"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." -- Henry Brooks Adams

Our Faculty and Staff:
The faculty and staff of Saint John Neumann Catholic School are committed to shaping minds and evoking a spirit of community.  SJN is a place where students are provided a solid foundation through Differentiated Instruction, where they are introduced to the arts and sciences, and where they learn the skills necessary for critical thinking in a changing world. Saint John Neumann Catholic School has a talented and dedicated staff singularly focused on the spiritual, emotional, and academic development of all students.

Barbara Cole - Principal
Email: bcole@sjncatholic.com

Welcome to St. John Neumann Catholic School.  I have the honor of being the principal of this wonderful school.  When you enter St. John Neumann School, you become a part of our family.  Our students do not enter the doors alone; student's family enters with them.  Families, students, and the school family of faculty and staff commit themselves to the vision of the school.  We all work in partnership in achieving and continuing the excellence of St. John Neumann Catholic School.  We strive hard to fulfill our motto of SJN being a place “where children experience success”.

This is my 9th year as the principal of St. John Neumann School, my 19th year in a Principal ship, and my twenty-seventh year in education. 

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and my Master's Degree is in Elementary Administration.  I have taught grades 2-4-5-6 and college courses.  I attended Catholic schools for both grade and high school.

We are an “educationally” based family. My husband is a librarian in an elementary school; our daughter is a middle school teacher. I also have a
son in the army serving in Germany.

Gayle Mitchiner – Assistant Principal
Email: gmitchiner@sjncatholic.com

My name is Gayle Mitchiner, and I have been a teacher and administrator at SJN for seventeen years.  I earned a B.S. in Education from North Georgia College and have done post-graduate work in several universities including: USC, Indiana University, and UNC. I presently serve in the role of Assistant Principal.

I am the wife of a career military officer and have taught in many states and foreign countries. We have three sons, nine grandchildren, three dogs, and a myriad of grand dogs and cats.

Ellie Boger – PreSchool Teacher
Email: eboger@sjncatholic.com

My name is Ellie Boger.  I finished college with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Longwood College in Virginia.  I teach four-year-olds and love the creativity the children bring to the classroom.  This is my third year at St. John Neumann; I am enjoying it!  I have three grown children and two beautiful grandchildren.  I have been living in Columbia for over thirty years.  I enjoy free time with my family and friends and love to travel and bicycle.

Debbie Scott – PreSchool Assistant
Email: dscott@sjncatholic.com

My name is Debbie Scott and I am a preSchool assistant in the four-year-old program.  I received my BA degree in Elementary Education from Ohio State and received my Master’s degree in Reading from USC.

I have taught in the public school system for 30 years.  After I retired, I missed the children and came right back!  I was so excited when I was hired at SJN, and this is my second year here.

My own children attended school here, Cardinal Newman, and now, USC.  Christopher will graduate in August and Jennifer is in her junior year.  I am blessed to have my supportive husband, Edward, and am looking forward to another exciting year of learning!

Vielka Taylor – PreSchool Teacher
Email: vtaylor@sjncatholic.com

My name is Vielka Taylor and I am one of the PreSchool teachers at SJN.  I obtained by CDA through the Early Childhood Education Council while living in Wisconsin.  I have been teaching for over 23 years and am fluent in both English and Spanish. I’m happily married with two grown sons.  One is an officer in the US Army and the other is in college.

Tiffanie Lee – PreSchool Assistant
Email: tlee@sjncatholic.com

My name is Tiffanie Lee, and I am happy to be a PreSchool Assistant at SJN.  I earned my BS in Education from the University of Dayton, and I have been teaching for 7 years.

I take great pride in my husband, who serves our country in the military, and my son who comes to SJN with me each day!

Carol Hudson – Kindergarten Teacher
Email: chudson@sjncatholic.com

My name is Carol Hudson. I love teaching kindergarten at S.J.N. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Elementary Education. I have been teaching kindergarten for over 30 years, and I think I have the perfect job.

I am married to Bucky Hudson, and we have two grown children, Kelty and Zack.

My hobbies are reading, biking, camping, and traveling with friends and family.

Whitney Lyman – Kindergarten Teacher
Email: wlyman@sjncatholic.com

My name is Whitney Lyman, and I teach Kindergarten at SJN.  I received my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Anderson University in Indiana.  As a South Carolina native, I am excited to be back in my home state and further my teaching career here at SJN.

