Administration
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JOSEPH WHITMOREPrincipaljwhitmore@saintraphael.org
As a product of Catholic education, Mr. Whitmore values the importance of spiritual, social, emotional, and physical formation of students. After graduating from Virginia Tech, Mr. Whitmore taught at Saint Pius X Catholic School in Norfolk, VA and Saint Bridget Catholic School in Richmond, VA. In 2015, he began his administrative journey as principal at Saint Joseph Catholic School in Petersburg, VA. In all of these experiences, he has enjoyed working with individuals who support and promote Catholic education. Outside of his role as principal, Mr. Whitmore enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons. |
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JACOB DAPOLITOAssistant Principal
Mr. Dapolito began teaching social studies at Saint Raphael in 2011, and was confirmed at Saint Raphael in 2014. He served as athletic director from 2012-2014, taught 7th and 8th grade social studies, and was the Dean of Students from 2015-2019. Mr. Dapolito enjoys family time with his wife and daughter. |
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WINIFRED REILLYDean of Middle SchoolLanguage Arts
Mrs. Reilly originally joined the Saint Raphael staff in 2003 and taught here for 4 years. After moving back to Pennsylvania, where she taught middle school, she happily returned to Raleigh and Saint Raphael as a teacher and parishioner in 2012. Professionally, she is a member of The International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics. |
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ESTELA GIROUXAdministrative Assistant
Mrs. Giroux was born and raised in México City. She moved to North Carolina in 2004 to continue her professional career as a Biochemical Engineer in the meat industry. She is married, has 3 children, and is very grateful to share and live the love of Jesus with the SRCS community. |
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ELEANOR ESCALERAMarketing and Communicationseescalera@saintraphael.org |
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KARA RECTENWALDAdmissions and Office AdministratorAthletic Directorkrectenwald@saintraphael.org
Mrs. Rectenwald worked in sales and logistics before becoming the Athletic Director and a Teaching Assistant at Saint Raphael in 2015. She took over the role of registrar and office coordinator in 2019. She and her family have been parishioners of Saint Raphael since 2007 and they have two daughters, Samantha (Class of 2017) and Julia (Class of 2019). Go Guardians! |
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PATRICIA STEVENSDirector of Technologypstevens@saintraphael.org
Mrs. Stevens began teaching for the Diocese of Raleigh in 2007, and joined Saint Raphael Catholic School in 2010. Mrs. Stevens has taught middle school math, technology, and has been a technology coach for teachers. In 2019, Mrs. Stevens became the IT administrator. In 2023, she became the campus Director of Technology. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked for Xerox Corporation for 10 years in various technology and management positions, and was a trainer for Gateway Corporation. Mrs. Stevens made the switch to education in 2005 when she took a job on the technology team with the Chappaqua School District in NY. In 2006, her family moved to Raleigh. After settling in, she taught for four years at Saint Catherine of Siena in Wake Forest. |
Staff
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LEO EMATANurselemata@saintraphael.org
Mr. Emata was Jesuit educated from elementary school to college. He has three children: Therese, Ian, and Kate, two SRCS alumni, and one current Guardian. Mr. Emata is a member of the Knights of Columbus – Council 10982 and a certified NCHSAA soccer referee. Motto in Life: Trust God with all your Heart, Soul, and Strength. |
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KATHY KOENIGNursekkoenig@saintraphael.org Mrs. Koenig began her career as a registered nurse in 1997. She has experience in medical/surgical nursing, and in acute care hemodialysis nursing at Wake Medical Center, Rex Hospital, and Duke Health Raleigh. Mrs. Koenig was the infection control nurse for her unit, providing education and prevention strategies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. She is a parishioner at Saint Raphael Catholic Church and is the mother of 3 SRCS graduates, Tyler (Class of 2008), Matthew (Class of 2019), and Tommy (Class of 2020). Mrs. Koenig has spent countless hours volunteering her time over the years at SRCS in many different capacities and finds joy in serving others. She looks forward to partnering with families in caring for the health and wellness of our students. |
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KATYA YAKOVLEVANursekyakovleva@saintraphael.org |
