Ashtabula County’s Best Teachers

Anna Thomas, Kindergarten
anna.thomas@neomin.org
Mrs. Thomas
received her BS from Kent
State University. She is certified K – 8 Elementary Education
and K – 12 in Special Education. She has
continued her education at Youngstown State, Ursuline
College, Ashland
University, Walsh and Lake Erie College.
Mrs. Thomas’ areas of expertise include her ability to help students
feel safe and comfortable within the school environment. She feels this enables the children to enjoy
their learning experience. She has
taught 30 years in Catholic Education.
Her personal interests include reading, gardening, and most importantly,
her family. Mrs. Thomas says the best thing
about teaching is being able to share her faith while inspiring students to be
lifelong learners. Being a part of the
SSJP school family gives her the support and strength she needs to continue to
strive to be the best she can for her students.

Elizabeth Malacki, First Grade
elizabeth.malacki@neomin.org
Miss Malacki
earned her BS from John Carroll University
and her Master’s Degree in Education and Technology from Notre Dame College. She is certified in Early Childhood Pre-K to
3rd and Reading K – 12. Her
areas of expertise include Reading
and Interventions. Miss Malacki joined
our SSJP family this school year. Her
personal interests include reading, exercise, cooking and decorating. She says the best thing about teaching are
the days when children surprise you with what they have learned – that “click”
in student’s minds is the fulfilling part!
Being part of the SSJP family means being part of a team that supports
one another, provides strong student learning and is a warm and accepting group
of people.

Carla Robison, Second Grade
carla.robison@neomin.org
Mrs. Robison
received her BS from John
Carroll University
with certifications in Elementary 1 – 8 and Reading K – 12. She has completed graduate courses in Reading through Youngstown
State University
as well as numerous classes at Lake Erie
College and Ursuline College. Mrs. Robison has taught 14 years in Catholic
Education. She has coached volleyball at
the Jr. High and High School levels as well as JV Softball. Mrs. Robison has served on several Diocesan
and parish groups. She wants to help
SSJP be the best place it can be for the families and students. Her personal interests include spending time
with her family, playing volleyball and swimming. Mrs. Robison loves working with
children! She loves to see the “light
bulb” moments when they understand something.
She says the SSJP families are the most helpful and caring families around. The people are generous and truly care about
others.

Donna Capuano, Third Grade
donna.capuano@neomin.org
Mrs. Capuano
earned her BS in Elementary Education with certifications in Grades 1 – 8. She has continued her education at Walsh University, Kent
State University, Youngstown State and Lake
Erie College. Her expertise is in Reading, Writing and Classroom
Organization. Mrs. Capuano has taught 29
years in Catholic Education. Her
personal hobbies include reading, entertaining family at home, shopping, going
out to dinner, spending time with her husband, children and their spouses, her
dad and sister and her family. She says
the best thing about teaching is seeing progress from the first week of school
to Christmas, then through the end of the school year. She loves the many smiles on the children’s
faces when they listen and learn. Mrs.
Capuano says looking out for the academic, religious and social well-being of
each child and the safety of each child within the school setting is what
SSJP’s family means to her.

Maryann Cobb, Fourth Grade
maryann.cobb@neomin.org
Mrs. Cobb received
her BS in Education from Youngstown
State University
where she is licensed from Grades 1 – 8.
Her continuing education has been in her expertise of Reading
and Language Arts at Kent State University
and Lake Erie College.
She has taught 35 years in Catholic Education. Her personal hobbies include reading,
especially mysteries, travel, crafts, decorating and photography. She feels the best thing about teaching is
how she especially enjoys opening the world of good books to children. Helping children to understand and appreciate
literature is very rewarding! Mrs. Cobb
thinks family is the key word at SSJP.
After 35 years, she is now teaching children of former students and she
feels the need to maintain that sense of family.

Julie Bloom, Fifth Grade
julie.bloom@neomin.org
Miss Bloom earned
her BS in Psychology from Ohio State University
and her Middle Childhood Education degree from Kent State University. She is certified in grades 4 – 9 in Math and
Social Studies. She is currently working
towards her Masters in Reading
and Literacy. Miss Bloom has spent 7
years in Catholic Education. Her
personal interests include photography, travel and shopping. Miss Bloom loves to interact with her
students and learn from them as she teaches.
She says it is wonderful to watch them progress through elementary
because they change so much. Miss Bloom
feels SSJP’s family means to always have someone to turn to in her fellow
teachers. She has support in and out of
the classroom. The close-knit family
atmosphere allows her to know her students and their families.

