List of 17 items.

• Mr. Sean Dillon - Assistant Principal

  Mr. Sean Dillon has dedicated his career to boys’ middle school and Catholic education and possesses a keen understanding of the importance of the seventh and eighth grade years to the academic and personal success of students as they continue to high school and beyond.

  
  

  Mr. Dillon joined Saint John’s after fifteen years at Nativity School of Worcester, where he served first as a teacher and most recently as Principal for the past ten years. Mr. Dillon earned his B.A. at the College of the Holy Cross, an M.A. in teaching from Clark University, and an M.Ed. in education leadership, with a concentration in Catholic school leadership, from Boston College.

  
  

  Working closely with Headmaster Zequeira and Principal Granados, Mr. Dillon oversaw the development of the middle school, the hiring of new full-time faculty and staff, 

  
  

  In reflecting on his role at Saint John's, Mr. Dillon reflected, “I am excited to join the team at Saint John's, a mission-driven school with a proven track record of providing a quality Catholic education to young men in grades nine through twelve,” says Mr. Dillon. “I am looking forward to using my experience in a similar setting on the middle school level to help lay the foundation for the new division and to develop the school's robust program further into a comprehensive six-year experience."

• Ms. Michele Airiau - World Languages (French)

  Saint John’s welcomes Michele Airiau to Saint John's and to the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division for the 2021-2022 academic year in her role as a part-time French Teacher.  
  
  

  A native of France, Ms. Airiau earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Lille, France, and a Master's Degree from the University of Lorraine in English Literature, Literature, and Civilization and started her career as a French teacher at the Marist Convent School in London. She worked a few years in the financial services industry in London, before heading to the US to open a small business in Sudbury, MA, and serve as a French teacher and teacher assistant in local schools, most recently in the Holliston public schools.
  
  

  We look forward to welcoming Ms. Airiau to the community this fall!

• Ms. Kelly Collins - Counselor

  Kelly Collins serves the Saint John’s community as the School Counselor for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division.

  
  

  Ms. Collins graduated from Saint Anselm College with a B.A. in Psychology followed by receiving her Master of Arts in School Counseling from Boston College. During her graduate program, Ms. Collins completed her Graduate Practicum as a Guidance Intern for Brookline Public Schools. Following her graduation, she went on to serve as a School Site Coordinator for the Winship Elementary School (Boston Public School District) where she provided individualized social-emotional and behavioral support for students, lead Student Support Teams to create networks for support where needed, and facilitated the Wellness Council to promote healthy lifestyles within the community. Prior to Saint John’s, Ms. Collins works as the Director of Guidance for grades six through eight at Monsignor Haddad Middle School - a Catholic, co-ed middle school located in Needham, Massachusetts. In this role, she helps to build academic and social-emotional skills, leads weekly learning classes, and assists eighth grade families with their transitions to high school. 

  
  

  Kelly reflects, “I was excited to join Saint John’s for the inaugural school year of the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division. As a middle school counselor, my goal is to support students academically, socially, and emotionally during such a unique phase of their lives. I welcome the opportunity to engage with the students, connect with families, and collaborate with my colleagues to maximize the student experience at Saint John’s. I am humbled to be a part of a school community that excels at fostering personal growth through Xaverian values while providing an exceptional education for young men.”

  
  

  In addition to her counseling experience, Ms. Collins also coaches basketball, field hockey, and coordinates the school ski club. 

  
  Ms. Collins also has ties to Saint John’s, having worked as a Camp Counselor for Camp Saint John’s from 1998-2005. 
  

• Ms. Bingjie Ding - World Languages (Mandarin)

  Bingjie Ding teaches Mandarin to 7th and 8th graders in our Middle School Division.

   

  Bingjie earned her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Fashion Design and Brand Management from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.  She later earned a Massachusetts Visual Art Teaching License from Framingham State University and later her Chinese (Mandarin) Teacher License in 2018.

   

  Bingjie has been very active at the Central Massachusetts Chinese Language School - teaching Mandarin and hand sewing, teaching art at Floral Street Art Studio, and serving as a substitute teacher at Sherwood Middle School in Shrewsbury.

