Mrs. Patricia Cummins has been teaching Spanish at St. Ambrose Catholic School since the fall of 2002. In 2010, she received the Diocesan Middle School Teacher of the Year Award. She loves the warm, spiritual atmosphere at the school and the enthusiasm the students bring each day.
Sra. Cummins received a BA in Spanish and French as well as a MA in Spanish Language and Literature from Boston College. After studying in Spain and France, she went on to teach at Boston College and the University of Maryland, European Division. She worked in the kindergarten and preschool/handicapped programs for the Department of Defense schools overseas and after relocating to Fairfax, Va. as a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Schools.
Sra. Cummins and her husband Brian are originally from Boston and have been married for 34 years. They are members of St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax. They have five children. As an Army family, they have traveled and lived in many places, most notably, Germany, Korea and England. Exploring other cultures is a favorite activity.
In her spare time, Sra. Cummins volunteers with various service organizations, most recently the USO and the Boston College Alumni Association. She enjoys walking, reading, sewing and learning about new places.
This is Mrs. Healy’s twentieth year as St. Ambrose School’s librarian, following three years as the kindergarten aide. She was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and received her Bachelor of Education degree from The University of Virginia. She taught second and third grades for eight years in Albemarle County, Virginia. When her sons were born, she retired and was a regular room mother and library volunteer through their elementary school careers.
Mrs. Healy and her husband of 45 years have been St. Ambrose parishioners for 34 years. She has two grown sons. The oldest is married with 2 sons, and the youngest is married and living in New York. That leaves only her corgi “puppy” at home to keep her and her husband company!
Mrs. Healy’s love for children’s literature led her to the St. Ambrose library. She read to her boys daily when they were young, and is passionate about the importance of parents sharing books with their children every day. Now she enjoys reading to her two grandsons!
After graduating from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, I taught algebra to students from 7th-12th grade at Lincoln International Academy in Managua, Nicaragua. Upon returning to the states, I accepted a physical education teaching position at St. Michael’s Catholic School in Annandale and taught there until I left to start a family, 11 years later.
When my children were older, I returned to teaching and feel very blessed to be a part of the St. Ambrose community and look forward to having a fun-filled year teaching your children.
I live with my husband, 4 young adult children and Chihuahua, Maybellene. We live in Mclean in Saint John the Beloved Parish, where we have been active parishioners since relocating to Virginia in 1989. In 1979 I received a B.S. in Biology from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and in 1981 completed the Physician Assistant program at Hahnemann Medical School’s College of Allied Health Professions (currently part of Drexel University) in Philadelphia and became certified.
I am delighted to be part of the fantastic team of faculty and staff at Saint Ambrose School. This is my second year supervising the Health Clinic. This year I will be working additional hours at the school – teaching Health to grades K – 5 and as Director of Saint Ambrose Extended Day Program. I am blessed to be given these additional responsibilities and I look forward to serving this wonderful school community’s students and their families this year.
Mrs. May and her husband Jim have been married for 30 years and have 5 children ages 28 to 14 and one 10 month old grandson. Their family has been privileged to attend Catholic schools in the Arlington diocese for the past 23 years. They have been members of the St. Ambrose School and community for 14 years.
Mrs. May graduated from James Madison University with a teaching degree in special education. Through graduate work at UVA, ODU, Marymount and GMU, she earned certifications to teach children with varying intellectual, learning and emotional abilities in grades K-12. She has been a classroom teacher for 19 years. She has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels in the Virginia Public School system in Greene County, Newport News, Charlottesville, and Fairfax County. When she is not teaching she enjoys being with her family and friends, exercising and cooking.
Mrs. May has been involved in various school activities throughout her teaching and parenting careers. She coached High School track and sponsored the student government; coached CYO basketball and track; taught CCD and has been a room parent. She has been trained in mentoring new teachers and in implementing school wide character education programs. As a classroom teacher and mother to five children, she shares a broad perspective in advocating for the student, parent and family needs in our school community.
