Faculty and Staff
With more than 65% of our staff holding advanced degrees, and a teacher attrition rate of less than 5% over the last 10 years, St. Benedict School prides itself on employing some of the most talented educators in King County. We welcome you to take a look at each of our teacher's biographies to get to know them a little better. You can also find their contact information below.
Teacher / Staff Bios
Pastor
Father Steve Sallis - contact: s.sallis@stbens.net
Father Steve Sallis has been the Pastor at St. Benedict since July 1, 2002 (his birthday)! He was ordained a priest on June 9, 1980, at St. Benedict Abbey in Atchison, Kansas (he was a Benedictine monk at the Abbey from 1973-1986). In addition to serving as Pastor at St. Benedict, Fr. Steve serves on the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, is a liturgical consultant for parishes that are building or renovating their church, and is a member of the Presbyteral Council. Father Steve has served at the following parishes since 1986: Assumption and Sacred Heart in Bellingham, St. Brendan in Bothell, St. Joseph in Lynden, and St. Peter in Deming. He also served in campus ministry at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Father Steve enjoys going to the theater and movies, and is a great second-hand store shopper.
Principal
Brian Anderson - contact: b.anderson@stbens.net
Brian Anderson is a Seattle native who was raised in the Wedgwood neighborhood. He is the product of 22 years of Catholic education! He is a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake, Bishop O'Dea High School, The University of Portland, and The University of Notre Dame where he participated in the Alliance for Catholic Education Leadership Program. Brian has worked in Catholic education for the last 14 years. He has taught a variety of grade levels in Catholic schools in North Carolina, Oregon, and Bangladesh. He has been the principal at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Vancouver, Washington for the last five years. Brian and his wife Jodie, who is also an educator, welcomed their first child, William, into the world on March 31st. They are excited to "move home" to Seattle where they will be surrounded by family and friends.
Preschool
Janet Delmore - contact: j.delmore@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Preschool Assistant
Cathy Juel - contact: c.juel@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Pre-Kindergarten
Nora McConnell - contact: n.mcconnell@stbens.net
Nora McConnell joined the St. Benedict family as the new Kindergarten Instructional Assistant in 2007. Ms. McConnell has a B.A. in Fine Arts and Education from Washington State University, and did her graduate work at Seattle Pacific University. She first began teaching in 1980. Her teaching philosophy is focused on helping children feel good about themselves through encouragement and having a good sense of humor. "I am a teacher because I believe that children are God's greatest gifts," she says. She loves teaching at St. Bens: "The faculty and staff, as well as the families, are genuine and grounded. I think that St. Benedict School is Seattle's best kept secret!" When not in the classroom, Ms. McConnell enjoys spending time with her family and four cats; she loves to garden, read, exercise, paint with watercolors, and bake.
Pre-K Assistant
Joan Nelson - contact: j.nelson@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Kindergarten
Mariko Fitzpatrick - contact: m.fitzpatrick@stbens.net
Mariko Fitzpatrick joined St. Benedict School in 2008 as the Kindergarten teacher. She received her B.A. in Liberal Studies from Seattle University and her Master's in Teacher from Heritage University. Mrs. Fitzpatrick believes in developing students as a whole person; spiritually, socially and academically. She strives to challenge her students to think creatively, work independently and to set high expectations for themselves. She also believes in creating a partnership with families to help students reach their potential. Mrs. Fitzpatrick says, "I love teaching kindergarten students because they are curious about learning and love to do their best. They come into school very young and grow up right before your eyes. It's amazing how much they mature." A fun fact is that Mrs. Fitzpatrick became engaged to her husband Scott in her first year of teaching at St. Benedict School with her students witnessing the special moment. She enjoys cooking, sewing, working out and spending time with her family.
