Our teachers and office staff are deeply committed to students. They often refer to students as “their children.” Faculty maintain an excellent working relationship with the parents, and view education as a team effort of constant communication between home and school.
Principal: Mrs. Erin Boyle Folino
Email: efolino@saintferdinand.org
Mrs. Erin Boyle Folino is our Principal at St. Ferdinand School. This is her 8th year with us, and she is a product of Catholic Schools. She has over 15 years of teaching experience in Catholic elementary schools, and two Master’s degrees in the fields of Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Leadership. She is actively involved in the Church, and strives to bring both academic excellence and the Catholic faith into the classroom.
“It is my honor to serve St. Ferdinand School. Each student has such great potential, and I feel it is my duty to nurture that and help each student achieve their best, both academically and personally. I look forward to continuing to work with our parents and staff to make that potential a reality.”
Read more: Principal’s Biography
PK3: Ms. Patti Szadziewicz
Email: pszadziewicz@saintferdinand.org
Patrice Szadziewicz has been at St. Ferdinand School in the Early Childhood Program for 30 years. She is a co-teacher with Ms. Marta and works with the 3-year old students.
“I love working as a co-teacher with Ms. Marta and enjoy each day I am with the children! I enjoy coming to work each day and watching the children grow. It is my goal to provide a nurturing, safe environment where children can develop their learning and social skills. Students develop both academic and interpersonal skills. Playtime helps children with their creativity, but most importantly, helps them learn to work together and interact positively with each other. In today’s world, I think it is especially important to learn kindness and how to get along well as a community. We put this into practice each day as we develop our minds and hearts.”
PK4: Ms. Marta Ostrowska
Email: mostrowska@saintferdinand.org
Marta Ostrowska graduated from Jagiellonian University (Krakow, Poland) and holds a Master’s degree in Pedagogy/Education with ELL endorsement. She also has completed a post graduate degree in teaching a second language. Her journey in a preschool setting started over 20 years ago. Her passion for teaching extends from preschool classes to summer school classes, instructional clubs, and summer school camps. She was a finalist of the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award.
“Early Childhood programs are my passion. I am very proud of every student that I have had the privilege of teaching; they are the biggest part of my accomplishments. Every day brings joy and satisfaction.”
Kindergarten: Mrs. Corrie Rettelle
Email: crettelle@saintferdinand.org
Corrie Rettelle has been teaching Kindergarten at St. Ferdinand School for 23 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Dominican University. When she is not with her St. Ferdinand family, she is a proud wife and mother of two children, both of whom are students at St. Ferdinand School.
“I am honored to be part of the St. Ferdinand community and feel blessed to be able to do what I love every day! Seeing the magic and wonder in a child’s eyes as they learn something new makes my job the best job there is! I truly believe that Catholic school helped to shape who I am as a person, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue that tradition.”
1st Grade: Mrs. Lindsay Hansen
Email: lhansen@saintferdinand.org
Lindsay Hansen is our 1st grade teacher at St. Ferdinand School. She began her career at St. Ferdinand during the 2009-2010 school year. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree in American Studies, along with her Elementary Education certification from Dominican University in 2009. Being a lifelong learner, she returned to Dominican University to obtain a Master of the Arts in Education with Reading Specialist certification.
“Education is my passion and I am thankful for the opportunity to share my passion with my students each day! I am blessed to call St. Ferdinand home and love the family environment we have at our school.”
2nd Grade: Ms. Emily Babikan
Email: ebabikan@saintferdinand.org
Emily Babikan teaches 2nd grade at St. Ferdinand School. She has been part of our talented staff since 2015. St. Ferdinand School holds a special place in her heart, as this is where her teaching career began. She taught kindergarten for three years, and now is in her fifth year teaching second grade. She graduated in 2015 from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.
“I love teaching and am passionate about helping children foster a love of learning for years to come! Every day I learn something new from each of my students, and that is what makes me love coming to work each day! It is such a blessing to work at St. Ferdinand.”