As a Resource teacher at St. Ambrose, Mrs. May is available to provide guidance and assistance to teachers, students and parents so that the individual learning needs of all students can be addressed. She coordinates the Leveled Readers Program in the lower grades. She also holds lunch bunch groups for students. Mrs. May works with students, teachers, parents, volunteers and public schools to provide an opportunity for each student to access the support necessary to reach his or her full academic potential.
I am excited to join the faculty at St. Ambrose this year! Teaching and music are two of the most important things in my life, and I’m thrilled to bring that to the students at St. Ambrose. I have a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Schreyer Honors College of Penn State University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance at George Mason University.
For the past year, I have taught music at St. Philip Early Childhood Center and St. Rita’s Preschool, both within the Arlington Diocese. I’m a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo Church where I am the cantor for the Saturday vigil Mass. As well as teaching at the schools, I have an active voice and piano studio in Northern VA and DC where I teach students of all ages and abilities.
In addition to teaching, I am an active performer. Last summer, I was an Apprentice Artist with Charlottesville Opera. I have received numerous awards, including the first prize in the American Council for Polish Culture’s Marcella Sembrich Vocal Competition, the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition Richard and Cheryl Hack Award, and first place in both VA State and Mid-Atlantic Regional NATS. Some of my favorite roles include the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Madam Herz (The Impresario), Le feu (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Carrie (Carousel), Fiona (Brigadoon), and Eileen (Wonderful Town).
While I’m not singing and playing the piano, I enjoy cooking, hiking, and reading.
After graduating from Radford University with a BS and MS in International Economics, I spent many years as a programmer. Some of my previous employers include: UNC-Chapel Hill, the World Bank, and Lockheed Martin.
My husband, Frank, and I have one child at St. Ambrose whom I’ve been blessed to be able to stay at home with. My school activities include STEM, room mom, substituting, and extended day. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, and reading.
I’m very excited to teach Technology this year and continue being a part of the St. Ambrose community!
Sarah is not new to St. Ambrose. She is a past PTO President, Room Parent, Religious Education Assistant and Parishioner. She and her husband, Bill, have one daughter who attends St. Ambrose.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Providence College and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Saint Mary, she is thrilled to be able to apply some of the skills she learned while homeschooling, student teaching and in her painting, sculpture and art history classes to bring a cohesive picture of art, faith and learning to all the artists who attend St. Ambrose.
In her spare time she enjoys, writing, travel, cooking, an occasional 5K race and time spent with her family which includes a Vizsla.
My name is An Cao (pronounced “Awn” and “Cal” like Cal Ripken). I’m known to students as Mr. An. In Vietnamese, the full name means “highly graced”. I grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and spent lots of summers in Orville, Ohio where my best memories were playing pickup basketball games, fishing, camping, and building tree houses.
I earned a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Catholic University of America. My career path has been in Engineering Consulting, Medical Research, and Healthcare Technologies for the past 20 years. I love solving problems with innovation by applying science and technology to better serve and enrich humanity. I am joyfully married and consider being a dad to be my greatest promotion. My passion is teaching, mentoring, and being a life coach to young people. I love to read about strange things, watch super hero movies, and play street basketball.
My mantra over the years has been “Every day is a bonus”. This stems from being grateful to breathe, laughing, eating, smiling, and simply being the better version of yourself each day. At the end of the day, I will have hoped I learned something new and offered my work as a gift to others no matter how little. “Do little things with great love” – St. Mother Teresa
I love music and have a passion for sharing it with my students. My mission is to communicate my enthusiasm and passion for music to my students. I want them to learn the importance of appreciating, understanding, and communicating so they will create music in their own self-expressive ways.
Some information about me:
B.A., Music, with an instrumental music education concentration, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
20 years music teaching experience including:
Performed with the 257th Army Band “The Band of the Nation’s Capitol”
Performed with Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Orchestra
As an artist, performed and recorded seven full-length products and toured nationally for seven years.
St. Ambrose Catholic School
3827 Woodburn Road, Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: 703-698-7171
Fax: 703-698-7170
St. Ambrose School admits students of any race, color, and national origin.
