Administration

Rev. Jonathan P. Bakkelund
​pastor

Father Jonathan Bakkelund was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Doran in 2011.  His first assignment as a newly ordained priest was at Saint Mary’s in Huntley. Father Bakkelund has served at St. Thomas the Apostle, Crystal Lake, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Crystal Lake, and as a student priest studying Liturgy at Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, IL. Father Bakkelund is the Diocesan Master of Ceremonies for Bishop Malloy and the Director of the Office of Divine Worship.  Father Bakkelund says, “I love serving as a priest in Saint Peter School.  This is truly a great community!"

Becky ward
​principal

Mrs. Becky Ward is so excited to be the principal of St. Peter School. Upon graduating from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she taught high school Spanish and Religion for two years. After staying home with her four children, she earned a Master’s in Education from Aurora University. She taught middle school math and religion for eight years then returned to Aurora University to earn a Master’s in Educational Leadership. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to share her love for Jesus and her passion for Catholic education with the students at St. Peter School.

KAtie hogan
​​administrative assistant

Ms. Hogan has been a long time resident of Geneva and parishioner of St. Peter Church since 1988. She currently lives in St. Charles with her daughter, Brinley who attends school here at St. Peter.  Ms. Hogan has a background in early childhood education as well as the medical field which she has enjoyed for the past 13 years. In her free time she loves to volunteer with a local not for profit that benefits those in need in our community that can't afford shoes. One of her biggest passions is being a foster and rescue home for Brittany Spaniels and any dog needing a loving home. She looks forward to her first year and is very eager to meet everyone here at St. Peter School. Please come say hello as she is always happy to help with anything you may need!

---

primary grades

Our primary grades place children on the path to a life-long love of learning. Our curriculum encourages curiosity, stimulates thinking and helps to instill in each child a sense of self-confidence. Students are nurtured and cared for as they move from home progressing to a formal school setting.

emily mueller
preschool

Mrs. Mueller graduated from DePaul University with her BS in Early Childhood Education in 2004. She completed her Masters in Reading Instruction from Aurora University in 2012. This will be her 15th year teaching. She began her teaching career and taught for four years at Mount Carmel Academy in the city. After getting married she moved to New Jersey and taught at St. Stephen of Hungary on the Upper East side of Manhattan for a year and then at Cornerstone Preschool in a small suburb of New Jersey before moving back to the area. Miss Emily will be beginning her ninth year teaching (three-year-old) preschool at St. Peter. She takes a personal interest in all of her students, supporting them while working to meet all of their individual needs.  Come see for yourself what a fabulous program she has created for the success of every child she encounters! 

dawn Gallucci
​pre-kindergarten 3 day

Mrs. Gallucci grew up in Batavia, IL, and graduated from Rosary High School.  She received her Bachelor degree in marketing and sales from Bradley University and her Early Childhood Certification from Ashworth College.  She currently resides in North Aurora with her husband Matt, children Madison, Carter & Hunter and their three dogs.  She loves working with children, being outdoors and crafting

maureen quinn
first grade

Mrs. Quinn earned her Bachelors degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin and is certified to teach at both the elementary and middle school levels. She also has several years' experience teaching at high school and college levels.  She holds endorsements in Child Development, Child guidance and Accounting, but it is her endorsements in Guided Reading and K-4 Reading that she is most passionate about.  Mrs. Quinn believes that mastering reading skills at the elementary level is crucial in building student confidence and promoting future success.  She also believes in fostering parent communication to provide student support and encourage achievement.  This is her 22nd year teaching at St. Peter School She began her teaching career in the Northern Wisconsin public school system.  She and her husband have three sons, all of whom graduated from St. Peter School.  Mrs. Quinn resides West of St. Charles on a working farm.  In her spare time she enjoys quilting, reading, knitting and spending time with her family.

megan tempestini
​pre-kindergarten 5 day

Mrs. Tempestini graduated from Loras College with a degree in Elementary Education. This will be her 22nd year teaching with experience in Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade.  With eleven years of experience in Pre-K, she loves the energy, curiosity and genuine love of learning found in a Pre-K classroom.  Mrs. Tempestini believes in building a strong, solid base in a child’s education by providing a structured day that includes engaging activities with multi-sensory experiences. Her goal is for her students to complete the year prepared for Kindergarten with a positive attitude toward school.  When a child has fun, he will learn!  She is thrilled to be a part of the St. Peter community and is looking forward to the year ahead. She is grateful for her own Catholic education and feels blessed to have provided the same experience for her two children.

michele scanlon
kindergarten

Mrs. Scanlon graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Elementary Education.  This will be her eleventh year teaching Kindergarten at St. Peter School.  She also has experience teaching First grade and Preschool.  Mrs. Scanlon loves teaching kindergarten at SPS!  She feels very lucky to be able to spend each day teaching and learning with such incredible students, parents, and staff.  It is important to Mrs. Scanlon to incorporate Christian values into the daily lives of her students.  Her goal is to foster the love of learning through engaging activities. She’s looking forward to another great year at SPS!

mary piech
second grade

Mrs. Piech is in her fifth year of teaching second grade at St. Peter School. She has her Masters of Instructional Leadership - Reading from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and Psychology from Loras College in Iowa. She has taught junior high language arts, fifth grade, fourth grade and second grade in school districts in Chicago Ridge, Wilmette and Naperville. Mrs. Piech previously had the role of Reading Specialist and Differentiation Specialist at St. Peter School. It has been a special joy to be part of the second graders' preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. She is looking forward to a wonderful year at St. Peter School. ​

---

Intermediate grades

The intermediate grades are characterized by a special enthusiasm for school, as well as a growing sense of personal accomplishment and self-assurance. Students begin to think of themselves as role models for younger children and take genuine delight in being called to a greater sense of both independence and responsibility.

mette clementi
​third grade

Mrs. Clementi is happy to be joining the wonderful school community of St. Peter.  She graduated from University of Illinois in Elementary Education.  She has continued her education at University of Illinois at Chicago and Northern Illinois University, studying reading instruction and developmentally appropriate practices.  She has taught in Catholic, public, suburban and inner-city environments.  Mrs. Clementi is excited to be teaching in the authentic Catholic environment of St. Peter. She is looking forward to helping her students grow in knowledge and faith in a warm, encouraging, and intellectually stimulating classroom.

liz boehm
fifth grade

Ms. Boehm is very excited to be going into her 11th year teaching at St. Peter School. Ms. Boehm had the privilege of co-teaching on the St. Peter 1st grade team during the 2010 - 2011 school year. Her undergraduate degree was from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in both Finance and Marketing. She completed student teaching in 5th grade at Fox Ridge Elementary School and graduated from Aurora University in May of 2010 with a Masters in Elementary Education. Ms. Boehm is so excited to have the opportunity to teach your children.  Her goal is to continue to build and enhance your child's 5th grade year at St. Peter School academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. This will be an exciting and fun year for the students. As a team, we can encourage our students/children to always dare to dream, dare to achieve, and dare to never stop trying.  

Julie Sharpe
Fourth grade

Mrs. Sharpe started teaching at St. Peter School in 2008.  She has been both the Reading Specialist and first grade teacher at St. Peter.  Before coming to St. Peter, she taught 2nd through fifth grade in Milwaukee, WI.  She earned her teaching certificate from Marquette University and holds a Master's Degree from Cardinal Stritch University. Mrs. Sharpe is happy to return to grade four where she looks forward to integrating all subjects with hands on, real life learning opportunities, as she instills a love for learning in her students.  She is organized, excited to learn new things herself and provides an environment of mutual care and respect!

---

middle school

Our Middle School supports the needs of students to question and explore, defining their beliefs and moving toward reliance on God, while being responsible for their own actions. Our program is structured to allow each student to discover positive ways to be the 'best version of themselves' while growing to build trusting, meaningful relationships with others. Students build a sense of personal worth based on competence and meaningful participation.

Jordan Mucha
science, math and math intervention

Miss Mucha graduated from the University of Dayton in May of 2019 with her Bachelor of Science in Education. She is certified to teach middle grades math and science as well as K-12 intervention. She is STEM certified and is eager to share her passion for math and science with the students of St. Peter School. She is a St. Peter School alumna and lifelong parishioner of St. Peter Church. 

tracy thumm
math and social studies

Mrs. Thumm received her Masters in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis.  She is certified to teach grades K-9 and  also has a Middle School Endorsement certified to teach middle school math, language arts, social studies, and science. She started teaching at St. Peter School in 2002.  Before arriving at St. Peter, she taught at a Montessori School for three years. ​

REV. Charles Warren
religion

Father Charles Warren was ordained a priest by Bishop David Malloy in 2019.  He graduated from Mundelein Seminary with Masters Degrees in both Philosophy and Theology and graduated from Loras College with a degree in Media Studies. This will be his 2nd year teaching 7th and 8th Grade religion. He has worked three summers serving and catechizing youth in grades 1-6th and 7-12th through the Totus Tuus summer program. He is thankful for being assigned to Geneva and being able to return to serving the great families of St. Peter School!

Ann Thoms
Social studies

Mrs. Thoms graduated from Boston College with a degree in History and from Northwestern University with a master’s degree in education. She has taught Social Studies and Geography at the middle school and high school levels. In addition, she has worked with the STEMscopes curriculum and appreciates the hands on, problem-based approach to the science curriculum. 

laura pizzo
spanish

Laura Pizzo received her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Business from Monterrey Tec, Monterrey, MX. She taught computer science at Universidad de NL, MX. for several years and had the opportunity to return to Chicago with her family in 1998. Laura Pizzo is passionate about learning and teaching the beautiful Spanish language. Laura Pizzo encourages respect for oneself and for those with whom you interact in or outside the classroom. The goal is to expose the middle school students to the Spanish language. Through dialogue and real-life experiences, the students will have the opportunity to develop skills, express ideas, and acquire vocabulary. With class participation and oral presentations, the students will be able to demonstrate proper Spanish pronunciation. The utilization of videos will also assist in this task. With the understanding that we all come from different backgrounds, it is imperative we, as a class, work together to help one another achieve our goals. Practice, practice, and more practice is and will be the key to success. Juntos lo vamos a lograr. I am excited to be the middle school Spanish teacher this year.  

jeanne vanlandeghem
language arts

Mrs. VanLandeghem completed both her Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Science in Education degrees at Northern Illinois University.  She also has a middle school endorsement in language arts and is classified as Highly Qualified in three areas.  Since 1986 she has taught fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English; seventh and eighth grade literature; and seventh and eighth grade spelling and vocabulary.  She is a member of Pi Lambda Theta Honor and Professional Association in Education and Kappa Delta Pi an International Honor Society in Education.  She celebrates her 34th year of teaching at SPS this year and alumni and parents say that after having Mrs. Van as a teacher, they are grateful for how prepared they are and how well they do in high school!  Mrs. Van is dearly loved and respected for her leadership, organization and ability to inspire students in reading and writing! 

---

specialty teachers

susanna hite
stem

Mrs. Hite received her Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Dayton. Since 1994, she has taught in all grade levels from K-8.  After integrating technology in her own classrooms, she began working for a company that contracted with various schools to provide teacher training, professional development workshops, and technology classes. She has likewise provided technology training for a banking organization. After staying home to raise a family, she has more recently served in the role of technology integration and support, helping teachers incorporate technology into all areas of the curriculum, while also teaching the Rockford Diocesan technology standards.  Mrs. Hite started teaching at St. Peter School in 2017 and developed the St. Peter School Makerspace. Along with providing STEM experiences for all grade levels, she facilitates Technology projects and works with teachers to support their technology needs.

Mrs. Hite feels the that the curiosity and enthusiasm for STEM exhibited by her students makes every class exciting! She is a former parishioner of St. Peter and all her children were baptized at the parish as well. In her free time, she volunteers as a Catechist, an Explorer leader for American Heritage Girls, and a dancer for the Chicago Ballet Conservatory’s yearly Nutcracker. Mrs. Hite lives in St. Charles with her husband and three children.

lina mikulionis
art

Mrs. Mikulionis has been teaching art at St. Peter School since 2014.  She received her BA in Art Education from Northern Illinois University and is certified to teach K-12 art.  Before teaching at SPS, Mrs. Mikulionis worked in District 181 as a one-on-one classroom aide. In her spare time she enjoys playing music and going for walks with her husband and her dog.  She is thrilled to be a part of the vibrant, spiritual community that is St. Peter School! 

sherri stasell
music

Mrs. Stasell is excited to begin her 9th year of teaching Music at St. Peter School. She has been a parishioner at St. Peter Church for 15 years and accompanies the 9:00 Choir, Children’s Choir, and cantors for Masses. Before moving to Geneva, she was a classroom teacher for 17 years teaching grades K-3 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She earned a Master’s degree in Education from Indiana University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education/Music from Bluffton University. She has been playing the piano for most of her life and enjoys sharing her experience and love of music with the students.

christie kurczak
reading intervention

Mrs. Kurczak received her Master of Arts in Education degree from National Louis University in 2004 and her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Special Education with an emphasis in Learning and Behavior Disabilities from Bellarmine University in 2001.  She taught students in grades K-6 in Lawton, Oklahoma for the Lawton Public School System and in Bamberg, Germany for the Department of Defense Education Activity before her children were born. Mrs. Kurczak spent the last 13 years as a volunteer serving in military communities around the country and as a catechist teaching in many areas of catechesis including sacramental programs, RCIA, high school and middle school youth ministry, and adult Bible Studies while providing stability at home as the wife of an active duty Army Officer. Now that her seven children are all students at SPS, she is very excited to get back to the classroom and share her love of learning with the youth in this community as Reading Interventionist and Middle School teacher.  Her classroom is one that is built on mutual respect, trust, and responsibility, and she loves to do everything she can to help her students achieve their fullest potential.

kim mcnamara
physical education

Mrs. Kim McNamara has been teaching Physical Education at St. Peter School for 20 years. She received her undergraduate degree in Physical Education from DePaul University and her Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from George Williams College. Prior to teaching at St. Peter School, Mrs. McNamara substitute taught in Districts 300 and 303, and was the Employee Fitness Director for A.C. Nielsen in Northbrook, Illinois. She lives with her husband, Jim, and together, raised three honorable children.
     
Mrs. McNamara always wanted to be a teacher. She thoroughly enjoys teaching Physical Education; working with children; and collaborating with her exceptionally capable and talented colleagues at St. Peter School. Mrs. Kim McNamara feels that it is imperative that each child not only learn lifelong physical fitness skills and beneficial health information, but they also feel good about themselves.
     
​Mrs. McNamara's faith plays a great role in her life. It drives her daily to be a better person, mother and teacher. It encourages a responsibility in her as a teacher to promote confidence and nurture esteem in all children in her charge. Mrs. Kim McNamara consciously works daily to live by The Word and lead with The Word. She feels encouraged and empowered to promote learning and moral character in her students.

Jean Tvrdik
library

Ms. Tvrdik graduated from Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, with a BA in Biology and Education. For the next ten years, she taught in several Catholic Schools in Iowa and continued her education in Computer Science at Clarke University. She moved to the Chicago area to continue her computer education and eventually to work as a computer programmer/analyst for about 20 years. After several years, she found that she really missed teaching and began teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) students beginning computer skills during the evenings and weekends. When she was hired at St. Peter School, she was so happy to return to working with children. When she is not working she loves to read, take walks and play with her cats!

---