St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School

Faculty Friday Spotlight Series - Mrs. Rocher

Mrs. Rocher has been at St. Thomas for seven lucky years!

Since she was a little girl, Mrs. Rocher displayed a passion for teaching. She recalls playing school with her younger brother and dolls, and it was apparent that her nurturing personality would bode well in a classroom. Before teaching at schools, Mrs. Rocher was a swim instructor for four years, teaching children as young as six months old how to survive and thrive in a pool. She switched the towel for a smartboard and began teaching second-grade children with special needs at a small private school. This was an incredibly inspiring learning opportunity and many of the skills she learned she has brought to St. Thomas. Since joining our school, Mrs. Rocher has been a vital part of the lower elementary division team, having held roles as Associate and Lead Teacher in Kindergarten and Sr. PK classes. Her teaching style is very interactive and play-based. She believes “creating a positive and joyful learning experience fosters a love for learning that will lay a solid foundation for their future educational journey.” Upon graduating from kindergarten, she hopes her students will gain confidence, learn how to work and play independently and in group settings, and, most importantly, be respectful, responsible, and polite.

Originally from Miami, Mrs. Rocher went to St. Brendan High School and graduated Summa Cum Lade from Florida International University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is the proud fur mother of Bo, a four-year-old dog she and her husband adopted. As a proud Miamian, she cheers for the Heat, Dolphins, Marlins, Florida Panthers, and University of Miami teams. You can find her at the beach when she is not working out or doing dance cardio.
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Faculty Friday Spotlight Series - Mrs. Crews

Mrs. Crews has been at St. Thomas for 27 years!

St. Thomas has been a part of Mrs. Crews’ life for as far as she can remember. She first joined our community as a student and fell in love with being in a school setting. She used to take the lessons learned in her kindergarten class and pretend to teach them to her sisters. Following her elementary school graduation, she attended Palmer Trinity and then Sewanee. True to her roots, Mrs. Crews returned to Palmer to teach Art History before joining St. Thomas as a Kindergarten teacher. For 12 years, she enjoyed hearing her students share their ideas and “what if?” questions before taking on the role of Art Teacher. Over the course of 15 years, she has inspired kindergarten - fifth-grade students to be creative, gain confidence in their abilities, and, most importantly, have fun! During her tenure, she has implemented a thorough art history curriculum and launched the Great Art program, which exposes students to artists and brings their art to life using our campus as her canvas.

The Miami native is the proud mother of two daughters who have followed her footsteps to St. Thomas and Palmer Trinity. She enjoys spending her afternoons walking with friends and reading while continuously discovering art around her. It is no surprise that her favorite art pieces are almost always based on nature.
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Faculty Friday Spotlight Series - Mrs. Pierson

Mrs. Pierson has been at St. Thomas for seven years. Lucky #7!

As a ninth grader, Mrs. Pierson tutored elementary school children. She loved watching their joyful and proud smiles when they were able to understand difficult concepts, and she found purpose in making a difference in the lives of children. For the past 18 years, she has lived in Atlanta, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Miami, teaching kindergarten - second grade, as well as math. Each move has helped her develop and refine her teaching style. She focuses on fostering a classroom community of learners who encourage each other, are engaged in their activities, feel valued and respected, and look forward to learning as a family. “I want my students to be kind, caring, and responsible citizens. I want them to remember that mistakes are part of the learning process. And remember the power of the word ‘yet,’ as in ‘I don’t understand this, yet.’”

While she considers herself Nicaraguan, she was actually born in Costa Rica and grew up in Miami. She is an alum of St. Theresa and Lourdes Academy and graduated college from The University of Florida. She is a proud mom of three beautiful children (including a St. Thomas alum and a rising preschooler) and has known her husband since she was seven years old - talk about childhood love! She has called St. Thomas her second home for seven years and loves the sense of community. She considers her second-grade team a family, the kind that supports each other in the good times and bad and always with a sense of humor.
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Faculty Friday Spotlight Series - Mrs. Arellano

Mrs. Arellano has been at St. Thomas for three years.

There is no doubt that teaching is not only a passion but also a calling that many of our teachers get at a young age, and Mrs. Karyn Arellano is no exception. Ever since she was a little girl, she dreamt of becoming a teacher and used to love playing “school” with her neighborhood friends., and sought volunteer opportunities to work with and read to young children when she was older. Mrs. Arellano established special bonds with others from a young age, a talent she has nurtured for nearly 25 years and one she shares with St. Thomas students.

After earning her degree from Barry University, she taught preschool at a public school for five years, followed by a 16-year position as a kindergarten teacher in a charter school. She came to St. Thomas in 2020 and feels blessed to be able to continue her career teaching kindergarten, as this is where her heart is. Her teaching style is similar to that of a recipe: a little bit of structure, with a whole lot of love, sprinkled with creativity, and a touch of high expectations for all the amazing things students are capable of learning. She wants her students to leave kindergarten with the confidence to know they can reach any goal they set out to accomplish, how much they are loved, the impact of random acts of kindness, and to love and respect each other’s differences!

This mother of four is originally from Miami and, on the weekends, can be found at Christopher Columbus High School cheering for her two sons' baseball and football teams.
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Faculty Friday Spotlight Series - Mrs. Gonzalez

Mrs. Gonzalez is celebrating a decade at St. Thomas!