3rd Grade: Ms. Reyna Silva
Email: rsilva@saintferdinand.org
Ms. Silva is starting her 4th year at St. Ferdinand School. She is excited to bring her talents and experiences to our 3rd graders.
Stay tuned for further updates!
4th Grade: Mrs. Marlene Alcantar
Email: malcantar@saintferdinand.org
Marlene Alcantar taught 3rd and 4th grade for Chicago Public Schools for 34 years, and then spent two years teaching 4th grade at St. William School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Iowa. Her graduate work was completed at Illinois State University where she earned her Master of Science degree. Additionally, Marlene has endorsements in Language Arts, Mathematics, Spanish, ESL, and Bilingual Education. She is a proud wife and mother of fraternal twin daughters, who are recent graduates of St. Ferdinand School, and an older daughter working in the field of engineering.
“I am so grateful to become part of the St. Ferdinand school and community. One thing I love about being a teacher is having my previous students come back to visit me and tell me what they love about being in my classroom. As a teacher this makes me feel like I made an impact in their lives. I’m looking forward to an exciting school year filled with lots of learning and fun!”
“Alone we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
5th Grade Homeroom / Grades 5-8 Social Studies: Mrs. Karen Zaccaria
Email: kzaccaria@saintferdinand.org
According to Karen: “The Chicago Cubs are my team, and I love sharing my sense of humor with others. I am excited to be part of the St. Ferdinand community and to be the junior high social studies teacher.
My favorite prayer from St. Faustina is, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
My favorite quote from Oscar Wilde is, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
6th Grade Homeroom / Grades 5-8 Science: Ms. Isabella Palomar
Email: -
More information coming soon!
7th Grade Homeroom / Grades 5-8 Math: Ms. Aphrodite Kokosioulis
Email: fkokosioulis@saintferdinand.org
Aphrodite Kokosioulis (better known as “Ms. K” to students) has been at St. Ferdinand since 2008. She has a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and has earned endorsements in Language Arts, Math, History and ESL. She teaches math to students in Grades 5-8, as well as eighth grade Language Arts.
“I enjoy teaching my junior high students, and I want my students to leave my classroom smarter and stronger than when they entered. I hope that when they leave here, they remember that they are critical thinkers, brave scholars and faith-filled young adults, ready to tackle the world. I know the world will be a better place because of my students. I am proud to be part of the St. Ferdinand community and it has been my greatest honor to be called teacher. “
8th Grade Homeroom / Grades 5-7 ELA: Mrs. Kia Loster
Email: kloster@saintferdinand.org
Kia Loster has 15+ years of experience teaching English Language Arts (ELA) in both the Chicago Catholic and public-school systems to both junior high and high school students. She holds a Master’s in Education and a Bachelor’s in the Teaching of English. Her specialty is differentiated instruction in the classroom. In addition to teaching ELA to students in grades 5-7, she also helps co-moderate our Student Council. She is an active parishioner of St. Ferdinand, and her children have attended school here as well.
“I enjoy working with the St. Ferdinand community as both of my sons attend school here. I’m a native Chicagoan and I look forward to teaching your children and teaming up with you to make the school year a great success! I have been blessed, and I enjoy giving back.”
STEM Instructor/Teacher’s Aide: Mrs. Ivy Noto
Email: inoto@saintferdinand.org
Mrs. Noto to joined the St. Ferdinand staff at the start of the 2025/26 school year as a Teacher’s Aide. This year she is taking on a new role of STEM Instructor, ensuring our students are exposed to different technology and scientific lessons, while still making learning fun.
“My name is Ivy Noto. I am recently married and just moved to Chicago from Alabama. Together, my husband and I have three grown children and a spoiled cat. I have been working in education for 26 years. It has always been my calling to work with students and families. Although I may have retired from full-time teaching, I am still passionate about helping students become the very best they can be. I look forward to working with students, faculty, and staff as a teacher’s aide at Saint Ferdinand School.”
Music: Brother James Drangsholt
Email: jdrangsholt@gmail.com
Brother James is presently the Director of Music & Liturgy for the Saint Ferdinand parish. A Religious Brother of the Franciscan order, he had taught for almost 40 years at the High School and College levels, and was a former principal. He completed his professional education training at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, DePaul University, St. Mary’s Seminary, and Franklin University. Brother James directs the School Handbell Choir and School Choir.
