we are saints, scholars, disciples of Christ, and LEADERS
Fr. Waldemar Latkowski, C.Ss.R
Pastor
Rev. Waldemar Latkowski, C.Ss.R., serves as pastor of the recently united parishes of Our Lady of Charity and St. Mary of Czestochowa. He is a Redemptorist priest of the Province of Warsaw and has been a parish priest and superior of his religious community. This year Fr. Waldemar celebrates 25 years of service to the Lord. He previously served as the pastor at St. John Paul II Parish in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he introduced liturgies and programs to suit the needs of the English, Polish, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking people.
Mr. Frank Zárate, Jr.
Principal
Frank Zarate, Jr., is proud to serve as the principal at Our Lady of Charity School. Mr. Zarate holds a B.A. degree from UIC with a double major in the Teaching of English and the Teaching of Spanish, and an M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership, also from UIC. His 2013 doctoral degree is from National Louis University in Chicago, where he wrote his dissertation on reducing out-of-school suspension rates. Mr. Zarate has taught all grade levels, from kindergarten to high school seniors, in both private and public schools, and has worked in a variety of school administration capacities. It is his goal at OLC to help create "saints and scholars," and to make a Catholic education a reality for any parents desiring it for their child.
Mr. Sean Knight
Preschool
Mr. Sean Knight graduated from Illinois State University with a B.S. in Education majoring in both secondary education and community health education. He immediately began teaching preschool in a classroom setting in summer of 2000. A few years later he began working on his master’s in early childhood education and graduated from Roosevelt University in 2008. When he thought he was finally done with schooling, he returned to obtain his English as a Second Language endorsement from Kendall College. He additionally teaches at National Louis University. Prior to joining the Our Lady of Charity family, Sean taught at various nonprofit early childcare facilities around Chicagoland.
Mr. Matthew Arenas
Kindergarten
Mr. Matthew Arenas teaches kindergarten at Our Lady of Charity School. He has his Professional Educator License in Illinois in Early Childhood, English as a Second Language, and Special Education. Mr. Arenas previously worked for several years in the school at All Saints Episcopal Church in Chicago. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education in June 2022 from DePaul University and is a graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School in Riverside and St. Louise de Marillac School in LaGrange Park. Matthew believes that "human beings learn by observing and being supported by parents, teachers, caregivers and peers. Children emulate the adults in their life to learn how to act in society." No doubt about that!
Ms. Juliana Morini
1st Grade
Welcome to first grade! My name is Juliana Morini and this is my third year teaching, but first year here at Our Lady of Charity School. Previously, I taught first grade at a Catholic school on the South Side of Milwaukee. I am from the Cicero area and graduated from St. Frances of Rome. I then I went to Trinity High School in River Forest, and graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with a BA in Elementary Education and Spanish. I moved to Milwaukee for college and lived there for almost 6 years. Although I love Milwaukee, I am glad to be back in my hometown giving back to the community I grew up in! My favorite part about teaching first grade is getting to know and make relationships with all of my students, and watching everyone grow throughout the year.
Ms. Kate Cary
2nd Grade
Ms. Cary received a master’s degree in teaching and learning from DePaul University, and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Clarke University. She has been teaching at OLC for 12 years. Ms. Cary enjoys spoiling her twelve nieces and nephews, exploring nature, and working with children and animals. In fact, Ms. Cary published a book about animals that can be found in Illinois, called Illinois Animal Alphabet.
Mrs. Helen Immordino
3rd Grade
Mrs. Immordino graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and holds an endorsement in Social Science as well. This is her 27th year in education and she has taught all grade levels from first through sixth. She has had the opportunity, at a personal and parental level, to experience the outcome of Catholic education, and firmly believes in the many benefits a Catholic education provides, both academically and spiritually. Mrs. Immordino enjoys spending time with her family, reading, running, and being outdoors.
Ms. Mary Tierney
4th Grade
Miss Tierney attended Catholic elementary school, high school, and college in the Chicagoland area. She earned her bachelor's degree at Saint Xavier University and was a teacher’s aide in a Special Education classroom in the Burbank School District 111 for two years before coming to Our Lady of Charity School. She has taught here for over thirty years. In 2017 Miss Tierney received her Illinois State Board of Education endorsement in teaching English as a Second Language.
Mr. Matthew Sedlacek
5th Grade
Mr. Matthew Sedlacek teaches 5th grade at OLC. Matt holds a B.A. degree from Governors State University. He earned his Illinois teaching license this year from Chicago State University and completed his student teaching last spring at Rich Township District 227 in Olympia Fields. Mr. Sedlacek is a graduate of Brother Rice High School and Queen of the Universe School, both on the South Side of Chicago where he grew up. He believes "the attributes necessary to be an outstanding teacher are content mastery, classroom management, and curriculum planning skills." We can't agree more, and we are delighted to have Matt join our school this year.
