St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School

History

Mission Statement

Philosophy

St. Elizabeth

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School
Personnel
2009-2010

Position	Name	Introduction
Principal	Thomas Troness	I am excited to be in my third year as principal of St. Elizabeth's! My wife, Arlene, and I have four sons and three grandsons. My experience in education includes 30 years as a teacher in the public school system of Sisseton, SD and four years as the principal of Holy Trinity School in Pierz. My hobbies include golfing and working in the garden and yard.
Pastor	Rev. Thomas Knoblach	I thank God daily for the call to priestly ministry in the Church. I was ordained for the Diocese of Saint Cloud in 1987, the last priest Bishop Speltz ordained upon his retirement. I have served parishes in St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Milaca, Houston, St. Louis, Wadena, Bertha, Henning, Herman, Chokio, Luxembourg, Kimball, and since July, 2007, the parishes in the Lumen Christi cluster: Saint John Cantius, Saint Anthony’s, and Holy Spirit. I have also taught at Cathedral High School and St. Louis University. I am a product of Catholic schools from first grade through earning a PhD, so I have great esteem and support for Catholic education. Since 1999, I have also enjoyed working as the Consultant for Healthcare Ethics for the Diocese. This gives me lots of opportunities for speaking, research, writing, and involvement in the important work of Catholic healthcare. For balance in life, I enjoy working on cars, woodworking, reading, biking, and walking.
Parochial Vicar	Rev. Jimmy Joseph
Kindergarten	Ms. Mary Jansen	Hi! I am very excited to be teaching at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School for my first year of teaching. It has been great getting to know all of the staff and families. I also went to school here as a child, so I know what a great place this is to teach. I attended the College of St. Benedict and then transferred to St. Cloud State University, where I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education in May of 2008. I currently live in Sartell and love it here. When I am not in school you can find me; curling up on the couch watching movies, spending time at the cabin, or spending time with my family and friends.
Kindergarten	Mrs. Mary Niehoff	I am so happy to be a kindergarten teacher at St. Elizabeth's! I have a special place in my heart for this school, because I also attended this school during my elementary years. It is my hope that your child's experience is as happy as mine. Ten of my sixteen years as a teacher in Catholic schools have been at St. Elizabeth's. I live in the St. Cloud area with my husband, Tom. We have three adult children; Kari, Joe, and Bob. They are all attending college. They are my pride and joy. My hobbies include watching and participating in sports and traveling all over the world. My classroom is always open and I hope you stop by to see all that we are learning.
Grade 1	Ms. Laura Honkomp	This will be my fourteenth year teaching at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary. In addition to first grade, I have taught kindergarten, second, and third. I grew up in Starbuck, MN and graduated from the College of Saint Benedict. After many years teaching overseas, I finally settled in north St. Cloud. Here I am a member of Saint Anthony's parish and a very busy mom. My daily workout is trying to keep up with my teenage son, Joshua. When not at school, you can usually find me traveling, camping, scrapbooking, baking, or reading a good book.
Grade 1	Mrs. Addie Olmschenk	This is my 27th years teaching first grade at SEAS. My husband and I have two grown daughters and a wonderful son-in-law. We belong to St. John Cantius parish and participate in many activities there. I enjoy sewing, quilting, reading, playing cards, and visiting with my friends and family. Teaching is my love!
Grade 2/3 Combination	Mrs. Mary Ley	This is my 12th year teaching at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. I feel very blessed to be part of this great school! My husband, Mark, and I have been married for almost 20 years and have three children; Zach, Katelyn, and Allyssa. All three of our children have attended or are presently attending SEAS, so I know first hand as a parent what a great school we are! In my spare time, you can usually find me cheering on my children at a running event, or on the soccer fields.
Grade 2	Mrs. Nancy Stellmach	This is my 20th year of teaching in this building! I love being part of the St. Elizabeth family. I am excited to once again be in a second grade classroom. I have been married for 21 years to my husband, Jim. We have two boys; Andrew and Ryan, and we also have our lovable puppy girl, Emma. In my spare time, our family loves to go camping. My favorite activity is to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of flavored coffee and read a thrilling mystery!
Grade 4	Mrs. Eilleene Stawarski	I have been teaching fourth grade in Minnesota Catholic schools for 30 years. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to help so many children develop their faith as they grow closer to God and each other. I enjoy having fun in my classroom. Telling jokes and surprises are a guarantee! You might also be surprised to know that children are not the only living creatures within my four walls. Anoles, crickets, a snake, fire-bellied frogs, salamanders, worms, and baby turtles also live in this educational setting!
Grade 4	Ms. Rachel Gapinski
Grade 5	Ms. Laura Maiers	I am happy to be a part of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School community. Our school is a wonderful place to grow and learn.
