PreK Faculty

Miss Mary Dunigan - Pre-K3A

Miss Dunigan received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Education from Emmanuel College in Boston, Mass., and her Master’s Degree in guidance/counseling from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Mary’s experience includes being an English teacher in Chelmsford, Mass. In addition, she was a guidance counselor for all levels in Groton, Mass. and Arlington, Mass. Miss Dunigan completed additional graduate study at Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts in the area of learning disabilities. She currently is certified in English and counseling for grades Pre-K – 12th. This will be Miss Dunigan’s 6th year as one of our Pre-K3 teachers.

Mrs. Rachel Kirk - Pre-K3A Teacher Aide

This will be Mrs. Kirk\\\'s third year as a Teacher Aide in Pre-K3. She and her husband have been involved at Royal Palm since 1999. Rachel has helped every year with the K4J activities and truly loves working with the children. She has also been co-chair of the Shark Shootout Parking Committee for RPA for the past several years. She spent this past summer as a counselor with Sports Club of Naples here at RPA.

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. Shannon Sedio - Pre-K4A

Mrs. Sedio has taught for 11 years in Pre-K, 1st and 2nd grade and is returning for her eight year at Royal Palm Academy. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Fredonia State University of New York and holds a dual teaching certification in both New York and Florida. Shannon was awarded and nationally recognized for 3 consecutive years in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and was also nominated for Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award in 2010.

Ms. Linda Glaser - Pre-K4A Teacher Aide & VPK Coordinator

Ms. Glaser is returning for her fifth year at RPA as Teacher Aide in Mrs. Sedio’s Pre-K4 class and as our VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) Coordinator. Ms. Glaser is originally from New Jersey and graduated from Glassboro State College (now Rowen University) in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Education, and a minor in Science. She also attended Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana working toward a Master’s Degree in Reading and Speech. Linda has been in education for 42 years and 30 of those years were spent in Catholic Education in New Jersey, Indiana and Florida.

Mrs. Nina Martinez - Pre-K4B

Mrs. Martinez is returning to Royal Palm Academy for her fifth year as one of our Pre-K4 teachers. She was born in California but grew up in Bogotá, Colombia. Nina received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of South Florida in Nursing. She soon found out that she loved to teach and began teaching Childbirth and Newborn Care classes, as well as preventive care for children, nutrition, and human relation courses. She later became the Director of Religious Education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she found her love for teaching children. Mrs. Martinez has been teaching for 16 years, Pre-K through elementary grades.

Mrs. Estela Zeik - Pre-K4B Teacher Aide

This is Mrs. Zeik’s fourth year at RPA, this year in Pre-K4 with Mrs. Martinez. In the past she served as our Dean of Students and Academic Coordinator for grades Pre-K – 3rd. She received her B.A. in Science of the Family at the John Paul II Institute in Monterrey and has earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Education and the second in Education Administration. Before joining RPA, she worked at one of our sister schools in Monterrey as the Academic Coordinator.

Mrs. Jaree O’Connor - Pre-K4B Teacher Aide

This will be Mrs. O\\\'Connor’s fifth year at Royal Palm Academy. She is originally from Cincinnati where she attended the University of Cincinnati. Jaree was a substitute teacher at Royal Palm Academy before coming on board as a Teacher Aide in our Pre-K program. Prior to joining RPA, Jaree was a Realtor in Naples for 35 years and also a bookkeeper for a family owned business.