The 2024-2025 school year is underway at Saint Paul Catholic School (SPCS), and with it comes some exciting changes. For instance, this is the first school year since the SPCS preschool was officially renamed the SPCS Preschool and Early Education Center. Perhaps the most exciting development, however, has been the addition of 11 teachers to the SPCS faculty. Amanda Bookholt, marketing and enrollment director at SPCS, is optimistic that these new additions will greatly enhance instruction.
“We've been listening to parent feedback as we’ve welcomed new students to the school over the past three years,” Bookholt said. “Many parents suggested that we reduce our class sizes, so we assigned a two-teacher team to each grade, thus creating two classes per grade. This smaller teacher-student ratio will promote better collaboration and more academic focus among the students. We have a nice balance of veteran teachers and newer teachers, and I believe that these incoming teachers will work very well as teammates. We’re all very excited for this upcoming school year.”
Here’s a glimpse into these new teachers’ qualifications, backgrounds, and interests!
Kindergarten
Donna Shane: A state certified reading specialist, Donna Shane graduated from Concordia University Chicago with her bachelor's degree in elementary education with a focus on reading, curriculum, and history. For the past 27 years, Shane has been teaching kindergarten at schools throughout the Diocese of Gary. She looks forward to spending another year working with SPCS students and hopes to have a positive impact on their lives.
Beth Leach: Prior to her move to Valpo, Beth Leach taught third grade and fifth grade for almost 10 years before working as a daycare administrator for five years. Some interesting facts about her are that she originally hails from Alaska, has nine siblings, and loves to crochet in her free time.
First Grade
Sarah Lindsey: Sarah Lindsey earned her bachelor's degree in consumer and family sciences from Purdue University before earning a transition to teaching degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has over 11 years of experience teaching Pre 4, kindergarten, and first grade, two of which she spent at SPCS. She is the proud mother of three SPCS alumnae and loves to cook and bake. She looks forward to helping her students become more confident readers this year.
Bailie Edwards: Bailie Edwards, who is entering her third year of teaching, has been a member of the SPCS family for the entirety of her career. She began her journey as a student teacher at SPCS and, having earned her bachelor's degree, has taught at the SPCS Preschool and Early Education Center’s Pre 3 and Pre 4 classes. She has enjoyed this role for the past two years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her pets, and she also loves traveling to Northern Michigan.
Second Grade
Pam Rowley: Pam Rowley has a bachelor's degree in general elementary with a kindergarten endorsement and has been teaching for 24 years. She has been teaching at SCPS since 2006, the same year the new school building was constructed, and has two daughters, both of whom are SPCS alumnae. This year, she is excited to work with her partner teacher and to meet lots of new people.
Angela Grisolano: Angela Grisolano graduated from Purdue University Northwest last December with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Upon graduating, she worked as a substitute teacher in schools throughout the Valpo area. She looks forward to joining SPCS’ strong Catholic community and instilling the school’s core values in her students during her first full year of teaching. Her favorite season is autumn and she loves to write in her free time.
Third Grade
Mary Williams: Mary Williams has over a decade’s worth of experience teaching faith formation at the K-fifth levels. She has participated in Youth Ministry and helped organize middle and high school retreats since 2009. She loves tortoises and dinosaurs, has visited 32 U.S. states, and attended the Mass that Saint Pope John Paul II celebrated at World Youth Day 1993 in Denver, Colorado. She is looking forward to doing a lot of hands-on activities with her students and is excited to teach them about the Eucharist as they prepare for their First Holy Communion.
Faith Huss: Faith Huss earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education from Indiana University Northwest. After working as a long-term SPCS substitute teacher, she spent the 2023-2024 school year teaching her own class. She comes from a family of seven and has four sisters, one of whom is her twin. She selected Saint Elizabeth, her favorite saint, to be her Confirmation saint. She has wanted to work with third graders and teach them about First Holy Communion for as long as she can remember.
Fourth Grade
Gayle Bakota: Gayle Bakota served as SPCS’ fourth grade teacher for many years before becoming the school’s Resource teacher. She is excited to be returning to the classroom and looks forward to working with her new students. Her experience and passion for teaching truly make her an asset to the fourth grade team.
Julia Fugger: Julia Fugger earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Calumet College of Saint Joseph and worked as a biology teaching assistant and a religious education instructor while in college. Saint Patrick is her favorite saint, she loves the “Lord of the Rings” books, and she happens to be a very skilled hula-hooper. She is the eldest of five siblings and has been best friends with Huss since first grade. She is looking forward to accompanying her class on SPCS’ annual field trip to Indianapolis.
Art
Allison Garrett: Before having her children, Allison Garrett worked in fashion and retail. She worked as a substitute teacher and classroom aide at SPCS after being a stay-at-home mom for many years. She is pursuing a teaching license through Calumet College of St. Joseph’s Transition to Teach program. She studied in Paris while in college and her grandmother taught music at SPCS a long time ago. She has a deep love for art and seeks to educate her students about art history while encouraging them to let their creativity shine through in their work.
Bookholt extends her well-wishes to the new teachers and looks forward to a productive school year.
“Our message is we balance great academics with strong faith and a fun family community,” Bookholt said. “At Saint Paul Catholic School, we focus on developing every facet of the learner. We are committed to giving these teachers the support they need to effectively share their educational philosophy with our students. I would encourage them to take a deep breath and to get ready for a fun year. I want to extend a warm welcome to these new members of our Panther family and I hope they are excited to be here as we are excited to have them.”
A good teacher can make all the difference in a student’s learning experience. It seems that these 11 SPCS teachers are more than capable of providing their pupils with a warm and supportive learning environment. In doing so, they will ultimately help their students develop into well-rounded members of society.
For more information on Saint Paul Catholic School, please visit stpaulvalpo.org.