Kindergarten Assistant
Marie Calimlim - contact: m.calimlim@stbens.net
Marie Calimlim joined St. Benedict School in 2009 with PreSchool and Pre-K's Kids Club every afternoon. A year later, she became the new Kindergarten Instructional Assistant. She first earned her A.A. at Highline Community College and earned her B.A. at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is currently continuing her education to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a classroom teacher. Outside of school, Ms. Calimlim enjoys spending time with her family and loves traveling. She believes it is important to aspire childlike ways in our own everyday lives so that we may be reminded of the joy and innocence of our youth God has given us. She is happy to know she is able to do that in our school community and enjoys working with children day to day. She says, "It is important to support one another in being joyous, loving and Christ-centered people capable of serving others and bettering the world."
1st Grade
Cassie Kastens - contact: c.kastens@stbens.net
Cassie Kastens moved to Seattle in 2008 where she began her teaching career at St. Benedict School. Ms. Kastens has a B.S. in Education from the University of Nevada Reno. She is a member and supporter of the Slingerland Institute for Literacy and implements the Slingerland Multisensory Approach to learning reading and writing skills in her classroom. Ms. Kastens believes in holding high expectations for all learners and believes that all children can be highly capable. She works hard to maintain a hands-on classroom where nothing is off limits. “Children are naturally curious about the world around them and letting them construct and manipulate things allows them to explore concepts independently and at their own pace.” She also believes that modeling respect for self, God, and others is essential to helping students feel safe and successful. “First Grade is an amazing place to be! There is so much growth and development happening and each day someone achieves something new. The feeling of success is empowering when you’re in an environment where you feel safe, others care about you, and celebrate with you!” Ms. Kastens feels that the best thing about St. Benedict School is the close community. “Everyone supports and takes care of each other as a whole, which makes building a strong community in the classroom easy.” In her free time, Ms. Kastens loves traveling and learning about new cultures. She also enjoys snowboarding and sleeping in late on the weekends!
2nd Grade
Maureen Moreland - contact: m.moreland@stbens.net
Maureen Moreland joined St. Benedict School as the new second grade teacher in 2007. She earned a B.A. from St. Martin's College and a Masters in Teaching from City University. Ms. Moreland strives to create an environment that promotes a safe and caring space in which children may learn. One of her teaching goals is to establish a learning space that promotes fairness and respect between teachers and students. "I love working with kids--they are so much fun!" she says, "I love when students are excited about learning something new. I also love to see how proud kids are when they have mastered a new idea." Ms. Moreland enjoys spending her free time outside—hiking, sailing, and running. She also loves to relax with a good book.
3rd Grade
Marlene Muller - contact: m.muller@stbens.net
Marlene Muller began teaching at St. Benedict in 2006 and has taught third grade since 2007. She holds a BA in Language Arts/Elementary Education from Seattle Pacific University. She also has a certificate in Contemplative Group Leadership from the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Ms. Muller believes in involving students in their own learning through offering choices, presenting clear lessons, clear expectations, and reachable goals, and guiding students in self-reflection and assessment. "A classroom is a supportive community where we are all unique learners discovering our world and our place in it together." Ms. Muller enjoys writing and reading poetry, hiking, and chocolate.
Erin Bartram - contact: e.bartram@stbens.net
Erin Bartram has been St. Benedict School's third grade teacher since 2005. She holds a B.A. from Western Washington University and a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington. Ms. Bartram believes that students learn best in a safe, organized, and positive environment, and fosters the creation of that environment by serving as a guide, model, and a catalyst for further learning. "Learning is most effective when teachers build a relationship of respect and caring with their students, where there is trust and encouragement," she explains, "Every child can learn and grow, although that may look and happen differently for each child." Ms. Bartram incorporates a variety of learning strategies in the classroom to strengthen math, literacy, and cognitive skills, including drama, music, games, visual arts, and technology. "I enjoy teaching because there is no other job like it and nothing quite as rewarding." She enjoys backpacking, snowshoeing, reading, and working in her yard when she is not in the classroom.
