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Meet Our Dedicated Team

Our team at Saint Mary School is committed to nurturing the minds and souls of our students. With a strong focus on academic excellence and spiritual growth, our educators strive to instill values of compassion, integrity, and service in each child.

Rev. Dan Whiteside

Pastor

More info to come ...

Mrs. Laura Georgen

Assistant Principal

This is my 18th year at Saint Mary. Saint Mary School is my home away from home. I feel truly blessed to be part of such an amazing community. What I love most is connecting with the students and sharing my faith with each and everyone of them. I want to be that example for them so they can begin to build their own special relationship with God.

Mrs. Adriene Wostmann

Instructional Assistant

This is my 7th year at Saint Mary School. I adore working with our youngest students. The joy on their faces when they grasp a new concept and the pride in their eyes with each new success is truly heartwarming. I feel blessed to be a part of their achievements.

Mrs. Mary Ann Smith

Instructional Assistant

This is my 3rd year at SMS. I enjoy being with the children and watching them grow throughout their early years…academically, socially and spiritually while having FUN!

Mrs. Peggy Schott

Instructional Assistant

This is my 3rd year at Saint Mary School. The teachers, students, and families are wonderful! Nothing brings me greater joy than to see all the growth in each student and the smiles on their faces.

Mrs. Suzanne Walzer

1st Grade Teacher

I teach to inspire students to exceed their learning goals while instilling the highest level of character formation, using differentiation to ensure every learner can be successful. I want to ignite an intrinsic passion for learning with an academic focus complemented by stellar social and emotional growth. My favorite part of SMS is the supportive and values driven community.

Ms. Angela Olson

3rd Grade Teacher

This is my 5th year at Saint Mary School. I want to guide students in being problem solvers and critical thinkers ready to accomplish whatever they want to achieve in the world, and become life-long learners.

Mrs. Suzanne Moser

5th Grade Teacher

In my 2nd year, I want to give students a safe, supportive space where they feel valued and capable. The community of SMS is top notch. I want my students to be kind, empathetic, respectable people.

Mrs. Ann Bryson

6th-8th Grade ELA & 7th Grade Religion

I’ve loved being a part of the SMS community for over 6 years.  Our teachers, students, and families are amazing.  My main goal is for my students to become avid readers and writers, and to see them grow into good humans as we send them out into the world.

Mrs. Mary Vitaioli

6th-8th Grade Science Teacher

This is my 3rd year at Saint Mary School. I teach because I want to make learning fun. When I went to school, I thought it was boring. I want to engage students in memorable learning experiences with hands-on activities. My favorite part of Saint Mary School is the friendliness and caring personalities of all teachers, students and parents. It is a family. My hope for my students is that they realize they can accomplish anything.

Mrs. Laura Georgen

8th Grade Religion

This is my 18th year at Saint Mary. Saint Mary School is my home away from home. I feel truly blessed to be part of such an amazing community. What I love most is connecting with the students and sharing my faith with each and everyone of them. I want to be that example for them so they can begin to build their own special relationship with God.

Mrs. Kate Kinyon

Music Teacher

I am enjoying my second year at Saint Mary School. I love teaching music to my students because I get excited watching the joy music brings to them.  I love the supportive environment the school provides which allows students to express themselves, and raise their voices in Mass.

Mrs. Paulina Metzger

Art / STEM Teacher

I feel blessed to do what I love. All my students are very talented and I want them to learn through fun.

Mrs. Gretchen Grassl

Administrative Assistant

I have been at Saint Mary for 5 years. It is exciting to see how our students grow and change each year. I strive to play a role in making Saint Mary a happy, safe, place for everyone.

Mrs. Lina Anderson

Before & Afterschool Director

This is my 30th year at Saint Mary School, and I can honestly say I look forward to coming to work everyday. I love creating an environment that makes each child feel like they have a home away from home. Every child can partake in a desired activity and enjoy each other’s company.

Mr. Donald Enright

School Counselor

I cherish the opportunity to support students in their educational and social/emotional growth at SMS. I feel blessed to work with such great kids and educators. This is my 5th year at SMS.

Mr. David Nolan

Athletic Director

This is my 2nd year and I enjoy being able to offer children the opportunity to share in the Saint Mary philosophy of sports. Our philosophy is that learning, growing, and improving is more important than winning both in sports and in life.

Ms. Megan Cortese

6th Grade ELA

This is my first year at SMS and I am so inspired by our staff and students. I want to help every student get the tools they need to succeed.

