WCGS Hiring Updates for 2024-2025

WCGS is elated to welcome multiple new teachers to the school this year! There are also several individuals who have moved into different roles, so we wanted to highlight those for you as well. We are grateful for how the Lord has worked over the last few months, and we are excited about what the Lord has in store for our team as we raise up the next generation to be Christ-centered, critical thinkers and community builders.

Kindergarten

Amber Smith – new hire!

Amber Smith has been hired to be our PM Kindergarten Aide and After-School Extended Care Supervisor. Amber is a graduate of Wheaton College and has most recently been teaching kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary School as a long-term maternity sub.  She expressed how excited she is to be able to build relationships with the students and their families and help to guide children in their knowledge of the Lord.  She will be a fantastic addition to our kindergarten team!

A Quote from Miss Smith: “I am most excited to be a part of such an excellent, Christ-centered school community. I know already that it is going to be such a blessing to share my passion for learning with students through a biblical lens and grow together as part of the WCGS family.”

Fun Fact: “In my free time, I love to write songs – I play guitar, banjo, and piano, and I like to sing.”

Erin Partain – new hire!

We have hired Erin Partain to join our kindergarten team as the aide for Cindy Olsen’s full-day kindergarten class. Erin (Teevans) is a former WCGS student, who married a former WCGS student (Quinn Partain)! She just finished her year as a long-term maternity sub in a kindergarten classroom and is eager to come back and serve at WCGS. Erin will work as an aide all morning, transition to being our lunchroom supervisor, and then return to serve in the kindergarten classroom until the end of the day. 

A quote from Mrs. Partain: “What excites me the most about working at WCGS next year is building relationships with students and helping them grow in their love for learning and for the Lord! I can’t wait to meet all the kindergarteners and serve alongside the amazing staff here.”

Fun Fact: “I met my husband in 8th grade while at WCGS.”

Sarah Fernandes – new position!

Sarah has been teaching 6th Grade English & Literature for the past 6 years and will be transitioning into the role of AM Kindergarten Aide. Uniquely, Sarah aided for Annie Sparacio when they were working together at Emerson Elementary School in Wheaton many years ago!

Half-Day Kindergarten.

All 4 of our kindergarten teachers will be returning next year, with Annie Sparacio teaching AM Kindergarten, Andrea Estabrook teaching PM kindergarten, and Kim Legel and Cindy Olsen teaching full-day kindergarten.

1st Grade

Alicia Guevara – new hire!

We have hired Alicia Guevara to teach 1st grade next year. Alicia has 18 years of teaching experience and is looking forward to using her creativity and love of children to serve the Lord at WCGS. We believe she will be a great fit for our team!   

A Quote from Mrs. Guevara: “This year will be my first time teaching in a Christian school. I am so excited to freely pray with my students, colleagues, and families. I am blessed by the incredible fact that I am encouraged and expected to read God’s Word every day with my class. Also, I am so thankful that my youngest son, Harvey, will be with me at school as an eighth grader. God is good, and His good plan is evident in all the ways He led my family and me to WCGS this year!”

Fun Fact: “My husband and I currently have five teenagers; three boys and two girls ages 13 to 19.”

Julie O’Malley – new position!

Julie aided for Annie Sparacio in Kindergarten last year, but she has been hired to teach 1st grade this year at WCGS. Having previously taught both kindergarten and 2nd grade, we are grateful for the perspective that she will bring into this new role! 

2nd Grade

Carol Sartell – new hire! 

Carol has been hired to be the 2nd Grade Aide in the mornings daily. Carol is a current school parent with her son, Bennett, in 2nd grade at WCGS.  She comes with over a decade of teaching experience, including both 1st grade and 3rd grade, which will be extremely beneficial in this role. 

A quote from Mrs. Sartell: “I am very excited about getting to know our students and families and being a learning support to the kids during the school day.”

Fun Fact: “I am part Italian and part African but I was born and raised in Brazil for most of my life.”

Angela Broman – new position!

Angela aided for Cindy Olsen last year and served in the lunchroom, but she has been hired to teach 2nd grade this year. We look forward to how the Lord will use her love of the Bible, her creativity, and her heart for children in this teaching role.

Amber Ryndak – new position! 

Amber aided for 2nd grade and worked with Student Services last year, but she has been hired to teach 2nd grade this year. With several years of 2nd grade teaching experience prior to coming to WCGS, we know this will be a great fit for her and the team.

