Meet our Kindergarten Faculty

Jessi Acosta

Jessi Acosta, a native of Panama, has been teaching for over a decade and has been at Shorecrest since 2007. Ms. Acosta is bilingual and loves to help her kindergarten students practice their Spanish. Of teaching kindergarten, she says, “I love the energy and enthusiasm of the kids and our teaching team. There are no limits to learning at this age! I love the smiles and joy when they learn new things.”

Ms. Acosta has two children who graduated from Shorecrest, Katerina '15 and Alexander '18.

At the end of a long teaching day, Mrs. Acosta unwinds by running, spending time with family and friends, and cooking.

Danielle Cameron

Danielle Cameron has nearly 20 years of teaching experience. She previously worked at Shorecrest for eight years before deciding to teach English online to adults around the world and homeschool her children. Throughout her career she has taught every grade level from preschool through high school. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Oakwood University, and a Master of Science in Education focusing on Elementary Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Cameron believes that the most important work as a teacher is to learn alongside children and show them that their choices matter. Facilitating independence and growth at any age reaps immeasurable rewards.

Danielle’s husband, Richie Cameron, is a teacher in the Upper School and their three children are Chargers - Khali '28, Alaya '31, and Ellis '33. When she gets a chance, Mrs. Cameron loves to spend time crafting with her children or reading a great book.

Kathryn Johnston '16

Alumna Katie Johnston '16 is back on the Shorecrest campus. Born and raised in St Petersburg, Katie was a Shorecrest lifer and member of the Class of 2016. She attended Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers and majored in art. After spending time working with Lee County Mosquito Education in Fort Myers, she came to Shorecrest as a floating substitute in the Lower School. Now Ms. Johnston is a Teaching Assistant in kindergarten.

Darla Kiernan

Darla Kiernan, a native of Jamestown, NY, has enjoyed the Florida sunshine since 1983. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Health Services Management from St. Petersburg Junior College and a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Florida. Formerly a second grade teacher at Bay Point Elementary, Mrs. Kiernan joined the Shorecrest faculty in 2007 as a tutor in The Learning Center. She went on to join the Kindergarten Team as an Academic Assistant, where she’s taught happily since 2010.

Mrs. Kiernan has two children, Meredith and Brian '16, both of whom attended Shorecrest.

According to Mrs. Kiernan, “My favorite part about teaching kindergarten is observing and sharing in their academic growth.”

Joanne Minke

Joanne Minke has been teaching at Shorecrest for more than 30 years and has taught kindergarten, first, and second grades. She holds a BS in Elementary Education from Wayne State University and an MEd in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University. Mrs. Minke relishes the energy her students bring to the classroom. She says, “It's exciting to watch the children's growth in confidence, independence, responsibility, social skills, and academic skills. It's such a fun age!”

Mrs. Minke has a passion for community service, quilting, and reading, all of which she loves to share with her students. Before starting her busy day with students, Mrs. Minke and her husband take their black lab Buddy on 2 mile walks most mornings.

Jade Quick

Jade Quick was a substitute teacher at Shorecrest for many years before she joined the staff in 2018 as a Kindergarten Teaching Assistant, and in 2019 as a long-term substitute Teaching Assistant in The Experiential School. Mrs. Quick has a degree in nursing from Saint Petersburg College, taught Sunday School at St. Raphael's Church, and was the manager of One Lucky Dog. Jade is engaged in many volunteer services throughout Tampa Bay.

Jade and her husband are proud parents of two grown sons, Carson and Connor, who previously attended Shorecrest.

John Schiaparelli

John Schiaparelli earned a BA from California State University, Los Angeles, in Social Sciences, and a teaching certificate in Secondary Social Studies from Montclair State University in New Jersey in 1996. Originally from New Jersey, John and his wife have lived in NJ, CA, WI, MA, CT, NE, Toronto, AZ and Florida. As a stay-at-home Dad in most of those locations, John spent lots of time volunteering at his daughters' schools.

The last time the Schiaparelli family live in Florida, John climbed the ranks at Shorecrest from Room Parent to substitute to Instructional Assistant to Kindergarten Teacher. "If I had known how much I enjoy elementary education, I would have started there at the beginning. I love the instant feedback you get from younger students and seeing their amazing progress in short periods of time," he said.

John's daughter Emma attends Shorecrest Upper School and his older daughter, Kara, graduated from Shorecrest in 2014.

Alissa Vigue

Alissa Vigue, herself a Shorecrest graduate, has 14 years of kindergarten teaching experience, 8 of which at Shorecrest. She holds a BA from Elon University and both a BA and MA from the University of South Florida.

According to Mrs. Vigue, “The student is the most important aspect of teaching. While the subject matter needs to be challenging yet encouraging for all students, it is important to listen to your students and guide them in a direction that will bring about growth.”

In addition to teaching kindergarten, Mrs. Vigue has taught swim lessons and coached a number of swim teams over the years. In her free time, she loves to enjoy the outdoors hiking, whitewater rafting or skiing.

Mrs. Vigue has two daughters currently attending Shorecrest, Rylee '27 and Avree '30.