Saint John Catholic School

faculty & staff

Note: Faculty bios are in the process of being updated for 2010-2011. Check each class page for the teacher assigned to that grade.

	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 Tina White, and I have been teaching at SJCS since 2000. I have taught third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades over the past ten years, as well as Middle School Social Studies. Currently I teach Fifth Grade, along with Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Social Studies. I grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in History and a minor in English. I have a Master"s degree in History from the University of Virginia. I have worked at Monticello, in Virginia, at the Charleston Museum, and at MUSC. After the birth of our youngerst child, Westcott, who has Down Syndrome, I earned an MAT in Special Education from the University of Charleston. Teaching is a third career for me, but by far the best! My husband Stepehn and I have four other children, Christine, Sarah, Stephen, and Amelia, aged 23, 21, 19, and 18. We live in downtown Charleston and belong to Cathedral Parish. In my spare time I enjoy reading, going to the beach, and hiking in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I have loved teaching at Saint John because of the special bonds between students and teachers. Our faculty and staff are committed to teaching each child according to his or her own needs and strengths.I am amazed every day at how far our students are willing to reach for the stars. updated Aug 2010

	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 since 1999. I teach Math for grades 4 - 8 including high school Algebra. I try to make sure the kids realize Math is Fun! I also teach 6th, 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 since 2000 We are celebrating 10 years of LEGO teams at St. John's. I have been married to Steve for 31 years and we have four grown children. We are very active in the Knights of Columbus. This summer we have taken up kayaking, which I find to be very relaxing out on the rivers around the lowcountry. updated Aug 2010

	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.

	My name is Mrs. Janet Deavor (I tell my students my last name rhymes with never.) This year is my 3rd year being at St. John where I am the librarian and the computer teacher. I feel so blessed to be at this loving, supportive school where we know each of our students and their individual strengths and talents. Prior to coming to St. John I worked as a media specialist at a large public school for seven years. Next, I stayed home with my two children, but I also kept up my teaching certification. I have loved returning to my profession in our small, nurturing, peaceful environment. It is an absolute joy to work with all the students K4-8th grade. I enjoy the rich variety and the challenge of working on different skills with different grade levels. I earned my B.A. and Masters of Library Science from USC. I am a member of SCASL (SC Association of School Librarians). One of my biggest hobbies is reading books to share with my students. I also enjoy spending time with my family--my husband , Jim, our children, Luke and Grace, and our rescue dog, Trixie.

	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
School Board:	Our Volunteer School Board consists of faculty members, parents, parishioners and concerned members of the community
School Mascot:	Happy