Teachers and Teachers' Aides

Kindergarten

Julie McKean - Hi! I'm Julie McKean. This is my 13th year at Saint James and I have two children who attend school here. I earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Arts Degree from Western Kentucky University. I am currently working on my Rank I from the University of Louisville. My goal for the students is to learn to love learning. I emphasize sharing, kindness and cooperation among the students to create a learning climate in which all students feel safe, happy and secure. Classroom Webpage

Katherine Taylor-Classroom Assistant

Leslie Tabb - Hi! My name is Leslie Tabb and this is my second year teaching kindergarten at St. James. I obtained my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and graduated from the University of Kentucky in December of 2006. I am a native of Elizabethtown and I am enjoying being a kindergarten teacher here at St. James School. Parents please check out our classroom webpage! Classroom Webpage

Michelle Berger-Classroom Assistant - I began working at St. James in 2001. My position is teacher's assistant in kindergarten with Leslie Tabb. I enjoy working with children, hoping to help improve their quality of education.

First Grade

Noelle Smith -Teacher

Tonya Rhoades -Teacher

Sheryl Edmondson - Teacher Assistant for both First Grades-I live in Elizabethtown with my husband, John. I have 2 daughters and 2 sons-in-law, (Sarah and Scott Holzerland and gradson, Nate, Leslie and Sean Lewis , who were recently married this summer.) and 1 son, Matthew, who attends WKU. My goal for this new school year is to help our students to learn how much fun it is to read.

Second Grade

Shannon Riney -My name is Shannon Riney and I teach 2nd grade at St. James School. I have been a teacher for 15 years and still enjoy each day. I love teaching and seeing the children grow and mature and strive to instill a love of learning in each of them.

Lisa Favreau -Classroom Assistant

Danika Peak - Teacher

Barbara Sisk -Classroom Assistant- I have lived in Elizabethtown for 9 years with my husband Fred and my 2 daughters Jordain 18 and Karisa 16 and son Landen 8. I love spending time with my family. We enjoy swimming and time away at the beach. Our family also enjoys all outdoor sports.

Third Grade

Cathy Basham -My name is Cathy Basham. I have lived all of my life in Elizabethtown and attended St. James School for eight years. I have been teaching here at St. James since 1999. My philosophy is that the care and safety of the children is my first priority. The second is to help instill Catholic values and beliefs in my students. Finally, I try to expose the students to as much information as possible in nine months using various approaches. I truly love what I do and enjoy interacting with the children. My prayer is that God will help me fulfill my duties in educating your children.

Kim Shultz -Classroom Assistant

Angela Eby -I began teaching third grade at SJS in August of 1991. SJS is special to me for several reasons: a supportive faculty and staff; involved parents, well-mannered, enthusiastic students; and up-to-date facilities and resources. Teaching here is not a "job". It is a JOY!! I hope to help my students develop a positive attitude about school and learning. I also hope to instill that in life the only one we are competing with is ourself-that we should continually strive to become better individuals.

Sherri Yates -Classroom Assistant

Fourth Grade

Mary Riney - My name is Mary Riney and I am beginning my 5th year at St. James and my 16th year of teaching. My goal for 4th graders is to help them develop good study habits, become more responsible for themselves, and gain a love of learning. I hope this year builds a strong foundation for the rest of their education. My catholic faith is at the center of my life. I want to pass on the values and teachings that I learned as a child growing up in a Catholic school on to my students.

Kristy Stuecker - My name is Kristy Stuecker and I teach fourth grade. This is my seventh year of teaching and I am honored to be a teacher at St. James. In May of 2001, I received a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education from Western Kentucky University. In December if 2002, I received my Masters of Arts in Teaching from Bellarmine University. I believe an effective teacher is the key to every student’s learning. My goal is to communicate and provide developmentally appropriate curriculum, instruction and assessment in a genuine setting that inspires my students to perform and achieve at their highest level. The children that I will be teaching are the children of our future. I want to help them grow and become stronger people. Children are unique and special individuals. Teaching is enlightening, I will always keep learning and it will keep me on my toes!

Lisa Ratliff - Classroom Assistant for Fourth Grades

Fifth Grade

Kathy Book -My name is Kathy Book, and I am a 5th grade teacher. This is my fourth year of teaching. I have a B.S. in Business from Indiana University, and I earned my teaching certification from Western Kentucky University. I am currently working on my Master's Degree and am taking graduate classes through WKU. I have two sons, Brad, 19, and Greg, 16: both attended St. James from Preschool through 8th grade. I am married to Bruce, who is a current member of the Athletic Committee and a former School Board member. My goal is to create a classroom community of learners who demonstrate Catholic values and beliefs, care about and respect one another, and academically achieve at their highest level. I want to include a variety of hands-on activities and opportunities that make learning fun.

