Administration
Mrs. Picchione
Principal
Mrs. Picchione grew up in Rhode Island and earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education and Psychology at Rhode Island College. Prior to becoming the principal of Saint Joan of Arc School, Mrs. Picchione served as an assistant principal, reading specialist and kindergarten teacher for the Diocese of Joliet. She completed her Master’s Degree in Reading and Literacy at Benedictine University in 2010 and Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2013 at Lewis University. She is looking forward to beginning the new school year at Saint Joan of Arc School in Lisle.
Mrs. Barenbrugge
Vice Principal
Mrs. Barenbrugge started teaching at SJA in 2007. She joined the faculty of St Joan with six years of teaching experience. She taught both first and third grades at SJA before moving into her administration role. She has a Masters Degree as a reading specialist and a 2nd Masters from Lewis University in educational leadership. She believes that learning should be engaging and fun. Everyday is a new opportunity to learn!
Mrs. Kolin
Office Support Staff
A long time SJA parent with students who graduated in 2016 and in 2022. Her time at SJA has included many volunteer activities from Rec mom, library helper, parent photographer, parent in charge of memory book, co-coordinator for Hot Lunch, to name a few. Recently she became the kindergarten aide for Mrs Suwanski for the last two school years.
Background includes A.A.S. in dental hygiene and B.S. In Occupational Education from Southern Illinois University and JD from The John Marshall Law School/UIC.
Preschool & Kindergarten
Mrs. Nachman
Preschool 3 Teacher
Mrs. Nachman joined SJA this year with 14 years of teaching experience. She earned her teaching degree with a reading endorsement in 2002 from Loras College. Recently Mrs. Nachman taught 3 and 4 year olds at the local park district preschool. She loves getting to know each student and strives to create a fun and welcoming learning environment in her classroom.
Mrs. Trauscht
Preschool 3 Teacher
Mrs. Trauscht attended UIC and graduated with a BA in Elementary Education in 2004. She taught first grade at an elementary school in the southwest suburbs for several years. More recently she spent the last few years teaching two, three, and four year old preschool at a local park district. She loves to get to know each child individually and believes a good teacher-student partnership is key to having success in the classroom.
Ms. (Riccio) Putong
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Putong began teaching at SJA in 2013. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and a special education endorsement from Elmhurst College. She strives to create a learning environment that is bright, secure, motivating and fun, so that students are encouraged to achieve their full potential and succeed both in and out of the classroom.
Mrs. Ward
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Ward is excited to join the St. Joan of Arc faculty. She brings eight years of teaching experience spanning kindergarten through fourth grade, having taught in both the Chicago and Schaumburg school districts. After several years in the classroom, she stepped away from full-time teaching to focus on raising her three children, while continuing her passion for education by teaching music and movement classes for toddlers and preschoolers through local park districts.
Outside the classroom, Mrs. Ward enjoys spending time with her family, cheering on her children at their sporting events, camping, traveling, and enjoying family movie nights. As an educator, Mrs. Ward is passionate about creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment. She believes in the importance of hands-on learning, play-based experiences, and supporting students’ social and emotional growth as they develop a lifelong love of learning.
Mrs. Heise
Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Heise joins SJA as a graduate of the University of St. Francis, earning her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary and Special Education. Prior to teaching at SJA, Mrs. Heise taught in Special Education classrooms in the public school system. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction).
Mrs. Suwanski
Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Suwanski joined the staff of SJA in 2018. She is a graduate of Bradley University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Mrs. Suwanski came to St. Joan already having a decade of teaching experience and has endorsements in Language Arts and Social Sciences. She also holds an ECE Credential Level 5 certificate. She was awarded the WGN Teacher of the Month September 2020. Mrs Suwanski believes that with perseverance and hard work, students will rise to the occasion. Teaching is a process of learning from students, colleagues and parents, and she aims to bring a positive attitude, open mind and high expectations for her students into the classroom each day.
Elementary Grades
Mrs. Lauinger
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Lauinger graduated from Loras College, Dubuque, IA with a Bachelors of Arts degree in elementary education and has attended National-Louis University studying graduate classes in literacy
She began teaching in 2002 (St. Mary of Gostyn, Downers Grove: 3 years in 3-4th grade math); continued teaching for 10 years (Avery Coonley, Downers Grove: junior kindergarten); she started teaching at SJA in 2022 in first grade.
