Mrs. Donna Goetz
Congratulations to Mrs. Donna Goetz, our Disciple of the Week for the week of November 4!  In his nomination, Mr. Ron Schadegg stated, “This time of year brings out the best in our drama department as a direct result of Donna spending countless hours in front of the stage during the past two months in preparation for the fall play.  In addition, as our Director of College Placement, Donna provides excellent services to all students in many different areas, most notably helping senior students secure over $7 million in scholarship opportunities each year. She meets with each senior on multiple occasions to assist with the many aspects of post-graduation planning, including arranging college visits, selecting and applying to schools, securing transcripts and letters of recommendation, and applying for scholarships.  Finally, her enthusiasm and positive personality are contagious throughout the school!  Thank you, Donna, and may God bless for your commitment to Catholic education!”  In addition to serving as Director of College Placement and moderator for both the fall play and the spring musical, Mrs. Goetz teaches Composition and American Literature.

Miss Cheryl Sackett
Congratulations to Miss Cheryl Sackett, our Disciple of the Week for the week of November 11!  In her nomination, Mrs. Donna Goetz stated, “Cheryl is one of the first to school in the morning and one of the last to depart the building in the evening. She uses this time to conduct extra test reviews and to help students who need that extra attention. I often see her helping students during study halls as well. She has embraced new technologies and has flipped some of her lessons, whereby she records herself giving a lesson, and students watch and take notes for homework. She finds that this frees up time during class for math practice. Her former students, who go on to college, often remark how much more advanced they were than students from other high schools. Everything she does is truly in the best interest of the students!”  Miss Sackett teaches Algebra II & Trigonometry Honors, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.

Mr. Joe McNamara
Congratulations to Mr. Joe McNamara, our Disciple of the Week for the week of November 18!  In her nomination, Miss Cheryl Sackett stated, “In the hallways, Joe shares his positive energy with students and teachers alike as he greets everyone with a smile and a few words.  To his students, he almost always speaks Spanish, to which they reply in Spanish, which sends two messages to his students – the value of the subject matter he teaches and the importance of looking people in the eye and greeting them.  In the classroom, he sets high standards for his students and endeavors to teach them to give focused attention when they study Spanish daily and to be intrinsically motivated and personally invested in their own success.  After retiring from working as an administrator for many years, Joe seems to relish the opportunity to teach Spanish here again and presents a teaching model to inspire us all.”  Mr. McNamara teaches Spanish I and Spanish III.

Mrs. Amparo Wolden
Congratulations to Mrs. Amparo Wolden, our Disciple of the Week for the week of November 25!  In his nomination, Mr. Joe McNamara stated, “The essence of Amparo’s success as a teacher is her desire to help all of her students become fluent in Spanish in the four areas of language use.  This high yet realistic goal that she sets for student achievement motivates her students to work hard, to learn, and to demonstrate increasing Spanish proficiency in comprehension, speech, reading, and writing. Amparo not only exhibits a contagious enthusiasm for the Spanish language, but also establishes a very positive and productive rapport with her students. Amparo also works collaboratively with her colleagues, as she shares effective instructional ideas, methods, and resources with fellow teachers.  Amparo is really helpful and kind, and support and cooperation characterize her relationships with the Mater Dei faculty and support staff.  It is an honor to work with Amparo.”  Mrs. Wolden currently teaches Spanish 2, Spanish 4, and Spanish 5, and serves as the moderator of Spanish Club.