Saint John Catholic School

faculty & staff

	Hello, I am Carole Anne White,Principal at Saint John Catholic School. This is my ninth year here and I consider it “my dream come true” school. Here I am able to accommodate students in small classes, providing for continuous progress in an inclusive environment. We are able to focus on each child and do our best to meet individual needs. I have been in Catholic education for 45 years (22 as teacher and 23 as principal). Most of these were in Catholic schools around the state, with a few years in New Jersey Dioceses. For thirty years I was a member of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy Community. I am a native of Charleston born into a family of 10 children. I attended Cathedral Grammar School and Bishop England High School. My bachelor’s degree is from Glassboro State College in New Jersey and I earned my master’s degree in Catholic School Administration from Manhattan College. In my spare time I enjoy sharing time with family, extended family and close friends. Recently I adopted the cutest Bichon Frise alive. His name is “Happy” and that is exactly how he makes me feel. I also enjoy reading, music, walking the beach and word puzzles.

	My name is Mary Dodge and I teach 4 year old and 5 year old Kindergarten at Saint John Catholic School. I earned my BSW at Salem State College in Massachusetts. I have taught here at Saint John for 8 ½ years. I have a husband, Peter, and two children. PJ is a graduate of The Catholic University of America and a First Year Law Student at Ave Maria. Bethanny, a Saint John Catholic graduate, is an education major at Lander University. We were an Air Force family so I had many opportunities to work in many other countries and states. I believe Kindergarten is a time to establish social skills, manners, develop fine and gross motor skills and independence along with beginning academic skills.I have spent the past year taking classes in technology and behavior modification in hopes to use it daily in the classroom. I am a member of NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In my spare time I like to spend time with my Yorkie-poos Sydney and Simon, swim, read and travel visiting family, friends and new places. I love teaching at Saint John Catholic. Everyday the children try to do their best, take pride in all they do and learn from each other and their mistakes. They are the Little Engines That Could!

	Mrs. Dawn Kerr - I began teaching 17 years ago and the past 10 years have been at St. John Catholic School. Presently, I am teaching 1st & 2nd grades. I am also currently coordinator for Box Tops for Education, Campbell's Labels for Education, and Tyson's Project A+ programs. After graduating Bishop England High School, I received my Bachelor's degree from the College of Charleston with a minor in health and I have 18 post-graduate hours in the area of learning disabilities. My certifications are in the areas of Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I've been married 16 years to my husband, David, & we have 3 children---Brandon, Ryan, and Kristina. Our four-legged family members are a Shih-Tzu named DJ and a Husky named Gypsy. We reside in West Ashley and are members of St. John Catholic Church. Our musically talented twin boys (Brandon plays trumpet and Ryan plays baritone) began their musical endeavors in 4th grade while in attendance at St. John from K4-5th grade. They currently attend Charleston County School of the Arts and enjoy playing on a recreational basketball team. Kristina began attending St. John as a K4 student. She enjoys coming to school to learn and play with her friends. A few of my favorite things are dolphins, iced tea, Extreme Home Makeover, American Idol, and the smell of the beach. I love to listen to the sounds of the ocean, performances by my sons, and my daughter's infectious giggle.

	Hello, my name is Kristine Tenini and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the wonderful faculty of Saint John Catholic School as the new third grade teacher. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Furman University and recently earned my Master of Arts in Teaching from the College of Charleston. I am certified in Elementary Education, grades 2-6. I believe that every child has the potential to be successful and feel blessed to have the opportunity to teach in a school in which individual learning styles are acknowledged and supported. Prior to attending graduate school, I worked with children, adolescents, and adults with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities in various settings. I moved to Charleston two years ago from Greenville, South Carolina; however, I consider myself a Floridian, having lived in Ponte Vedra, Florida for the greatest number of years. I currently live in West Ashley with my husband and we attend mass at Blessed Sacrament Church. In my spare time I love to read, have a good hard laugh, play tennis and other sports or games with my husband, search for good recipes, create scrapbooks, and talk with family and friends. I look forward to a fabulous first year at Saint John Catholic and expect to learn as much from my students as they will learn from me.

