Grades 6 through 8Scroll down the page to find a teacher in this grade category. Select a name to send the teacher an email. Click on "Lessons and assignments" following the teacher's name for information about current class work.
Viola Figarelle, Religion and English - Lessons and assignments
Viola Figarelle believes her role as teacher "is God's purpose for me, and my ministry." Vi has a B.A. in Fine Arts with a minor in Library Science. After teaching in an all girls' day and boarding high school in Missouri, and at a Hutterite colony in Montana, she began teaching in 1968 at St. Gerard School, one of the predecessors of Holy Spirit School. Since 1974 she has taught in this building, and currently teaches religion and English, and serves as librarian and religious coordinator. Her son is a graduate of the school. Vi says of her work, " feel blessed to be in a profession where I can teach and work with children, where I am able to share our faith with them and play a small but important part in their journey through life."
Karen Garrick, English and Spanish - Lessons and assignments
"Hola!" Hello!" Whichever way you say it, Karen Garrick teaches it. She has been a part of the Holy Spirit staff since 1993, and currently teaches middle school English and 4th through 8th grade Spanish. Prior to her time in our school, she taught English and Spanish and was librarian in a public school for eight years. Her son is a graduate of Holy Spirit School. Karen says, "I've always had a passion for learning, both through formal education and through my relationships and friendships with others. As a child, I learned from older people who had a wealth of knowledge and personal experiences to share. As an adult, I still learn from those older and wiser than I, But I also get to experience the joy of learning from the youth with their fresh, different perspectives on life. Here at Holy Spirit we all have the freedom to work, play, and pray together as a family in Christ."
Charlotte Moseman, Religion and Literature - Lessons and assignments
Charlotte Moseman began teaching at Holy Spirit in 2004. Besides
being 8th grade homeroom teacher, she teaches 8th grade religion and
7th and 8th grade literature. She is working on a second
Masters in Ancient Languages, History and Religious Studies. Char’s hobby is
reading; she spends several hours a day reading and studying books which are
germane to her fields of interest and applicable both to the classes she takes
as well as to the classes she teaches. Her children are graduates of Holy
Spirit. Char says: “I absolutely love the freedom I have as a teacher at Holy
Spirit Catholic School. Since I am not locked into following a particular text
in my classes, I am able to bring in all kinds of outside sources; this allows
me to tailor my curriculum to a particular class. In my literature classes I
can choose stories and novels that will teach my students to be deeper and more
active readers. In my religion and history classes, I can use lots of primary
sources and help my students develop their analytical and critical-thinking
skills. In all my classes I encourage open debate, questioning, and discussion.
One of my goals is to expand the students’ understanding of the phrase
“Catholic identity” to include the application of historical-critical methods
to all their classes – including their religion class.
Pamela Schuster-Southon, Mathematics - Lessons and assignments
Middle school math teacher Pam Schuster-Southon joined the Holy Spirit staff in 2005. Her words say best how she feels about her time here: "For thirteen years as a parent my visits to Holy Spirit, no matter how long or brief, always left my soul feeling happier and more peaceful. The ambiance of the school absorbs into one's soul like sunlight into a plant. It nurtures, comforts, soothes, lifts the spirit and lightens your load. One could not pay for the effects that come from our school family. I believe the Holy Spirit is living and breathing within the students and staff here. It radiates from the children of God like the sun, and lingers within like the comforting scents we all hold dear. The expressions of love, acceptance and welcome, along with the examples of character, values and compassion observed through the entire school make this the most blessed job in the world. It is as near to heaven as one can get . . . without actually going, that is."
Eric Vincent, Religion and Social Studies - Lessons and assignments
Eric Vincent, middle school religion and social studies teacher, has previous experience at a middle school and high school in Illinois. He was a stay-at-home dad for a number of years. When the youngest of his four children enrolled in Holy Spirit it was a good time to get back into teaching. And, he says, what better place to do this than at Holy Spirit!
Julie Wenz, Science - Lessons and assignments
Holy Spirit's middle school science teacher is Julie Wenz. A childhood interest in science drew her to college at Montana Tech in Butte where she earned a B.S. in chemistry. Her year as a research assistant at the McLaughlin Institute in Great Falls added to her knowledge of biology. Julie also earned a M.S. in curriculum and instruction at Montana State University in Bozeman. After teaching one year at Sheridan High School, she moved to Great Falls to be with her husband. Here she was looking for a teaching position and was drawn to Holy Spirit because of the small class sizes and the great staff. In her spare time, Julie and her husband spend time with their shih tzu and beagle dogs, Zeus and Hera, as well as gardening and playing tennis. Julie also likes various crafts, including counted cross stitch and scrapbooking.
This page was last modified on October 21, 2009