We are thrilled to introduce the 5th/6th Grade Homeroom Teacher! He has more than 25 years of experience in Catholic schools as a teacher and administrator including at Trinity Academy, St. Jerome's, and most recently as the outgoing Headmaster of Providence Academy in LaCrosse. His friends, family, and students alike agree Mr. Paloucek is not only a gifted educator but an even greater man of incredibly deep faith. He has experienced his share of the sufferings of the Cross and allowed them to mold him into a disciple of Christ.

He relates, "My 30-year journey in education has been marked by triumph and tragedy. For many years, I worked alongside my wife, an excellent educator that specialized in early education, and was a constant support and guide. Not long after the birth of our sixth child, I lost Ann Marie to cancer. My faith intensified as I clung to the inspiration of the saints, with the words of Saint Philip Neri making an indelible impression: "The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness." Eucharistic Adoration, the Holy Mass, and regular Confession really helped me to get through some tough times as the Lord in His mercy led me to a new valley of brightness: an introduction to a beautiful Catholic mother of two that I would later marry and would bless our family with two more little additions."

He believes passionately in the mission and vision of classical Catholic education and the transformation such an education can have on the student. He himself imbibes deep learning and is a man of many talents especially musical ones. Mr. Paloucek is a living witness to the fruitful effects of a beautiful education. He quotes a profound line from a favorite John Dryden poem “…from harmony from Heav’nly harmony this universal frame began…through all the compass of notes it ran, the diapason closing on man” (A Song for Saint Cecilia’s Day) and explains, "Music has been a constant companion in my life. I am eternally grateful to my parents. The interest they cultivated in the musical compositions of Vivaldi, Beethoven, Wagner, Dvořák, as well as other art forms, provided me with my earliest encounters with the Transcendent as I grew to understand and to appreciate the pursuit of beauty, truth and goodness."

Mr. Paloucek is an avid and award-winning violinist with a keen interest in Irish music including as a long-time performer at the Irish Fest in Milwaukee and with the band Atlantic Wave. "As I have lived through assorted challenges of life" he remarks, "books, music and the visual arts have continued to be important. I began playing violin at a young age. Some thirty years ago, my interest in playing Beethoven Violin Sonatas expanded (some would say “corrupted!”) into playing Irish Traditional Music. A passion for chamber music, opera, and painting has continued right alongside my interest in jigs and reels."

Mr. Paloucek loves teaching literature and also has a particular love for the lives of the saints. "In literature" he said, "I am typically drawn to books of historical interest, fact as well as fiction. One of the most satisfying reads I completed in the past few years was Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I recently finished Father Augustin Auffray’s classic biography of Saint John Bosco—a must read for anyone in the teaching profession."

We are incredibly blessed to have an educator of Mr. Paloucek's credentials and experience as well as a man with such strong personal witness of the Catholic Faith.

"As the inaugural year of Saint James the Less Academy begins, I am eager to enter into a faith-filled environment whose goal is to ennoble our students as they mine the richness of the unfathomable majesty of God in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom."

Fun Fact: Mr. Paloucek was the confirmation sponsor to our beloved pastor, Father Jordan!

We are thrilled to introduce the lead guide of the 3K-5K Montessori Program! She comes with a wealth of training and experience in the Montessori Method and is joyful and enthusiastic about her Catholic faith.

Ms. Frelk is a native of Wisconsin and Illinois, growing up in a big, beautiful Catholic family as the sixth child of seven. "Being the second youngest of seven children," she said, "as well as having 102 first cousins, I can

confidently say I have met many different types of people with unique personalities, needs, preferences, learning patterns, likes and dislikes."

She graduated from the University of Dallas and has her American Montessori Institute (AMI) certification from the Montessori Institute of North Texas. She also was mentored by Polly Christiansen, the founder and principal of St. Francis Montessori. She then worked as a lead guide at Cy-Fair Montessori school. She is coming from Post Oak Montessori in Houston, where she spent the last several years; it is considered one of the best Montessori schools in Texas.

Furthermore, she is Level One and Level Two trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a wonderful catechetical from which our students will benefit. She remarked, "My Catholic faith has played a great role in my life from the schools I attended, the camps that filled my summers and my love of people, specifically children, that eventually led me to the Montessori world. How attractive an educational method that observes and supports the individual needs of each child!" She continued, "I learned from a young age that the world is filled with varying people and that is not only to be expected but also to be celebrated. We are as unique as our fingerprints and that is the result of a God who smiles as He intentionally creates each unique soul on earth."