	My name is Lisa Jones. I have been teaching for 24 years and at Saint John Catholic School for the past six years. I received a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from the College of Charleston. I am certified in the areas of Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education for the Mentally Disabled and the Learning Disabled. This upcoming year (2009-2010), I'll be teaching 4th grade. I serve as a School Board member and officer of the Home School Association at Saint John and work on various other committees to improve the quality of the school and to advertise the school throughout the community. I have been married for 17 years to a teacher / coach. Our son Avery attends Saint John Catholic School, and our son Ian graduated from Saint John Catholic School in 2008 and now attends high school at the School of the Arts. We live in North Charleston and are active members of St. John Catholic Church. In my spare time I enjoy watching movies with my children and reading.

	My name is Tina White, and I have been teaching at SJCS for nine years. Currently I teach fifth & sixth grades, and middle school history. I graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in history, then received my master's degree in History from the University of Virginia. After the birth of my son Westcott, who has Down Syndrome and is a former student at SJCS, I earned an MAT in Special Education from the University of Charleston. My husband Stephen and I have four other children besides Westcott, aged 22-15. Two are in college, while two still live at home. In my spare time I enjoy reading, swimming and hikingin New Hampshire's White Mountains. I have loved teaching at SJCS for the last eight years and am looking forward to another great year of reaching for the stars.

	My name is Eleanor F. Jacobs. I am originally from Massachusetts. I grew up and was educated in the Diocese of Boston. I attended Catholic Schools through grade 12. After graduation, I attended the American Institute of Banking. I was employed as an IBM Supervisor for the Shawmut Bank of Boston for 7 years. After marrying my husband, Paul, I moved to Charleston, SC, his hometown. We have been married for 42 years and raised 2 children and are now enjoying our 3 grandchildren. I have been an active member of St. John’s Parish for 42 years. I have served as a member of the Parish Council for 3 terms. I have also been President of the Home School Association while my children attended school at Saint John. Currently I am employed by the school as the Religion teacher for the 5th-8th grades. I have been actively employed in the school and/or parish for about 32 years. Outside of my family, sharing my faith with my students has become my highest priority in life.

	My name is K.C. Kramp. I have been teaching at Saint John for 8 years. I teach Math for grades 4 - 8 including high school Algebra. Math is Fun! I also teach 7th and 8th grade Science. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Northeastern Illinois University and a Masters of Art in Teaching Math from The Citadel. I am also known as the “LEGO Lady.” My husband, Steve, and I have coached the LEGO team for the last 6 years. I have been married to Steve for 28 years and we have four children. We are very active in the Knights of Columbus. In my spare time I like to read and I am trying to organize pictures, making scrapbooks with both digital and printed photos.

	My name is Joanne Davis . 2008/2009 was my first year teaching at SJCS and I am thrilled and excited to participate and teach in such a wonderful school and learning environment. Prior to my joining the SJCS staff, I taught fourth grade in Woodland Hills, CA. This year, I have a seventh grade homeroom and I teach all middle school Language Arts; Spelling, vocabulary, reading, writing, and literature. I received my BA in English Literature from the College of Charleston and completed my teacher training at San Francisco State University. My husband Tom and I have four children and three beautiful grandchildren. Teaching is truly my passion. It is the most demanding yet most rewarding work I have ever done. Outside of my family and my students, I love to travel, shop flea markets and antique shops, experience great restaurants, watch worthwhile movies, power-walk, and enjoy the blessings God has given me. I look forward to a fantastic first year here at SJCS.

	Jeannette Dangerfield, School Secretary - My name is Jeannette Dangerfield. I’m originally from Aiken, SC. I’ve been the secretary at Saint John Catholic School for 5 ½ years (since January 2004) and LOVE IT! I have an Associate Degree in Secretarial Sciences from the University of South Carolina - Aiken. I was employed for 11 years with Bank of America (formally Bankers Trust) in the Securities Department as an administrative assistant before getting married and having a family. My husband, Steve, and I have two teenage daughters who keep us very busy. When our girls were very young, I taught at John Wesley United Methodist Church Early Childhood Center for 5 years then became director for 3 years. What an awesome experience. In my spare time, I enjoy biking, walking, consignment shopping, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Other Faculty and Staff include:	Sr. Leonie Maigret - Art Mrs. Rosa Haynes - Extended School / Summer Program Mrs. Flavia Feltner - Music Mrs. Provost - Physical Education Mrs. Janet Deavor - Media Center
School Board:	Our Volunteer School Board consists of faculty members, parents, parishioners and concerned members of the community
School Mascot:	Happy