Becky Wiseman -Teacher

Norelle Poole -Classroom Assistant Fifth Grades

Sixth Grade

Anna Mattingly -Teacher

Katherine Graybeal -I have been teaching for 4 years in the Archdiocese of Louisville. I received my undergraduate degree in history from Centre College, and I received my Master's degree in Middle Grades Education. Currently, I teach 6th grade English and 7th/8th grade social studies. I enjoy working at St. James, and I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to inspire and teach these students. My goals are to include a variety of activities that help students think critically and make connections between what they learn in school and out of school while enjoying learning at the same time.

Becky McGuffin -Science Teacher - I began my teaching career at St. James in 1993. My first seven years at SJS were spent teaching science to students in grades six through eight. While I enjoyed being in the classroom, I felt it was time for a new challenge. At that time, I began to pursue a degree in educational leadership and became the assistant principal at St. James. After serving in this position four years, I decided to move back into the classroom. Currently, I am back in the middle school, doing what I love, teaching students science and learning along with them. I earned a Bachelor's degree in education with math and science as areas of emphasis at Kentucky Christian University. My master's degree in middle school education and Rank I in educational leadership were earned at Western Kentucky University. As an educator, one of my goals is to expose students to as much new information as possible during our nine months together. Realizing it is impossible to cover all the material in a subject, I hope to teach my students how to learn and think independently. My second goal is to use a variety of activities, approaches, and resources to make learning enjoyable and interesting for my students.

Seventh Grade

Sharon Hernandez -Hello! I began teaching in 1990, spending 12 years in the public school system before coming “home” to St. James in 2002. I received my undergraduate degree at Lindsey Wilson College in Middle Grades Education and my graduate degree at Western Kentucky University. Each day I feel blessed to work with the students of St. James School. They are absolutely wonderful, bringing with them a desire to grow both spiritually and academically. Seventh and eighth graders are unique individuals who bring joy to my life each and every day! I thoroughly enjoy working with them and plan to teach at St. James School for many years to come!

Hugh O'Brien -2004-2005 will be my 14th year teaching middle school math. It will be my 5th year teaching at SJS. I have a master's degree in middle school education. This year, I will also be coaching the 7th and 8th grade boys' basketball teams. I am looking forward to the chance to work with the boy us in an extra-curricular setting. Hopefully, we will hae a good time this season. Both in the classroom and in the gym, I take pleasure (and some pride) in seeing students grow in all aspects of their lives (spiritually, academically, athletically, and socially.)

Eighth Grade

Shelia O'Mara -Teacher

Marilyn Johnston -Teacher

Speciality Teachers

Brenda Martin...Music -My name is Brenda Martin, I have been teaching music at St. James for 19 years. I have a Bachelor's degree in music from Campbellsville College with a focus in Church Music, with an emphasis in voice and piano. I am currently a church accompanist at Buffalo Baptist Church, and involved in choir, quartets and solo performances. I am married with 2 children, and a dog. I enjoy working with children, helping them better understand and appreciate different kinds of styles and concepts of music.

Linda Yates...Librarian

Cathy Schieber...Libray (Primary) -

Debbie Freyberger...P.E. -Hello. This is my fifth year teaching PE at St. James. This year we have added sixth grade health to our curriculum in an effort to prepare our students even more with valuable life skills, nutrition and injury prevention lessons. I also coach cross country and track and serve as the Athletic Director. it is my goal to create an enviroment where all students feel comfortable within their own bodies and to understand the importance of overall health, fitness, and wellness.

Tom Franklin...Art -Hi! I'm Tom Franklin, the art teacher. I am a retired public school teacher starting my 36th year and I hope to instill the appreciation of art in the students of Saint James. This will be my 5th year at Saint James. I earned a Bachelor's Degree and Master's of Arts Degree from Western Kentucky. I am currently working on my Rank I. My goal for the students is to develop a love of art and an appreciation for it. Finally, I try to expose the students to different kinds of art and keep them abreast with as much information as possible using various approaches and keeping up to date with the goals of the Archdiocese and with the state testing program. I truly love what I do and enjou having the support from the parents, school staff, and the entire church community as we all work toward a common goal. My prayer is that God will give me strength to help me fulfill my duties in educating children.

Hortensia Mayer..Spanish Teacher - Grades 4-8 -

Marlene Pickerrell...Technology Coordinator -Hi...This is my 20th year at St. James as Technology Coordinator. I am also in charge of overseeing the Video/Broadcasting program for students in grades 5-8. I have two sons, Wes and Matt and two granddaughters, Kyleigh and Keagan, who keep me young! My goals are to keep up with the many changes in technology. And continue to keep the school's present technology running smoothly and efficiently for staff, teachers, and students. Also to help St. James implement new ideas and growth in the area of technology.

Randy Harris...Middle School Computer Skills Instructor -

Laurie Swink...Primary School Computer Skills Instructor -