Ms. Phoebe Unzueta
6th Grade
Ms. Phoebe Unzueta is our 6th-grade homeroom teacher and our middle school religion and social studies teacher, Ms. Phoebe Unzueta. Ms. Unzueta is a graduate of St. Leonard School in Berwyn, St. Joseph High School, and DePaul University. She completed her student teaching in history in the spring of 2022 in Morton High School District 201. Ms. Unzueta believes that "teaching history is not exclusively about the names of people and dates of significant events, but additionally about building foundational skills. The building of these skills, whether they be in literature or analytical, can prepare students for success in their other classes and even more so beyond the school setting." We agree with you, Ms. Unzueta!
Mr. Joseph Letendre
7th Grade
L. Joseph Letendre is a teacher, philologist, cheesemonger, and published author. He has taught history, writing, and now literature at OLC for over two decades. One popular novelist has described him as "a strange and wonderful creature: an outsider, a natural elitist, not so much a cynic as an idealist mugged by reality, not just one of those who march to a different drummer, but the solo drummer in a parade of one."
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Mrs. Margaret Sweeney
8th Grade
Mrs. Margaret (Peg) Sweeney was born in Cleveland and grew up in New York. Her family later moved to Illinois, and she graduated from Libertyville High School in Libertyville, IL. She continued her studies at Illinois State University in Bloomington and received her bachelor’s degree in education there. Post-graduate studies were completed at Dominican University in River Forest. Mrs. Sweeney has been a teacher at Our Lady of Charity School since 2004 and is currently our 8th-grade homeroom teacher and our middle school math and science teacher. “Mrs. Sweeney is a very kind teacher, who cares greatly about all of her students,” according to two recent OLC graduates.
Mr. Carlos Lomeli
Physical Education
Our physical education teacher at OLC is Mr. Carlos Lomeli. Carlos enjoys playing all sports, but soccer and cycling are his favorites. As a teacher, he enjoys helping students discover their individual strengths and allowing them to develop these. He is a professional photographer as well, and works in this capacity in the world of real estate. Carlos is also a fitness instructor, and he is an excellent cook, too!
Mrs. Lisa Johnson
Teacher Aide
My name is Mrs. Johnson. I attended high school at Alan B. Shepherd, and started college at Moraine Valley in the fall, while I was a nanny for two little boys. I started working as a teacher and assistant director at Mary Sears Children's Academy in 1990. While there I received My Child Care Professional certificate through the State of IL. I came to Our Lady of Charity in the fall of 1999 as the pre-k teacher and taught here for 10 years. For the last 11 years, I have been working in all different classrooms as an aide and the librarian. In 2020 I recently earned my Paraprofessional certification and a now working pack in preschool. I have been married for 23 years and have a great son who will be 22 this year. My family and I enjoy traveling around the midwest with a group called Northwest Territory Alliances putting on recreations of the Revolutionary War. I love being part of the OLC family and I have enjoyed watching all your children grow educationally and spiritually. I am proud and honored to be part of so many of your children's lives and watch them grow into wonderful young ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.
Mrs. Martha Cortez
Teacher Aide
Mrs. Martha Cortez is a graduate of Aurora University where she received a B.A. in Social Work with coursework in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Cortez previously served as the center director of a preschool in Glenview, where she oversaw curriculum as well as other day-to-day operations. Martha is not only our librarian and kindergarten teacher aide but is also the parent of two children at OLC, and she is committed to our school's success.
Mrs. Claudia Garcia
Teacher Aide
Ms. Claudia Garcia is a teacher aide currently assisting the middle school grades. She graduated from Morton East High School and pursued a business degree at Morton College. She has many years of wireless retail experience and held a management position for 10 of those years. She has experience working with teams and being a leader as well as handling customer escalations. She has four wonderful children, 3 currently attending OLC and one who graduated last year from OLC and was valedictorian. She firmly believes that children are the future and is committed to ensuring that her talents, skills, and experience are used to aid their success. She has a strong foundation and faith in Jesus and wants to demonstrate the love of Christ to all. We are very lucky to have her with us this year.
Ms. Yashica Zuñiga
Family Liaison / Marketer
I’m Ms. Zuñiga and I serve as a marketer here at OLC. I was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and grew up in Chicago. I attended one of the many Noble Network Schools for high school, and I recently graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with a B.A. in Psychology. I decided to come back to Chicago and help give back to my community. My role at the school is to collaborate with scholarship providers to advocate and ensure that the families at OLC have the aid they deserve. I design and implement strategies to enhance the school's enrollment efforts as well.
Mr. Pedro Infante
Office Manager
My name is Pedro Infante and I am the office manager at Our Lady of Charity School. I grew up in Chicago and attended Pulaski International School and Charles A. Prosser High School where I was in the International Baccalaureate program. I received my B.S. degree in game development, with a focus on game design, from DePaul University. Since graduating from DePaul, I have held a variety of positions. I worked in the parish offices at St. Anthony Church in Cicero, at St. Simon on the South Side, and at St. Genevieve Church on the Northwest Side. I like having the opportunity to help people who are part of the church community here in the Archdiocese.