• Mrs. Lauren Favulli - English

  Lauren Favulli joined the Saint John’s community as an English faculty member for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division and has become an integral part of the middle school team.

  
  

  After graduating from Assumption College in Worcester with a B.A. in English and a minor in Middle School/Secondary Education, Mrs. Favulli continued her education at Worcester State University - completing a Post-Baccalaureate Program and receiving a Master of Education in Secondary Education. Mrs. Favulli also completed a Graduate Certificate in Online Learning with Bay Path University. Mrs. Favulli has a spectrum of teaching experience from middle through post-secondary experience, including working as an adjunct Literature and Writing Instructor at Anna Maria College, Becker College, and Bay Path University, an English teacher at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, and served as an Academic Advisor at both Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College. Most recently, Mrs. Favulli also serves as an ELA Teacher for seventh and eighth graders at nearby Saint Mary’s School here in Shrewsbury. 

  
  

  Mrs. Favulli is excited to be teaching at Saint John’s and be a part of the Pioneer community. She reflects, “I have had the pleasure of sharing my enthusiasm for writing and literature for thirteen years now with hundreds of incredibly bright and talented young learners. I am beyond excited to now be teaching at the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John's High School to not only share my love of literature with its students, but to be a part of a school that shares a great faith, a strong sense of community and a commitment to academic excellence."

• Mr. Sebastian Gameros - Science

  Sebastian Gameros joins the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John’s High School in the Science department.

   

  Prior to joining Saint John’s Mr. Gameros served for two years as a Teaching Fellow at Nativity School of Worcester where he taught seventh and eighth grade Science and Religion and led many community service initiatives at the school.  

  Prior to starting the fellowship at Nativity, Sebastian graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BS in Astrophysics and recently earned his MBA at Assumption University.  

  Sebastian’s additional teaching experience includes the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University and serving as an instructor assistant for two years in the Astronomy Department at UMass Amherst.  Sebastian grew up in Framingham, is a native Spanish speaker, and, in 2019, won the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Competition of the American Astronomy Society.

• Mr. Matthew Giles - Religious Studies

  Matthew Giles joins the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division as faculty for the Religious Studies department.

  
  

  Mr. Giles is a graduate of Emmanuel College where he earned a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Education.  

  
  

  He is currently finishing his Master’s in Theological Studies from St. John Seminary and has served as the middle school Religion teacher at Our Lady's School in Waltham, MA since 2015. 

• Mr. Gilles Legault - Mathematics

  Since 2018, Gilles Legault has been serving as a mathematics teacher at Bishop Hendrickson High School in Warwick, RI. Prior to that, Mr. Legault served as a middle and high school mathematics teacher from 2002 to 2017 at Worcester Academy where he also coached ice hockey, volleyball, and tennis and founded a highly competitive middle school math team.
  
  Mr. Legault was very active in the FMC Ice Sports program coaching youth hockey for six years and brings other interesting experiences outside of teaching to our community including his work as a code enforcement officer/building inspector in Massena, NY.
  
  Mr. Legault is a graduate of the State University of New York College at Potsdam with a degree in Mathematics and was awarded the 2012 O’Connell Award for Excellence in Teaching at Worcester Academy.

• Mr. David Mingolla - English

  David Mingolla will be joined the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John’s High School as faculty for the English department in the Fall of 2021.

• Mr. Joe Murphy '16 - Religious Studies

  Joe Murphy, Saint John’s Class of 2016, serves the Br. Robert Middle School Division as faculty for middle school Religion and as the division’s Campus Minister. 

  
  

  After graduating from Saint John’s in 2016, Joe went on to graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Communications. During his time at Saint John’s, Joe received both the Daniel Manning Award, given to a student who shows dedication to their school, community and faith, and the Ted Provo award, given to a student-athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance and dedication. 

  
  

  When asked to reflect on his position, Joe excitedly responded, “I am ecstatic to be back at Saint John’s, a place I consider a second home. At Saint John’s, the educational experience goes far beyond the classroom; the development of strong character, core moral values, and being a positive contributor to society takes place on the playing fields, in the halls and in every aspect of the SJ journey. The opportunity to join the faculty and staff that helped shape me into who I am today is a dream come true, and I take great pride in taking what I learned during my SJ experience to the students by my example, my teaching and through my role in campus ministry.”

