Dear Parents:
As we seem to be flying at break-neck speed through the month of April, it often feels like we have one foot in this year and one in the 2018-19 school year. We are near to finalizing plans for staffing next year and I wanted to update you on our progress.
As I am sure you are all aware, we are losing some long-time staff at the end of this year. Mr. and Mrs. Sauvage will be moving to Arizona this summer and Mrs. Bonney will be heading to the land of retirement. With all of the years that these valued members of our staff have put in, it is like losing a part of our family. We certainly wish them well, but missing them is going to be the hard part.
The good news is that we have known of these openings since the beginning of the school year and have had ample time to look for the best possible replacements. Here is where we are currently:
PE/Pre Algebra – We have hired Ms. Melissa Grelle. She is graduate of the University of Missouri and is currently the PE teacher/Athletic Director at St. Matthew School in North Seattle. Her Principal describes her as, “Excellent” and she also had extensive experience in college as an assistant coach for the Cross-Country team. She described her strength in core subject teaching in the areas of Math and Science and she is very excited to be teaching the PreAlgebra class too.
Kindergarten – We have hired Mrs. Molly Thole. A familiar face and a favorite right here under our nose. After an extensive search and multiple interviews with candidates, we felt that Mrs. Thole was the best person to continue the excellence of our Kindergarten program. This summer she is working on an endorsement in Special Education.
Administrative Assistant – We have hired Mrs. Jennifer Hazzard. She is currently the Administrative Assistant at Holy Rosary School in West Seattle. She is a St. Anne parishioner and alumni parent. She is thrilled to be working closer to home and we are thrilled to have her. She will be with us each Tuesday from now until the end of the school year for training, and will begin full-time in August.
Also, Mrs. Quinn-Shea (4th grade) is leaving us after two years to pursue teaching in a public school system closer to her home in South Seattle. She has been a marvelous addition to our staff and we will truly miss her. Ms. Raney (current 6th grade teacher) is making the move to 4th grade and we have hired Mr. Daniel Talevich, as 6th grade homeroom and middle school Literature and Language Arts teacher. Mr. Talevich is a Gonzaga University graduate and has a Master’s in Special Education from the University of Hawaii. He is currently teaching 6th grade Literature and Language Arts at a Catholic school in Bellevue and is looking forward to being on this side of Lake Washington.
Mrs. Dahlman (1st grade) is expecting her first child in late August. She will be taking maternity leave from September until after Christmas. We are in the process of looking for a long-term certified teacher to substitute for her during the first part of the school year. I will keep you posted on our search for the successful candidate.
Whew! Lots of changes but much excitement (and a degree of sadness) as these fine employees, and our new ones, embark on new adventures.
Finally, please keep Mrs. Heidi Austin and her family in your prayers. Mrs. Austin’s father passed away suddenly last Thursday evening. He leaves behind his wife of 59 years, 6 children, and 15 grandchildren, who will miss him tremendously. Our prayers are with all of them.
Have a great week.