Kateri will be moving this summer from Houston, Texas to join our faculty and build our Montessori program.

"I am looking forward to the 2024-2025 school year as well as joining the St James family in beautiful Mukwonago. And I can’t wait to meet you all!"

We are pleased to announce a new Assistant to the Headmaster: Mrs. Julie Schmidt. We extend our deep gratitude to outgoing Assistant, Daniel Schreiber, who has served diligently the last 10 months, as he transitions to 3rd/4th grade as a classroom teacher. SJL Academy's new Assistant has a tremendous amount of diverse experience and talents as a classically trained violinist and involvement with several local theater companies.

Mrs. Schmidt grew up in Stevens Point, WI where her family was a part of St. Peter's parish. Her dad was very active with the Knights of Columbus and her mom sang in the choir (most of the hymns were sung in Polish). Julie remembers her First Holy Communion fondly, where she had to climb a rickety wooden ladder held tightly by the nuns as she placed the crown of yellow roses atop Mary's head.

At the age of 6 she started playing the violin. After a bit of a hiatus raising a couple of goofy kids, she continues to play with the Gracenotes Symphonic Community Orchestra. Mrs. Schmidt also teaches beginning violin lessons. Music and theater are major parts of her life. She has been on stage in many plays and musicals, but in recent years has found a true passion in directing.

Mrs. Schmidt also enjoys painting, camping, hiking and being in, on and near water. She has a green thumb and wishes to bring her gardening expertise to the benefits of the students of the new academy. Her and her husband Rod are parishioners. Rod along with their dogs Piva and Maple keep Julie laughing!

Julie worked as a Teacher's Aide for 21 years in the public school system. For many years it was a great fit, but then, suddenly, it wasn't. As she relates, "The minute I learned about St. James the Less Academy, my heart strings started plucking!" Julie was literally one of the first persons Dr. Green met when he moved from Texas and joined the St. James community. Mrs. Schmidt is excited and prepared to wear as many hats as necessary to help make the school a success. She will be a facilitator of many important everyday systems for the school. As Dr. Green contends, "The administrative assistant of the school is perhaps the most important person at the school because that person is the one who is the first contact for many visitors. He or she is the face of the school and also keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes, often taking care of many unexpected and tedious yet essential tasks." We are blessed to have Mrs. Schmidt and her naturally joyful, friendly face greet you as you walk through the doors of SJL Academy!

The 20th century Catholic educational trailblazer, Maria Montessori, coined a famous truism "Within the child lies the fate of the future." Her innovative and insightful method that has revolutionized children's education across the world is based in our Lord's profound command, "Truly, I say to you, unless you convert and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Our new lead guide for the 2K classroom has embodied these words her whole life, reaping the benefits of The Montessori Method as a child herself and then as a mother and teacher. As she relates, "My journey in Montessori began when I was 3 years old. My mother learned about this new philosophy and quickly took training and enrolled us children in Chiaravalle Montessori, a very early Montessori school in the Chicago area. I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help grade school and Regina Dominican High School. On our days off from school, my siblings and I would go to school with my mother, a Montessori teacher for over 40 years, so we were immersed in Montessori theory and practice throughout our childhoods."

Montessori education has shaped her outlook on the best approaches to the formation of young children. "I attended University of Wisconsin-Madison and have a degree in Elementary Education" she explains, "During student teaching in college I became dissatisfied with traditional education and decided to receive training as a Montessori teacher. I attended Montessori Institute of Milwaukee and am an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) certified Montessori teacher." While the majority of her professional experience (aside from a long stent homeschooling her four children) has been in public Montessori schools, she is thrilled to be back in a Catholic school. She has extensive training and experience in a Montessori expression of Catholic catechesis called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She says, "Our children attended Catechesis of the Good Shepherd during their childhoods and I worked as a catechist assistant in Levels I, II and III for 17 years." All students at SJL Academy will have CGS.

Mrs. Grassman is especially excited to be in a Catholic school where she can authentically live her faith. She explains, "My favorite bible verse is from Paul. It describes my goal in education and what I try to create in my classroom and within each student every day.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8)."

She is enthusiastic to work with our youngest age group to create a dynamic program that will form a strong foundation for these children's first experiences in the classroom setting.

