St. Theresa of the Child Jesus School was founded in 1926 by Fr. James O’Brien, rector of St. Catherine of Genoa Church, and was originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1953, the school was renamed St. Catherine of Genoa School to strengthen its connection to the parish. When the local parishes united in 2019 to form the Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin Parish, the school returned to its original name—honoring both its founding and its alignment with the new parish.
Today, St. Theresa School is a vibrant, faith-filled community that nurtures the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual development of its students. Our experienced lay educators help each child reach their God-given potential. Students come from Somerville and nearby communities, and many go on to excel at top Catholic and independent high schools, often enrolling in Honors and AP courses.
Dear Families,
My name is Tiphaine Guillabert, and I’m so happy to join your St. Theresa School as the new principal! In this message, I will share a bit about myself and my vision for your children and the school, but of course, this is just a start.
I was born and raised in France. I grew up in Tours, in the Loire Valley. Passionate about the deepening of human nature since my studies in the humanities (philosophy, literature, history…), I went through the demanding path of the French tradition of educational excellence, the École Normale Supérieure. From that time onwards, I decided to engage myself in education, because I realized that true excellence lies in helping every child believe in themselves and grow.
I taught for 11 years to a variety of people: teenagers, French and American
students (at the Sorbonne and Harvard), and groups of seniors. I have been living in the Boston area for 4 years with my family: my husband works in healthcare, and we have three children.
Joining this school, I’m committed to emphasizing its wonderful potential. I’m very inspired by St. Theresa School, which is lucky enough to have one of the greatest leaders of the Church as its patron, and lucky also to be located in this expansive area of Somerville.
This family-oriented institution is dedicated to helping your children grow, with two long-term goals in mind: offering them job opportunities through solid education in math, science, and language; and helping them become flourishing individuals with critical and personal thinking, supported by the humanities, arts, religious education, and social and emotional learning. I strongly believe that children deserve to be taken seriously in order to give the best of themselves, and that they should be nurtured with a sense of quality. I will be proud to bring the best of the French educational tradition to merge with the best of American education.
Being a parent myself, I know how busy our lives can be, and I’m also committed to making the school a place that supports family life and helps make things easier for parents.
I’m looking forward to meeting all of you in September, and with you, our
teachers, staff, and Father Cusack—gathering our energy and creativity to serve our children under God’s loving gaze.
Best regards,
Dr. Tiphaine Guillabert