Angela Ackley, Sixth Grade
angela.ackley@neomin.org
Miss Ackley
received her BS in Elementary Education from Kent
State University
and her Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Youngstown State University. She is certified in all general areas for K –
8 and in Reading
for K -12. Miss Ackley has continued her
education at Lake Erie
College in Technology and
Language Arts. Her area of expertise is
Technology, Liturgy (particularly Liturgical Music) and Bible Studies. Miss Ackley has dedicated 28 years to
Catholic Education (she thinks!) Her
personal interests include Music, whether it’s singing, playing or directing;
reading; traveling (especially to Florida);
and computers. She feels the best thing
about teaching is everything, especially working with students and their
families. The SSJP family means exactly
that to her – Family. It’s family at
school, at church, and in the community.
Junior
High and High School Teachers


Erin Adame, Spanish
erinbissell@yahoo.com
Mrs. Adame
received her Liberal Arts degree from Malone College. She is certified in Spanish, Communication and
Psychology. She has her Master’s in
Education. Her area of expertise is
Translating. This is her first year in
Catholic Education. Her personal hobbies
include kayaking, skiing and biking. She
loves to teach her favorite subject, Spanish, and especially likes working with
smaller classes where you can be more creative and target specific areas.
Jennifer Allan, English
jennifer.allan@neomin.org
Mrs. Allan earned
her BA in Business Administration from Hiram
College and her BS in Education from Youngstown State University. She is certified in English and Language
Arts, grade 7 – 12. Mrs. Allan is
pursuing her Master’s degree in English.
She has taught 9 years in Catholic Education. Her personal interests include tennis,
equestrian sports, 4H and Pony Club volunteering, reading and skiing. She says the best thing about teaching is
being able to talk about her favorite topic all the time. Mrs. Allan feels the SSJP family is always
supportive and loving and is probably one of the best places to work!
Michael Burich, Computer Technology and Science
mwburich@yahoo.com
Mr. Burich
received his Associate degree from Lakeland
College, his BS in Mathematics from Cleveland State
University and his Masters in Teaching
from Marygrove University. He is certified in Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry and Computer Science. Mr.
Burich is an Adjunct Professor for Ashland
College where he has taught
several graduate classes for teacher in the use of computers and the inter net
in the classroom. His area of expertise
is Web Design. He has been in Catholic
Education 4 years and previously in public education for 30 years. His personal hobby is Computers. He says the best thing about teaching is
helping the students find their educational pathway. He feels SSJP is family – he knows almost all
of his student’s parents and they know him.
He likes seeing each other at the many school activities.
Lynda Campagne, Art and English
lynda.campagne@neomin.org
Mrs. Campagne
earned her BA in Elementary Education from Walsh University. Her areas of expertise are Math, Art and Reading. She has taught 32 years in Catholic
Education. Her personal hobbies include
computers, collecting Longaberger baskets and walking. She thinks the best thing about teaching is
the children – SSJP is her family away from home. She enjoys coming to work and being with the
students and her colleagues.
Patricia Gilpin, Science
patricia.gilpin@neomin.org
Mrs. Gilpin
received her BS in Elementary Education from Edinboro State College and her Masters
in Education in School Administration from Edinboro University. She has her certification in Elementary
School Administration. She has continued
her education with additional courses on the teaching of Physical Science and
Chemistry through Miami University of Ohio and Kent State University. Her area of expertise is Science, where she
has taught for over 25 years. Mrs.
Gilpin began her career in Catholic Education in 1978 at St. Frances Cabrini
School in Conneaut where she taught 6th grade. In 1995, she became Principal. She joined the SSJP family in 2001. Her personal hobbies include walking for
fitness and being with her husband, John, twin daughters, Rachael & Sarah,
and their chocolate lab, Sammy. Mrs.
Gilpin loves the opportunity to interact with the youth in an educational
setting. She feels it is wonderful to
witness their personal and academic growth and believes this is the vocation
God chose for her! SSJP is a great place
to be and she enjoys meeting and getting to know the school family.
Marilou
McClimans, History & Theatre
marilou.mcclimans@neomin.org
Miss McClimans
received her BS in Education from Youngstown
State University. She is licensed in Comprehensive Social
Studies, grades 4 – 12. She has
continued her education at Walsh University and Ursuline College. Her areas of expertise are World History,
Modern History and American Government.
