Leadership & Staff
The School is led by experienced educators who are passionate about its mission. A lead teacher and assistant teacher are present in each of the eight classrooms, with additional staff in place to support our children’s nutrition, safety, and learning needs. All teachers meet or exceed the minimum state requirements for education level, years of experience, and health & safety training.
Grecia Alcala
Co-Teacher
About Grecia
Ellie Aleman
Co-Teacher
About Ellie
Cassandra Behrens
Class Teacher
About Cassandra
Cassie brings a variety of experiences to her work as a Lead teacher in the toddler program. She has worked in clinical settings, classrooms, and administrative roles supporting children and families. Cassie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy from Carlow University in 2015.
Madisyn Bender
Class Teacher
About Madisyn
Madisyn has worked with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for the past 9 years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Millersville University in 2021.
Tierra Bird
Co-Teacher
About Tierra
Jenavive Brearley
Co-Teacher
About Jenavive
Claudia Chavez
Co-Teacher
About Claudia
Amy Cherrington
Class Teacher
About Amy
Susan Cooper
Co-Teacher
About Susan
Susie came to the St. John Neumann School for Children and Families in November of 2021 with 9 years of valuable experience in early childhood education and her Child Development Associate credential. She enjoys helping children learn and develop and values building strong relationships with our students and their families.
Gerardo Diaz
Facilities Manager
About Gerardo
Ana Elliot
Co-Teacher
About Ana
Zulaika Febo-Young
Director - St John Neumann School
About Zulaika
Zully has several years of experience working in special education. She is passionate about enriching the lives of children of all abilities through meaningful and engaging learning experiences. She holds an Associate of Arts in Teacher Education and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Her experience, both professionally and as a classroom volunteer in her local school district, has helped her gain the skills and knowledge to support the needs of children in a positive, supportive, and nurturing environment. In her free time, Zully enjoys spending quality time with her husband and four children.
Stacy Gaenzle
Co-Teacher
About Stacy
Lori Gillespie
Class Teacher
About Lori
Philip Goropoulos
President - CHI St Joseph Children's Health
About Phil
Jasmine Graham
Co-Teacher
About Jasmine
Megan Hauk
Class Teacher
About Megan
Marcia Hencmann
Assistant Director - St. John Neumann School
About Marcia
Sarah Jeffery
Vice President - Education
About Sarah
Eloise Kappen
Class Teacher
About Eloise
Maddie Lehr
Class Teacher
About Maddie
Nicole Marcello
Class Teacher
About Nicole
Nicole has 11 years of experience in the early childhood education field, serving families in Lancaster and Dauphin counties, and teaching children of all ages from birth through kindergarten. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University. Nicole is happy to be serving her hometown of Columbia. She looks forward to supporting our community and young children as they explore, learn, and grow!
Kierstan Mclasky
Co-Teacher
About Kierstan
Kierstan has been working with young children for the last 4 years. She earned her Child Development Associate position during that time and she brings that knowledge to her work at SJN where she serves as a teacher and Food Service and Nutrition Assistant.
Carissa Noel
Co-Teacher
About Carissa
Kendra Rowe
Class Teacher
About Kendra
Michael Senft
Co-Teacher, Food Service
About Michael
Hannah Smith
Co-Teacher