I feel right at home in the St. John Neumann family, not only as a teacher, but also as a former student.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach at such a wonderful school with some of the dedicated teachers who taught me as a child.

Susie Stafford – Kindergarten Teacher
Email: sstafford@sjncatholic.com

I am Susie Stafford, one of our Kindergarten teachers. I am a graduate of USC with a B.A. and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education.

I have taught for 32 years and am now entering my 33rd year - my 12th at SJN. I taught Kindergarten at Heathwood Hall for 17 years before joining the faculty of SJN. I LOVE Kindergarten. The children are at a perfect age when they can't wait to learn, and they enter the classroom each day with smiles and an eagerness for what we have to teach them. Kindergarten is the BEST!!!

Fran Stevens – Kindergarten Assistant
Email: fstevens@sjncatholic.com

Hello! I am Fran Stevens, and am the assistant teacher in Miss Stafford's Kindergarten class.

I have worked at SJN for 18 years. I have an AS Degree from Allegheny Comunity College. I worked for Bell Telephone as a Service Representative for four years. I am married (for 37 years!) and have two daughters. I also have two granddaughters, Lauren and Natalie, and one grandson, Zander.

Anna Wunderlich – Kindergarten Assistant
Email: awunderlich@sjncatholic.com

Hello! My name is Anna Wunderlich, and I am an assistant in Kindergarten.  I love teaching and have done so for 13 years.  I earned my Master's in Social Work from Syracuse University.  

Now that my children are in college, my hobbies include taking care of my snake and chinchilla!

Linda Lighthart – Kindergarten Assistant
Email: lalighthart@sjncatholic.com

Hello, I am Linda Lighthart, assistant teacher in Kindergarten.  I was born and attended school in South Carolina.  Although I attended the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for Radiology, I stopped working after I had my two children.  Little by little over 20 years, I spent more and more time in the classroom, first as a volunteer and eventually as an assistant teacher.

I love children and animals, and I spend much of my time tending to my animals: 6 dogs, 8 cats, a horse and a pony. 

I am so blessed to belong to the SJN family.

Debbie Geddings – First Grade Teacher
Email: dgeddings@sjncatholic.com

My name is Debbie Geddings and I am so excited about teaching first grade at St. John Neumann School.  My husband, Jay and I have been married for 10 years and have two children, Elizabeth and Tillman, who attend this wonderful school. 

I was born and raised right here in Columbia, South Carolina.  I received my Bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and have ten years of teaching experience.  I am honored to be a part of the SJN family, where magical things happen!

Carolyn Williams – First Grade Teacher
Email: cwilliams@sjncatholic.com

My name is Carolyn Williams, and I am a mother of four; Ashby, Katherine, Ian, and Charles, and a grandmother of four; Carrie, Jack, Drew, and Julia.  I have been married to Luther Williams for 39 years. He is a pediatric cardiologist. I am beginning my 36th year of teaching. (I really began teaching at the age of 15!) I am beginning my 12th year at SJN. My hobbies include teaching First Grade, reading, and watching football. I received an A.A. from Anderson College and a B.A. from Coker College. I have taught second, fourth, and fifth grades, as well as having been a Middle School Principal and Admission Director. However, the best job that I have ever had has been teaching first grade at SJN.

Bridget Zelachowski – First Grade Teacher
Email: bzelachowski@sjncatholic.com

Hello! I am Bridget Zelachowski. I have been married 21 years to my husband, Ron. I have two step-daughters. Eliza, the oldest, graduated in 2002 from Miami (FL) University with a degree in Architecture. Joellen, the youngest, graduated in 2003 from the University of Eastern Kentucky with a degree in Recreational Therapy. I received my B.A. from Marshall University. I attended Otterbein College for my Graduate Program. I have held teaching certificates from the states of West Virginia, Connecticut, Ohio, and South Carolina. I have been at St. John Neumann for nine years. I have taught First Grade all nine years, and I love it. My recreational time is spent going to the beach, playing golf, and reading. Some of my favorite books are Curious George, Arthur, and Madeline.

