St. John the Baptist School in Waunakee is celebrating the joint 25 year anniversaries of Mrs. Erika Kalscheuer and Mrs. LuAnn Thering and the 30th anniversary of Ms. Shannon Conaway. Thering said, “It’s one big family here. I feel blessed to be able to be a part of it.”
At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, St. John the Baptist School had a particular reason to celebrate: Returning teachers and staff.
Because of longstanding staff tenure and connection to its community, the school is an example of outstanding Catholic culture.
Shining bright amidst a bleak background
According to a RAND Corporation study on teacher and principal turnover, teacher turnover reached 10 percent nationally at the end of the 2021-2022 school year; principal turnover was no different, reaching 16 percent nationally during the same time period.
The study confirms turnover in the education system has been on the rise since 2020.
However, that fact seems to go unnoticed in Waunakee.
This academic year marked four St. John teacher’s 25th or greater anniversaries.
This includes: resource teacher Miss Kathleen O’Connor’s 33rd year of tenure at the school, kindergarten teacher Ms. Shannon Conaway’s 30th year, fifth grade teacher Mrs. Erika Kalscheuer’s 25th year, and second grade teacher Mrs. LuAnn Thering’s 25th year.
In addition to such highly tenured teachers, St. John the Baptist boasts five additional staff members who were educated there and have come back to work at the school.
Those five staff members are: cook Mrs. Amber Anderson, 4K aide Ms. Rachel Kruchten, third grade teacher Mrs. Heidi Kurzinski, third grade teacher Ms. Ellen Peterson, and 4K teacher Ms. Elizabeth Vandenberg.
Building St. John’s culture
In her second grade classroom, there are 24 pictures — a picture of each past class Thering has taught — that decorate the walls. Thering said, “I look at the pictures every day and I think, ‘Wow, what a connection I’ve had with these children, and now adults who have children, who are coming back to school here.”
Thering remembered one of the first faculty meetings of the school year and said, “Mrs. Kozinski, the school principal, put us in random groups and two of the people in my group were former students.”
Those former students were Vandenberg and Kruchten.
“That was really mind-blowing. I think it’s cool they came back, that they had such positive experiences at St. John’s they would want to come back, work here, and continue trying to do what we’re doing,” Thering continued.
Kruchten, who is in her first year assisting 4K teaching at St. John’s, said, “I never had that ‘oh no, new job’ worry. I knew where everything was; I knew the majority of the teachers and where their rooms were. I’ve said this a lot, but it’s very comforting being back here.”
Kruchten continued, “It’s not just a job . . . all these teachers want to see you succeed and help you outside the classroom as well.”
Along with Kruchten, Vandenberg was taught by Thering in second grade at St. John.
Vandenberg, who now teaches 4K, is in her second year at the school and said that, “Having a relationship with them [as a former student] now carries over to being a teacher. They know me, they know my personality, and so I can go to them if I need to. Especially last year, my first year, a lot of them would check in.”
Community, legacy after graduation
Staff support at St. John goes outside the classroom, and the school’s community lasts long after graduation for the children who attend.
Kalscheuer, one of the joint 25th anniversaries this year, said, “I love seeing my students in the community and seeing them get married and bring their own kids here. I look forward [to] next year, [that] will be my first student’s child I would have in my class. I’m looking forward to that — a legacy [student].”
Conaway, celebrating her 30th year as the school’s kindergarten teacher, said, “I love being the person who starts it all, both in faith and their learning adventure.”
“I see them go all the way through eighth grade, and some of the students come back to me in high school and [have] asked to do projects with my kids. Some come back during Catholic Schools Week just to say, ‘Hi’ and get a hug,” Conaway continued.
Part of the reason former students might visit Conaway after graduation is because of an open, welcoming invitation.
“When they leave me on the last day of school, I tell them, ‘Don’t be afraid to come back and say hello, this room is always yours.’ Once you’re my kid, you’re always my kid. I’ll help you any way I can,” Conaway added.
Reflecting on St. John’s culture, of which Conaway is intimately familiar, she said the school “is a very family oriented environment. When you come here, you become a part of the St. John’s family. We all help each other in any way that we can. If there’s a family going through a difficult time, we help them.
You feel like you’re part of that family. That’s why I’m here — and why I stayed.”