New Teachers & Staff Join St. Anthony Schools

In addition to being new to St. Anthony Parish, Fr. Michael Berndt will also join the teaching ranks at St. Anthony Grade School and St. Anthony High School.

He will teach Theology classes for the students at the High School, and will present special topics to the students in the Junior High at the Grade School.  Fr. Berndt’s educational background includes a BS in Finance from Quincy University, two years of Philosophy at Mundelein Seminary, a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, and a Diploma in Ignition Spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.  He is a native of Chicago and enjoys watching movies.

St. Anthony High School welcomes an alumna of St. Anthony Schools, Mrs. Michelle Hinterscher as a new Math Teacher.

Mrs. Hinterscher has been a math teacher for the past five tears at Effingham High School. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Math Education from Butler University. Mrs. Hinterscher and her husband Cody live in Effingham with their two children.

Mrs. Amy Blanchette is welcomed back to St. Anthony High School in the role of Campus Ministry Coordinator.

Before rejoining the staff at the High School, Mrs. Blanchette served as an Administrative Assistant at Patterson Technology and athletic secretary during her previous time at St. Anthony. Mrs. Blanchette is currently pursuing a certificate in Catechetical Leadership from Aquinas College. She and her husband Bernie reside in Effingham. They have one student attending St. Anthony High School and two adult children.

New to the Grade School is Mrs. Kathryn Roepke. Mrs. Roepke will be teaching First grade.

Before joining St. Anthony Grade School, she taught for eight and a half years at Unit #40 after receiving her Bachelors of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University. Mrs. Roepke is also a St. Anthony Schools alumna. She currently resides in Effingham with her husband Justin and their two children.

Mrs. Cayleigh Beeman is another alumna joining the Grade School to teach Third grade.

Mrs. Beeman has seven years of experience teaching elementary and middle school children in the Paris and Casey communities. She received her Bachelors of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University. She and her husband Andrew now reside in Effingham with their three children.

Ms. Hanna Niemerg is beginning her teaching career at St. Anthony Grade School as a Fourth grade teacher.

Ms. Niemerg earned her Associate’s Degree in Arts from Lake Lake College. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University. She currently resides in her hometown of Teutopolis.

Another new first-year teacher at the Grade School is Mr. Shawn Drone.

Mr. Drone is the new Health and PE teacher, and will also coach high school boys freshman/sophomore basketball and boys junior high track. Mr. Drone earned his Associates’s Degree from Lake Land College and Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Illinois University. He currently resides in Altamont, where he was born and raised.

Also beginning her teaching career is Mrs. Brianna Hecht, who is a new Fifth grade teacher.

Mrs. Hecht is a St. Anthony High School alumna, attended Lake Land College and received her Bachelors degrees in both Arts Administration and Elementary Education from Butler University.  She resides in Effingham with her husband Matthew.

Mrs. Teresa Beck joins the Grade School to serve as an additional part-time Speech-Language Pathologist.

Ms. Beck has previous experience at the Charleston school district and St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital. She earned her Bachelors’s and Master’s Degrees in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Eastern Illinois University. Ms. Beck is also trained in PROMPT therapy techniques and is a credentialed Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologist. She is a St. Anthony alumna and currently lives in Effingham with her husband Brian and their three children.

Three new preschool teaching aides also start with St. Anthony Grade School. Cindy Hoene is a retired teacher with more than 34 years of experience and will be helping with the preschool program.

She is a St. Anthony alumna and resides in Effingham with her husband, Mike. They have two grown children who attended St. Anthony Schools, and their seven grandchildren also attend.

Patty Jansen is also welcomed to the Grade School as a Preschool aide.

She is an alumna of St. Anthony Schools, attended trade schools for cosmetology and massage therapy, worked as a hairdresser for 36 years, and held various part-time retail positions. Mrs. Jansen and her husband, Joe, have three adult children who also attended St. Anthony Schools. They currently reside in Effingham.

Katie Hinton has also been hired as a Preschool Aide.

Before joining the Grade School preschool program, Mrs. Hinton served as an aide for Sullivan Grade School for two years. She operated an in-home daycare for seven years. Mrs. Hinton received her Associate’s Degree in Special Education from Lake Land College. She is currently attending Walden University and is anticipating a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in December 2022. Ms. Hinton currently resides in Effingham with her husband Clayton and their two children.

St. Anthony of Padua Parish is a Catholic Church founded in 1858, with a congregation of more than 1300 families and nearly 3200 members. One of the founding missions of St. Anthony Parish included Catholic Education and Formation. Today, St. Anthony is the only preschool through grade 12 Catholic school system in downstate Illinois and educates an average of more than 670 students annually.