Jill Ayres – Second Grade Teacher
Email: jayres@sjncatholic.com

My name is Jill Ayres. I teach second grade at SJN.  It is a wonderful grade because the children receive two sacraments during the year.

I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grades and K-8 Physical Education.  I have a B.S.E from S.U.N.Y and an M. Ed. From UNLV.

In my spare time, I love to golf and travel with my family.

Tammie Maddock – Second Grade Teacher
Email: tmaddock@sjncatholic.com

My name is Tammie Maddock, and I am thrilled to be starting my second year at SJN.  I have an undergraduate degree in Marketing and two Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Teaching. 

My teaching experience includes time in PreSchool, second, and fourth grades.  My greatest educational experience, however, has come from my own 3 children who join me at school every day.

I feel extremely blessed to be a part of the SJN family as both a parent and a teacher.

Dairia Hudson – Second Grade Teacher
Email: dhudson@sjncatholic.com

My name is Dairia Hudson, and I am honored to be a part of the SJN family.  In my spare time, I enjoy my family, traveling, and my dog Jocho.  I have earned my Bachelor’s Degree in both Elementary and Special Education from Neumann College.  I look forward to another wonderful year at SJN.

Linda Treadway – Third Grade Teacher
Email: ltreadway@sjncatholic.com

Hello. I am Linda Treadway. I am an honor graduate of the University of Montana. I have been teaching at St. John Neumann Catholic School for many years. I retain teaching certificates in both the state of New Jersey and South Carolina.

I love the challenges of teaching third grade and hope each of my students find the same sense of joy that I do in learning and discovering new things.

Melinda Beach – Third Grade Teacher
Email: mbeach@sjncatholic.com

I'm Melinda Beach, and this is my sixth year at St. John Neumann. I am excited about teaching third grade at this great school.

I am an avid Gamecock fan with a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Elementary Education from the great University of South Carolina.

I taught sixth grade for two years, PreSchool for four years and Kindergarten for one memorable year. This will be my third year in third grade.

I have a husband, two boys, and two delightful chocolate labs.

Nancy Amrol – Fourth Grade Teacher
Email: namrol@sjncatholic.com

My name is Nancy Amrol, and I teach fourth grade.

I am from the beautiful Pine Tree State of Maine. I graduated from Mt. St. Mary's College in New Hampshire with a B.S. degree and received a Post Bac degree in Early Childhood from the University of South Carolina.

Many moves have given me the opportunity to teach in California, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and South Carolina. I especially love teaching fourth grade, which I have done for fifteen years at Saint John Neumann Catholic School.

In my leisure time, I enjoy my family, eating Maine lobster, dreaming of the beach, biking, reading, and working in my garden.

Freeda Wood – Fourth Grade Teacher
Email: fwood@sjncatholic.com

South Carolina is my home state with the exception of living in North Carolina for several years. I earned a degree in Elementary Education while attending the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.

My parents, sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends enhance my life daily. Spare moments do come around in which I enjoy reading, exercising, and getting sand in my shoes at the beach. Of course, there is always something new on the horizon!

Victoria White – Fifth Grade Teacher
Email: vwhite@sjncatholic.com

My name is Victoria White and I teach 5th grade at St. John Neumann Catholic School.  I have two beautiful sons and a wonderful husband who command most of my free time.  I earned undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Elementary Education and a graduate degree from USC in Journalism.  Since changing careers from advertising/public relations to education, I have taught several grade levels in both public and private schools.

Connie Chambers – Fifth Grade Teacher
Email: cchambers@sjncatholic.com

Hi! I am Connie Chambers. This is my fifth year at St. John Neumann. I am still very excited to be here. Everyone has made me feel so welcome.
I retired from Lexington School District 2 after 31 years of teaching.  I have taught 2nd, 4th and 5th grades.

I have been married to my husband, Ed, for 35 years. My daughter, Elizabeth, works for the Legislative Council for the South Carolina General Assembly. My son, Patrick, is a broker with NAIAvant.  Both are newly married.

Cheryl Cambre – Sixth Grade Teacher
Email: ccambre@sjncatholic.com

Hi! I am Cheryl Cambre, and I'm in my thirteenth year of teaching at SJN. My twenty years plus of teaching experience include everything from PreSchool to teaching eighth grade algebra. I have taught in schools in Japan and all across the United States.