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ANN LANEAfter-School Care Coordinatoralane@saintraphael.org Mrs. Lane moved here from Chicago to be closer to family. Mrs. Lane is a grandmother of six beautiful children. She has learned that working with children is her calling in life, and enjoys her passion to its fullest. |
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TERI WOODSAfter-School Care AssistantMrs. Woods has served as a teaching assistant in kindergarten at Saint Raphael since 2012. She previously worked both at the Saint Raphael Preschool with the lunch bunch and the Saint Raphael After School program for 3 years, responsible for the K-3 age group. Prior to these official capacities, Mrs. Woods spent a significant amount of time volunteering at SRCS during her off time from managing a local children’s clothing store. Mrs. Woods and her family are parishioners at Saint Raphael Catholic Church, and her daughter, Kelsey, is an alumna, SRCS Class of 2016. |
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ROY MINGUSTechnology Assistantrmingus@saintraphael.org |
Elementary Faculty
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HEATHER FOREROKindergarten Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Forero was raised in Maryland and came to North Carolina to attend Campbell University. She worked as a teacher in the Wake County School System for 10 years before taking time off to stay home with her children. She has three boys, all of whom attend St. Raphael. She is excited to be back in the classroom, supporting students as they learn and grow in knowledge and in faith. |
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OLIVIA SPANGENBERGKindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Spangenberg was born and raised in Raleigh. She graduated from SRCS in 2010, Cardinal Gibbons in 2014, and Barton College in 2018. At Barton, Mrs. Spangenberg played on the women’s volleyball team and now coaches the middle school team. Mrs. Spangenberg officially joined Saint Raphael in 2020 and is excited to be back at Saint Raphael as an educator. |
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TARAH-MARIE HANDSKindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Hands was born and raised in New Jersey. In 2015, she moved to Raleigh with her husband Keith and four children; Dylan, Alayna, Angelica and Brody. She has taught second grade for 5 years and fourth/fifth grade ELA for one year. In her spare time she enjoys reading, shopping and spending time with her family. She is extremely excited to be teaching at SCRS to practice and share her Catholic faith. |
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EMILY MAGDEFRAUKindergarten Teaching AssistantMs. Magdefrau was born in Medina Ohio, and has lived in North Carolina for 19 years. She graduated from SRCS in 2016, and Cardinal Gibbons High School in 2020. Ms Magdefrau attended Louisburg College on a soccer scholarship, and majored in Education with a minor in Psychology. After a career ending injury, she started Waketech online and is studying to obtain her Associates in Arts in Teacher Preparation. Ms. Magdefrau has worked with children for about 8 years as well as previously working as a lead preschool teacher. Her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher as well as her continuous practice in faith led her to SRCS as a Teacher’s Assistant while she finishes her schooling. She is excited for what the future holds here at Saint Raphael Catholic School! |
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VICTORIA JENNYFirst Grade Teacher
Victoria Jenny has taught in North Carolina for over 16 years with 9 of those years in first grade. Victoria married her high school sweetheart and has 2 teenage boys, Kiefer and Colby. |
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CHRISTA DOERRFirst Grade Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Doerr began her career following her passion to care for and educate children. Her pursuit of early children education started in high school taking classes and working in a preschool program. She joined SRCS in 2021 assisting in grades 3 through 5, and is also the dedicated substitute for SRCS. Mrs. Doerr hopes to earn her Bachelor’s degree in education. |
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CARA STAUFFERFirst Grade Teacher
Mrs. Stauffer is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She started teaching at SRCS in 2002, and is happiest when working with her students and watching them succeed! |
