Sarah comes to us from San Antonio, moving here with her husband and two young sons, who attend St. Alphonsus. She and her husband welcomed recently a daughter to complete their family. Sarah brings with her a wealth of experience in public school working with a wide variety of learning styles and environments. She has rich experience planning lessons, developing programs, and collaborating with other teachers/specialists to encourage growth in all students.
Charleen brings a wealth of unique experience to St. Alphonsus. Charleen served in the Unites States Army as a helicopter pilot and as an officer in the Aviation and Signal Corps. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Seattle University. Charleen enjoys outdoor activities such as bike riding, gardening, and traveling and spending time with her family.
Father Aloysius Ssensamba, also known as Father Luigi, is from the Archdiocese of Kampala – Uganda. He was born and raised in Uganda in a large peasant family of 8 siblings. He was ordained a priest at Rubaga Cathedral Church in Uganda at 29 years old. After additional studies in Rome, graduating with an M.A. and PhD in Sacramentology, and serving at parishes and universities, he came to the Archdiocese of Seattle in 2016, and was assigned to St. Alphonsus in 2022.
Melissa has been part of the St. Al’s community since 2013 when her family relocated to Seattle from Austin, TX. She was an active parishioner and parent at their previous church in North Austin and brought those interests to their new faith community when they moved. She joined the staff in 2018 as a Librarian and became the Director of Community Engagement/Admissions in 2023. Melissa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Texas in Austin and certification in Non-Profit Management from the UW. She enjoys traveling with her husband (and children when they’re available), reading a good book, and cooking.
Mr. Padrnos began his career in Catholic education teaching 5th grade on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After moving to Seattle, he taught high school world history, economics, and theology. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Gonzaga University, Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, and Principal Certificate from Seattle University. As an educator, he views the world through the lens of faith and reason and is passionate about helping students find God in all things. Outside of school, Mr. Padrnos enjoys fly fishing, rollerblading, podcasting, reading Lord of the Rings, and hiking 14ers in his native Colorado.
Did you know we have affordable and fun Summer Day Care for 9 weeks? Open to the public and available for students ages 2.5-5. Must be potty-trained. A new kid-friendly theme featured each week! Click here for more information and to register.
St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
Our family choose to make a switch from SPS to St. Alphonsus in 2021 and it has become a huge blessing. In midst of Covid and with concerns about the academics for our daughters, we were prompted to explore school options and discovered the St. Als community. We were attracted to the school based on the academics, the small class sizes, and the values, including upholding behavior expectations. All of these benefits have been realized with so much more.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
Our girls love St. Al’s, the commitment from their teachers and the new friendships with classmates. The academics have challenged them and when needed, they have received extra support from St. Al’s teachers/staff. Our girls, surprisingly, appreciate wearing uniforms to school as it makes the mornings so easy with one less decision/choice. They have had opportunities to try new clubs (chess), CYO sports and to pair up with younger class buddies as the school extends from Preschool through 8th grade. We all appreciate the community activities including the auction, Bingo nights, Halloween at school and more. We are relishing in our final year all 3 of our daughters will be together at St. Al’s.
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St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
We chose St. Al’s because we desired a school that not only had a strong academic curriculum but also one which focused on values such as Compassion, Generosity, Respect, etc. Educating the full child was important to us and we felt St. Al’s reinforced what we were morally and spiritually working to teach her within our home. We were also attracted to how diverse the student body was and the incredible community the school fosters both on campus and off.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
I love how happy my daughter is when I pick her up and drop her off. She loves the academic and social environment and loves being a member of the St Al’s student body. As a parent I also love seeing how much she has grown intellectually over the past 4+ years at the school. The teachers really care for each individual student and she has flourished each year through the care her teachers take in understanding what she needs in-order to continue to succeed.
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St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
When looking for a preschool for our oldest son, we hoped to find a school where our Catholic faith would be reinforced and enriched in the classroom. Finding a school that could also help him excel academically beyond preschool was a secondary goal. St. Alphonsus was both, and so much more. Within the first month at St. Al’s, it was evident that we had found a school that not only embraces the richness of the Catholic faith, but also encourages students and their families to reach their full potential in a welcoming community.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
There is so much to love about St. Alphonsus! I love how our students know each other and are friends across all grades. I love how unmistakably our teachers and staff care for the students and their families. I love how our parents support each other and work together to make the school the best place it can be. And I love that St. Alphonsus is a place where our faith is celebrated and strengthened. Lots of schools have good academic programs and good faculty and staff. But not every school has a great culture and community. We feel very blessed to be a part of a school that has all those things and a rich legacy of faith and academic excellence for over 100 years. We feel loved by the St. Alphonsus community, and we love them!
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St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
We chose St. Alphonsus because we needed more academic support and were afraid that our older child would fall through the cracks in middle school. St. Alphonsus has been able to seamlessly meet the educational and social needs of each of our boys. It has been amazing to have a faculty proactively identify particular academic and social needs and then develop a plan and work to support those goals. It was obvious from the very beginning that the teaching staff is dedicated to supporting our boys. The small class sizes help support this effort.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
We love the community! We feel very comfortable here and love the warm and supportive environment. We also feel that our boys are getting a quality education. You also may be surprised to know that many of our students are not Catholic. This school welcomes and embraces all students, Catholic or not.
St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
While looking for a faith-based institution for our child and being a parishioner at St. Alphonsus, it was an easy decision to make. St. Al’s has a great community which was apparent in the first few tours/visits. And we found a curriculum that met the needs of our child well.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
Warm community of families, supportive teachers, and faith centric education that enhances the spiritual side of the child along with great academics.
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St. Alphonsus Students
Extracurricular Involvement
Why did you choose St. Alphonsus for your children?
I chose St. Alphonsus because of the small class sizes and excellent education, especially the split-gender middle school.
What do you love most about St. Alphonsus?
I love the community of St. Alphonsus and it continues to be a wonderful experience. Parents and teachers cooperate to give a wonderful nurturing environment to all children. I’m very grateful for the many lifelong relationships that have been created through the school involvement.
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