I received my undergraduate degree from Northeast Louisiana University and a Masters in Elementary Education from Charleston Southern University.

My family consists of one retired military husband and three daughters: Theresa, a doctor of Internal Medicine, Laura,a teacher at Cardinal Newman, and Colleen, a graphic artist specializing in web design.
I enjoy teaching science, religion, and math to the sixth grade. I feel very fortunate to be at a school where field trips can be taken to support our programs.

Sharon Ewing – Sixth Grade Teacher
Email: sewing@sjncatholic.com

My name is Sharon Ewing, and I am the sixth grade Language Arts/Social Studies teacher. I am also mother of three adult children and have four delightful grandchildren in my life. I have a B.A. in Elementary Education, and an M.A. in Reading.

This is my 24th year in the teaching field, working at various grade levels, as well as serving as a Reading Specialist in a lab setting. I have also worked as a library assistant in the public library system, and at Mercer University Library in Macon, GA. My leisure time activities include: gardening, sewing, singing and travel.

This is my seventh year at St. John Neumann, and I'm thrilled to be teaching Social Studies and Language Arts which includes: spelling, reading, writing, and English. These are the skills that are so critical to future success in high school, college, and chosen career fields. A great year is planned, and I am very happy to be working with sixth grade students once again.

Special

Janice Bliss – Administrative Assistant
Email: sjnadmin@sjncatholic.com

I am the Administrative Assistant and have been with St. John Neumann for 16 years. I grew up in Idaho and graduated from Boise State University with a BA and a MBA in Business Administration.

I am married to Mike Bliss and we have two grown children, Jason and Laura.

Mary Ann Smith – Office Assistant
Email: masmith@sjncatholic.com

Hi!  My name is Mary Ann Smith, and I am the office assistant at St. John Neumann Catholic School.  My children and I attended Catholic school, and I know how important a loving, nurturing, spiritual environment is to young people.  Since retiring as a respiratory therapist, I have been blessed to work here for 10 years as a teacher, assistant, and office employee.

Meredith Patten – Bookkeeper
Email: mpatten@sjncatholic.com

I am Meredith Patten, the bookkeeper for St. John Neumann Catholic School. I am also the mother of four children, Taylor and Emily, who attend Cardinal Newman School and Jack and Charlie, who come with me to work every day. In 1990, I received my Bachelor's in Finance from Loyola College, Baltimore, MD, my hometown. After a year in banking, I married my husband of 18 years, and moved to Columbia. This is my 16th year at SJN and I have enjoyed every minute of belonging to such a warm and inviting school, which succeeds in giving my children the very best academic and religious education.

Shelly Dunphy - Music
Email: sdunphy@sjncatholic.com

My name is Shelly Dunphy. This is my seventh year at SJN. It has been wonderful watching our students grow through the many fantastic performances we have shared over the past few years. This year we are looking forward to even more Super Star performances than ever before. You won't want to miss a single magic moment.

My husband Brian and I have two sons; Shaun, 19, a sophomore at the Citadel, and Patrick, 22, who is in the US Army.

Marian Hornsby - Art
Email: mhornsby@sjncatholic.com

My name is Marian Hornsby, and I teach Art for grades 3-6. I earned my Bachelor's and Master's in Art Education from the University of South Carolina.

This is my seventeenth year in teaching and my eighth year at SJN I've been married 30 years to my husband, Will, and we have one daughter, Molly. In addition to working at SJN, I have a photography studio in my home, and I specialize in photographing children and families. In my spare time, I love painting, Jazzercising, and gardening. I am so happy to be at SJN. The children are great and are so excited about art.

Susan Sharpe - Art
Email: ssharpe@sjncatholic.com

Hello! My name is Susan Sharpe. My hope is that we will have a great time in Art this year at St. John Catholic Neumann. I want to inspire the children and expose them to many different art forms so they can find an area that they truly love.
There are many incredible artists in South Carolina and Columbia for us to discover and appreciate. I will definitely integrate my love of children's literature into our lessons. We will be sending oodles of artwork home, so be prepared to display your child's "masterpieces."

