I am a graduate of Catholic schools, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, from DePaul University, and a Master of Education, from Loyola University.  I have been committed to Catholic school students and parents for thirty-three years as a principal, teacher, and assistant principal.  I believe Catholic schools complement the role of the family in nurturing a strong sense of self-worth in the child, enabling each child to meet the challenge of today and tomorrow, and demonstrate responsible stewardship in the community and society.

            I have been principal at St. Emily School for eight years, working with the teachers to develop a complete Curriculum Guide, in conjunction with Archdiocesan frameworks and Common Core State Standards, and raising standardized test scores to National Blue Ribbon standards.  I came to administration after being a classroom teacher for twenty-five years.  My comprehensive teaching experience included grade levels third through eighth.  While teaching in Florida, I worked, concurrently, with college-bound high school students in Upward Bound, a federally-funded program for disadvantaged students.

            At St. Gilbert School, Grayslake, I taught seventh and eighth grade science along with religion, literature, vocabulary, music and art.  I served as a member of the Archdiocesan Science Framework Leadership Team, working to develop a science framework curriculum, for all archdiocesan schools.  In addition to full time teaching responsibilities, I was assistant principal for seven years, and curriculum coordinator, helping to develop a school Curriculum Guide.

            In 1991, I was recognized as St. Gilbert Heart of the School, and received an Archdiocesan Heart of the School Award, also.  I have been named in Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

            I consider myself fortunate to be part of the excellence that is St. Emily School.

    Mary K. Hemmelman

Contact Mrs. Mary Hemmelman 

For the past 26 years I have had the privilege of being at St. Emily School in a variety of positions:  Learning Center Director, Assistant Principal, Special Education and Elementary Education teacher.  I attended Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago for both my degrees and have taught a wide array of subjects from Kindergarten through high school at several schools.  I am presently teaching Literature and Vocabulary classes for students in grades 5 through 8.

Contact Mrs. Diane  Mullins

I have worked at St.Emily School for 10-1/2 years as the School Receptionist and Health Coordinator.    Both of my children attended and graduated from St.Emily School.  We have been parishioners since 1985.  Go Eagles!

Contact Mrs. Jeanine Malewig

I joined the St. Emily family in August, 2011, as the school’s administrative assistant.  I work with registrations, tuition, the school web page, student records and an assortment of tasks that come my way.  No two days are alike in the school office!  I’m happy to be here and to be able to assist the faculty and students when needed.

Contact Mrs. Bonnie Eiffes

My name is Maureen Stephens, and I have been a member of the St. Emily School staff for twenty-four years. I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Illinois State University. My husband Dennis and I are the proud parents of four children. Three of our children are graduates of St. Emily School. Our daughter Bridget is currently a seventh grader at St. Emily. Go Eagles!

Contact Mrs. Maureen Stephens

Mrs. Kathy Wosz- 3 yr old Pre-K Instructional Assisstant, Extended Care

My name is Kathy Wosz and I have been a member of St. Emily Parish for 33 years.  I have worked at St. Emily School for 18 years, starting out in the Extended Care Program and then became a part of the Pre-K program a year later.  As the instructional assistant in the Pre-K room, I assisted Mrs. Sanford.  When the program added the half day room, I taught in that room for two years.  It then became a full day room, and I returned to being the instructional assistant so that I could continue working the extended care program.    I have a son, Kevin, who is a graduate of St. Emily School and 2 grandsons, Nathaniel and Alexander.  My favorite pass times are spending time with my grandsons and reading.

Contact Mrs. Kathy Wosz

My name is Kristen Schuster and this is my 2^nd year teaching at St. Emily.  Last year I taught 3^rd grade and this year I am currently teaching a 5^th grade Math class, teaching computers to PreK-3^rd grade, and my afternoons are spent in the full day 3 year old Pre-K room.  I graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education.  I am thrilled to be working at St. Emily because I am a graduate from here as well!

Contact Ms. Kristen Schuster

My name is Joanne Sanford and I am one of the Pre-K Teachers.  I have been at St. Emily School for the last 10 years.  I attended National-Louis University where I received my BA in Early Childhood Education with a minor in psychology.  Some of my favorite things to do are read, ride my bike, and spend time with my husband and two daughters.

Contact Mrs. Joanne Sanford

My name is Pat Marquardt.  This is my 19^th year at St. Emily’s School working in Pre-K.  I love working with the little ones.  I am married with 2 children and 3 grandchildren.  I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren, reading, shopping and bowling.