Children are a great gift from God. It is a joy to share how God works in the lives of the saints with the first grade students!
She is trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3-6 and has worked with "sunday school" or "preschool religion" since she was in middle school. She has been active in parish music ministry programs since grade school. Is the parent of twins who currently attend SJA.
Mrs. Clark
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Clark has been teaching at SJA since 2003. She attended Elmhurst College for her undergrad and received her Masters Degree in Reading from Concordia University. Mrs. Clark has a daughter who graduated from St. Joan of Arc.
Mrs. Clark wants students to feel welcomed and special in the classroom. Remember to always be kind.
Mrs. Persico
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Persico joined the SJA staff in 2021 with 17 years of prior teaching experience. She has a degree in elementary education from Northeastern Illinois University. Mrs. Persico believes that all children are unique and must have a stimulating, loving and challenging educational environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally and socially.
Mrs. Bonomo
3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Bonomo is a member of the class of 2020 and has started her teaching career in the midst of Covid. She most recently was teaching at a public school in Burbank. Her priority as a teacher is to make her classroom a safe environment to promote growth, collaboration and inclusion for every student.
Mrs. Kimmell
3rd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Kimmel has been a valued member of the St. Joan of Arc School faculty since 2012. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from National Louis University and has spent many years inspiring students as SJA's Fine Arts teacher.
Mrs. Kimmel looks forward to guiding students not only academically, but also spiritually, helping them grow in their faith, develop a love of learning, and build the confidence needed to succeed. A parishioner of St. Joan of Arc along with her husband, and the parent of an SJA graduate, Mrs. Kimmel considers the school community an extension of her family. She is grateful for the opportunity to begin this new chapter and is eager to create a nurturing, engaging classroom where every child can thrive.
Mrs. Galant
4th/5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Galant is an SJA alumni who joined the SJA teaching staff in 2021. She earned her degree from Western Michigan University and has previous experience teaching 3rd grade and PE before coming to St. Joan of Arc. Mrs. Galant and her family are parishioners of SJA and her two children are students here.
Mrs. Graves
4th/5th Religion and Science/Social Studies Teacher
Mrs. Graves began teaching at St. Joan of Arc in 2013. In addition to teaching fourth and fifth grades and working with the resource programs here at SJA, she also has experience teaching at the middle and high school levels. Mrs. Graves has her Masters Degree in Education, along with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising and Marketing.
Mrs. Kenney
4th/5th ELA Teacher
Mrs. Kenney began teaching at St. Joan of Arc in 2005. She has taught second, fourth and fifth graders at SJA. Prior to St. Joan, she was a special educator for 6th, 7th and 8th grade in the public school system. She has a Masters Degree as a reading specialist from Concordia University. Mrs. Kenney has three daughters who graduated from St. Joan of Arc.
Mrs. Kenney says that teaching is her passion, and she feels incredibly fortunate to have a job that she loves. As an educator, her goal is to inspire every student to learn and reach their full potential by fostering a positive and encouraging environment. Each year she strives to instill a love for reading in her students and to help create a lifelong appreciation for learning.
Mrs. Weber
5th/6th Math Teacher / 6th Grade Religion
Mrs. Weber joined the SJA team in 2011. She has her degree from Illinois State University - BS in Education. Her daughter is a graduate of SJA. Mrs. Weber's goal is to create a learning environment where students are encouraged to ask questions, collaborate with peers, and develop the skills needed to become lifelong learners.
Junior High
Mrs. Prena
6th/7th ELA Teacher
Mrs. Prena is SJA's new Sixth and Seventh Grade ELA teacher. With more than 20 years of teaching experience, she has served students in Skokie and Clarendon Hills as an ELA educator. Throughout her career, Mrs. Prena has developed a passion for helping students strengthen their communication skills through reading, writing, and grammar instruction. She especially enjoys introducing students to engaging literature and inspiring a lifelong love of reading through young adult novels and meaningful classroom discussions.
Mrs. Prena is eager to get to know the students and families of SJA and looks forward to helping make the coming school year a rewarding and memorable one.
