SAINT JOHN VIANNEY SCHOOL - Key Persons
Mr. Cunningham graduated in 1990 from Seton Hall University with a BS in Secondary Education/English. In addition to teaching Language Arts and Religion, Mr. Cunningham is a member of the SJV Spirituality Committee, moderator of the Social Action Club, and assistant moderator of Student Council.
Mrs. Bridges has been teaching Pre-K for 20 years! Both of her sons started Pre-K right here at St. John Vianney and went all the way through to 8th grade. The faculty here gave them a wonderful foundation for their following school years and their current adult lives. Mrs. Bridges loves teaching Preschool! At what other job can you sing, dance, and use lots of glitter? (And, yes, sometimes wear a cape and crown!) We have a lot of fun in Preschool. It is so gratifying to meet the kids in September and watch them become more independent, make friends, and grow socially and academically.
Mrs. McCann is a graduate of Kean College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Her love and dedication for SJV and teaching second grade have kept her at Saint John Vianney School for over 40 years. She enjoys watching her students grow spiritually and academically in faith, love, and knowledge.
Mrs. Hou has been a classroom teacher for almost 20 years. She enjoys exploring a wide range of technology topics with her students, from slideshow creation and graphic design to coding and 3D printing. Mrs. Hou is also a former SJV parent. Her twins graduated from SJV in 2019, and she was a Girl Scout leader for 10 years. Mrs. Hou holds a BSE in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Zyra holds a B.A. in Elementary Education. She was a primary school teacher in the Watchung Borough School System for 19 years prior to joining the SJV faculty soon after her son enrolled in the school. Matthew graduated from SJV in 2015. Mrs. Zyra has taught kindergarten for about half of her teaching career. As a creative and dedicated teacher, she enjoys the challenge of making each day an adventure for her students by using a multitude of resources including technology, literature, art, manipulatives, and motion to aid in the learning and understanding of new concepts. She is committed to the highest levels of professional ethics and personal excellence.
Mrs. Mendicino has been teaching PreK-4 for 28 years. Her two daughters graduated from St. John Vianney and were very prepared for high school. Mrs. Mendicino loves working with four-year-olds - it's such great age, plus we get to paint, color, and get dirty! The best part of teaching PreK-4 for Mrs. Mendicino is seeing how her students grow from September to June. They become little ladies and gentlemen and are prepared for Kindergarten after a year of learning and having fun. Mrs. Mendicino gets attached to each one of her students, and June is bittersweet as they leave for Kindergarten. Then in September, it starts all over again!
Mrs. Rodriguez has been teaching at St. John Vianney for thirty-two years: seventeen in Kindergarten and fifteen in Pre-School. Previously, she taught for two years in New York City where her family is originally from. Mrs. Rodriguez has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Brooklyn College and a Masters in Administration and Supervision from Seton Hall University. She is bilingual and values cultural diversity.
Three of Mrs. Rodriguez's children and her grandson all attended St. John Vianney and after graduation continued onto St. Thomas Aquinas, Union Catholic, and Mother Seton. Mrs. Rogriguez's students discover a love for learning, participate in fun activities, and make new friends. She believes in meeting each child's individual needs while nurturing their potential for success.
Mrs. Willmott has been teaching for over 30 years in various grades from PreK through 4th grade. She has taught for 25 years in the Diocese of Metuchen and for 21 years at Saint John Vianney School. Mrs. Willmott holds a BA in Education from Felician University and loves teaching children.
Mrs. Perona worked in the financial services industry for over fifteen years managing mortgage systems and operations. After taking some time off to be at home with her sons, she received her teaching certification in 2007. Teaching enables her to share her love for numbers and working with children. Mrs. Perona looks forward to working with and motivating her students, helping each to reach their personal best!
As a member of the faculty for over ten years, Mrs. Murray wears many hats at SJV. She loves to share her love of all genres of music, theory, and singing, with her students and choirs. She has been part of the SJV Parish Music Ministry since she was a teen! Art is Mrs. Murray's newest subject, where she gets to have fun (and even get a little messy) teaching all grades how to create, sketch, draw and paint using different mediums while learning about classic, modern, and abstract art. Mrs. Murray is extremely proud of the SJV Drama Club and its many Broadway Jr. Musicals over the past few years. Drama Club gives our students an opportunity to showcase their many talents from performing to production, and truly shine on stage! SJV is truly blessed to have so many students who love the Fine Arts and Mrs. Murray is thankful for the opportunity to challenge and encourage them.
Mrs. Noto's entire career has been in Early Childhood Education and she truly loves her job! This is Mrs. Noto's 23rd year teaching at St. John Vianney School. She has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Jersey City State College. Mrs. Noto has three grown children and when new students come into her class, they become "her kids". Mrs. Noto loves her students and cares for them as though they were her own. Mrs. Noto will do everything she can to keep your child safe and healthy when they are in her care!
Señora Hughes has been a teacher at SJV for twenty years. She graduated from Kean University, with a degree in Public Administration and Criminal Justice. After working in the criminal justice field for fourteen years, she returned to school for teaching, due to a desire to work with children. Senora Hughes received her teaching degree through The College of NJ, and is certified to teach Grades K-8.
Señora Hughes taught Kindergarten through Fourth Grade for ten years, before switching to Spanish for all grade levels. She feels she has the best of both worlds by teaching the "Littles" and watching them grow to become successful eighth-graders, ready to do great things in high school, and beyond. In her spare time, Señora Hughes enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, baking, and planting flowers.
Mrs. Trinca received her Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University and her teaching certificate from Kean University. She taught Kindergarten and First Grade for 5 years in a public school and then left her teaching career to become a stay-at-home mom. Mrs. Trinca's children attended SJV and when a teaching position became available she knew she wanted to become a part of the SJV community. Mrs. Trinca has now been teaching First Grade for eleven years and is chairperson of the SJV Spirituality Committee.
Ms. Schmidt is a graduate of Kean University and is certified to teach Grades K-8. She has been at St. John Vianney for a number of years and has taught 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.
This is Ms. Cavuoto's first year teaching at Saint John Vianney. She worked previously at Lightbridge Academy as their Kindergarten teacher. Ms. Cavuoto grew up in Woodbridge Township and attended schools in the district. She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Cabrini University in Radnor, PA. Ms. Cavuoto absolutely loves teaching young kids, it is her passion. She enjoys helping her students learn and watching them grow and change each day. Ms. Cavuoto loves making her classroom a warm and inviting environment for her students to feel loved and appreciated each and every day.
Ms. Toporek has been the Physical Education (K-8) and Health (6-8) teacher at SJV for four years. She graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health. When Mrs. Toporek is not at SJV, you can see her coaching the varsity soccer and lacrosse teams at JP Stevens High School. She also loves photography and crafting in her spare time. Ms. Toporek loves to see the students active, working together, exercising, learning new skills, and most importantly, having fun!
Job Titles:
- Principal
- School Principal
Principal Nancy Tannucilli is a graduate of Fordham University (Bronx, NY), where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ), receiving a Master of Arts in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy from the Catholic School Leadership Program. Ms. Tannucilli has nearly twenty years of experience in the Diocese of Metuchen, having taught many different grade levels in numerous subject areas and served as an Assistant Principal.