Contact Mrs. Pat Marquardt

My name is Kristine Tagbo, and I have been a teacher at St. Emily for six years. Five of these years, I have spent teaching kindergarten, and I taught one year in third grade. I have a Masters Degree in Elementary Education. Teaching at St. Emily is special to me, because I attended St. Emily as a child from 1st through 8th grade. I am involved in many activities/organizations in the school including the Fundraising Committee, Student Council, and the Enrollment Team. I enjoy the close family and community feel of St. Emily and am proud to teach at a National Blue Ribbon School.  

Contact Mrs. Kristine Tagbo

My name is Mallory Cepa and this is my 4^th year teaching kindergarten at St. Emily School. I graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. I enjoy teaching kindergarten at St. Emily School because the parents are very supportive and the students are eager to learn. I love teaching students to read and write each year and find it very rewarding!  I am honored to work with a great staff as well. Go Eagles!

Contact Ms. Mallory Cepa

My name is Katie Willing and this is my sixth year teaching at St. Emily. I teach first grade and truly love being a part of the St. Emily community.  I grew up in Mt. Prospect and attended St Emily School. It is a very fulfilling feeling knowing that I teach in the same community that provided me as a child with such a solid moral and academic foundation.  I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. Not only does teaching at St. Emily carry special importance but my husband and I were recently married here too!

Contact Mrs. Kathleen Willing

My name is Jackie Ewig and this is my sixth year teaching at St. Emily.  I have taught first grade for five years and 5^th/6^th grade for one year.   I graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  I am an alumna of St. Emily School and enjoy teaching in a classroom where I was once a student.  I love being a part of the St. Emily community and witnessing all the wonderful things that are happening at our school.

Contact Mrs. Jackie Ewig

My name is Mrs. Nancy Slivka & I teach 2nd grade.  I have been teaching here since 1995, but have been teaching since 1990.  I have an M.A. in Reading and hold a Reading Specialist Certificate. I have a B.A. in Elementary Education (with a minor in psychology), and hold an additional Certificate in Early Childhood Education.  Outside of school I spend most of my time with my husband and children.  I have a dog and 2 very unusual animals.  My kids raise cows to show during summer months.

Contact Mrs. Nancy Slivka

Mrs. Katie Carlson 3rd Grade Teacher

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     This is my fifth year of teaching third grade at St. Emily School.  Prior to teaching here, I taught third and sixth grades on the Northwest Side of Chicago where I was also born and raised. My mission as a teacher is to help children gain a positive sense of direction in self-esteem. I am committed to helping students reach their fullest potential and to be successful academically, spiritually, and socially.  I am also devoted to St. Emily by serving on several committees to help keep our school thriving. Teaching is my passion, and I could not imagine doing anything else. Teaching at St. Emily is a daily blessing, and I am very proud to be a part of this community.

Contact Mrs. Katie Carlson

Mrs. Sue Brubaker 4th Grade Teacher 4-1

My name is Sue Brubaker and I am a fourth grade teacher.  I have just completed my 14^th year here and I think our school is a great place to be.  I graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.  I have also taken some graduate classes and attended workshops to keep up with what is happening in education

Contact Mrs. Sue Brubaker

My name is Nancy Brunelli and I am a fourth grade teacher.  I have just completed my 19^th year here.  I graduated from Fontbonne University in St. Louis Mo., with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Social Studies.  I am continuing to enrich my education by taking various workshops and seminars.  I am a graduate of St. Emily School.

Contact Mrs. Nancy Brunelli

My name is Nancy Morris and I am the 5^th and 6^th grade Science and Math teacher here at St. Emily School.  I have been teaching here for the past 14 years.  I however have been in the teaching profession for 28 years.  I strongly believe that education is a continual process and therefore continue with professional development classes each year.  I graduated from Northeastern Illinois University receiving my teaching certificate in Elementary Education K-9^th grade.

Contact Mrs. Nancy Morris

Ms. Sandra Brogmus 6th Grade Teacher

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Sandra Brogmus graduated from St. Emily School in 1965 and has been teaching here since 1973.  She graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.  She has taught grades 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Contact Ms. Sandra Brogmus

Mrs. Lucy Bergstrom 7th Grade Teacher

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As an alumnus of St. Emily School, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my talents with the community and support the mission of Catholic education.  I attended Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Mathematics.  My teaching philosophy is to provide my students with the values and discipline needed to become valuable members of their community.  I strive to use a variety of teaching strategies, often incorporating real world problems in the classroom and continually developing problem solving skills.  The diversity of teaching is what I truly enjoy about education.  I find the challenge of meeting new students each year and striving to meet their needs to be very rewarding.  However, my greatest reward is observing my students as they embrace our Catholic faith and begin to model the Gospel message of loving and serving others. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, athletics, and supporting my own children in their activities.