Mr. John Fuja

Principal

This is my 4th year at Saint Mary School. I am passionate about Catholic education because I see it’s transformative power in the lives of our children. My favorite part of Saint Mary is celebrating Mass each week with the school community. My hope is that students look forward to coming to school each and every day.

Ms. Cathy Garcia

Teacher

This is my 10th year at SMS and my 8th year teaching preschool here. The warm, caring community is what keeps me here. I love developing and challenging the minds of the littles. I want them to feel loved and safe, every single day. My favorite part is having students whose siblings I’ve already had!!

Mrs. Sherry Hershenhouse

Teacher

I have enjoyed being a part of the SMS community for the past four years. I enjoy sharing my faith and love of learning in a fun and welcoming classroom. I enjoy seeing the children grow closer to God and develop kindness through sharing and helping others and sparking curiosity.

Mrs. Alex Sanchez

Teacher

This is my 3rd year at Saint Mary School. I teach because I enjoy making learning fun andI love seeing the smiles on my students faces. I want my preschoolers to feel safe and loved and to walk into the classroom each day knowing they matter and that they belong. I want each child to grow in confidence, curiosity, and joy, while exploring, asking questions, and making mistakes because they know that’s how we learn.

Mrs. Jennifer Olsen

Kindergarten Teacher

This is my 26th year here at Saint Mary. My mission is to help develop loving and caring children with strong Catholic beliefs. Together they will develop a foundation for reading, math, science, and social studies skills that they will build upon each year they are in school.

Mr. Eric Martinez

2nd Grade Teacher

For the past eight years, I have had the privilege of being a part of the SMS family. Watching the students grow and flourish is enjoyable, and I feel gratitude for the connections I've built with families and colleagues.

Mrs. Catherine Wenzel

4th Grade Teacher

I have been part of SMS for 8 years as a parent and 4.5 years as a teacher. I teach to share my joy and passion for learning, and I love the families—especially the students! What I want most is for my students to become confident, lifelong learners filled with joy and faith.

Mrs. Sandra Fernandes

6th Grade Math Teacher

This is my 5th year here as a teacher, and 12th year as a SMS parent. I have always loved being a part of the SMS community, in both roles. I am passionate about teaching, and my goal is to make Math fun and exciting for my students, build their confidence, and help them discover that they can excel at Math!

Mr. Daniel Sarlitto

7th & 8th Grade Math

I came to St. Mary School this year and am trying to make a positive difference in kid’s lives. My hope is that students will learn to think and to reason more deeply, see Math as a means to that end, and enjoy the subject.

Mrs. Julie Harding

6th-8th Grade SS & 6th Grade Religion

This is my second year at SMS; I feel so blessed to be part of such a welcoming, caring, and faith-filled community! My ultimate goal in teaching is to help students understand themselves better and value their own unique skills.

Ms. Nicole Bim

4th-8th Grade STEM Teacher

This is my first year at SMS, and I love introducing students to the world of creativity, innovation, and exploration through STEM. My favorite part of SMS is seeing students light up when their ideas come to life, and my greatest hope is that they leave my class confident in their ability to think critically, take risks, and solve real-world problems.

Mrs. Alicia Mangialardi

Spanish Teacher

This is my 15th year at Saint Mary School. I enjoy teaching the Spanish language, as well as incorporating the culture to my students.

Mrs. Jennifer Muccianti

PE Teacher

This is my first year at St. Mary, but my 25th year of teaching PE. I teach because I want every child to experience the love of movement and exercise, like I did as a child. Saint Mary is a great place for them to learn and grow.

Mrs. Mary Lynn Kempf

Office Manager

23 years I love teaching the children how to be well rounded people and watching them grow in many facets of their lives.

Miss Megan Cortese

Resource Teacher

This is my first year at SMS and I am so inspired by our staff and students. I want to help every student get the tools they need to succeed.

Ms. Naomi Sohn

Band Director

This is my 17th year at SMS. I love teaching not only music but life skills and values they can take with them through life. Band had such a positive impact on my life and I am blessed to share the band experience with the talented students here at St. Mary. It is a joy to see them grow from one year to the next!

Mr. Daniel Sarlitto

Math Interventionist

I came to St. Mary School this year and am trying to make a positive difference in kid’s lives. My hope is that students will learn to think and to reason more deeply, see Math as a means to that end, and enjoy the subject.

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“TOGETHER WE WILL DO GREAT THINGS”

Academics  •  Community  •  Faith

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Saint Mary School
50 N. Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
school@stmarybg.org
Tel:  847-459-6270
Fax:  847-537-2810

© 2025 Saint Mary School. All rights reserved.

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