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!

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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.
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Jessica Palczynski
​2-Year old Preschool

​Mrs. Palczynski is originally from Bloomington, IL and graduated from St. Ambrose University in 2010 with a degree in Public Relations and Marketing. She and her husband lived in Washington D.C. and Georgia where she worked successfully as a recruiter before moving back “home” to the Midwest in 2017. After their third child was born, she decided to become a stay at home mom. Shortly after, she became the lead organizer for the Tri-City moms group for the next 3 years. She feels very blessed and excited to be a part of the St. Peter’s teaching family and hopes to continue her education with a focus in early childhood. She currently resides in Geneva, IL with her husband, three children and dog. 

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

michele scanlon
kindergarten

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

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 23rd 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.

mary piech
second grade

Mrs. Piech is in her sixth 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. ​

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. During the 2019-2020 school year, she felt blessed with the opportunity to work at St. Peter’s in the preschool room.  Her goal this year will be to prepare our sweet little ones with a developmentally appropriate preschool education in a safe environment. She and her husband have raised two daughters to adulthood and they are both educators.  Her oldest daughter teaches at the college level and other daughter works with special needs students. They are still parenting their 16-year-old daughter who attends St. Charles North High School and their 14-year-old son continues to teach his parents a few things while he attends Thompson Middle School. 
 She feels it is a privilege to work with your children and give them a strong educational foundation along with a solid faith based beginning and can’t wait to start the 2020-21 school year…Go Rockets!!

LESLIE RIFE​
​pre-kindergarten 5 day

Mrs. Rife received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 2008 where she was a bronze tablet recipient. After a successful career in the corporate world, she and her husband moved around the country for his military career. She took this time to follow her passion of working with children and started substitute teaching. Since Mrs. Rife moved frequently, substitute teaching allowed her to work in many of the places she lived, lead family support groups in the army, as well as stay home while her children were young. Now that she has settled in Illinois permanently, she is excited to teach preschool at Saint Peter School. She has a rich love for the Catholic faith and enjoyed teaching 3-year-old Sunday School at her last parish in Tennessee. She currently teaches an Apologetics bible study at Saint Peter’s in the evenings. Mrs. Rife looks forward to working with your children and watching them learn and grow. ​

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.

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.

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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.

JULIE SHARPE
THIRD 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!

Leah defreece
fifth grade

Ms. DeFreece grew up in Nebraska City, NE and graduated from Lourdes Central Catholic. She received her Bachelors degree from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD with a Physical and Health Education degree.  She will be moving to Geneva to teach after serving at St. Peter’s with the NET team. She is passionate about her faith, family, friends, children, and running. Ms. DeFreece is very excited to helping the students grow in faith and knowledge. Go Rockets! 

Anna rudek
fourth GRADE

Ms. Rudek is excited to spend her 20th year of teaching in 4th grade at St. Peter. She spent the last 3 years teaching 4th grade in Catholic schools after 17 year of teaching psychology at the college level including most recently at Aurora University.  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. 

PATRICK O'CONNELL
FIFTH GRADE

​Mr. Patrick O’Connell is pleased to join the team at St. Peter School as 5th Grade 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. His wife and he moved to Geneva last year where they were pleased to be warmly welcomed as new members of St. Peter Parish. They have two sons, an 8th grader at St Peter School and a sophomore at St. Francis High School.

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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.

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.  

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. ​

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 13 years, 10 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 and two little boys.

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 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! 

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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 10th 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.

LARA KRISTOFER
Reading Intervention

Mrs. Kristofer is excited to be joining the St. Peter School teaching staff this year! 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 their dog and two cats.

kim mcnamara
physical education

Mrs. Kim McNamara has been teaching Physical Education at St. Peter School for 21 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!

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