Dr. Kucaj
JH ELA Teacher
Dr. Kucaj joined the SJA staff in 2020, having previously taught in the Los Angeles and San Jose Unified School Districts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences from Cal Poly, a master’s degree in education from UCLA, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.
Mr. Moody
JH ELA Teacher
Mr. Moody joined Saint Joan of Arc in 2023 and since then has been given the honor of teaching Religion and ELA to our Jr High students. Mr. Moody earned his Bachelor's Degree in English from Governors State University in 2001 and his middle school endorsement from Saint Xavier University. For Mr. Moody, teaching at a Catholic school is a dream come true.
Mr. Moody has visited the sites of two Church-approved Marian Apparitions: The Shrine of Our Lady of Knock in County Mayo, Ireland, and The Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Wisconsin. He hopes to visit The Shrine of Fatima, Portugal, next. His favorite bible verse is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Mrs. Weber
5th/6th Math Teacher / 6th Grade Religion
Mrs. Weber joined the SJA team in 2011. She has her degree from Illinois State University - BS in Education. Her daughter is a graduate of SJA. Mrs. Weber's goal is to create a learning environment where students are encouraged to ask questions, collaborate with peers, and develop the skills needed to become lifelong learners.
Mrs. Reimer
JH Science Teacher
Mrs. Reimer is excited to join the St. Joan of Arc School community as the Junior High Science Teacher. She brings seven years of science teaching experience, including teaching high school biology and serving as a curriculum writer for her district.
Prior to becoming an educator, Mrs. Reimer worked as a neuroscientist studying learning and memory. Her unique background allows her to bring real-world scientific inquiry into the classroom, helping students discover science through curiosity, critical thinking, questioning, and exploration. Mrs. Reimer was drawn to SJA because of its mission, strong Catholic identity, and welcoming community. She is especially excited to be part of a school that already holds a special place in her family, as her husband is an SJA alumnus with many fond memories of his time here.
Subjects
Mrs. Hilsabeck
Fine Arts Teacher
Mrs. Hilsabeck is thrilled to start her 3rd year of teaching at SJA. She holds a BA in Theater with an Acting Specialty from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters in Elementary Education. Mrs. Hilsabeck has been teaching musical theater, acting, and dance for over twenty years throughout the Chicagoland area. She has worked with The Joffrey Ballet, the School of Performing Arts, and most recently The Paramount School of the Arts. She co-directs the 8th grade musicals at St. Michael School as well co-directs their K-2nd grade Wee Shine Showchoir. Going on six years, Mrs. Hilsabeck has proudly coached her son's volleyball team.
Mr. LaPointe
PE Teacher
Mr. LaPointe earned his Master of Arts in Teaching from North Park University and received his Professional Educator License in K–12 Physical Education. Prior to becoming a teacher, he spent 11 years as a Special Education Aide at Riverside Brookfield High School, where he developed a passion for supporting students and helping them reach their full potential.
In addition to his work in education, Mr. LaPointe brings nearly two decades of coaching experience. Over the past 18 years, he has coached soccer at the high school, collegiate, and competitive club levels. Mr. LaPointe is excited to become part of the SJA family and looks forward to encouraging students to develop healthy habits, teamwork, sportsmanship, and a lifelong appreciation for physical activity.
W.I.N.
Mrs. Ouellette
W.I.N. Teacher
Mrs. Ouellette is the W.I.N. teacher for grades K-8. She started teaching at SJA in the fall of 1999 as a student teacher and then returned after she graduated in January 2000 with her degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College - Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
She models her teaching from the words of St. Mother Theodore Guerin who said "Love the children first, then teach them." She believes that all students can learn and aims to adapt her teaching to their learning styles in a safe environment. Mrs Ouellette celebrates their successes and helps the students to be proud of their efforts and strive to reach their full potential. In addition, she has endorsements in junior high Math and ELA and is Wilson Reading trained.
Mrs. Fernandez
W.I.N. Teacher
Mrs. Fernandez is so excited to be part of the WIN team. She earned her special education degree from Lewis University and has 10 years experience working with students with varying educational needs. Mrs. Fernandez works hard to help students figure out strategies and skills so they can be successful in their education journey. Mrs. Fernandez is a mother to 3 children who attend SJA and is starting her 6th year as a parent at the school.