Related Arts Faculty

Miss Ana Ozores - 3 – 8 Grades Spanish

Miss Ozores is returning for her 12th year as our Spanish teacher for grades 3 – 8. A native of Havana, Cuba, Miss Ozores attended Catholic elementary and secondary schools in Miami, later graduating with a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in International Relations from Florida International University. Ana received her Master’s Degree from Ave Maria University in Exceptional Student Education. She is associated with the Florida Foreign Language Association and has her Florida Certification in Spanish. Prior to joining RPA, Miss Ozores was employed by Collier County Public Schools in the E.S.O.L. Program. Last year, she was nominated by the Christian Chamber of Southwest Florida as a top ten finalist for the Golden Halo Award.

Mrs. Ibiza Aguirre - K – 2nd Grades Spanish

Mrs. Aguirre returns to RPA for her sixth year as our Kindergarten through 3rd grade Spanish teacher. Ibiza is a graduate of Inter American University of Puerto Rico where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education and is currently working towards her MBA. Prior to joining our team, she taught for seven years at the award winning Capital City Public Charter School in Washington D.C. in the Spanish Department teaching Pre-K through 8th grade. While there, she also served as the Bilingual Outreach Coordinator. Mrs. Aguirre holds a Florida Certification in Spanish.

Mrs. Rosie Friedmann - Pre-K3 & Pre-K4 Spanish

Mrs. Friedmann is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and attended Baldwin-Wallace College. She returns to RPA for her fourth year as our Pre-K3 & 4 Spanish teacher. In addition, she will also be teaching Religion to 2nd and 5th grades, and Religion Enrichment to 3rd and 4th grades. Prior to joining our team, Rosie had a long and very successful career as an interior designer where she received many awards including the Aurora Award for Interior Design, Interior Designer of the Year by Gulfshore Life Magazine, one of the top 100 Business Leaders in Naples, FL, and Woman of the Year from Gulfshore Life Magazine. She has been a weekly featured columnist in the Naples Daily News for 20 years which is syndicated in over 300 newspapers through the U.S.

Miss Brittany Allen - Music / Pre-K3 Teacher Aide

Miss Allen returns to RPA for her fourth year. This year Miss Allen will be teaching Music to grades Pre-K – 1st and Kindergarten Teacher Aide with Mrs. Myers. She will also be Coordinating the K4J Virtue Program and our After School Activities. Brittany graduated in 2007 from Ave Maria University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts focusing mainly in Theology & Philosophy. She also has her Master’s Degree and Florida teaching certification in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University. At Ave Maria she was involved in the Ave Maria Choir, the chamber choir, singing at Mass and had the opportunity to study Gregorian Chant in Solesmes, France. Before Ave Maria, Miss Allen took music classes at the University of Miami. Due to her student directing, she was awarded both a Silver Knight award as well as a departmental award in music.

Mrs. Lois Carme – Music Teacher and Art Teacher

Mrs. Carme returns to Royal Palm Academy as both Music and Art Teacher, positions she has held in Boston, MA for several years. In 2007, Mrs. Carme was both Music Teacher and member of the Administrative Team as Legal Consultant/Public Relations/Media Outreach for Royal Palm Academy. She attended Boston University before transferring to Regis College. She received her undergraduate degree, in both Sociology and Art Therapy from Regis College, a Catholic College located in Weston, MA. While at Regis College she founded a Massachusetts Pilot Program entitled “Sounds of Silence” offering Dance and Movement to multiple-handicapped, deaf children. All of her music classes include Sign Language instruction. She is lead vocalist with the twenty-three piece New England Society Swing Orchestra, Boston, MA and has produced several vocal CDs and Radio/Television commercials. She was Director of a Dance, Performance Music/Voice Studio in Weston Center before attending Law School. She earned a Juris Doctor Degree in 1995. Her work in Law was in the area of care and protection of children and juvenile delinquency. She studies the Celtic Harp and considers Music and Art to be life-changing gifts from God that profoundly impact, in a cross-curriculum manner, every student’s intellectual capacity.

Mrs. Veronica Calvo - Media Specialist / Computer

This is Mrs Calvo\\\'s fourth year at Royal Palm Academy as our media specialist. In addition to her responsibilities in the media center, she will also be teaching PK-3rd grade computer classes. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Archaeology & History. After graduation she spent three years as a missionary with the Regnum Christi movement in Rhode Island, Georgia and Germany. This past summer, Mrs. Calvo finished the coursework for her Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. In the fall, she will be working part-time at Royal Palm while also interning at Manatee Elementary to complete her Master’s program. She will be back to a full-time schedule at RPA at the beginning of December.

Ms. Jennifer Smyth – Media Specialist / Computer Instructor

This will be Ms. Smyth\\\'s first year working with Mrs. Calvo in our Media Center. Jennifer received her Associates Degree in Social Science from Brookdale College in New Jersey. She has been involved at Royal Palm Academy since 2006 helping with K4J Activities, substitute teaching, and assisted coaching the girls’ basketball team.

Mr. Glenn Trinder - Physical Education

This will be Mr. Trinder\\\'s fifth year teaching Physical Education at Royal Palm Academy, Pre-K through 8th grade. Glenn graduated from the State University of New York College at Cortland with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. Glenn runs all our school sports teams, clubs and events as well as coaching middle school golf and basketball.

Mrs. Linda Rinaldini - Exploratorium

Mrs. Rinaldini, our Exploratorium teacher, originally hailing from Meriden, Connecticut, will be with us for her second year. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Psychology from Marymount College and a Master’s Degree in Biology Education from the State University of New York/New Paltz. Mrs. Rinaldini has taught in four Catholic high schools in three states and has most recently been an adjunct faculty member of Barry University and FGCU. She has a total of 35 years teaching experience. She has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards over the years, including the Boehringer Ingleheim Teacher Research Fellowship and the University of Connecticut Excellence in High School Teaching Award. She has been a contributing guest for the National Institutes of Health Blueprint for K-12 Neuroscience Curriculum Conference and continues to be involved in promoting Neuroscience for students in all age categories.