Karen Zimmerman - Librarian
Email: kzimmerman@sjncatholic.com

As the librarian at St. John Neumann Catholic School, my goal is to inspire children to read and develop a lifelong love of reading!  My education includes a B.S. degree from Illinois State University and a Masters in Library Science from The Catholic University of America.  Ever since graduating from college, I have worked in a variety of libraries, from public to special to school.  School libraries are definitely my favorite place to work! The students, teachers, and families at St. John Neumann Catholic School make coming to work each day a pleasure!

Janet Timmerman – Science Lab
Email: jtimmerman@sjncatholic.com

My name is Janet Timmerman. I teach PreSchool through 6th grade in Science Lab.

I began teaching at St. John Neumann Catholic School in 1989. I was the first 4th grade then the 5th grade teacher. I left to pursue a Master's Degree in Science Education at USC. It was so exciting to come back to SJN after I earned my degree to see how much we had grown and how wonderful our school had become. I'm glad to be back as the Science Lab teacher, and I just love everything about being here.

We have a hands-on science program at SJN. We explore nature by touching, we build things like bridges to understand physical structure, we dissect earthworms, and we examine owl pellets from the inside out. The older grades keep a journal record of their experiments and activities like all scientists do.  Science comes alive in my lab!

In addition, I have two grown children, William and Lucy.

Alison Levitt – Instructional Specialist
Email: alevitt@sjncatholic.com

I am Alison Levitt, and I am the Instructional Specialist here at St. John Neumann.  I have a daughter who attends SJN along with me each day and a son at Cardinal Newman. 

I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the College of Charleston and a Master’s Degree in Science from the University of South Carolina. 

This is my sixteenth year working in the field of education in a variety of grade levels, as well as science lab in both private and public school settings.

As the Instructional Specialist, my job is to facilitate in-service training for our teachers, help develop curriculum, and to ensure that all of our students’ learning needs are being met.  In my spare time, I enjoy playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with my family.

John Cell –IT
Email: jcell@sjncatholic.com

My name is John Cell and I started at SJN in January of 2008 as Technology Teacher and System Administrator.  While I taught as a substitute in Greenville County in the mid-70s, I didn’t start my teaching career in earnest until January 2002.  I taught AP Computer Science and AP Probability and Statistics at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati.  The following year, I taught Pre-Algebra as well. 

Beginning the fall of 2004, I served the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as a long-term substitute teacher where I taught high school math, and elementary music, religion, social studies, and language arts.

Chrisann Luckie – Discovery Center
Email: cluckie@sjncatholic.com

Hi! I am Chrisann Luckie, and I am starting my 14th year as the Discovery Center teacher at SJN. The Discovery Center was created to provide one-on-one or small group instruction for remedial or enrichment activities.
I have a degree in Early Childhood Education from The College of New Jersey. Prior to teaching at SJN, I taught for six years in the NJ public school system before becoming the director of a Learning Center in North Carolina.

I am married and have three children.

Jessica Cabera – Spanish
Email: jcabrera@sjncatholic.com

My name is Jessica Cabrera and I am the Spanish Teacher at SJN. I graduated from Clemson University with a B.A. in Modern Languages/Spanish and I received my secondary teaching certification in Texas after college. I've lived in Chile, Mexico, and Spain, and traveled to 15 other countries around the world before I started a family. I am married to David Cabrera, who ironically is from Chile (we met in Texas), and we have a beautiful 2 1/2 year old son named Nicolas ("Nico"). We are also expecting our second child the first week of February 2010. I also do contract work for Midlands Technical College and I do interpreting work around the state of S.C.

I look forward to working with the SJN children this year! I hope to make the language exciting and communicative for them. I hope to inspire a world-view of language and culture and to give them the confidence to use the language they learn in real life! It's a pleasure to be teaching at SJN!

Pat Ray – Physical Education
Email: pray@sjncatholic.com

I am Pat Ray, the PE teacher for PreSchool-6th grade.  This is my 8th year teaching at SJN.  I received my BS degree from Appalachian State University.

I have two sons; one in college and one in high school.

Liz Baughman – Computer Lab
Email: lbaughman@sjncatholic.com

Hello!  My name is Liz Baughman, and I am the computer lab teacher at St. John Neumann Catholic School.  I attended Furman University and earned my degree in English.  Later, I earned my MA in Teaching from USC.  

I enjoy traveling, reading, and especially teaching.  I began teaching 9 years ago and am thoroughly enjoying my time thus far at SJN.