Contact Mrs. Lucy Bergstrom

My name is Sue Wittich and this is my sixth year teaching at St. Emily School.  I teach 7^th grade English along with 7^th and 8^th grade Social Studies.  I grew up in Mount Prospect and attended both Catholic grade school and high school.  I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and watching my two sons play football, baseball and basketball.      

Contact Mrs. Sue Wittich

Mrs. Mary Ann Gatta 8th Grade Teacher

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I grew up on the Northwest side of Chicago, and I am a proud product of Archdiocesan instruction for every year of my education.  Settling down in the suburb of Mt. Prospect brought me to St. Emily’s Parish 25 years ago.  I am happy that both of my children have graduated from this school.  After years of substitute teaching, I came on board full-time to teach 7^th & 8^th Grade Literature and Vocabulary and 8^th Grade English.  Currently, I am also a co-moderator of our chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.

Contact Mrs. Mary Ann Gatta

I have been teaching Junior High at St. Emily School for the past nine years, but my family has been parishioners for over twenty years.  My husband and I have five children who graduated from St. Emily School.  I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago, where I attended Catholic schools my whole life and began my teaching career in a Chicago Archdiocesan school.  St. Emily is home for me and I enjoy spending my days here hoping to make a difference in the lives of our youth who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Contact Mrs. Regina Kinasz

I am in my second full year teaching Physical Education at St. Emily School.  Prior to teaching physical education at St. Emily’s I was a student teacher in the Jr. High, teaching Social Studies to 7^th and 8^th grade.  I grew up in the area graduating from Wheeling High School and Dominican University in River Forest. I am lucky because I am the only teacher at St. Emily’s School that gets to teach every student pre-school through eighth grade. I also coach the 7^th grade Basketball team.  I very much enjoy teaching the students at St. Emily’s School and it is very special place to be. 

Contact Mr. Jon Palicki

My name is Annie Buechele, and I have been a teacher at this school since 2004.  I attended Catholic grammar school and high school and am a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.  I look forward to working and challenging all of the students in both art and music classes.  My goal is to give the students a better appreciation of all the wonderful art that surrounds us daily:  whether it be a painting, a song, a dance, or a theatrical experience.  I have been the director, choreographer, costumer, and prop manager for all 13 (and counting!) of our Drama Club productions.  I cannot stress how beneficial it is for students to get involved in the theater.  It builds confidence, social skills, and teaches how to work within a team.  Fine Art classes tend to be the first to get shut down in many schools around the country.  Here at St. Emily School, we are lucky to have a program that the kids can be involved in and further nurture their “right brains”!!

Contact Mrs. Annie Buechele

My name is Cris Marshall, and I have been the junior high Science teacher at St. Emily for four years.  Three years ago I became the 4^th-8^th grade technology teacher.  I am a proud graduate of DePaul University with a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning.  Prior to joining the staff of St. Emily, I taught 3^rd grade in Chicago for one year.  In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I am a member of the Fundraising Committee and one of two teacher advisors to the Student Council. I am honored to be a St. Emily Eagle!  

Contact Mrs. Cristina Marshall

My academic credentials include courses taken at Illinois State University, National Louis University, the University of Louisville and the University of Minnesota.  I have traveled and studied in Spain, Mexico and Costa Rica.  These experiences have given me a great appreciation for the Spanish language and the countries where it is spoken.  Before I came to St. Emily, I taught Spanish I – V at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, IL.  This is my second year at St. Emily. 

Contact Ms. Janet Everitt

Mary Theodore has been teaching at St. Emily School for 15 years. She is the Reading Resource teacher for grades Kindergarten through 4th grade, and she also teaches the Enrichment Program to grades 1 through 4.  Mary loves teaching reading, and especially loves reading the classics with her Enrichment groups. Mary has lived in Mt. Prospect with her family for the past 25 years. 

Contact Mrs. Mary Theodore

Mrs. Lavelle currently works in the Learning Center at St. Emily School teaching Kindergarten-3^rd grade.  Mrs. Lavelle has taught for 24 years at St. Emily, having started her teaching career at Good Counsel High School.  She loves teaching Spanish and sharing her travel experiences.  She has been fortunate to have traveled places such as Cuba, bringing school supplies to students at Roland Azoy School.  Her travels have taken her around the world, even Ecuador in South America, where she stayed with local families.  Mrs. Lavelle holds a master degree.  In addition to teaching and traveling, she enjoys making memory books.

Contact Mrs. Barbara Lavelle