Kindergarten – Mrs. Nino
Teaching has always been close to Mrs. Nino’s heart because she truly enjoys working with children. She loves helping students discover new things and helping them grow into kind and capable individuals. Mrs. Nino chose to teach in Catholic Education because she believes education is about nurturing the whole child academically, emotionally, and spiritually, and she feels blessed to be a part of a faith-filled community where she can share God’s love, encourage kindness and compassion, and help students grow in both knowledge and faith every day.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Nino loves spending quality time with her husband and two children. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, decorating her classroom, and exploring new places.
1st Grade – Mrs. Smith
The 2026-2027 school year marks Mrs. Smith’s 17th year teaching at St. Dominic School. She attended St. Mary’s College in Moraga and loved the Masters/Teaching Degree program provided by the college. Mrs. Smith loves to teach social studies and science, and she enjoys reading fiction and non-fiction books aloud to her students in the classroom.
During her free time, Mrs. Smith loves to read, run road races, watch her hometown New York Yankees, and spend time at local parks with her kids. She’s been to Disney World many times, and now she enjoys visiting with her own children. You can find her and her family attending Mass on Sundays at St. Dominic’s Church.
2nd Grade – Mrs. Lau
After her first day of volunteering when her son was in kindergarten here at St. Dominic School, Mrs. Lau discovered what she was looking for her entire life – a teaching career. This school year will be her 10th year of teaching after a long corporate career. Mrs. Lau’s favorite part of teaching is developing connections with her students by getting to know each of them as individuals, and helping them use their unique characteristics and needs to help them grow into amazing people.
Outside of work, Mrs. Lau loves to bake and decorate cakes and cupcakes. She has 2 kids – her oldest just got married, and her youngest is a recent SDS graduate.
3rd Grade – Mrs. Elges
Mrs. Elges is a proud alumna of St. Dominic School. She feels so blessed to say that she attended SDS as a student and to have had the opportunity to come back “home” as a teacher to teach 3rd grade for 18 years. Mrs. Elges’ call to teaching came in college when she was taking education courses and volunteering in the classroom – she remembers coming home one day with the thought that she just knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her favorite part of teaching is witnessing the “lightbulb” moments when a student “gets it” and understands a new topic.
When she is not teaching, Mrs. Elges loves to spend time with her husband and 3 children. On the weekends, you can find her in the bleachers at her kids’ games, cheering them on as their biggest fans. She also enjoys traveling and exploring new places.
4th Grade – Mrs. Portuguez
Mrs. Portuguez’s inspiration for teaching stemmed from her experiences volunteering at St. Dominic School. She started volunteering in her oldest son’s kindergarten classroom with small reading and math groups and realized how amazing she felt after helping students learn to read and do math equations. Mrs. Portuguez chose not only to teach in Catholic Education, but specifically to teach at SDS, because she believes in the mission of the school. It is her goal to teach students at the highest of standards, to set a solid foundation for future learning, and to prepare her students for higher education and a fruitful spiritual life. She wants her students to know that they are loved by God and were given a purpose by Him. In the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, “Be who God wants you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
During her free time, Mrs. Portuguez enjoys helping the church in any way she can, whether it’s being a catechist or sponsoring members of the St. Dominic’s community. You can find her and her family at Mass every Sunday. Aside from St. Dominic’s Church, Mrs. Portuguez loves going to San Francisco Giants games, cooking delicious meals, singing karaoke, and playing the Nintendo Switch with her family.
5th Grade – Mrs. Nolan
Mrs. Nolan has been teaching for a total of 11 years. Once she became a teacher, she found inspiration in each of her students. When she watches her students overcome, learn, and grow, it gives her motivation and inspiration to teach and it makes the long nights and hard days worth it. Her favorite part of teaching is building relationships with students and encouraging and empowering them to achieve their goals.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Nolan loves attending all of her children’s sporting events. She also enjoys working out, dancing, karaoke, and spending time with family and friends.
6th Grade Homeroom, Math – Ms. Brancale
Catholic education has been a big part of Ms. Brancale’s life, as she attended Catholic school from kindergarten through her undergraduate education. Her kindergarten teacher and several amazing teachers at her high school inspired her to pursue a career in education. Ms. Brancale has been teaching for 18 years, and she has a strong desire to make learning accessible for all. Her students are her favorite part of teaching – watching them solve problems, or watching them do something they enjoy makes the job worth it. She also loves planning fun activities that make school special, fun, and exciting for students.
When she’s not teaching, Ms. Brancale loves spending time with her family and her dog, Dozer. She enjoys cheering on the San Francisco Giants, finding new restaurants, and cleaning and organizing – she lives for a good make-over!
7th Grade Homeroom, Science – Mrs. Zander
Mrs. Zander was inspired to pursue a science career by her 8th grade science teacher. She pursued a pre-vet degree in Biology and Chemistry with a minor in History at the University of Puget Sound, but while working part time at the Boys and Girls Club during college, she found a passion for working with teens and tutoring. This experience inspired Mrs. Zander to pursue her teaching credentials and Masters in Education, and it has led to a 24 year career in teaching. She truly enjoys watching the “ah ha” moments with students, observing their hands-on learning with projects, and discussing cool science going on in the world around us.
