinto at the awards ceremony, Drew said he knows the honoree not only as a coaching colleague but as a mentor and friend.

“He’s always had the best interest of the kids at heart,” Haro said. “And while all of these achievements and contributions are noteworthy and important, I’d argue that his most significant impact on the sports of cross country and track and field are in the lives of others he’s either worked with or coached who themselves have taken up the torch for coaching.”

LTFCA is an organization made up of professional coaches from the college, high school, junior high school, and club ranks dedicated to the advancement of the sports of track and field and cross country.

Foundations New Orleans

2021-2022 St. Mary’s Dominican High School Service Award honorees, (from left), Katie Ibarra (Religion) , Claire Gallagher (Religion), Amy Ferguson (Social Studies), Jessica Dupepe (Finance), David Ruth (Technology), Sr. Angeline Magro, O.P. (Library), Shannon Hauler (Administration and English), Claudia Vallejo (Foreign Languages), Kwantrell Rideau (Facilities), Paul Garvey (Facilities), Patricia Byrne (Administration), and Brenda Castillo (Fine Arts).

Sadlier Catholic Identity Award

St. Mary’s Dominican High School received the prestigious Sadlier Catholic Identity Award at the 2022 National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) conference held in New Orleans in April. Willian H. Sadlier, Inc. and the Archdiocese of New Orleans recognized Dominican for shaping Catholic identity in the school’s life, faith, and mission through the various ministries of Catholic education.