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THERESA GASPERFirst Grade Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Gasper started her teaching career in 1989 for the Diocese of Syracuse teaching first grade at Saint Thomas Aquinas in Binghamton, NY. After getting married, she moved to Raleigh and began teaching in the Diocese of Raleigh at Saint Raphael in 1997. She was the school librarian at SRCS for two years. After taking time off to start a family, she returned to teach at the preschool for a year, and then began her time at the elementary school in 2006 filling the role as assistant teacher. Mrs. Gasper has been a parishioner of Saint Raphael since 1996 and is married to her husband, Greg. Their three children are, Meghan (Class of 2012), Sarah (Class of 2015) and Sam (Class of 2016). |
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PAIGE SCHEPPERELYSecond Grade Teacher
Ms. Schepperley is a Raleigh native and attended North Carolina State University. Her love of education and her faith grew throughout her college years, leading her to pursue teaching at Saint Raphael. She is most excited to grow alongside her students and to encourage them to be lifelong learners. |
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JACQUELINE LONNECKERSecond Grade Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Lonnecker worked as a substitute teacher after having taught her four children at home and in homeschool cooperatives for twenty years. She has taught nearly all grade levels in multiple subjects in group settings. She has lived in North Carolina since 2010 with her husband, Greg. She is so excited to be working at Saint Raphael Catholic School where she can practice her Catholic faith. |
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KATHY BAILEYSecond Grade Teacher
Kathy Bailey is a North Carolina native and has taught for many years in Wake and Franklin Counties. She is grateful to join the Saint Raphael community where she can help nurture her students’ faith formation and inspire them to develop a lifelong love of learning and service. She and her husband have been married for 25 years and have 4 beautiful children. |
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DIANA ROVNAKSecond Grade Teaching AssistantMrs. Rovnak is originally from Williamsport, Ohio. She and her husband moved to North Carolina over 20 years ago for the beautiful weather, beaches, and mountains. They have 3 children attending college at UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington. She worked in the mortgage and credit industry before volunteering as a catechist for 10 years at Saint Catherine of Siena. She enjoys being a part of the Saint Raphael School team and continuing to help children in their journey of learning and faith. |
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DIANA BRICTSONThird Grade Teacher
Mrs. Brictson is a native of Denver, Colorado, and a product of Catholic education from preschool through graduate school. She previously taught in Charlotte and Leawood, Kansas, before spending many years at home with her children, Ford (SRCS 2015, CGHS 2019) and Will and Katherine (SRCS 2020, CGHS 2024). She has taught fifth grade and third grade at Saint Raphael and enjoys sharing her faith and love for Catholic education! |
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AMANDA DEL VECCHIOThird Grade Teacher
Ms. Del Vecchio attended Catholic school from K-12 and moved from New York to Raleigh in 2022. Before moving to Raleigh, she taught Autistic Support and subbed for a K-4 elementary school. Ms. Del Vecchio is excited for her first year as a third grade teacher at Saint Raphael! |
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PAM REAUMEFourth Grade Teacher
Mrs. Reaume began her career in education in 1998 at a small charter school in Michigan. She moved to North Carolina in 2001 and worked for Wake County Public Schools for 20 years. After having a long career teaching in a public school system, Mrs. Reaume wanted a change which led her to Saint Rapael. She is thrilled to be able to share her passion for teaching with her students and her love of the Catholic faith. |
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EMILY ENSELLFourth Grade Teacher
Mrs. Ensell has taught in the catholic school system for 9 years. She is from Springfield, Missouri where she taught 4th grade for 4 and 1/2 years at Immaculate Conception. She then moved with her husband to North Carolina and was a long term sub in 4th grade at Saint Mary Magdalene. She was previously teaching 5th grade at Our Lady of Lourdes. She has been married since 2015 to her husband Scott and they have a one and half year son named James Earl. |
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KELLY CANNINGFifth Grade Teacher
Ms. Canning is originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago. She spent several years working at a Franciscan soup kitchen in Philadelphia where her Catholic Faith was strengthened, and she developed a passion for serving the poor – a love of service is something she hopes to pass onto her students. Ms. Canning began her teaching career at The Franciscan School in 2012 and is very excited to be a part of the Saint Raphael community! |
