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SCHOOL FACULTY
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Pre-Kindergarten: Ms. Jean Zwald |
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Ms. Zwald began at St. Peter’s School 2006 after serving for 15 years as an elementary teacher. She holds a Master of the Arts in Elementary Education from Clarion University, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, and maintains full teaching certification. She has spent most of her career in early childhood education, and has taught both Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten at St. Peter’s. Ms. Zwald has had a great deal of experience working with children and is dedicated to understanding how young children respond to their environment. |
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Kindergarten: Mrs. Kiyonaga |
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Mrs. Kiyonaga came to St. Peter’s in 2006 after about 10 years experience in the classroom. She has served as a third grade, Pre-K, and Kindergarten teacher as well as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language in Panama. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts in English and Elementary Education from Brenau College in Georgia. Mrs. Kiyonaga has worked in public schools as well as other schools in the Archdiocese of Washington, and she has had a wealth of experience of working with children, families, and colleagues in a range of environments. |
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First Grade: Ms. Carrie Keener |
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Ms. Carrie Keener, in her second year of teaching at St. Peter’s, has been teaching first grade in the Archdiocese of Washington for a total of seven years. Ms. Keener has had a great deal of experience in working with young children who come to the classroom with various skills and needs, and she brings a great energy to her profession. She also works as a language arts and math tutor for students through grade six. Ms. Keener holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from George Mason University and she is currently pursuing graduate work in the field of elementary education. |
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Second Grade: Mrs. Gina Pruitt |
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Mrs. Pruitt joined the faculty of St. Peter’s in 2001. She began by teaching second grade for five years, then taught fourth grade for two years. She temporarily applied her skills as the middle school resource teacher during the 2008-2009 school year, and has returned to the classroom to teach second grade this year. Mrs. Pruitt enjoys working with students of all ages, encouraging them to grow into productive, global citizens. Mrs. Pruitt has a background in art as well, having graduated from the Corcoran School of Art with a BFA and a minor in art history. She holds a Masters in Education from Marymount University. |
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Second Grade: Ms. Carrie Dilger |
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Ms. Dilger has recently graduated from the Teacher Education Program at Elon University, and is in her first year of teaching at St. Peter’s School. Her internships included experience in fifth and third grade, and Kindergarten in North Carolina. She also served as an intern in a primary school in England while she studied abroad. Through her training, Ms. Dilger has gained significant experience, and is ready to apply her skills as a second grade teacher. Ms. Dilger comes to us as a fully certified elementary school teacher who graduated with high honors. She brings a great enthusiasm to the faculty at St. Peter’s. |
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Third Grade: Ms. Rachel Ortiz |
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Ms. Rachel Ortiz previously served for two years as a classroom teacher of the fourth and fifth grades in the District of Columbia Public Schools system. She is currently in her second year of teaching third grade at St. Peter’s. She has also worked as a program instructor for the Close-Up Foundation in DC, leading academic components of a civics program, and she has served for AmeriCorps Habitat for Humanity in San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Ortiz earned her Masters in Elementary Education from American University, and is a fully certified teacher. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in United States History and Political Science. |
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Fourth Grade: Mrs. Anna Young |