Grade 6	Mrs. Susan Jackson	St. Elizabeths is a wonderful community. I enjoy working with our students and staff. I also love the Christian values we able to instill in our students. I truly look forward to each day, when I come to school. Thank you for sharing your child with me!
Music	Mrs. Christina Van Heel	Hi! My name is Christina Van Heel. this is my first year teaching as St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Prior to teaching here, I was a beginning/junior high band director and general music teacher. my husband and I live in Royalton. I am very active in my church community in Rice as the choir director for three choirs, cantor and kindergarten religion teacher. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and family, biking, walking, quilting and doing anything related to music. I am excited to be here and to share my gifts, talents and knowledge with your children.
Physical Education	Ms. Michelle Haglin
Librarian/Computer	Mrs. Kaye Sauer	My husband and I live in Sauk Rapids. We have three adult children and two grandchildren. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my children and grandchildren, so I consider myself very lucky that they have all chosen to live in Sauk Rapids. I love to read and do not remember a day that I have not spent some time reading! I enjoy cooking, baking, number and word puzzles, and spending time with my family and friends.
Preschool Director	Mrs. Sue Hiltner	I have been a part of the staff at Holy Spirit since 1992. Now that our preschool is joining St. Elizabeth's, this begins my 16th year in the same classroom! I grew up in nearby Watkins and graduated from St. Cloud State University. I began my teaching career in Long Prairie, teaching kindergarten there for two years, before moving back to St. Cloud. Currently, I also teach part time in Becker's Early Childhood Program. In the summer you may find me working at Boulder Ridge or golfing in my spare time. My husband, Keith, and I have two children; Isaac and Ian, one large cat, Harry Potter, and one new small dog, Cooper.
Preschool Teacher	Mrs. Cindy Kunkel	I have been a preschool teacher for 13 years. I have been a life-long member of Holy Spirit Parish and attended the school myself for eight years. You will be surprised to know that I teach in my former 7th grade classroom! It's been a pleasure to come full circle teaching in such a great school. I live in south St. Cloud with my husband, Don. We have two children in college; Cassie and Cory. Some of my hobbies include reading, traveling, golfing, and playing the piano/organ for the parish Masses. During the summer, I work at boulder Ridge Golf Course, where I get to indulge in my passion for golf as I continue to work on my game, just in case the LPGA ever calls!
Preschool Teacher	Mrs. Nancy Street	I am beginning my 12th year as a preschool teacher. I have been married for 28 years to my husband, Glenn, who is a professor at SCSU. We have two adult sons; Daniel and Michael. I grew up in Rochester and attended Rochester Community College for two years before transferring and graduating from SCSU. We lived in Cleveland, Ohio for three years, followed by three years in Pennsylvania, and then returned to St. Cloud. My hobbies include; spending time with family and friends, home decorating, sewing, golfing and watching live and on television.
Administrative Secretary	Mrs. Sandra Kalla	I have been the school secretary for many years. Prior to working at St. Elizabeth's, I worked as a dental assistant/receptionist for over 12 years. I am married to Dave and I have two children; Ryan and Katelyn. We also have two spoiled kitty cats; Sassy and Molly. In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and friends, shopping with my mom, scrap booking, biking and camping.
Custodian	Mr. Dave Bohlig	I have worked in the primary building as Head Engineer since 1981. I have two children: Kristin, who is married, and Brian, who is a senior at Sauk Rapids HS. My wife, Rose, and I have been married for 34 years. My hobbies are hunting, fishing, camping and woodworking.
Custodian	Mr. Henry Hess	I was born and raised in the St. Cloud area. I am a member of Holy Spirit Church. I really like working with the children and the teachers!
Food Service Director	Mrs. Mary Herkenhoff	This is my 7th year as Food Service Director. I really enjoy cooking for the students. My hobbies are reading, watching sporting events, biking, and golfing. I also enjoy traveling, especially our yearly trip to Mexico!
Food Service	Mrs. Mary Blenkush	I have been assistant cook in the kitchen of the primary building for four years and I enjoy it. I have two kids: a daughter, named Angie, and a son, named Max. I like fishing in the summer. I also enjoy vacationing with my family. I am an animal lover. I especially like cats!
Supervisor/Kid-Kare Co-Director	Mrs. Sue Iten	While Kid-Kare is my main focus, I also help supervise lunch and recess. I have worked at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School for eight years. I am certified in Child Care Technology and Radiologic Technology. My husband, Mike, and I have three adult sons: Adam, Josh, and Sam, as well as a daughter-in-law, Laura. We are also a surrogate family to Miguel and Nicole Iriarte and their sons, Christian, Anthony and Zachary.
Kid-Kare	Ms. Kari Niehoff
Office Aide/Kid-Kare Co-Director	Ms. Tera Neumann
Kid-Kare	Ms. Cassondra Jopp
Kid-Kare	Mr. Peter Jopp
Kid-Kare	Mr. Robert Niehoff
Foster Grandparent	Sr. Lucia Aschenbrener	I grew up in Idaho. I moved to Spokane, WA and finished high school there. Following my graduation, I entered the of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN. I have been in education ever since. My teaching experience has included schools in the states of Minnesota, Washington, Iowa, and now I work as a Foster Grandparent at St. Elizabeth's. I enjoy doing pencil sketches of children from photos, biking, walking and reading.