Although Mrs. Gonzalez has been teaching at St. Thomas for 10 years, she has been at our school for 18 years, including the eight she spent as a student. This former-alumn-turned-teacher found her passion for teaching as a sixth-grade Chapel Buddy for Mrs. Sue Nichols’ Kindergarten class. She loved helping the younger students and even volunteered to grade papers. She began her career at Whispering Pines Elementary, where she taught Kindergarten for 10 years and did a practicum in a second-grade classroom while earning her Master's Degree. This mother-of-two took a teaching hiatus to stay home with her boys and joined St. Thomas when her oldest was two years old. She started at her alma mater as a preschool associate teacher, then moved on to third grade, where she taught for seven years. In 2022, she was given the opportunity to put her post-baccalaureate certification in Neurodiversity to practice in the Center for Excellence and is really enjoying offering students the support they need. “I am a teacher who has high expectations for my students. Through the strong connections we establish, I try to push them academically and social-emotionally to be their very best. I place a high value on effort, as well as kindness.”

Mrs. Gonzalez is originally from Miami and loves the strong relationships that are built at St. Thomas among students, families, and especially her colleagues. When she’s not encouraging her students to make mistakes and learn from them, she can be found spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys long walks with her husband and their Goldendoodle, Brody.
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Faculty Friday: Spotlight Series- Mrs. Medina

This is Mrs. Medina’s second year at St. Thomas.

For her second-grade “Career Day” at school, Mrs. Medina dressed up as a teacher. She knew since then that was what she wanted to be when she grew up. She spent her summer in high school as a camp volunteer and loved working with young children. After graduating from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, she attended FIU and Nova University and earned her degrees in Management and PreK-Primary Education. She began her career at Epiphany Catholic School, where she spent 13 years teaching first grade and art. In 2012, she combined her passions for creativity and education and opened her own art studio where she taught children in the local community. In 2020, she joined St. Thomas’ Kindergarten team and brought her creative, caring, and cooperative (the 3 C’s) style to our school. “I want my students to be inspired and feel comfortable expressing their ideas, feelings, and interest. I want them to feel safe and loved every day in school. I want them to work together and share those qualities that make each of us special in our own way.” For Mrs. Medina, working at St. Thomas has felt like having a second family who has supported her and encouraged her every step of the way.

Originally from Miami, Mrs. Medina is the proud mother of a 24-year-old daughter and fur mom to her dog, Ziggy. She enjoys painting and playing the piano in her spare time. Her favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day, so it is no surprise that her favorite place to travel is one of the most romantic places in the world: Italy!
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Faculty Friday: Spotlight Series - Mrs. Peacock

Mrs. Peacock has been at St. Thomas for three years.

Mrs. Peacock has always loved numbers. She began her career in corporate banking in International Trade and then in Treasury Management. She was fortunate that her company strongly advocated volunteering at schools. She spent time in the classroom reading to students and supporting the Meet the Masters program at her children’s school. Through this experience, she discovered her passion and purpose to educate and inspire the next generation. Before coming to St. Thomas, she taught at various public schools in Florida and Louisiana. Her previous experience and versatility allowed her to teach several subjects, including English as a Second Language, to kindergarten to eighth grade students. She joined the St. Thomas family three years ago as a fifth-grade teacher emphasizing math and has come to love so many things about our school. But if she had to pick one, it would be the students. “They give me something to laugh and smile about each and every day.” Although Mrs. Peacock has high expectations for her fifth-graders and encourages them to be active participants, her class is a “no stress” zone. She believes this will foster an environment where they enjoy learning and continue to be enthusiastic about school.

Originally from Swampscott, MA, Mrs. Peacock attended Providence College where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Modern Languages/Humanities with a minor in Business. This proud mother of two enjoys crafting, drawing, cooking, reading with her 55-pound Golden Retriever/Lab dog at her feet, traveling, and making memories with family and friends. She loves all-things-Italy, including the food and music (in fact, she has a San Remo playlist on Spotify!). If you catch her eating a vanilla ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles, don’t be surprised that she is thinking about great childhood memories.

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Faculty Friday: Spotlight Series - Miss Quiñones

No stranger to Miami, Miss Q grew up in Coral Gables, but her family is from Ecuador. A graduate of St. Philips and Ransom Everglades, she ventured off to the cold to study Finance at Boston University. But even after her success in Finance, Miss Q couldn’t help but reflect on how even as a child, she enjoyed helping other kids learn, and as she got older, she loved babysitting and helping friends study for tests. Her love of teaching brought her to St. Thomas 20 years ago. She began her journey as a first grade teacher before moving upstairs to fourth grade, where she’s been ever since! Miss Q received her Masters in Education at the University of Miami, where she became a diehard Hurricane fan. An integral part of the St. Thomas community, her favorite thing about STEPS is her colleagues.

When asked about the fourth grade, Miss Q describes it as “fun, exciting, and a time where students learn responsibility.” She hopes her students leave her class with “a love of reading” and the desire to “go above and beyond in everything they do.” Outside of the classroom, Miss Q is quite the chef and baker. Her favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because of how much she likes to cook! When she’s not practicing ballet or traveling, you can find Miss Q with her cat Snowy and her dog, Cutie. If she could have a superpower, it would be to fly - so she could travel any time she wanted!
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