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After teaching in District of Columbia Public Schools, Mrs. Young came to St. Peter’s during the 2007-2008 school year. She first served as a substitute classroom teacher and then as a substitute resource teacher. Mrs. Young began as the fourth grade teacher in the 2008-2009 school year. She is a fully certified elementary teacher and has a Masters in Elementary Education from American University. She also holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Art History from the University of Virginia, as well as credit hours towards a Master of the Arts in Art History. Mrs. Young’s background prior to teaching includes serving as the director of a local art gallery and as Director of Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, DC, an organization for helping the homeless. |
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Fifth Grade: Ms. Dana Eichhorst |
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Ms. Eichhorst is new to St. Peter’s School this year. She has recently obtained her teacher licensure and completed a post graduate teaching program Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts with a major in Political Science/minor in Spanish and Philosophy from Villanova University. Ms. Eichhorst has already spent a great deal of time in the classroom with intermediate level elementary students and comes to St. Peter’s with a breadth of knowledge in current teaching methodology. She has also had previous work experience in accounting and policy-related initiatives in Washington, DC. Having spent sixteen years as a student of Catholic education, Ms. Eichhorst is eager to return to the Catholic school setting. |
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Sixth Grade Homeroom/Middle School Social Studies and Religion: Ms. Lacy Woodside |
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Ms. Woodside has been on the faculty of St. Peter's School since 2006, serving as the sixth grade homeroom teacher. Once the sixth grade was incorporated into the middle school in 2008, Ms. Woodside became a middle school teacher of social studies and religion. She has also taught fourth and fifth grade religion at St. Pete's, and lead the students in preparing the weekly school Mass. Ms. Woodside is a fully certified teacher with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University. She shares her love of learning about different cultures with the students, and encourages student creativity in her lessons. |
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Seventh Grade Homeroom/Middle School Language Arts & Literature: Ms. Lea Marmora |
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Ms. Marmora joins the team at St. Peter's this year after teaching middle school language arts/literature in the Bronx, NY. During her time as a teacher, Ms. Marmora earned her Master of the Arts in Adolescent Education-English at Hunter College. She also has a Bachelor of the Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame, and during her undergraduate education, was selected to participate in a full immersion program at the Universidad De Las Americas in Pueblo, Mexico through the Notre Dame Study Abroad Program. Ms. Marmora, committed to working with youth in the non-profit world, has a good deal of experience teaching writing and literacy, and using technology to improve communication with students and families. |
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Eighth Grade Homeroom/Middle School Math: Mrs. Theresa Wilson |
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Mrs. Wilson is new to St. Peter's School this year. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Math Education from the University of Portland, and a Master of Arts in International Education from American University. While earning her M.A. in Teaching, through the Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education Program (PACE), Mrs. Wilson taught middle school math in Yakima, WA. Her action research project focused on building perseverance in low-performing algebra students. After finishing the program, she spent time teaching abroad in India and Chile, and then completed her second Masters, her thesis: Dalit Girls' Education in India. Mrs. Wilson has also worked as a tutor and coordinated community service projects for students. With a range of experiences in the field of education, Mrs. Wilson strives to foster academic and social growth, and encourages students to find joy in math. |
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Science, Grades Four through Eight: Ms. Barbara Marks |
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Ms. Marks joined the faculty at St. Peter's after graduating from McGill University in Montreal, Canada with a Bachelor of the Arts in Economics with a Music minor in 2006. Ms. Marks is very knowledgeable in the field of science, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with the students through lectures and hands-on lab experiments. She has also taken a lead in the school's Green Club, helping with the eco-conscious initiatives of the community. Ms. Marks is currently pursuing graduate coursework in the field of educations. She is also an alumna of St. Peter's School.
