School Profile

April Parker

April Parker, 

Assistant Principal
LEAP Teachers, Academic Achievement Teacher
 

April Parker is a teacher of over 25 years in both public and private elementary and middle school. April holds bachelor's and master's degrees in elementary education from High Point University. April has taught grades K-5, as well as being an adjunct professor at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. April is currently the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at St. Pius X Catholic School. April is not only an educator but also a published author. She published her first young adult historical novel in 2005 titled Watching the Innocent. Parker has gone on to publish articles in magazines such as “Our State,” “The Mailbox Magazine,” and “The Catholic News and Herald.” She has also collaborated on several educational books with The Education Company and Carson Delosa. April’s goals are to complete her PhD in curriculum and instruction, with a specific focus on reading instruction and children’s literature, and to write more educational materials for students and teachers.

Kristin “Coach” Shelton

Kristin “Coach” Shelton
Athletics Director

Coach Shelton graduated from Guilford College with a Bachelor of Science degree and a minor in Physical Education. While at Guilford College, she captained the women’s basketball team and played on the women’s soccer team. Coach Shelton became the PE teacher at Saint Pius X in 1999 and has never looked back. She is also the athletic director, varsity girl’s basketball coach, JV boy’s basketball coach, and track coach, and most recently she was elected as the PECSAA Conference’s Co-League Commissioner. 

Coach Shelton says, “Saint Pius X is a second home to me. I love the program I have helped build here, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given to coach and lead at Saint Pius. I look forward to another year working with and inspiring our SPX Comets in a program that helps foster leadership, team work, and sportsmanship. There’s no place I’d rather be!”

Rob York

Rob York, 
Music and Arts Program Leader

Mr. York is a North Carolina native, born in Thomasville and living in Kernersville for the past 12 years. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in music education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Music. Mr. York spent several years teaching in the public schools of North Carolina before coming to St. Pius X in 2014. At SPX he teaches general music to every grade level from Pre-K through 8th grade as well as directing the school band, choir and guitar ensemble. Mr. York also assists with the school’s drama productions, serving as the music director and sound technician.

In his free time, Mr. York enjoys visiting his daughter in Wilmington, hearing live music, traveling and cooking. 

Cathy Strader

Cathy Strader, 
Unit Leader PreK-2nd Grade

Mrs. Strader earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Western Oregon University and a Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Administration from Portland State University. Mrs. Strader holds teaching and administrative certifications in North Carolina, Washington State, and Oregon and is National Board Certified in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts for Early and Middle Childhood. She has over 25 years of teaching and educational leadership experience and has taught in almost every grade level from PreK to 8th grade. Mrs. Strader also served 4 years as a Catholic school principal in the Archdiocese of Seattle. She is currently one of the first grade teachers in the Saint Pius community. Mrs. Strader is passionate about helping children develop a love of learning as they strive to know God and serve others. Serving as unit leader, she looks forward to collaborating with teachers, staff, and parents to strengthen God’s Kingdom on earth. 
 

Nicole Flick-Vangel

Nicole Flick-Vangel, 
Unit Leader 2nd-5th Grade

A native of Wayne, NJ and a first generation American, Mrs. Vangel was steeped in the culture, traditions (and cuisine) of her Polish, German and Italian extended family!  Her education began at Our Lady of the Holy Angels in Little Falls, NJ, taught by nuns and even a priest!  Mrs. Vangel was enriched in the fine arts, by frequenting museums, Broadway plays, parades, and Radio City Music Hall.  In fact, she attributes her passion for art and literature to NYC and the influence of two beloved teachers from 7th grade and Wayne Valley High School.

Earning her Bachelor's Degree in Education from UNCG (K-6th licensure) with a concentration in Science and Environmental Education, minoring in psychology and English, her teaching career began at Sternberger Elementary, and extended to Jefferson and Lindley before marrying Mr. Vangel, an alumni of A&T and GM of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.  Arriving at SPX with son, Jack, (a current 3rd grader), Mrs. Vangel served as a substitute teacher and lA, before accepting the role of 2nd Grade Teacher in 2023.

Mrs. Vangel's classroom is an environment where students are valued, respected, encouraged to ask questions and explore new ideas without fear or failure.  In her own words, Mrs. Vangel reflects, "Being a parishioner, parent, teacher, and unit leader at SPX means being part of a faith-filled community where relationships matter and everyone is valued. It is a place where faith, learning, and service come together.  SPX is more than a school or parish—it is a community rooted in Christ, committed to nurturing confident learners, compassionate leaders, and faithful stewards of God’s gifts. I love being a Comet!"
 

Maria Bliss

Maria Bliss, 
Unit Leader Middle School

Mrs. Bliss has been an educator for the past 18 years, teaching in both public and private schools. She began her teaching career as a Pre-K teacher in Providence, RI. After relocating here in 2005, Mrs. Bliss finished her education at Guilford College, where she obtained bachelor’s degrees in Education and Psychology. She began her elementary school teaching career with 4th and 5th grade in Guilford County Schools and then transitioned to St. Pius, where she has been for the last 11 years.

Mrs. Bliss knows the importance of a Catholic education, as both of her daughters are alumni of St. Pius and Bishop McGuinness High School. 
An avid reader, Mrs. Bliss is also one of the middle school Battle of the Books coaches, and she tried her hand at coaching the JV volleyball team, leading them to a PECSAA championship in 2017.  In her spare time, she enjoys baking and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Bliss says, "St. Pius is more than a job to me, it is a calling. I am called to not only teach our students academics but also teach them the importance of following Christ. The faculty and staff of our school are more than colleagues to me, they are family. I am very lucky to be a part of this tremendous school and parish.”

Maite Elizondo

Maite Elizondo, 
Unit Leader for Specials

Señora Elizondo is originally from Mexico City and was raised in Tijuana, B.C. Mexico, which is on the border with San Diego, CA. She attended elementary school with the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and junior high and high school with the Marist Brothers. Señora Elizondo holds a bachelor’s degree in public accounting from the Autonomous University of Baja, California. Prior to coming to St. Pius X, she was the Spanish Program Coordinator at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Murfreesboro, TN. At St. Pius X, she teaches 5th-8th grade Spanish. 

Señora Elizondo says, “It is a privilege to accompany the students along their cultural journey.”