4th Grade
Megan Ackerman - contact: m.ackerman@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
5th Grade
Rosemary Kuschell - contact: r.kuschell@stbens.net
Rosemary Kuschell, the fifth grade teacher has been a member of the St. Benedict School faculty since 2000. She has a B.A. in Social and Educational Psychology from UCR and a Masters in Education from the University of Washington. Ms. Kuschell strives to create an environment in which students feel comfortable taking learning risks and asking questions. "I encourage a sense of trust and let students know I believe in and support them," she says. Ms. Kuschell sees herself as a life-long learner, and shares her passion for knowledge and discovery with her students: "New information ignites a sense of passion and curiosity. I love exploring ways to share knowledge and foster similar curiosity and passion in students." She loves teaching at St. Bens because of the faculty's focus on the intellectual, social, and spiritual growth of the students. "It is a joy to work with spirited and collaborative colleagues," she says, "The focus on the arts and pedagogic open-mindedness creates an atmosphere of curious inquiry and creative synthesis." Traveling and exploring other cultures have been a source of joy for Ms. Kuschell since her childhood summers in Mexico City. When she is not teaching and traveling, she enjoys attending the ballet, theater, and museums, as well as gardening, reading, learning, and spending time with her family.
6th Grade / Middle School Social Studies
Bill Gentzler - contact: b.gentzler@stbens.net
William Gentzler teaches the sixth grade as well as middle school social studies. He holds an A.A. from North Seattle Community College, a B.A. from the University of Washington, and a Masters in Teaching from City University. Mr. Gentzler's teaching style is to keep the students actively engaged--reading, writing, practicing new skills, and researching special topics. "I love to see the proverbial "light bulb" go on," he says. Mr. Gentzler enjoys teaching at St. Bens: "The sense of community here is like no where else I've taught." In his free time, he likes to go hiking, camping, and fishing, as well as reading, writing, and watching the History Channel.
7th Grade
Barbara Ruzzo - contact: b.ruzzo@stbens.net
Barbara Ruzzo loves teaching. The last seven years she has been at St. Benedict School teaching middle school math. She holds a B.A. and a Secondary Credential from California State University, San Jose, as well as an Elementary Credential, from University of California, Berkeley, and is endorsed in Math and English. Mrs. Ruzzo has a strong background in integration of technology in education. She has been awarded a Gates Learning Foundation Teacher Leadership Project Grant, participated in the Teach the Teachers Project, and has instructed Catholic school teachers for the Archdioceses as an Intel Master Teacher. “I believe instruction should be a balance of presentation and students exploring strategies to reach their answers u sing technology, manipulatives, discussion, and pencil and paper. My classroom is a safe place to ask and answer questions.” Outside of school, Mrs. Ruzzo enjoys exercising, cooking with family and friends, reading, and knitting.
8th Grade / Middle School Science
Allison Druffel - contact: a.druffel@stbens.net
Allison Druffel is the eighth grade teacher and the middle school science teacher. She has a B.A. in Education from Washington State University and has been teaching at St. Benedict's since 2006. Ms. Druffel utilizes hands-on learning activities in her lesson plans as much as possible to make concepts more meaningful to students. She enjoys the endless laughter and fun from working with the children. "The students at this school are kind, hard-working, and energetic--a truly wonderful group," she explains, "They make me excited to teach every day!" In her spare time, Ms. Druffel loves spending time with her family, cooking, knitting, and wakeboarding in the summer.
Art
Debbie Bellia - contact: d.bellia@stbens.net
Debbie Bellia had been a parent volunteer teaching art projects since 1994 before becoming the official art teacher in 2003. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts. Her philosophy is that there are no mistakes in art: "each child's work is as unique as they are." She uses positive feedback, encouragement, clear instruction, and help when requested. "I believe to teach is to inspire, encourage and guide," she says, "The greatest joy in my job is to see a child create something that he or she didn't think was possible." What she likes about teaching at St. Benedict the most are the students. "Our school is full of creative, intuitive, compassionate, and loving children. They love to learn, rise to challenges, and ask interesting questions." Ms. Bellia loves to spend her free time with her husband and three children outdoors hiking, kayaking, biking, and skiing. She also loves reading, drawing, visiting museums, and traveling to new places.