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Resource Teacher, Kindergarten through Grade Three: Mrs. Ginny Mashack |
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A long-standing member of the St. Peter's School community, Mrs. Mashack began substitute teaching and tutoring at the school in 1987. Shortly after she began teaching full time in the sixth and fifth grades and then spent several years teaching first grade and Kindergarten. Mrs. Mashack currently serves as a resource teacher, concentrating on children in need of extra academic help in Kindergarten through third grade. She is a master teacher, and often helps classroom teachers plan learning centers and group activities. Mrs. Mashack holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maryland. |
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Resource Teacher, Grades Four through Eight: Mrs. Alice Hale |
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Since 2001, Mrs. Hale has served as a reading resource teacher at St. Peter's School. She also aids students in the areas of math and language arts. She has created a plan for identifying and assisting students with learning disabilities and in need of extra academic help, and has begun to develop programs for children who necessitate more academic challenges. Mrs. Hale also co-developed and directs school-wide reading incentive programs, and oversees the after school reading program for at-risk students. She is a fully certified educator with graduate credit from Johns Hopkins University and Trinity University in the field of education, and holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in English from the University of Vermont. |
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Art: Ms. Eleni Constantopoulos |
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Ms. Constantopoulos, a professional artist, joined St. Peter's School in 2004 with extensive experience teaching art, computer art, and art history in both private and public schools in the Washington, DC area. She has also exhibited her own work in both private and corporate collections in American, Europe, and the Middle East. Ms. Constantopoulos has a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Rochester. She maintains an awareness and appreciation of individual learning styles, and promotes the exploration into the process of observation, perception, and interpretation. |
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Music: Mrs. Joy Beth Towson-Williams |
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Ms. Williams has been a music teacher for eight years in the Archdiocese of Washington; she is the music director at Holy Name Church, and the assistant minister of music at the Master's Touch Praise Ministries in Oxon Hill, Maryland. She also holds a Bachelor of Music from Howard University. We share Ms. Williams with another archdiocesan school; she comes to St. Peter's twice a week. In addition to teaching music classes, Ms. Williams helps prepare the students for weekly school Masses. She also directs the school's Christmas program and spring musical. |
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Physical Education: Ms. Andrea Wotherspoon |
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Ms. Wotherspoon, an alumna of St. Peter's School and Georgetown Visitation, began her work at St. Peter's in 2007 as a teacher's aide. In 2008, she became the Physical Education and Computer Class teacher. Ms. Wotherspoon currently teaches a weekly physical education class for students in first through eighth grades, and a second health/movement class. She holds basic computer instruction for students in first through third grades, before technology is integrated into the curriculum by classroom and subject teachers, and teaches soccer to young students as part of the after school enrichment program. She has also worked with Habitat for Humanity in Beaumont, TX, and provided Disaster Relief Recovery for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through Americorps. Ms. Wotherspoon holds a Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Maryland. |
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Latin, Grades Seven and Eight/Religion, Grades Four and Five: Mr. Andrew Kim |
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Mr. Kim joins St. Peter's this year in the new position of Latin teacher for students in grades seven and eight. He will also serve as the religion teacher for grades four and five. Mr. Kim is currently working toward a PhD in Historical and Systematic Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and holds a Master of the Arts from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, with an emphasis on Systematic Theology, Historical Exegesis, and Comparative Theology, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of La Verne with a major in Criminology and a minor in Political Science. Mr. Kim has had experience teaching high school religion and tutoring K-12 students in a variety of subjects. He brings a great enthusiasm to the Latin and religion programs at St. Peter's School. |
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Library: Mrs. Barbara Ochmanek |
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Mrs. Ochmanek has been the school librarian since 1996. In her tenure at St. Peter's she has operated and maintained an extensive collection containing over 12,000 volumes. Besides holding weekly library classes, book talks, and research sessions for students, Mrs. Ochmanek has a leading role in the school's Accelerated Reading program. She takes initiative in providing several reading incentive programs throughout the year, tying the students' Accelerated Reading books to current events and other interesting themes. She also sponsors a Newberry Club for third through eighth grade students each year. Mrs. Ochmanek has previously served as a librarian at St. Anslem's Abbey School in Washington, DC, in a Benedictine middle school/high school in Santa Monica, CA, and as a reference librarian and a branch librarian in New Jersey and Utah. She holds a Master's in Library Science from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of the Arts in History from Allegheny College. |
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Spanish: Ms. Myrian Cabrera |
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Ms. Cabrera instructs students in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade in the Spanish language. In her second year at St. Peter’s School, she works through the “All About Languages” organization. Ms. Cabrera has more than ten years experience working with children, and has served as a private Spanish tutor as well. She creates a range of activities to enhance the children’s ability to strengthen their Spanish vocabulary as she works with students of all ages and at all levels. Ms. Cabrera, a native speaker of the Spanish language, has a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, from E.S.A.E. College, Paraguay as well as teacher certification. |
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