St. Teresa Catholic School
August 19, 2026
St. John Eudes
Goodbye Summer, Hello School
Praying you had a good summer, too. OK, sometimes I’m not so good at leisure, at other times like summer I do a little better. One snippet of the leisure of summer is entrenched in my mind. This is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our community, the School Sisters of Christ the King. The Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHMs) from Philadelphia took us in during those early years when Bishop Flavin, our founder, had the seeds in his mind of what our community would be. A few of the Sisters who helped in our founding years are still alive there and so we went to thank the community as a whole and see those who are like our mothers in so many ways.
While the whole trip enlivened us, for this note, I’d like to focus on the bus trip. Yes, the bus trip. While normally a bus simply gets you from one place to the next, ours proved a good place for leisure and growing in community. The 25 of us on a chartered bus, with no personal phones and 36 hours of daylight traveling…creativity had time to simmer and emerge.
We lived on the bus much like a normal day, with a few key differences. Morning prayer, coffee and snacks, holy hour, games, lunch, quiet time (nap?) movie, snacks, chat time... While it may sound mundane, it was delightful. We had frequent stops, and plenty of time to chat between the acts. One of my favorite moments was the charcuterie board 3.0. It was on the way home, our third attempt at a low budget snack nicely presented. I was cutting the goods. Sister Peter Marie made a pyramid of cheese on a folder covered with a paper towel…nothing but the finest! After the pile of cheese, she said, “Wait a minute, I have an idea!” She dumped the cheese back on my cutting surface and started over. The cheese became a frame, beef sticks became letters, and then the real fun began. Someone pulled out red licorice whips, and used them to outline a heart, then roses...we needed green for petals on the roses. No green food was to be found…until the peanut M&Ms came out. We cut them apart and peeled off some of the green outside to use for leaves. Flames coming out of the Immaculate heart...yellow and orange M&Ms to the rescue. For a bus load of Sisters with no supplies, I thought the creation was ingenious. So did the others, but not so much that would cause hesitation to use it as a charcuterie board should be used. Gone in a matter of minutes, but only after the picture. SPM said, “Make sure you tell them it is food or it just looks like a nice picture!” Message delivered. Did I say we had a good time? I only had time for a single one half hour nap! Here’s a little evidence of the fun.
Every now and then one has a truly memorable summer. This is one for us, praying you, too, can find joy and memorable moments in the course of life.
While the whole trip enlivened us, for this note, I’d like to focus on the bus trip. Yes, the bus trip. While normally a bus simply gets you from one place to the next, ours proved a good place for leisure and growing in community. The 25 of us on a chartered bus, with no personal phones and 36 hours of daylight traveling…creativity had time to simmer and emerge.
We lived on the bus much like a normal day, with a few key differences. Morning prayer, coffee and snacks, holy hour, games, lunch, quiet time (nap?) movie, snacks, chat time... While it may sound mundane, it was delightful. We had frequent stops, and plenty of time to chat between the acts. One of my favorite moments was the charcuterie board 3.0. It was on the way home, our third attempt at a low budget snack nicely presented. I was cutting the goods. Sister Peter Marie made a pyramid of cheese on a folder covered with a paper towel…nothing but the finest! After the pile of cheese, she said, “Wait a minute, I have an idea!” She dumped the cheese back on my cutting surface and started over. The cheese became a frame, beef sticks became letters, and then the real fun began. Someone pulled out red licorice whips, and used them to outline a heart, then roses...we needed green for petals on the roses. No green food was to be found…until the peanut M&Ms came out. We cut them apart and peeled off some of the green outside to use for leaves. Flames coming out of the Immaculate heart...yellow and orange M&Ms to the rescue. For a bus load of Sisters with no supplies, I thought the creation was ingenious. So did the others, but not so much that would cause hesitation to use it as a charcuterie board should be used. Gone in a matter of minutes, but only after the picture. SPM said, “Make sure you tell them it is food or it just looks like a nice picture!” Message delivered. Did I say we had a good time? I only had time for a single one half hour nap! Here’s a little evidence of the fun.
Every now and then one has a truly memorable summer. This is one for us, praying you, too, can find joy and memorable moments in the course of life.
Sister Mary Michael, C.K.
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FACULTY/STAFF 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR
ADMINISTRATIONPrincipal – Sr. Mary Michael, C.K.
Assistant Principal – Sr. Mary Agnes, C.K. (and 5th grade Literature)
FACULTY
Preschool – Mrs. Theresa Schafers
K A– Mrs. Karri Hraban
KB--Mrs. Sadie Moser/Mrs. Sarah Seib
1A -- Mrs. Angie Schafers
1B -- Mrs. Laura Mowry
2nd -- Sr. Mary Kolbe, C.K.
3rd – Miss Kaitlyn Becher
4A – Mrs. Shelly Sullivan
4B – Mrs. Sophia Kresak
5A – Sr. Edith Marie, C.K. (Math, Theology and 6-8 Tech)
5B -- Mrs. Meghan Scdoris (Nature Studies/English)
6th -- Mrs. Grace Fusselman (6-8 Math, Algebra, 5th History)
7th – Miss Annie Timmerman (6-8 Nature Studies, 6th & 7th Theology)
8A –Mrs. Katherine Froeschl (6-8 History, 8th English)
8B -- Ms. Sada Wondercheck (6-8 Lit, 6 & 7 English)
8th Theology, K-8 Art -- Mrs. Kelly Pokojski
P.E. – Mrs. Kimberly Vacek
Library K-8 & 6-8 Co-curricular – Mrs. Susan Pepino
Music K-8, Strings – Mrs. Terri Schilmoeller
Band 5-8 – Ms. Melissa Wilson
Resource & Special Ed Coordinator – Mrs. Melissa Payne
Enrichment – Mrs. Jean Timmerman
Educational Consultant -- Mrs. Chris Jacobsen
SUPPORT PERSONNEL
Administrative Assistant – Mrs. Mary Schmit
Secretaries – Mrs. Laura Minchow, Mrs. Jill Zimmer
Teacher Assistants – Miss Grace Vinton, Mrs. Monica Garcia, Mrs. Dorci Mabie, Mrs. Therese Fuller
Volunteer Teacher Assistants - Miss Jody Degenhardt, Miss CeCe McNeely
Property Manager – Mr. Ben Hirsch
Lunch Program Director – Mrs. Rosie Polak
Assistant Cooks – Mr. Gary Harper, Mr. Roger Hothan, Miss Grace Vinton
Jayhawk Jumpstart
Teacher Professional Development
St. Teresa School Mission Statement
St. Teresa Catholic School, in partnership with parents, provides an education faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. We nurture students’ natural sense of wonder and guide them to know and love truth, beauty, and goodness, and to live as virtuous disciples of Jesus Christ with their hearts set on true and lasting joy.