Exciting Staff Updates

from Saint Martha School
Principal Andrea Patton:

On Friday, August 5, 2022, Mrs. Patton wrote:

Dear Saint Martha Families,

I am beyond thrilled to share the news of our new strings orchestra teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Garcia Ardis. Rebecca taught here for 10 years, and left in 2014 to stay at home with her children and teach privately. She is married and has 4 children ranging in age from 5-16. She is very excited to be back. Having Mrs. Ardis as a strings teacher is quite an opportunity for your children, so if you were in the midst of making a decision, I highly recommend taking advantage of it! Below you will find an introductory letter from Mrs. Ardis.

Dear Parents,

My name is Rebeca Garcia Ardis and I am the new String Orchestra instructor at Saint Martha School. I am very excited to return to this amazing community; I first taught Strings at Saint Martha School from 2004 to 2014! My love and passion for teaching strings were born at this School. After having taught at other area schools and programs I can confidently say that the excellent learning environment created by the SMS faculty and staff, combined with the parental involvement and support characteristic of this school, create a unique learning opportunity, one that is not found in any other faith-based educational institution in the Greater Lansing area.

I am an MSU alumna, graduated with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in violin performance (’01 and ’03.) I have taught violin and viola as a private instructor for over twenty-five years,and in a school setting as an orchestra instructor for over thirteen years. I have performed with orchestras and chamber groups in Mexico and the U.S. for over thirty years. I am also a certified Suzuki Violin School instructor and a firm believer in the Suzuki “talent education” philosophy that believes in the ability of every child to learn to play an instrument. Refining my ability to impart practical music-making skills and knowledge to young learners is my ongoing professional goal. Helping engender and nurture a life-long love of string music in the young is a driving force and a personal dream of mine. If you share my belief in the importance of the fine arts and art education consider enrolling your child in strings class. I look forward to getting to know your family and the Saint Martha School community once again!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Garcia Ardis

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On Monday, July 18, 2022, Mrs. Patton wrote:

Good Afternoon Saint Martha Families,

I recently spoke with Mrs. Meredith Hopkins, our orchestra teacher and our preschool aide. She and her husband, Isaac, have been offered a wonderful opportunity in Chicago. Mr. Hopkins taught the middle school band. While the staff and I are sad to see her go, we are thrilled for the new opportunities for both of them. Our prayers go out to them for a smooth move and transition.

I will be looking to hire an orchestra teacher, band teacher, and a preschool aide. (They are not all one position!) If you have any leads, especially regarding orchestra or band please reach out.

Please see the letter from Mrs. Hopkins below:

Hello Saint Martha families,

I hope you all have been having a wonderful summer.

I’m emailing you with some bittersweet news from Mr. Hopkins and me. A few weeks ago, Mr. Hopkins was offered a job as an associate member with the Chicago Civic Orchestra! Though we are both extremely excited for this new adventure, this also means I have made the very difficult decision to leave Saint Martha.

With this transition, I have decided to step away from teaching to start a college program to get a Teacher Licensure. Saint Martha has made me realize how much I enjoy teaching and this program will give me the knowledge and skills to continue to do so.

It breaks my heart to leave this wonderful community. I have had the privilege to teach your children violin and I will always remember the support that you all have given the program over the past 3 years.

I wish you all the best and hope to visit as much as I can!

Love,

Mrs. Hopkins

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On Friday, June 24, 2022, Mrs. Patton wrote:

Dear Saint Martha Families,

What a beautiful summer it is turning out to be! I hope everyone is spending that much needed time to enjoy your families and all the beauty Michigan has to offer.

It has been a busy few weeks in the office and I am excited to share some updates with you.

Mrs. Char Richardson will be joining our middle school staff as a full-time teacher. She will be teaching English, Literature and Religion (8th grade). Mrs. Richardson has been teaching in Catholic Schools for over 25 years and loves teaching middle school. She resides in Owosso with her husband of 28 years and lives on a small farm. She enjoys camping, quilting, and reading. She is very passionate about Catholic education and feels called to share her love of the Lord with her students. She is so excited to be part of Saint Martha and we feel blessed to have her here.

