FACULTY

Principal & Grade K: Carol Woods 

Mrs. Woods graduated in 1969 from UCLA with a degree in mathematics and an elementary teaching credential. In December, 2001 she completed the Colloquy Program of the Lutheran-Church Missouri Synod and received her Lutheran Teaching Certification. She has taught for over thirty years in elementary school and preschool. Mrs. Woods is the 7th and 8th grade MathCounts coach. 

Her husband Ron is retired from Northrop Grumman. They have four children and six grandchildren.  In her free time, she enjoys arts and crafts.

 

 

 

Grade 1: Susanna Giddens 

Miss Susie Giddens is an Early Childhood/Elementary Education graduate of Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Since graduating in 2005, she has taught outdoor education and worked summer camps in California, The Gulf Coast, Idaho and Costa Rica; as well as teaching kindergarten, assisting in preschool and giving tours at Tanaka Farms.

For the past several years, Miss Giddens has been involved with Invisible Children, an organization working towards peace in Central Africa. She enjoys traveling to and exploring new places, meeting new people, organizing and cleaning, and has just this past year taken up swing dancing. She feels very blessed with the journey God has led her through which has brought her to Ascension Lutheran in Torrance.

 

Grade 2: Vicki Morrow

Mrs. Morrow grew up in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois with a B.A. in Elementary Education and received her Masters degree in Education from California State University, Los Angeles in 1985. Mrs. Morrow has over 30 years of teaching experience in the primary grades.

Her husband Jeff is a contractor, and the Morrows have two children, Nathan and Megan. In her free time Vicki enjoys playing tennis, camping, and gardening.

 

 

 

Grade 3 Math, Reading, English: Alyssa Brege

Bio coming soon!

 

 


 

Grade 3 and 4: Juan Bustos

Mr. Bustos graduated from Lynwood High School in California.  He taught at Redeemer Lutheran School for eight years, from 1st to 8th grades.  He enjoys coaching basketball, baseball, and softball.

He is happy and humbled to be given the opportunity to teach at a Christian school and share the word of God.  He's taught at Ascension for over 3 1/2 years.

 

 

 

 

Grade 5: Stephania Bommarito

Mrs. Bommarito is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Art-Craft Design. She studied in Japan for her Masters in Art History with a specialization in Japanese Textiles. Her minors in college include Comparative Literature, Music History, Philosophy and Asian Studies. For several years she coordinated and taught Art in the Upper Grades here at Ascension School.

Her husband, Bob, is a piano instructor and plays once a month in our Sunday morning services. Stephania and Bob have two children, Mark and Michelle. Mrs. Bommarito enjoys quilting, hiking, fabric painting, and reading.

 

 

Grade 6: Dale Banke

Mr. Banke has taught middle school students in language arts and religion for over thirty years as a Lutheran pastor and teacher.  Now in early retirement, he joined our staff in September 2008 to teach 6th – 8th grade language arts and religion.  Mr. Banke’s degrees include a B.A. in classical languages, a Masters of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and advanced study as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany.

He loves writing and helping students share the joy of discovering meaning in Biblical and world literature.

 

 

 

Grade 7: Connie Bustos-Calderon

Connie Bustos-Calderon was born in Mexico City but moved to Los Angeles, California with her family at the age of 12 years old.  After graduating from Lynwood High School, she attended California State University in Los Angeles, where she received a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Sociology.  In 1988 she began teaching at Redeemer Lutheran School and later accepted a call to serve at Covenant Lutheran School in South Central Los Angeles.  Three years later she returned to Redeemer Lutheran School in South Gate where she served for an additional fifteen years.  She has taught 2nd grade up to 8th grade and has discovered that she loves teaching very much.  

Mrs. Calderon has been married for fifteen years and the Lord has blessed her with twins, Julian and Patricia, who attend Ascension.  She enjoys reading the Bible as well as walking.  She is also blessed with two dogs, a cat, and two fish.  She enjoys serving our Father in heaven here at Ascension.

Grade 8: Paul Brege

Mr. Brege graduated from Northern Michigan University with a B.S. in Elementary Education.  He worked as an adventure staff counselor at Mount Cross Lutheran Camp in Felton, California and as interim youth director at Holy Cross in Los Gatos.  He's taught at Ascension for seven years.

Mr. Brege married Alissa Smith in July 2009.  He enjoys playing the guitar and singing. He feels that God has called him to work with and to teach youth. He has taught confirmation class, high school Bible study, and was in a worship band, Good Tidings.