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JENNIFER STAMATIOFifth Grade Teacher
Mrs. Stamatio was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved to the Raleigh area with her husband and two sons. She taught in Catholic and public schools in Los Angeles for 19 years. Mrs. Stamatio loves being a part of the Saint Raphael parish and school community. |
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MELANIE BOCARROK-5 Resource Teacher
Mrs. Bocarro was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she received a Catholic education from Kindergarten through 12th grade. After graduating from Louisiana State University, she began teaching in 2000 as a 1st grade teacher in Wilmington, DE. She moved to Raleigh with her husband, Jason, an NC State professor, in 2005. She received her Master’s in Reading Education from NC State in 2009. From there, she transitioned to working as a reading specialist in both public and private schools. She absolutely loves working with children and is very excited to join SRCS with her 2 children, Mia (Class of 2024) and Liam (Class of 2027). |
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KAREN PALMERK-5 Resource Teacher
Mrs. Palmer taught elementary school for 14 years. After taking a break to raise her 3 children, Reeves (Class of 2018), Allie (Class of 2021) and Lilly (Class of 2021), she began working at SRCS in 2015. |
Middle School Faculty
Specials Faculty
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JOE HIGLEYPhysical Education Teacher
Mr. Higley grew up in New Jersey and has lived in North Carolina since 2016. He taught P.E. and Health, kindergarten through grade 8, in a Catholic school setting since 2010; officiated high school track and field, middle school basketball and soccer, and helped develop lessons and activities for the 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school program. Mr. Higley also coached middle school soccer, volleyball, and basketball and coaches our boys’ soccer team at SRCS. He brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to SRCS, both in his classes and on the field. |
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CINDI MESSINAArt Teacher
Mrs. Messina initiated the art program at SRCS in 2001. She taught advertising design at the Montclair Art Museum and New York University School of Continuing Education. Mrs. Messina has ten years’ experience in advertising as a Senior Art Director in New York City where she won a John Caples Award and Direct Marketing Creative Guild Awards for her design in advertising. Mrs. Messina was the 2015 recipient of the Diocese of Raleigh Lewis Award which recognizes excellence in teaching. She is a member of the National Art Educators Association. She and her husband, Michael, have three children. |
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ANAMARIA RINCÓNK-5 Spanish Teacherarinconavilan@saintraphael.org
I was born in Colombia received Catholic education from preschool through 5th grade then during 5 years of college. I love teaching and guiding students in finding God in every opportunity of learning. I have 9 years of experience as a self-contained teacher of preschool, kindergarten and first grader. Also, 3 years of experience teaching Spanish from K-5 students. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to be a member of Saint Raphael as a teacher and family member. |
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KELLEIGH RUSSOPhysical Education Teacher
Mrs. Russo started her career teaching at Saint John Neumann in Lilburn, GA, married, and moved to Raleigh. After having three children, she returned to teaching at Saint Raphael and has been at SRCS since 2004. She coached SRCS basketball for 3 years and has coached high school volleyball and ultimate frisbee. She will be coaching the new SRCS tennis team this year. Mrs. Russo’s hobbies are tennis, cycling, hiking, golf, working out, and spending time with her family. |
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MONICA SPARZAKMusic Teacher
Mrs. Sparzak has overseen multigenerational music ministries, including graded children’s |
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PHYLLIS ZAGROBELNYLibrarian
Mrs. Zagrobelny has managed the school library program since 2008, where she combines technology skills with her love of reading. She holds a North Carolina teaching license specialization for School Media Centers. She is a member of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a member of the NC School Library Media Association (NCSLMA), and a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). As a founding school family, Mrs. Zagrobelny feels privileged to give back to our school through serving the students of SRCS. |