Depending upon how one counts, between 45 and 60% of all English words are derived from Latin while that figure rises to more than 95% regarding scientific, technological, or legal terminology. Our alphabet is directly derived from Latin and five major modern languages likewise are based in Latin, the "Romance" languages of French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. Latin is of course the official language of the Catholic Church and most of our faith's most beautiful prayers and hymns were created from that ancient language. Latin was one of the bedrocks of Western civilization as it was the language of the Roman Empire, and once the empire was conquered by Christianity it became the language of the Christian faith in the West. Thus, through Latin (along with Greek) much of the heritage of classical antiquity and Christendom is transmitted through the Latin language. While the vernacular grew over time through the Middle Ages, Latin was the scholarly language for almost 1500 years, and indeed many of our Founding Fathers' education was grounded in Latin study with figures like Adams, Madison, and Jefferson being able to speak and read the language so they could get access to classical Roman civilization from which came many of the ideas for our own government. The Founding Fathers certainly looked to the great figures of Roman history to inspire and inform them in their revolutionary project to found a new nation.

At SJL Academy, we follow in this same tradition of education. Students will receive formal instruction in Latin twice a week while our music program will also feature the traditional Latin hymns of our faith. And we are blessed to have found a teacher who is just as enthusiastic to share his love of this foundational language with our students.

“Flooded with all these intellectual lights, our mind – like a house of God – is inhabited by the divine Wisdom. It is made to be a daughter of God, a spouse and friend”(Itinerarium mentis in Deum 4.8). As Mr. Diaz explains, "the Seraphic Doctor’s (St. Bonaventure) words paint a path of learning that is available to all of humanity. The path is not easily found today as our society so often discards the principles and means to attain our telos in God. Yet, how fortunate are the students and faculty at St. James the Less Academy who find a place where this path is still tracked!"

Growing up in Wisconsin as a Lutheran in a non-classical school setting, Mr. Diaz, in his own reflection, was deprived of the holistic formation that classical education provides. He relates, "It was only during my bachelor’s degree in theological languages that I was first exposed to the treasures of classical education. There I was exposed to the rich heritage of Western Civilization in the humanities and arts. After my conversion to the Catholic Church and while studying for my Master of Arts in theology at Marquette, did I truly grasp how the theology, spirituality, and life of the Catholic faith is the nexus that invigorates classical education." He continues, "In short, Catholic theology, spirituality, and life produces the most meaningful and most cherished form of education that could exist. From the Catholic faith flows the treasure house of “intellectual lights” that fosters the mind to grow holistically for the world and the Church."

While continuing his studies at Marquette for a doctorate in religious studies, he is grateful for the opportunity to teach Latin at St. James the Less Academy. Mr. Diaz enumerates the many benefits of Latin: "its ability to train the young mind to logical and grammatical acuity, its ability to bridge and connect the modern mind to a rich heritage of Western primary texts in theology, philosophy, law, and literature, and finally to its capacity to produce a receptivity to the Logos in creation." Mr. Diaz seeks to provide all these benefits to his students so that, as he says, "both they and I might continue our quest for knowledge that ends in the reward of eternal life in God."

To paraphrase Mr. Diaz's contributing vision to St James the Less Academy, students are endowed with the aforementioned benefits, Latin, the Catholic faith, the rich heritage of the West, etc. The faculty dedicate themselves to guiding young minds down the same path of the greatest minds and saints that Western Civilization has produced. At the Academy, students are geared and orientated to learn skills that not only help their future temporal stations in life, but, far more importantly, craft their minds to be receptive to the God who created, redeemed, and who is saving them. Mr. Diaz concludes, "A student who studies at St James the Less Academy will be taught and trained to persevere through sensible and intellectual trials so that they may reach the state that St. Bonaventure so affectionately describes, “It [the mind of the Christian] is made into the temple of the Holy Spirit, grounded in faith, elevated in hope and dedicated to God through holiness of mind and body” (Itinerarium mentis in Deum 4.8).

Ms. Ladewski’s journey to St. James the Less began Easter morning after Mass with a name placard on a door. The card simply said "St. James", but the timing seemed an answer to a prayer. Ms. Ladewski had been asking and discerning where God wanted to lead her this year, and to her, His answer was

abundantly clear.

“I am excited to join the St. James community in starting up a school this year,” she says. “Not only do I value classical education, but I also know that I am getting the best of both worlds--for me, working at a Catholic school is like living a little slice of home.” And very clearly, the Lord is leading her here. Ms. Ladewski joins the St. James community after working eight years in Naples, Florida as a music teacher at Mason Classical Academy, a top-ranking classical charter school. There she received high acclaim including recognized as Teacher of the Year and was much beloved by her students! Before that, she received her B.A. in music with a concentration in piano from Ave Maria University.

