Faculty Profiles

Diane Gualtieri

Diane Gualtieri has been a music teacher at St. Mary Academy - Bay View for over 35 years. She went to Rhode Island College and received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. She has been instrumental in providing music for a number of our student performances including Manhattan at the Bay, Annual Fall Productions, Christmas Concerts, and more.

Why did you become a teacher?
To share my love and joy of music. I love being in an atmosphere of learning. It's exciting to share my knowledge, but I also learn so much in return.

What's your favorite part of teaching?
I hope to somehow make a difference in someone's life. To at least let the students know they have someone that cares about their strengths and weaknesses. And then walk the journey with them to graduation.

What is your favorite quote and why?
"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." - Plato.
It's difficult to "explain" how music makes us feel. I find that this quote gets right to the heart of it all.

Valarie Briden

Valarie Briden has been a technology teacher at St. Mary Academy - Bay View for 20 years. She received a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Rhode Island College, and a Master of Education in Counseling from Providence College. A mother of three girls, Valarie's two oldest daughters graduated from Bay View in 2015 and 2018, and her youngest daughter is currently enrolled as a 7th-grader in our Middle School.
 
What's your favorite part of teaching?
I love seeing the girls every day. I have a unique opportunity to meet many of our girls at the age of 11 or 12 and get to watch them grow and mature into young women who are ready to take on the world. It is such a satisfying feeling to see a child walk into your classroom as a 6th-grader and watch a young woman leave your classroom as a senior ready to go off to college - my own children included. When I sent my two oldest daughters off to college, I knew that Bay View prepared them for any upcoming challenges.

What is your most memorable experience at Bay View?
So many things come to mind, like the "great toast fire," but the memories I have are not of the BIG things, rather the everyday things. Great interactions with students, sharing in the joy of winning a game, a robotics competition, or a student finally grasps a concept - those make my experience at Bay View memorable.

What is your favorite classroom item and why?
Probably my Apple TV. Being a technology teacher, I try to infuse many different types of technology into my lessons. I love the versatility of the Apple TV. I can show anything from a TED talk to YouTube video or I can AirPlay something from my desktop computer. It is a great teaching tool.

Julie Battista

Julie Battista has been a second grade teacher at St. Mary Academy - Bay View for 23 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Boston College, and a Master of Education in Special Education from Providence College. She is a Mercy Associate and moderates the Lower School Friends of Mercy Club, and co-chairs the Lower School Yearbook Committee.
 
What's your favorite part of teaching?
The joy of seeing such amazing growth throughout the year! The wonder, excitement and joy of learning through a second grader's eyes!

What's your favorite classroom item and why?
All of the beautiful framed pictures, letters, and Miss B "treasures" that I have received from students and their parents throughout the years!

What's your favorite quote and why?
"In a world where you can be anything, be kind." I have this quote hanging in my classroom. I think it is a great daily reminder!
 

Matt Daly

Matt Daly began teaching theology at St. Mary Academy - Bay View in the fall of 2018! A Boston College graduate, Mr. Daly has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Human Development, and a Masters of Education in Religious Education. He is a father of four girls, and loves nothing more than to spend time with his family at home.
 
Why did you decide to teach at Bay View?
I am a father of four little girls. I think this is a very important moment in history for women to play an instrumental role in defining our future. 

What's your favorite part of teaching?
The aha moments - when you know a lesson you are teaching has struck a chord with the students and connects in some way with their personal experiences.

What's your favorite classroom item and why?
I have crosses from different cultures. They show that God can't be limited to any one culture, but also that people from all backgrounds can be drawn towards a common faith.
 

Vera Keller 

Vera Keller is our Foreign Language Department Chair and teaches Spanish, Portuguese and French in our Upper School! In addition, she also moderates the Culture Share Club, Craft Club, and French Club. A teacher at Bay View for 20 years, she studied at the Centro de Ensino Unificado de Brasilia in Brazil and went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature and a Master's Degree English as a Second or Foreign Language from the School of International Training in Brattleboro, VT. A mother of two, Vera's daughter (a 6th grader at Bay View), was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome at the age of six. Together, they raise awareness about the syndrome through fundraisers and various events throughout the Northeast. 

Why did you become a teacher?
I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember. My 2nd grade teacher had such an impact on my life that I wanted to show others the kindness and love she showed me. I am a firm believer that educators can change the world and bring about peace by teaching students to respect each other and the planet.

Why did you decide to teach at Bay View?
I got this job two weeks after I moved to this country and have never left! I feel at home here.

Do you have any fun facts? The love of my life is my Shih Tzu, called Pebbles, or as I call her, Pebblelicious!