June 30, 2014
Dear St. Francis Families,
The 2014-15 school year will usher in some new faces to our school faculty. We are extremely fortunate to be gaining such competent replacements and additions to our staff. Please enjoy learning about them from their bio’s in the space below.
Mrs. Keiah Romeo (Pre-K3 Lead Teacher)
Keiah is a a graduate of Fairmont State University, where she earned a duel Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development and Family Consumer Science. Keiah has 8 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. She just finished her 1st year at St. Francis where she served as a classroom Aide in Ms. Julia’s Pre-K4 class. Keiah earned herself an amazing reputation with both the faculty and parental community in a short amount of time at our school. She is very confident in her ability to work with early childhood students and her experience is easily noticeable. She is ecstatic about her new role at St. Francis and couldn’t be happier to be a part of such an amazing school community. She and her husband, Joseph, have a handsome little boy named Joey, who will be attending Pre-K at St. Francis. They feel very blessed to have the opportunity to have their son be a part of a faith-based community. She is extremely excited to start her new journey in August as the new Pre K 3 teacher.
Mrs. Leah Butcher-Winfree (Pre-K3 Aide)
Leah is a 2013 graduate of West Virginia University. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development and received a minor in Communication and Public Relations. During her college years she worked in several different day cares and child development centers. One of those experiences was actually as an Aide in Ms. Romeo’s class, so their relationship has a positive history. She has her West Virginia Infant and Toddler certification along with her American Sports Association Coaching Certification. Leah is currently taking classes to earn her Masters in Elementary Education. She enjoys working with children of all ages. In her free time Leah enjoys reading, running, scrapbooking, and “DIY” projects.
Mrs. Alissa Rathbun-Thorn (Gifted Teacher)
Alissa was born and raised in a Catholic family in Charleston, WV. She is a graduate of Charleston Catholic High School in Charleston, WV. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education, both of which are from West Virginia University. She is currently certified to teach English for grades 5 thru Adult. Alissa is currently enrolled in classes at Wheeling Jesuit University where where she is in the process of adding a Special Education certification to her credentials, with a focus on Gifted Education. Upon graduating West Virginia University, Alissa returned to Charleston Catholic as a member of the faculty. She worked with students in grades 7-12. Along with that she worked one on one with Gifted students from grades 3-8. Alissa also coached the Debate team as well as sponsored the Drama Club and the Yearbook Staff at Charleston Catholic. She returns to Morgantown this school year, to join her husband, a Morgantown native. Their two young sons will be attending St. Francis and they plan to become active members of our school community.
Mrs. Lori Heginbotham (5th Grade Teacher)
Lori has a combined 25+ years of experience in schools. Born and raised Catholic, Lori is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. She attended Clarion University for her undergraduate dual Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. She later attended graduate school at Frostburg University in Maryland for Educational Administration. She has taught in the states of Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Her extensive roles in education include: Secondary Special Education Teacher, Middle School Special Education Teacher, Elementary Education Teacher (grades 1, 3, 4, 5), Elementary Assistant Principal, Secondary Assistant Principal, and Grant Writer. Her advocacy for children include being a licensed foster home parent for abused/neglected children, Guardian Ad Litem court appointed volunteer, Girl Scout Leader, Sunday School Teacher, and Parenting Class Instructor. She is the wife of Gary Heginbotham and the mother of three children. She enjoys reading, hiking, and sailing. New to the Morgantown area, she and her husband are enjoying the many cultural and recreational activities that this wonderful college town has to offer.
Ms. Barbara Rohleder (5th Grade Teacher)
Barb is a native of Chicago, IL and will be relocating to Morgantown in July when she weds Franklin Been, an Occupational Therapist and native of Morgantown. Barb comes from a strong Catholic upbringing. She is a product of Parochial schooling where she spent her elementary, middle, and high school years. Barb continued that tradition by attending DePaul University, which is a Catholic institution. It was there that she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, graduating with high honors. Barb brings eleven years of teaching experience, all of them at occurring at St. Josaphat Cathlolic School in Chicago. She taught Middle School students, which at their school included 5th graders, full time. The subjects that she taught were Language Arts, Reading, Religion, and Social Studies. Along with that, Barb is a Eucharistic Minister and led retreat and service projects at her former school. During her teaching years at St. Josaphat, Barb also continued her education and earned a Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership from Roosevelt University. Barb is equipped with knowledge in technology and has amassed a great deal of experience implementing technology in the classroom. She also brings experience in curriculum development, most notably vertical alignment. That will be an added bonus to our faculty as we prepare our 5th graders to transition to middle school. Barb comes highly recommended from her former administration and faculty at St. Josaphat.