 

 

 

Director of Music: Karen Schroeder

Miss Schroeder is a 1989 graduate of Concordia University in Irvine with a bachelors degree in Liberal Studies.  She earned a Multiple Subject Teaching credential in 1991. In August of 2003, she received her Masters Degree in Church Music from Concordia University, River Forest.

Miss Schroeder taught twelve years in the fourth grade classroom and one year in the first grade before becoming the Music Director for Ascension Lutheran Church and School.  In her free time, Miss Schroeder enjoys attending concerts and ice-skating shows.  She also enjoys tennis, volleyball, sewing and crafts.

 

 

ADMINISTRATION

School Secretary: Phyllis Melvin

Mrs. Melvin has been a member of Ascension Lutheran Church since 1968. She met her husband at Ascension Lutheran Church’s Youth Group and in 1975 they were married in the sanctuary. Her three children were baptized and confirmed at Ascension and attended and graduated from Ascension Lutheran School. She has three grandsons.

Mrs. Melvin had childcare available in her home while raising her children. In 1990, when her youngest child was enrolled in the Ascension kindergarten program, she began working part-time as the school secretary.  Over the years it became a full-time job. In September 2009 she began working part-time again to care for her infant grandson.

 

 

Kindergarten Aide/Secretary: Shelly Madrigal

Shelly Madrigal was born and raised in Gardena, California.  She graduated from Gardena High school in 1979, and attended El Camino College.  She worked as a checker and bookkeeper at Lucky Market for 15 years then became a stay-at-home mom after her second son was born.

 

Shelly has been married to her husband, Steve, since 1985. He is a foreman for Johnson Controls, an air conditioning company. They have 3 children; Matthew, Lucas and Megan. Matthew and Lucas graduated from Ascension Lutheran and Megan is currently in seventh grade at Ascension. 

Shelly enjoys spending time with her family, rooting for the LA Kings with her husband, and cooking.  She also loves being a part of the Church family at Ascension, and leading the Youth group along with her husband and son Matt.  She is actively involved with the Parent Teacher League.  She loves all the staff, parents, and children at Ascension, and feels blessed to be able to work here!

Director of Marketing & Admissions: Jessica Schlotter 

Mrs. Jessica Schlotter has over seven years experience in marketing communications, sales and business development.  She is accomplished at developing original programs and advancing an organization’s mission.   She hails from a long line of educators and is excited to support and promote Ascension Lutheran School.  

Passionate about travel, culture and food, she lived in Asia, South America and Europe for six years after graduating from college.  Jessica holds a B.A. in Communication, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University. She resides in Torrance with her husband John and daughter Grace, and is an avid reader and paper crafter.

 

Office Helper: Gertie Wiechmann

Mrs. Wiechmann is celebrating 48 years at Ascension Lutheran in Torrance.  She served for many years as a kindergarten and primary teacher and continues to help out in the office on a daily basis.  We are blessed by her dedication and commitment to Ascension Lutheran and appreciate her contributions to the school.

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL-AGE CARE

Jennifer Pedrotti-Pace 

Mrs. Pedrotti-Pace knew at a young age that she wanted to work with children.  After graduating from high school, she earned her A.A. degree in Liberal Arts with 22 units in Child Development.  She has been blessed to work at Ascension since 1999.  Jennifer first worked as a preschool teacher at Ascension and is now the co-director of the School-Age Care program.  She thanks God for the opportunity to work in a place where we can worship Him while teaching children. 

Jennifer is Italian and Greek and grew up in San Pedro.  She enjoys cooking, riding her motorcycle, and spending time with her husband, family, and of course her little toy poodle “Max”.

Jennifer’s goal for the future is to teach elementary age children at a Lutheran school.  She currently attends Concordia College in pursuit of her teaching degree.

Deborah “Debbie” Scott

Mrs. Scott is the co-director of Ascension Lutheran’s School-Age Care Program.  After years in customer service, Mrs. Scott began working in the SAC program about 3 ½ years ago.  She says, “What a blessing working here has been in my life--I find such joy working with children of all ages.”

Mrs. Scott is a member of Ascension Lutheran Church.  As a single parent, she raised three children and now has five grandchildren.  Her daughter Tami lives in Riverside with her husband, her son and two daughters.  Her daughter Jennifer lives in Las Vegas with her husband and her two daughters.  Her son David lives locally in Gardena and is still single.

She enjoys participating in different activities at church and at school.  Her hobbies include reading, working on all different types of needlecrafts, and watching television.  She currently belongs to a small group of ladies that meet here at church to work on crochet projects.