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Principal St. James is a great school because, we have : · Wonderful students · Excellent and dedicated staff · Engaging and challenging educational programs · Small class sizes And most importantly, a · Safe, nurturing , and caring spiritual environment ! Preschool Full day My name is Diane Shusta and I teach the Preschool full-day program this year at St. James on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with a B.A. degree in PreKindergarten and Early Childhood. I have over twenty-five years of experience in teaching preschool. I was owner, director, and teacher of Cornerstone Preschool and Child Care Center for twelve years until I sold it in 2000. I am now beginning by seventh year at St. James Catholic School. I have remained active in the profession of early childhood in many areas, I have been a validator for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, validating preschool programs seeking national accreditation, and am now a consultant for Early Childhood programs wishing to start the accreditation process. I served as the Region 5 director for the Minnesota Association for Education of Young Children and on the Board for the Duluth Association for the Education of Young Children. I plan to design a curriculum that includes: Self-elected and teacher planned activities, science, math, language arts, music, fine arts, and socialization. Emphasis is placed on exploration, discovery, and encouraging curiosity. The primary goal is spiritual development, caring, and respecting one another. The curriculum also includes field trips, letter recognition, basic Spanish, and a good deal of fun, with a focus on developing the skills needed for a successful and confident academic career later on. Preschool ½ day My names is Diane Sorensen and I am the preschool teacher for the MWF morning class – the “Morning Glories!” I also teach the enrichment Kindergarten on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I graduated from UMD with a BS degree in K-6 Elementary Education and have 20 years of experience as a preschool teacher (7 years as a director). This will be my fourth year at St. James. I plan to implement curriculum that includes math, science, language arts, music and movement, art, and social skills. Spiritual development, caring and respect for others will be interlaced into many of the things that we do during the day. My goal is to establish a base of confidence and joy in learning for the children that will continue to grow throughout their lives. Kindergarten My name is LeeAnne Schiltz. I teach kindergarten here at St. James. After receiving my bachelor's degree in elementary education from the College of St. Scholastica, I was hired at St. James for a 2nd grade teaching position. I taught 2nd grade for 13 wonderful years and then I received the opportunity to teach kindergarten. I am now beginning my eighth year as the kindergarten teacher and I am enjoying every minute of it! Units that are studied in kindergarten include: 1 st Grade My name is Barbara Mollison, and I earned my B.S. degree at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. I have spent my entire teaching career in Catholic Education. I first taught at St. James prior to my vocation as a stay at home mom. When my youngest entered middle school I returned to teaching. I have taught at St. James for nine years. I chose teaching as my career because I enjoy teaching new things to children. Highlights of First Grade: . Space, planets, and stars 2 nd Grade My name is Stephanie Meyer. I attended St. James School as a child and continued my education at the University of Wisconsin Superior. I graduated in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Social Studies Highlights of second grade include: 3 rd Grade My name is Jean Charbonneau. I am the third grade teacher. I received a B.A. degree in Elementary Education from the College of St. Scholastica. This is my 30th year at St. James. 4 th Grade My name is Jodi Paulson. I am the 4th grade teacher at St. James Catholic School. I received a B.A.S. degree in Elementary Education and minors in Psychology and Coaching all from the University of Minnesota Duluth. I have taught at St. James for 13 years. Highlights of the 4th Grade: 5 th Grade My name is Teresa Ierino. I am the 5th grade teacher at St. James Catholic School. I received a B.A.S. degree in Elementary Education and minors in Art and Coaching at the University of Minnesota Duluth. I have taught at St. James for 11 years. Highlights of the 5th Grade: Middle School Gym Hi, my name is Danna Olson. I teach Physical Education. I graduated from Winona State University in 2009 where I earned a degree in Physical Education, Developmental/Adapted Physical Education, and Coaching. I worked in the YMCA Child Care Center, in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, for 6 years prior to graduating. I also have experience coaching basketball at various levels and was most recently employed as the Coon Valley Area Youth Foundation director. Art My name is Richarda Witikko, and I am the art teacher at St. James. I earned my B.A. in Art from the College of St. Catherine in 1978, and my teaching license in the M. A. T. program at the University of St. Thomas in 1979. This is my 10th year teaching art at St. James, but I have taught at other schools over the years, as well as practiced a career in interior design. My favorite job, however, has been raising my three children for the last sixteen years. Highlights:
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