“I enjoy being able to share my knowledge and love of music with the students of St. Ferdinand School. Everybody is able to learn different musical skills and develop an appreciation of the complexity and many different styles of music. My favorite part of teaching is hearing the students be able to put their knowledge into song – especially in the form of instrumental music / choir.”
Spanish: Mr. Ernesto Tapia
Email: etapia@saintferdinand.org
Mr. Ernestro Tapia is originally from Mexico and began his career teaching Spanish as a Second Language in the private school system in Mexico. Mr. Tapia holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Spanish from Northeastern Illinois University. He has taught in private, public, and parochial schools in Illinois for more than 15 years.
Presently, Mr. Tapia teaches Spanish at St. Ferdinand, as well as three other schools. This is his 5th year at St. Ferdinand School, and he maintains and excellent rapport with his classes.
“My rapport with students enables me to develop an atmosphere conducive to exploring and learning.”
Library: Mrs. Laura Davis
Email: ldavis@saintferdinand.org
Mrs. Laura Davis starts her sixth year as our Librarian, overseeing a library consisting of over 14,000 books. Through Library classes, students gain a broader understanding of books, do enrichment activities, and develop a deeper appreciation for reading. Mrs. Davis has a background in journalism and communications, and has spent many hours growing up lost in books at the local library.
Physical Education: Ms. Patty Samborski
Email: psamborski@saintferdinand.org
Ms. Samborski brings over 20 years of teaching experience to St. Ferdinand School. She is skilled in a variety of sports, and integrates a variety of different physical education topics into the curriculum. She also teaches at another local school. As a shared resource, she is able to add variety to the physical education curriculum as she keeps students busy and teaches how to be physically fit.
Ms. Samborski is also our Athletic Director, and works hard to bring new sports opportunities to our students.
Art: Ms. Alicia Morgan
Email: -
More information coming soon!
Office Consultant: Mrs. Ginny Quinones
Email: gquinones@saintferdinand.org
Mrs. Ginny Quinones has many years of experience in Catholic Schools. While she retired from her role as Tuition Specialist at the end of the 2025/26 school year, she is still a great help to the office staff!
“I enjoy working in the schools. Seeing the children smile when they come to school and helping families afford to send their children to St. Ferdinand School brings me joy. My favorite part of the week is Friday, when we have announcements and I select the best Friday Funnies (jokes the students submitted) to be read during announcements.”
Operations Director: Ms. Margaret Brumann
Email: mbrumann@saintferdinand.org
Ms. Margaret Brumann is St. Ferdinand’s Operations Director, overseeing both the Church and the School. With a background in Music Education, Ms. Margaret has taught in the classrooms and done a variety of office work throughout the years in the Catholic School setting. Currently, she is assisting with Technology in addition to her role as Operations Director. Ms. Margaret is also our webmaster and Facebook administrator.
“I enjoy the variety of tasks I do around St. Ferdinand School. I have been a part of the St. Ferdinand community my entire life, from receiving all my sacraments here to graduating 8th grade … I truly do feel that the people who make up the St. Ferdinand School Community are some of the most dedicated, hard-working, caring and fun people I know. It is my honor to come to work everyday.”
Administrative Assistant / Tuition Specialist: Ms. Tara Folino
Email: tfolino@saintferdinand.org
Ms. Tara joined the St. Ferdinand staff last year, working in the main office, where she completed essential office tasks, supported school projects, and became familiar with our families and staff. She now serves as our Tuition Specialist – assisting with student enrollment, tuition and financial aid coordination, school communications, event planning, fundraising initiatives, and the daily administrative work that helps our school thrive. Ms. Tara is a graduate of Elmhurst University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Studies with a minor in Spanish.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my professional growth, building meaningful relationships, and contributing to a positive experience for our entire school community. I’m excited to see how I can incorporate my skills and interests into the work I do at St. Ferdinand!”