Mrs. Heidi Burkhardt will be sharing her love of Christ and passion for her faith with our middle school teaching Religion to the students in gr. 5-7. Mrs. Burkhardt taught for many years at Saint Martha before staying home to raise her two children, Sarah (3rd grade) and Jacob (2nd grade). She and her husband, Don, reside in Okemos and have been long time parishioners of Saint Martha. They love spending time with their family up north. Mrs. Burkhardt is a member of the Saint Martha Evangelization Committee and is responsible for bringing in many of the speakers for our parish. She has so much to share about our faith and we look forward to having her immerse our students into a deeper relationship with Christ. We are grateful that she will be part of our staff.

Mrs. Wendy Muzzatti will be coming aboard as the Technology teacher. She is the mother of three Saint Martha graduates, Dryden, Sutter, and most recently Bailey (class of 2021). She and her family enjoy all things soccer and hockey! She and her husband, Jason, live in Okemos and have been members of the parish for many years. Mrs. Muzzatti has been a substitute teacher for the past two years. The students enjoy having her in their classroom. She has an extensive knowledge of Google Classroom (Slides, Docs, Forms, Sheets, etc.). She is excited about delving into the curriculum and has already been creating plans that include coding for the upcoming school year. We are excited to welcome her aboard and appreciate her willingness share her knowledge with our students.

Mrs. Leslye Torres will be an aide in the preschool and kindergarten classroom. She is the mother of three and her two youngest children, Vanessa and Raphael, will be attending Saint Martha this upcoming year. She has experience working with young children and is very excited to be part of the staff. We look forward to working with her.

Miss Claudia Fountain has accepted the position of Youth Minister. She is an alumnus of the Saint Martha Faith Formation program and a graduate of Williamston High School. She is attending college to become a teacher. You will hear her cantering at Mass often. She is excited to build up the high school youth group and start a middle school youth group. She is very passionate about keeping our young people connected to God. We appreciate her enthusiasm for her new role!

On a different note, Mrs. Lynn Collom has accepted a new position at Lansing Catholic High School. As we all know, the school secretary is the gatekeeper of the school! She has been a faith-filled, dedicated member of the staff for the past 6 years and we are very appreciative for all the time, dedication, and service she has given to our entire school community. With congratulations, we wish her the best in her new role!

Below is a letter to all of us from Mrs. Collom:

Hello Saint Martha Families,

I hope you are all enjoying the start of summer break and have found a way to slow down and recharge after a very long school year! I am writing to let you know that I have accepted a new position at Lansing Catholic as the of Director of Student Life. This is not a position that I was actively seeking, but the manner in which this all came about truly feels like the work of the Holy Spirit, and I feel certain this is what I am being called to do. The decision to leave was very difficult. I love our school and it has been a pleasure serving our families for the past 6 years. I have been proud to work in partnership with parents who have been supportive and who share the same appreciation for Catholic education and our mission. Our community knows that excellence lives at Saint Martha, and that is largely because of YOU!

I will be working feverishly this summer preparing for my replacement.

My goal is to help make the transition to the new school year as seamless as possible. Even though I will be leaving my desk, we will always be a Saint Martha family, and I look forward to bumping into you at Mass and other community events. I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity and the memories that I have with all of you and your children will be treasured forever.

Take care, Mrs. Collom

We are so fortunate to have found a wonderful replacement for Mrs. Collom - please join us in welcoming Mrs. Cynthia Farnsworth as our new Saint Martha School Administrative Assistant. She is a 2005 graduate of MSU - Go Green! Her experience in customer service and as a corporate office associate will bode well in her new role. Cynthia and her husband, Matt, are parents to Stana, a Saint Martha first grader, and their family resides in Okemos. She has been very active in volunteering at our School for the past few years, so the children will recognize her from the lunch room, fun day, and more. She will begin training with Mrs. Collom on July 18th, to learn the countless duties of a School Secretary. Cynthia enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, sewing, and playing roller derby. We are elated to have her join the staff and she is really looking forward to working with our Saint Martha community!

We are still in need of a teacher and playground aide as well as afterschool program staff. Click HERE for more details. Please pray the God will send us just the right people to fill the our other open positions. You will be in our prayers as well! I will be keeping everyone updated as things progress.

Have a wonderful summer, and you are in our prayers for a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend!

God Bless,
Mrs. Patton

Exciting Staff Updates

from Saint Martha School Principal Andrea Patton:

from Saint Martha School
Principal Andrea Patton: