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!"

SAMANTHA ANDERSON
​principal

Mrs. Anderson comes to us from Dubuque, IA, however she is originally from Crystal Lake, IL. After graduating from Marian Central Catholic High School, Mrs. Anderson completed her undergrad in Special Education at Illinois State University and started her career as a special education teacher and then worked as a behavior teacher. Ultimately, she became dean of students which is when she developed her passion for school leadership. Mrs. Anderson completed her Masters in Principalship at the University of Northern Iowa, and during the past year, she worked as a teacher mentor for new teachers in the Dubuque Community School District in both elementary and middle schools. Mrs. Anderson returns to Illinois with her family. Her husband is a social studies teacher, and they have two daughters and a newborn son born this past September!

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EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

Our early childhood classes 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.
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carolyn panozzo
​2-Year old Preschool

Mrs. Panozzo joined us at St. Peter School in fall 2021. She grew up in Batavia, and has been married to her husband Brian for 15 years. Together they have two children, Lainey and Michael. Lainey will be a freshman at Batavia High School in fall 2022 and Michael will be entering 5th grade at Holy Cross School in Batavia. They also have a 2-year-old Gordon Setter named Beau. 

KATHY LAMB​
3-year old preschool

Mrs. Lamb will be the teacher in the 3-4 year old Preschool room this year.  She is very excited about this opportunity!  She has worked in education her entire adult life.  After earning a B.S. in Ed. at Illinois State University, she continued her studies at Northern Illinois University. She is certified to teach Elementary Ed., Special Education and Early Childhood Education.  The majority of her teaching years were spent in Glendale Heights and Batavia Illinois working with early childhood students or young elementary students. Mrs. Lamb and her husband have two adult daughters, one daughter who recently graduated and a son who will be a sophomore at St. Charles North High School.

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

TRACEY NELSON​
​pre-kindergarten 5 day

​Mrs. Nelson graduated from Rasmussen College in Eagan, MN with an Early Childhood Certificate. Prior to joining our staff in 2021, her experience in education included being a preschool teacher, Assistant Director of a childcare center, and a Kindergarten Teacher's Assistant at St. Patrick Catholic School. Mrs. Nelson resides in Batavia with Tom, her husband of 25 years, and their two daughters, Emily and Grace. Emily attends the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas and Grace attends the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Their family also includes a yellow Lab, TJ. ​

luisa joy
KINDERGARTEN

Mrs. Joy graduated from the University of Illinois many many years ago with degrees in political science and Spanish. After 20+ years of working as a stay-at-home mom, she returned to school to pursue an M. Ed. in Early Childhood Education at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA in order to realize her dream of being a Kindergarten teacher.  She feels exceedingly blessed to be teaching at St. Peter School. Mrs. Joy and her husband have three sons - two of which attended St. Peter School.  They live in Geneva along with a couple of dogs. In her free time she loves to read and visit with family and friends.

michele scanlon
kindergarten

Mrs. Scanlon graduated from Illinois State University with a BS in Elementary Education.  This will be her 15th 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!

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ELEMENTARY grade TEACHERS

Our elementary grades are an introduction to a more formal school setting. In grades 1 and 2, students learn to adjust to a more structured school day and begin to develop more academic skills. Then, grades 3-5 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.
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MAUREEN QUINN
FIRST GRADE

Mrs. Quinn earned her Bachelor's 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 25th 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.

Elayne vesper
first grade

Mrs. Vesper graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a minor in English. She has taught first grade in Kankakee, Huntley, and St. Charles as well as religious education at St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin. Mrs. Vesper attended Catholic school from first grade until freshman year in college at St. Mary's College of Notre Dame. She is thrilled to be back in Catholic school now as a teacher and serve the students of St. Peter's School! She and her husband John live in St. Charles with their four teenage children and dog Mitchie. 

Mette clementi
second GRADE

Mrs. Clementi is happy to be a part of 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.

mary piech
second grade

Mrs. Piech is in her 12th 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. ​

vince macdonald
third grade

Mr. MacDonald is a long-time parishioner of St. Peter Church and resident of Geneva. This is his third year teaching and is thrilled to be at St. Peter School as a 3rd grade teacher. He graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL). He is excited to build long-lasting relationships with his students and help them grow socially, academically, and spiritually. When he is not teaching, he enjoys being active outdoors with family and friends. Go Rockets!

JULIE SHARPE
THIRD GRADE

Mrs. Sharpe started teaching at St. Peter School in 2008.  Her career at the school includes teaching first grade, fourth grade, as well as being the Reading Specialist. Before coming to St. Peter, she taught second 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 excited to return to grade three where she looks forward to integrating all subjects with real life, hands-on 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!

Anna rudek
fourth GRADE

Ms. Rudek started her teaching career in 2001. After spending 17 years teaching psychology, she transitioned to 4th grade in 2018. She has a Master of Arts in Teaching from St. Xavier University,  a Master of Arts in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Louis University. She is passionate about engaging students in active learning and critical thinking. She looks forward to igniting a love of reading and writing with her students. ​

Leah defreece
fifth grade

Ms. DeFreece grew up in Nebraska City, NE and graduated from Lourdes Central Catholic. She received her Bachelor's degree from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD with a Physical and Health Education degree.  She moved to Geneva last year to start her teaching career after serving at St. Peter’s with the NET team in 2020-2021. She is passionate about her faith, family, friends, children, and running. Ms. DeFreece is very excited to help the students grow in faith and knowledge. Go Rockets! 

PATRICK O'CONNELL
FIFTH GRADE

​Mr. Patrick O’Connell is pleased to be a part of the teaching team at St. Peter School as 5th Grade teacher and Physical Education teacher. He earned his B.A. in Theology at the University of Notre Dame and taught Religion for 7 years at a Catholic college prep high school. He earned his M.Ed. in Special Education at National Louis University in LD/BD and taught Social Studies, Physical Education, Science, Fine Arts and English for 7 years at the District 214 Alternative School. He then taught mainstream Social Science at Rolling Meadows High School for 22 years. Throughout his career, he coached many sports, including Varsity Basketball and camps for 5th - 12th graders in the summers. When his wife and he moved to Geneva they were pleased to be warmly welcomed as new members of St. Peter Parish. They have two sons, a 10th grader at Geneva High School and a senior at St. Francis High School.

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middle school TEACHERS

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.

LAURA PIZZO
SPANISH

Señora 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.  

LAURA ROGERS
SCIENCE, MATH AND MATH INTERVENTION

Mrs. Rogers is excited to be at St. Peter School! She has an elementary education degree from Judson College, with a concentration in Math. She has taught for 15 years, 12 of those in the Rockford Diocese. She has been a parishioner of St. Peter Church since 2014 and is very happy to be teaching here as well. When she is not teaching, she loves reading and spending time with her husband, two little boys, and the newest addition to her family, a daughter born last year.

ANN THOMS
RELIGION AND 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. ​

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. ​

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 37th 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! 

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specialty teachers

JESSICA BREUGELMANS
stem

Mrs. Breugelmans is a Geneva native and St. Peter alum! After St. Peter, she went on to attend Rosary High School in Aurora. Having experienced the benefits of a Catholic School education, she is so excited to be back "home" at St. Peter along with her husband and two children. Mrs. Breugelmans received her Bachelor's degree from Bradley University in Business Management and Administration/Accounting. After college she worked for many years in business settings focusing on management, accounting and marketing before deciding later in life to return to school and receive her Masters in Teaching from Aurora University. Exemplifying her passion for being a life-long learner, Mrs. Breugelmans continues to take classes in everything from engineering to health sciences and even French!

For the last 8 years, she has been focused on being a stay-at-home mom and giving back to others through philanthropy. She has been a board member or committee member for numerous non-profit organizations and endeavors to exemplify a servant-leader life. She is so excited to be a part of the St. Peter family again and looks forward to sharing her passion for the STEM design process and bringing real-life connections into the classroom. 

LARA KRISTOFER
Reading Intervention

Mrs. Kristofer is excited to be a part of the St. Peter School teaching staff! She has experience working with students of all ages from pre-K to high school. Mrs. Kristofer completed her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology and went on to attain a second Master's Degree in Elementary Education. She lives in St. Charles with her husband and their four children who are proud St. Peter Rockets! Mrs. Kristofer is an active volunteer in the community and enjoys serving on the St. Charles Youth Commission. The Kristofer family loves vacationing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Mrs. Kristofer also enjoys running, soap making, spending time with family, and playing with and caring for their dog, two cats, two hamsters and one betta fish.

Leah defreece & patrick o'connell
physical education

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! 

DANIEL SCHROEDER
music

Mr. Schroeder grew up in Sugar Grove, IL and recently graduated from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. He is excited to serve on both the parish and school staff by leading St. Peter’s vibrant music ministry and developing a love, appreciation, and stewardship of music in St. Peter’s 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!

connie woodford
library

Mrs. Woodford is excited to join the St. Peter faculty as a librarian. She has been a library volunteer at St. Peter School for 12 years and has participated in Battle of the Books for 11 years. Mrs. Woodford is a huge advocate for reading and encourages all students to READ. Mrs. Woodford received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Illinois State University. She lived on the east coast for 17 years, and returned to her home state of Illinois in 2010. She is a mother of four St. Peter graduates. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, yoga, playing tennis and golf, a good book and dog walks.  

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