Caroline Cassel – new hire! 

Caroline took on the role of Brittany Schwarzkopf’s maternity leave sub this spring and will be joining our 2nd grade team next year as a full-time teacher. Caroline also did her student teaching in 2nd grade at WCGS, so it has been special to see how God has opened each door to these new opportunities.

A Quote from Mrs. Cassel: “I am most excited about getting to pour into the lives of students at the school where I was poured into! I only attended WCGS for one year, but I still look back at that year as one of the most transformative years of my life. I am excited to give back by sharing the love of Jesus with my second grade students.”

Fun Fact:  “I love to bake in my free time.”

Maddy Williams – new position! 

Maddy taught 2nd grade for the last 3 years at WCGS. As she and her husband welcomed their first baby this summer, she will be transitioning into the role of 2nd grade aide in the afternoons on a part-time basis. We are grateful that she will remain connected to our community and be a support to our 2nd grade team next year.

3rd Grade

Kat Floeter – new hire!

Kat has been a sub at WCGS and will be joining our 3rd grade team next year. Kat taught for 14 years prior to coming to WCGS, so we are looking forward to the experience she brings to this role. 

A quote from Mrs. Floeter: “I am so excited to be teaching 3rd grade with such a thoughtful team of teachers and to have a classroom full of awesome new 3rd graders with a school-year goal of academic, social, and spiritual growth!”

Fun Fact: “I attended Pepperdine University for BA and MA.”

4th Grade

Shreanna Powell – new hire! 

Shreanna is a former WCGS student who graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in education in the area of English and Language Arts. She will be joining our 4th grade team as the Language teacher and will be a great fit for this role!

A quote from Mrs. Powell: “The most exciting part of working at Wheaton Christian Grammar School next year is being a part of the community. As I was subbing at WCGS this last spring, I was blown away by the community of teachers, students, and faculty that make up this school.”

Fun Fact: “I have memorized 19 books of the Bible!”

6th grade

Susan Heidelman – new position!

Susan will be transitioning from teaching 3rd grade into the role of 6th Grade English & Literature.  When Susan was first hired at WCGS, she taught English in junior high, so the team is looking forward to having her back.

Faculty & Staff

Kendra Bratt – new position! 

In addition to Kendra’s role as a 1st Grade Aide, we will be adding some additional hours to her schedule as a Speech-Language Pathologist.  We look forward to utilizing her expertise in this area here at WCGS. 

Andrew Gruden – new hire!

We have hired Andrew as an Academic Specialist,  MML Teacher for Grades 3-5, and a Lunchroom Supervisor. Andrew has been working at Landmark School in Massachusetts for the last 16 years, serving in a variety of roles including Computer Department Head, Computer Science Teacher, and Math/Reading Teacher. We are looking forward to him serving at WCGS and are confident that he will be a tremendous asset to our community.

A quote from Mr. Gruden: “I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to teach at a school where I can share openly with students about my relationship with Jesus and where faith and Biblical truth are an integral part of the curriculum.”

Fun Fact: “I am a Wheaton native, but I have lived in the Boston area for the last 27 years. My wife (also a Wheaton native!) and I have 15-month-old twins, but my “dad jokes” have been making eyes roll since long before they were born!”

Julie Jones – new position! 

The addition of Andrew Gruden to our team will allow Julie to have hours devoted to being our Educational Technology Specialist. She will continue to teach MML for grades K-2 and 6-8, but then also serve in this newly created role. With the growth of our school both in students and in technology, this position will allow Julie to be more closely tied with teachers and have availability to support them with the integration of technology in their classrooms.  

Jon Gabriele – new position! 

Jon will return to his role as Curriculum Coordinator next year, but we will be increasing his hours so that he can be an even greater support to Sue Macaluso and all of our teachers.

Michelle Clousing – new position!

Michelle will continue to teach 6th and 7th grade Spanish and aide for 5th grade, but she will also be taking on the role of Kindergarten Spanish Teacher. Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creativity to her role as a Spanish teacher, so we are confident it will be a great fit for her and the students. This will also allow Valerie Busch to continue to teach Spanish for grades 1-5 with the additional sections of 1st and 2nd grade that have been added over the last two years. 

As you can see, God has been at work in the details here at WCGS. We look forward to another school year of educating, training, and nurturing children for godliness and excellence equipping them to engage and transform their world for Jesus Christ!