• Ms. Kristen Outler - Science

  Kristen Outler joined the Saint John’s community as a part of our science faculty for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division. 

  
  

  After graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in nearby Worcester, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Biotechnology, Mrs. Outler served as a science teacher for Teach for America at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey. She then continued her career in teaching at Burnet Middle School in Union, New Jersey starting as a Behavioral Disabilities Teacher and, most recently, serving as a Middle School Science Teacher.

  
  

  Alongside her duties within the classroom, Mrs. Outler has also been involved with numerous community roles including serving as a Student Council Advisor, planning and executing school events and spearheading the High Five Program which aimed to create a digital school-wide incentive program to easily acknowledge students for making smart choices. 

  
  

  As Mrs. Outler reflects on her role at Saint John’s, she notes, “I am so excited to bring my love of teaching science and my passion for helping students realize their potential to the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John's High School. I am dedicated to helping every young man develop a passion and appreciation for science and STEM careers, practice values-driven conversation and collaboration, and find his purpose while being a successful, contributing member to the Saint John's community. 

• Ms. Christine Petkus - Fine Arts

  Christine Petkus joined the faculty for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division teaching Fine Arts.

  
  

  With a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Ottawa and a Master’s in Music, with a concentration in Opera, from the New England Conservatory of Music, Mrs. Petkus joined our community with extensive education and experience in her fields. Prior to her role at Saint John’s, Mrs. Petkus served as a music teacher at All Saints Academy in Webster, Massachusetts, teaching students from Pre-K through Grade 8. Before joining the school environment, Mrs. Petkus spent fourteen years teaching private lessons in both Canada and the United States. 

  
  

  Mrs. Petkus shares, “what I am most excited about is sharing my passion for the arts and foreign language with our students and helping them to learn and grow through their own creativity. I am thrilled and humbled, every day, to be collaborating with such a talented and dedicated group of educators and support staff.”

• Mr. Jason Pink - Social Studies

  Jason Pink joined the Social Studies faculty for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John’s High School.

  
  

  Mr. Pink graduated from Assumption College with a double major in Secondary Education and History and is now in the process of completing his Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College. Immediately following his graduation from Assumption, Mr. Pink began working in the classroom - first, as an Instructional Learning Assistant for Grade 7 at Bellingham Memorial Middle School, followed by working as a Theology teacher for sixth through eighth graders at Blessed Sacrament School in Walpole. Prior to joining Saint John’s, Mr. Pink served as a Social Studies teacher for fifth graders at Guilmette Middle School in Lawrence. In addition to his efforts in the classroom, Mr. Pink has also been involved in leading community service clubs and serving as the head coach for boys’ and girls’ middle school basketball teams.

  
  

  A graduate of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, Mr. Pink is very familiar with the experience and values of a Xaverian Brothers education. He reflects, “I am excited to have the opportunity to build something new that furthers the ability for young men to receive a Saint John's education. As a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School graduate myself, I have seen and been personally impacted by this type of education. To give young men the opportunity to grow and flourish under these values before entering high school is a unique opportunity that will strengthen bonds between the students, the school, and the community for the rest of their lives. When looking for where I wanted to teach, I always came back to the idea of teaching where there is a strong community and identity. Saint John's exhibits both of these qualities and I could not be more excited to be teaching here." 

• Ms. Sara Provost - Social Studies

  Sara Provost joins the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division as faculty for the Social Studies department.

  
  

  A graduate of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom with a MA in History and the University of Strathclyde, U.K. with a postgraduate degree in Education, Ms. Provost brings a wealth of experience both in the U.S. and abroad.  

  
  

  Most recently, Ms. Provost is serving as middle and high school History, English, and permanent substitute teacher at Bancroft School. Prior to moving to Central Massachusetts, she taught at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut where she taught ninth grade history to Advanced Placement European History and taught United States history at the Taft School in Watertown. 