Ms. Ladewski was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana in a family of musicians. “Growing up,” she says, “I would play hours of card games with my siblings. We had the perfect musical soundtrack rotation while we played: Irish folk music, Broadway musicals, and Mozart’s Requiem.” As eclectic as these selections sound, she admits that her family's love of a wide array of wholesome music shaped her career as a music teacher. “I went to college to study music because I knew that I loved Classical music, but later when I began teaching, I realized just how excited I was about good music when I found an old

folk song book at a thrift store. Even these simple tunes warmed my heart like meeting with an old friend." She loves the stories of humanity that are hidden in folk music, be they serious or silly. As you might recall, Mr. Paloucek also has a love for Irish Folk music so some event involving that beautiful music tradition is in the future at SJL Academy!

Ms. Ladewski strives to impart her passion for music to her elementary students, always seeking to kindle in them an experience of beauty, joy, and community. “There is nothing like looking out and seeing a row of little faces smiling as they whole-heartly sing a favorite song, such as ‘O Susanna.’” Ms. Ladewski relates. “Cultivating the enthusiasm for music in the children is not only a delight to see, but also a joy to do. Music is so special because it touches us deeply in our emotions, as it is ultimately an expression of the soul. I see my job as a teacher to draw that out.” Ms. Ladewski is excited to meet the families, and especially the children, at St. James the Less Academy. She looks forward to bringing the love of music from her home into yours!

Pope St. John Paull II wrote to artists that “Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.” He said the human commitment to art is an obligation to create "epiphanies of beauty." At SJL Academy we want to give our students the same opportunities to create such "epiphanies." Art at SJL Academy will not be relegated to a "special" but rather will be a core piece of the overall curriculum. The goal of the program is to allow students to be edified by the God-given human capacity to participate in beauty. SJL Academy is blessed to have someone create our art program who has this same passion and purpose in mind.

Growing up in a Christ-centered home with parents who nurtured her artistic inclinations, Mrs. Johnson's passion for fine arts began at an early age. From sketching in her childhood notebooks to exploring galleries with her family, art was an integral part of her life.

After completing her undergraduate studies in the history of art and architecture with minors in studio arts, French language, and Western European Studies at the University of Pittsburgh (yes, multi-talented!), she worked in architecture and design until she felt called to the world of education. She pursued her Master of Arts in Teaching, also at the University of Pittsburgh, followed by a MACTE-accredited Montessori certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

As she relates, "The Montessori approach resonates deeply with my belief in nurturing individual talents and fostering a love for learning. After teaching at two Montessori schools in Pittsburgh, I was fortunate to join a newly established Montessori and Classical hybrid school, St. Ambrose Academy. There, I witnessed the success of this model and gained an appreciation for Classical education."

In 2020, Mrs. Johnson's family embarked on a new adventure, trading city life for the tranquility of Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Settling on a horse-boarding farm with her husband, Kyle and their six children, she immersed herself in the beauty of nature and the joy of sharing her love of art with her own family. She comments, "Art is easy to find when surrounded by God’s creation!"

We found community at St. Joseph’s Parish in Big Bend, where two of our children attended school, and also at St. James the Less Catholic Parish. Mrs. Johnson learned that St. James aspired to reopen their school and she immediately sought to become involved, participating on the School Founding Committee, assisting in the Montessori classroom set-up, and speaking to prospective families. She is also the author of the academy's brief essay on the benefits of Montessori Education for the young child. She has already contributed much to the mission and vision of SJL Academy! "When Dr. Green approached me", she recalls, "about teaching in the fine arts program, I was thrilled to combine my faith, teaching background, and love of the arts."

In the Montessori Method, the teachers are often called “guides.” That title seems especially appropriate for art teachers. Mrs. Johnson explains, "Every child has the innate desire to create. I hope that I can guide their understanding of the arts, help them develop an appreciation for art history, and provide skills that bring their ideas to life. I look forward to inspiring our students while fostering a deeper appreciation for art within our community. After all, each of us are created in the image of God, the Master Artist."

"Losing my school – and the community that comprised it – was one of the hardest things I had to endure growing up" Ms. Lincoln, the new SJLA 1st/2nd grade teacher, reflects. This is truly a homecoming for Ms. Lincoln who has many fond and formative memories of her time at St. James. "I have been a parishioner of St. James all my life," she continues, "and I attended grade school at St. James from K4 through 4th grade, all the way up until it closed in 2010. I cannot express the overwhelming joy I felt upon hearing Father Jordan declare his intent to re-open my beloved school! I was even more excited when I found out he would be making it into a classical school with an early childhood Montessori program and that, above all, it would be solidly and faithfully Catholic in identity, mission, and practice."