During her free time, Mrs. Zander loves to craft, scrapbook, and try new cricut crafting projects as gifts for others. She loves to spend time with her family and try new things, and her family’s favorite place to travel to is Disneyland.
8th Grade Homeroom, Middle School Social Studies, Vice Principal – Mrs. Candela
Mrs. Candela has taught for 23 years, with the 2026-2027 school year being her 13th year at St. Dominic School. Born and raised in Vallejo, she went to elementary school at St. Basils and high school at St. Patrick – St. Vincent High School. After graduating from SPSV, she attended college at the University of Southern California and majored in Theater. She believes it is so important to learn about the world around us, and her favorite part about being a teacher is helping her students do just that.
Outside of teaching, traveling is a big part of Mrs. Candela’s life. During her junior year in college, she studied in London, and after college, she spent months at a time living and traveling in Europe. Her most recent trip was to Paris, Rome, Florence, and Sicily. Other than traveling, Mrs. Candela loves books, movies, museums, good food, and her daughter, who is a recent SDS graduate.
Religion, STEM – Mr. Perez
Mr. Perez has been a teacher for 14 years. His favorite part of teaching are his students, as they have so many different personalities and energy, and at the end of the day they just want to have fun and feel safe.
During his free time, Mr. Perez likes to spend time with his family, barbecue, and do anything sports related, whether it’s playing golf, softball, or basketball. Born and raised in Texas, he is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Astros.
ELA – Ms. Gomez
Ms. Gomez believes that it is her vocation to pursue what she loves – teaching! Her favorite part of teaching is seeing the smile on students’ faces when she helps them achieve their academic goals. Catholic education has been a major part of Ms. Gomez’s life, as she attended Catholic school from preschool through her undergraduate college years at St. Mary’s College of CA, where she graduated with a BA in English and a BA in Theology and Religious Studies. She loves being a member of faith-filled communities, and her passion for the Catholic Religion and love for God has inspired her to continue her Catholic education journey as a teacher.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Gomez loves to spend time outdoors: she likes to hike, go on walks, and play tennis. She also loves to go to church, go on adventures with her family, and she can spend hours reading a good book. Her favorite bible verse is Matthew 19:26 – “With God, all things are possible.”
Math – Mr. Maguire
The 2025-2026 school year is Mr. Maguire’s 25th year of teaching math at St. Dominic School. He loves math, and the subject inspired him to teach and share his knowledge with his students. Mr. Maguire’s favorite part of teaching is watching students grow each year in understanding how math works, and he believes that he can help any student struggling with math overcome their challenges.
During his free time, Mr. Maguire enjoys watching organized sports events. He likes to hike, travel, and discover new places to eat.
Physical Education – Mrs. Morgado
Mrs. Morgado has taught Physical Education at St. Dominic School for 27 years. Her inspiration to teach is to share her passion for fitness and movement to help others. Mrs. Morgado’s favorite part of teaching is experiencing the joy and excitement of students as they develop new skills and gain knowledge on how to be the healthiest versions of themselves. She also loves when students share their “ah-ha” moments.
Mrs. Morgado’s hobbies include reading, doing puzzles, and working out. She is a big Oakland A’s fan and attends spring training in Arizona every year.
Music, Spanish – Mr. Lechuga
Mr. Lechuga has worked in education for 17 years, teaching Spanish and music here in the United States and working in leadership and teaching positions in his home country, El Salvador. His inspiration to teach comes from St. John Bosco (commonly known as Don Bosco) and his commitment to work in favor of young people. Mr. Lechuga’s favorite part of teaching is playing his ukulele and singing with his students, and he enjoys when his students feel proud of their achievements.
Music is a big part of Mr. Lechuga’s life. He loves playing his guitar, and he writes and records music and shares his work through social media.
Spanish – Mrs. Cabrera
Mrs. Cabrera has taught Spanish for 27 years, with 12 of those years spent at SDS. She was inspired to teach Spanish because she loves the language and culture, and she believes that learning a new language opens up exciting opportunities and it helps us connect with people from different backgrounds. Proudly from El Salvador, English is her second language, and she was inspired to help others discover the joy and benefits of speaking another language. Mrs. Cabrera’s favorite part of teaching is seeing her students grow and change, and teaching multiple grade levels allows her the opportunity to evolve throughout the years. To Mrs. Cabrera, the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing her students build a greater appreciation and understanding of their own language and culture.
Traveling is one of Mrs. Cabrera’s favorite activities. Traveling challenges her to adapt to new surroundings and to engage with different people, and it inspires her to try new things. In addition to traveling, Mrs. Cabrera loves cooking, dancing salsa, and exercising.
Corinthians 14:10 – No matter how many different languages there are in the world, not one of them is without a meaning.