  
  

  Throughout her career, Ms. Provost has engaged with students outside of the classroom in a number of areas of school life including coaching badminton and track, served as a fitness instructor, moderated debate and community service clubs, and traveled overseas with students.

• Ms. Kathleen Schlegel - World Languages (Spanish)

  Kathleen Schlegel joined the faculty of the Br. Robert Middle School Division at Saint John’s teaching Spanish language to our seventh graders. 

  
  

  Ms. Schlegel is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a concentration in Latin American and Latino Studies. During her time at Holy Cross, she participated in a Study Abroad program for one year at La Universidad de Leon in Spain. Ms. Schlegel also recently completed a Master’s degree in Special Education from Assumption College. 

  
  

  Prior to joining Saint John’s Ms. Schlegel served as a teaching fellow at the Nativity School of Worcester, teaching Spanish lessons involving vocabulary, grammar, and culture for seventh and eight graders, facilitates the Passport to Adventure Club in which students explore other countries’ cultures and customs, and implemented the first Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. In addition, Ms. Schlegel connected with students outside of the classroom as a soccer and intramurals coach.

  
  

  In her role at Saint John’s, Ms. Schlegel shares, “I am so excited to be a part of the Brother Robert Treanor Middle School Division at Saint John’s High School. I enjoy sharing my passion for the Spanish language and culture with the students as well as working to assist them in their growth as members of the school community. I am honored to be joining a school that is values-driven and that provides opportunities for physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.”

• Mr. Peter Smith - Math

  Peter Smith joined the Saint John’s community as the school’s first official faculty hire for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division, which opened in the fall of 2020. 

  
  

  After graduating from Allegheny College with a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Economics, and both a Master’s in Computing in Education and a STEM Leadership Certificate from Columbia University’s Teachers College, Mr. Smith has been involved in coaching and teaching at the middle school level. Since 2006, Mr. Smith has been an integral member of the Worcester Academy community - starting as a staff member as the Director of Academic Technology, and transitioning into the classroom as a Middle School Math Teacher. 

  
  

  Alongside his role inside the classroom, Mr. Smith also served as the school’s Director of Online Education and Blended Learning, working to develop and implement various initiatives within the middle school including the Lead iPad Program. He was also an advisor for seventh-grade students and coached middle school soccer, basketball, and track.

  
  

  Upon reflecting on his position at Saint John’s, Mr. Smith shares, "Early in my life I felt called to work with young people, to help connect people to their passions and help them see what their life-chances could be. I have been blessed to fulfill that calling through teaching for the past fourteen years. I am excited to now be connecting with the families of Saint John’s and help breathe life into a new educational experience that ties faith, academic inquiry, and excellence together in the new middle school division."

• Mrs. Cynthia Xenakis - Administrative Assistant

  Cynthia Xenakis joined the staff for the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division as the Middle School Administrative Assistant. 

  
  

  With a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education and a Master’s Degree in Counselor Education and Psychology, both from Boston College, Mrs. Xenakis has held long-standing Director of Guidance roles at the Keefe Vocational Technical High School in Framingham, Trinity Catholic High School in Newton, Our Lady of Nazareth Academy in Wakefield, and Notre Dame Academy in Worcester. In her roles within the Guidance Departments at these institutions, Mrs. Xenakis led various initiatives, events, and workshops tailored to meeting the specific needs of students through the admissions process through the college application process. Most recently, Mrs. Xenakis served as the Executive Assistant to the Head of School at the Bancroft School in Worcester where she managed many events, communications, and daily coordination of schedules. 

  
  

  In reflecting on her role at Saint John’s, Mrs. Xenakis notes, “Having spent ten years at Notre Dame Academy in Worcester, I have had many wonderful opportunities to connect with the Saint John’s High School community. In my experience, I have always admired the school’s professionalism and dedication to providing a well rounded, Catholic education to students. My fondest memories of Saint John’s High School students are of the many friendly, respectful, and dedicated young men who joined the Notre Dame Spring Musicals and blessed us with their superior acting and singing talents. I am proud to now be a part of the Br. Robert Treanor Middle School Division and look forward to continuing to work with the entire Saint John's community.”