Ms. Lincoln is a proud graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, a school on the Newman Guide's list of "Joyfully Catholic Universities" and famous as the incubator campus for what would become the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), one of the most successful evangelization apostolates in the Church today. From Benedictine she received a BA in Theology with minors in education (math focus), dance, and music. She is proficient in many different instruments including the flute, guitar, and piano and is experienced in the violin, saxophone, and clarinet. Her best instrument is her voice as she has been a cantor and choir member. She has taught dance at the Mukwonago-based Kay's Academy of Dance and is adroit at dozen different types of dance. She is also fully certified as a Montessori Guide (primary) from Mary’s Catholic Montessori Training Center and is Level I certified for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Additionally, she is licensed to teach in the State of Wisconsin for 1st-6th. Finally, she is completing coursework through Classical Academic Press in Classical Educational Pedagogy. Multi-talented and well-formed indeed!

Since 2019, Ms. Lincoln has been a member of the leadership team at the Catholic camp in the Dells, Camp Grey where she has served, mentored, and taught young people of all ages. She comments, "I am no stranger to working with kids, and I find great joy in doing so! Throughout my experiences as a camp counselor, I have grown in so many incredible ways – from leadership and behavior management to flexibility and creativity – but the most important thing I have gained is an ever-increasing capacity and desire to love well the children that the Lord entrusts to my care."

One thing everyone will tell you about Ms. Lincoln is the joy and piety of the faith that effusively exudes from her! In her own words, "My faith is the center of all that I do. My relationship with God is the most important thing in my life, and nothing brings me more joy than getting to share Christ with others and see them encounter the Lord and His love! I can’t find a better way to sum up the life Jesus invites me to than the words of my favorite (soon-to-be-canonized!) saint, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: “You ask me whether I am in good spirits. How could I not be so? As long as faith gives me strength, I will always be joyful.”"

Ms. Lincoln loves to sing, do math and talk about math, read (especially her favorite book of the Bible, Tobit) and hopes one day to land the role of Belle in the musical Beauty and the Beast.

"What a delight it will be to get to share Christ’s love with my students and their families at St. James the Less this year!"

"The most important and foundational skill that most enables children to learn is their ability to read" says Mrs. Therese Green, the new Learning Interventionist & Academic Support Teacher for SJL Academy. Her passion is the emerging Science of Reading and helping students to learn to read so they can access the world of wonder through books. One of her favorite quotes is from Dr. Seuss which illustrates this passion, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” She especially enjoys working with students who face challenges in reading.

There are many famous stories of self-taught figures from history including Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, and Thomas Edison. Lincoln had sporadic formal education but read himself into deep learning and knowledge. To echo Mrs. Green's words, the great Civil Rights leader Frederick Douglas asserts, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." And indeed, internal freedom is the goal of a Catholic liberal arts education. Douglas was a former slave who did not learn to read until age 12 when he paid a group of boys to get him books and provide him basic lessons. He believed he had true freedom when the vastness of human knowledge was opened to him through books. Appreciating and being transformed by beautiful, timeless literature is a central curricular goal of SJL Academy. Quality literacy instruction is essential to this aim and Mrs. Green will play a major role in it.

She will be working in the Early Childhood Program in the morning and then will also be available to work with students 1 on 1 in the elementary school. She brings a great deal of experience and training to this important position. She has her undergraduate degree in Education with a certification in Early Childhood through 6th Grade from the University of St. Thomas (Houston) where she graduated at the top of her class receiving the Outstanding Graduate Award in her subject matter. She began her career at one of the top-rated special education schools in the country, The Briarwood School. She has successfully tutored many students with learning differences including dyslexia through her work with the Center for Academic Therapy and in her private tutoring services. She was also the Reading Specialist at Pines Presbyterian Preschool.

She has additional training through the renowned Neuhaus Education Center and with Southern Methodist University as well as the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. Furthermore, she has a background in Montessori Education (primary) through the Association Montessori International (AMI). She is currently completing her Masters in Education in Reading from the University of Mary in North Dakota (Spring 2025). She has homeschooled two of her five children, helping them to become fluent, avid readers.

We are blessed to have such an experienced and diversly trained educator at St. James!