There, he supported the Head of Upper School by mentoring faculty and staff; evaluating teacher performance, prioritizing authentically classical pedagogy and implementation of Aristoi’s classical curriculum; advocating for student and faculty needs; and maintaining high personal standards of organization, time management, and servant-leadership. Classical education as the pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful is a mission that Mr. Pertuso is passionate about sharing with faculty, staff, parents, and students at Aristoi Classical Academy. For him, education is more than a job; it is his vocation and joy.
Mr. Pertuso graduated from Providence College with a B.A. in History and Theology, and an M.A. in History. At Providence, he was first introduced to the classical method through their Development of Western Civilization program, which ultimately led him to pursue teaching as a profession. He later studied school leadership at Creighton University, receiving his Graduate Certificate in 2019. A Rhode Island native, Mr. Pertuso began his teaching career in his hometown, working with students in the logic stage. He taught six years of middle school English/Language Arts, History, Spanish, and Religion before being asked to join the initiative for a new high school in Spring, Texas. He joined this endeavor in 2013 as a founding faculty member and served in numerous administrative capacities. He transitioned to teaching English, Literature, and History at the rhetoric level and over the course of eight years he served as department chair in four different disciplines. Additionally, Mr. Pertuso has experience as: registrar, club coordinator, academic counselor, track and field coach, mentor teacher, accreditation lead, admissions team member, strategic-planning team member, student government advisor, student life house leader, and National Honor Society advisor.
Mr. Pertuso and his wife have two young daughters whom he adores. He is active in his parish and enjoys kayaking, running, reading, and discussing history and the classics. Mr. Pertuso’s favorite book is Lord of the Rings, he is a Batman enthusiast, and he always appreciates good, Italian cooking. Most of all, he loves spending time with his family.
At this time I also want to publicly thank Ms. Deborah Guel for her hard work and dedication over the past decade, most recently as head of elementary at Aristoi Cypress. Ms. Guel is a valued long-term employee that has been a part of the Aristoi family for many years. I have appreciated and admired her work, dedication, and example. As some of you may know, Ms. Guel’s father passed away earlier this summer. I am honoring her request to care for her family. Going forward Ms. Guel will need to be more available to her family, therefore she will be stepping down from her administrative responsibilities, but is committed to assisting Mr. Pertuso to make a smooth transition and assist in the start of the 2022-23 school year. I will begin to search for a new Head of Elementary to assist Mr. Pertuso in our care of our K-4 Griffins. Additionally, Mr. Watson, our new Deputy Superintendent will serve as a mentor and resource to our Cypress Administrative team.
On Tuesday, July 19th at 3:00 PM, Aristoi Cypress invites you to a special opportunity to meet Mr. Pertuso and Mr. Watson.
I do not take it lightly that you have entrusted your children to us for a classical education, and am looking forward to partnering with you in this counter cultural work for the true, good, and beautiful.
Sincerely,
Brenda Davidson
Superintendent