She has dedicated 28 years to Catholic Education. Her personal hobbies include photography,
reading and theatre. Miss McClimans says
the best thing about teaching is no two days are alike. The students energize her and make her laugh. She loves her job and look on the face of a
student who “finally gets it” – which means she did her job. She feels SSJP is her family. She is supported and encouraged by the
students and their families. To see the
spirit of a Herald that is instilled and nurtured in the students by their
parents and grandparents is encouraging.
It refreshes her to see the generations of Heralds at liturgies,
sporting events, and graduations and renews her to see the students serving
Mass, reading and distributing on weekends at our parishes. She is proud because they are “our kids” and
they are the future Church!
Rebecca Ollikainen, Journalism
earjolii@yahoo.com
Mrs. Ollikainen
received her BGS, Magna Cum Laude from Kent State University and is certified in Art and
English. She has continued her education
in Children’s Literature, Shakespeare and Elementary American Sign
Language. Her area of expertise is Art
where she has dedicated 30 years to it.
She has been in Catholic Education 2 years. Her personal interests include Art and Art
History, Classical Music and singing in large choral groups. She says the best thing about teaching is
wanting others to know the joy of seeing the world through the eyes of
Caravaggio or Van Gogh or Matisse. She
loves seeing the “light go on” when students begin to understand something he
or she may have never thought of before.
She loves SSJP. The faculty
genuinely cares about one another as well as the student body. The students are wonderful and she enjoys
being involved in their daily ups and downs and even loves attending the many
sporting events. Most of all, she feels
the presence of Christ here and thanks God for the privilege of being a part of
SSJP.
Bob Potts, Tutor
Mr. Potts earned
his Associate of Arts from Wingate Junior College and his BS in Elementary Education
from Alderson Broaddus College. He is certified in Elementary Grades K – 8
and as an Intervention Specialist K -12.
He has continued his education at Western
Reserve University
and Youngstown State University. He has spent 33 years in public education and
5 years in Catholic Education. He enjoys
reading a good book and sports as his hobbies.
Mr. Potts believes the best thing about teaching is the interaction with
the students. He sees SSJP as a close knit
faculty and staff, not bogged down with large classes, so they can and will
spend that little extra effort to assist the student. He feels the staff is truly interested in
getting the best out of each and every student.
The small class sizes allow them more flexibility. He says it has been a real blessing to join
staff over the last five years.
David Rozzo, Physical Education and Social
Studies
stooge23@adelphia.net
Mr. Rozzo earned his
BA in Education from Baldwin Wallace. He
is certified in Comprehensive Social Studies, Business, Physical Education and
Political Science. He has continued his
education at Kent State, Ashland
University and
Drake. His areas of expertise are
History and Business. He has dedicated
11 years to Catholic Education and overall 20 years in Education. He enjoys playing golf. Mr. Rozzo says the best thing about teaching
in interacting with students. SSJP’s
family provides the quality education with a personal touch – that’s what SSJP
means to him.
Roberta Thornton, Religion
roberta.thornton@neomin.org
Mrs. Thornton
earned her BS in Education from Youngstown
State. She is certified in Speech Communication and
Theatre. She has continued her education
at Ursuline, Walsh, Notre Dame College and Catholic Distance
University in
Theology. She has dedicated 36 years to
Catholic Education. Her personal hobbies
include reading historical non-fiction, spending time with her three
granddaughters and traveling with her husband.
Mrs. Thornton
loves watching the students grow mentally, spiritually and maturing into young
men and women. She says outside her
immediate family, SSJP is her family!
Recently, Mrs. Thornton was very sick and hospitalized – the love and
concern the students and staff showed her was overwhelming!
Kim Wynn, Mathematics
kimberly.wynn@neomin.org
Miss Wynn received
her degree from Kent
State University
and is certified in Secondary and High School Mathematics. This is her first year in Catholic
Education. Her personal interests
include juggling, sketching, playing & writing music, cooking and
reading. She says the best thing about
teaching is working with the kids – they inspire curiosity and play which keeps
you young at heart. SSJP is a place that
continually asks, “What are the needs of the students?” So many schools do not carry this agenda per
Miss Wynn. She says many schools are too
large, too impersonal to succeed in assisting students with their needs. She is proud to be an educator in our school.