Drama
Michael Dunlop - contact: m.dunlop@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Extended Day
Lisa Wescott - contact: l.wescott@stbens.net
Lisa Wescott was a St. Benedict parent from 1990 through 2000 when all three of her children attended school; she and her husband were actively involved in school activities, including the School Commission. She began working in Extended Day in 1997 as a morning caretaker and became the director in 1999. Her priorities with the Extended Day program are to provide an active, enriching, caring, and nurturing environment for the children, allowing parents and guardians to feel confident knowing their children are safe and happy. "We can talk about God. We can talk about Jesus. It is OK to pray when one feels the need. St. Benedict School teaches children about forgiveness," she says. When not running the program, Mrs. Wescott enjoys reading, torturing her husband, and craft activities such as quilting, scrapbooks, photography, and stamping.
Library / Media Center Specialist
Susan Lisi - contact: s.lisi@stbens.net
Susan Lisi, St. Benedict's Media Center specialist since 2000, holds a B.A. in Linguistics and English, as well as a Masters in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. "I want to instill my love of reading and doing research in the kids I teach," she says, "Hopefully, they will learn to enjoy it as much as I do!" She loves teaching in this intimate, community atmosphere with great colleagues. Her son is a St. Bens graduate. When she is not teaching, Ms. Lisi likes to travel, ride bikes, and work on word and logic puzzles.
Music/PE
Sue Rivord - contact: s.rivord@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Spanish
Dorothy Cicero - contact: d.cicero@stbens.net
Dorothy Cicero joined St. Benedict School this year as the Spanish teacher for grades K-8 and as the Language Arts teacher for grades 6 and 7. She earned a B.A. from the University of Washington in Spanish and Art History. She spent the last year living in Valencia, Spain where she worked as an English teacher at a technical college. Additionally, she has taught at the Pacific Science Center for the past five years as a teacher for their summer camp program. Ms. Cicero is passionate about the Spanish language and culture and is excited to inspire a lifelong interest in learning Spanish in all of her students. She also enjoys running around Greenlake, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Learning Specialist
Roxanne Fisher - contact: r.fisher@stbens.net
Mrs. Fisher came to St. Benedict in 2009 as the new Learning Specialist. She brings a variety of teaching experiences with 27 years of teaching in kindergarten through 5th grade, Title I, Special Education as well as teacher mentoring and instructional coaching. Her philosophy of education and personal goal as an educator is to provide an individualized learning environment that celebrates and enhances the individual gifts and talents of all children. She provides specialized instruction that supports the learning of the students in her groups that may need instruction than cannot be easily fulfilled in the classroom. The inclusion of supplementary programs allows our students to reach for their full potential and allows our school community to be a nurturing environment and flexible in our teaching approaches. When Mrs. Fisher is not in school she enjoys traveling, sailing, sewing, quilting, knitting and crocheting.
Math Specialist
Terri Hickey - contact: t.hickey@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Secretary
Ms. Mary Ancich- contact: m.ancich@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.
Development Director
Teresa Gillett - contact: t.gillett@stbens.net
Teresa Gillett has been the Development Director since September 2011. Both of her daughters graduated from St. Benedict School – Mary Brigid in 2005 and Lucy in 2007. Teresa and her family have been members of St. Benedict Parish for over 23 years and they love the community. Teresa is from the Pacific Northwest and graduated from Seattle University in 1985 with a BA in Sociology and English. Since then she lived in Washington D.C. for four years where she met and married her husband of 24 years, Michael. Their two daughters are both in college. She loves working for St. Benedict School and looks forward each day to the wonderful school parents, teachers and staff with whom she works. She enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with family.
Development Associate
Natasha Yanover - contact: n.yanover@stbens.net
Bio forthcoming.