Faculty and Staff

The faculty and staff members of Saint John's Academy are committed to striving toward three principle aims for its students:

1)  Agape, or "Divine Love" : To foster spiritual growth through love for Christ and his Church.

2)  Logos, or "Truth and reason" : To cultivate intellectual acumen and academic excellence. 

3)  Sophia, or "Wisdom": To become productive members of society, as well as active proponents of a higher quality of culture. 

PRINCIPAL

Mr. Duncan has over 10 years of experience teaching and leading students, families, and staff. His background includes training and educating hundreds of people in both Private Schools and Church Ministries across the U.S. He has a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Philosophy, Religion, and Theology. Among the many things he enjoys about education, the greatest by far is watching people of all ages overcome challenges in life by acquiring the truth. Authors that have deeply impacted his personal and professional life include Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, Kierkegaard, and Hafiz. Mr. Duncan really enjoys physical activity, including basketball, frisbee golf, hiking, volleyball, and working out. Favorite classes he has taught: Introduction to Iranian History; Mythologies of Iran, Egypt, and Greece; Survey of Old and New Testaments. Favorite leadership accomplishments: training staff to consider the developmental stages of children; running a workshop on holistic learning (body, heart, and mind); rebranding and marketing a school for future growth; and equipping families with resources to help understand and connect with their children.
 

OFFICE MANAGER, A.P. ADMINISTRATOR

Mrs. Musleh joined St. John's Academy in 2013, where her son also attends. She has a background in Finance, with a BS in Finance and Banking and a minor in Accounting. Prior to joining St. John’s Academy, Mrs. Musleh worked in the banking industry for 15 years and in property management for 5 years. She is an avid reader and enjoys whipping up exotic Middle Eastern cuisine and desserts during her downtime.

DEAN OF STUDENTS

Mr. Florakis joined the St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy team in 2016 and began teaching middle school and high school English. Mr. Florakis has also taught in New York City and Sacramento, CA. This is his second term as the Dean of Students in which he assists students, staff, and the Administration with students' social and emotional needs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Fordham University where he also completed an Orthodox Christian Studies minor. He enjoys traveling, gluten-free cuisine, and Greek dancing.

CHAPLaIN,
Mental Wellness (Psychology) & Spiritual Wellness (Religion)

Fr. George joined St. John’s Academy in 2020. He serves at Holy Virgin Cathedral. He holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the Moscow University in the Humanities (Russia). After graduating, he served one year in the Russian Army. In 2009 earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from the Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary in Jordanville where he also later taught Psychology. In 2016 he was ordained Deacon and Priest, and for two and half years served as Rector of the Holy Vladimir icon Mother of God in Costa Rica parish (and continues to guide the parish with the local priest). Then from 2018 to 2020, he served at the St. Alexander Nevsky Diocesan Cathedral in Howell, NJ, where he taught religion at the St. Alexander Nevsky Parish School. He began his postgraduate studies at the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia). He is a certified skipper and loves sailing with his family, reading books, and playing basketball.

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, K-1
HOMEROOM TEACHER

Mrs. Philipoff began her career in education as a teacher’s assistant at Sts. Cyril and Methodius High School while studying child development at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University. She joined Binet Montessori School where she became the After-School Staff Supervisor. After a decade in education, Mrs. Philipoff took a break to study Interior Design and worked in the design industry for fifteen years. She returned to education in 2002 when she joined St. John's Academy in her present role. When school is not in session, Mrs. Philipoff can be found exploring the back roads of the West Coast with her husband.

COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATOR, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ART, PHOTOGRAPHY

Mrs. Nowak became an active and veteran member of the St. John’s Academy community in 2002.  As a Bay Area native and competitive water skier, she grew up on California's lakes and waterways. She was also an NCAA soccer athlete at Arizona State University and San Francisco State University. Mrs. Nowak received her B.F.A. with an emphasis in photography from San Francisco State University.  Mrs. Nowak has worked in the photo industry, at several Bay Area's top custom commercial photo labs, for more than two decades. While working in the photo lab business, she held various key positions as a printer, video analyzer, film services supervisor, and production manager for a top custom commercial lab in San Francisco. Mrs. Nowak's work has been recognized and published in numerous magazines and publications, and she continues to create and produce high-quality photography and printing for her own successful photo business, which was begun in 1984.  As an active community volunteer, Mrs. Nowak helps plan, organize, and run various local fundraising events.  In her free time, she enjoys viewing and attending various sports events, spending time outdoors, traveling, and, most of all, riding motorcycles with her family.

Contact Form: Faculty

Please use the form below to get in touch with our faculty members. We're here to assist you with any inquiries or concerns you may have.