Headmaster, Upper School Humanities

Hailing from the mountains of Colorado, Dr. Fletcher brings a love of nature to his vision for JPII. He has more than 25 years’ experience in Catholic education and leadership.

Read Dr. Fletcher’s full bio here.

Assistant Headmaster, Math Faculty

Cathy Hula is an Iowa native, holds a B.S. in accounting and minor in Management Information Systems from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. After working in accounting for Mutual of Omaha for 10 years, she home educated her four children, most of them through high school. It was during those years that she discovered the beauty of classical education and saw the fruits of it in her own children. She is excited to be a part of offering this unique education to the Omaha area and to be working alongside joyful, faith-filled Catholic men and women. She enjoys volunteering with helping those in need through the St. Vincent de Paul Society efforts at her parish. Her hobbies include hiking, bicycling, sewing, and spending time with her granddaughters.

Her favorite book is Anna Karenina and her favorite saint is St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Administrative Assistant, Lower School Art

An Omaha native, Annie Fecci attended Mercy High School and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where she earned a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies. She is a passionate crafter, enjoying everything from crochet and cooking to using resin and pottery. Annie has a special affection for all things astronomy and collects rocks from every vacation spot. She enjoys assisting children in the experience of wonder and the joy of learning. Annie enjoys being in nature and as a special love for animals, which led her to adopt a very fluffy bunny.

Her favorite books are the Percy Jackson Series, and her favorite saint is Queen Margaret of Scotland.

Upper School Faculty, Choir, Outdoor Leadership Program

Born in Omaha and raised in Louisiana, Aidan Fletcher earned his B.A. from Christendom College with a specialization in Education. He has been immersed in Classical Education and the Liberal Arts since his own middle school years, and is an accomplished chorister, thespian, and outdoor wilderness survival instructor. When not at school, Mr. Fletcher enjoys reading, singing in his parish choir, and spending time with his wife and their two beautiful children. 

His favorite book is A Canticle for Leibowitz and his favorite saint will always be our Blessed Mother.

Upper School Art, Theology, Drama

Clare Fletcher is a 2017 graduate of Christendom College with a degree in Theology. She has a passion for classical education and has been immersed in studying it (and its implications for educational models) for over 5 years now. Miss Fletcher’s favorite topics to teach are swing dancing, lives of the Saints (especially Cardinal Newman & Brendan the Navigator), and above all else Theology.

One of her favorite books is Anne of Avonlea and one of her favorite saints is Mother Teresa.

Lower School Faculty

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Mary Gronewold has lived in Omaha since her undergraduate studies at Creighton University. She holds a B.A. in English and a M Ed. in Secondary Education, and has experience both at the lower, middle and upper school levels. When not busy with their six children, Mary and her husband Joe enjoy reading and live music.

Her favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird and her favorite saint is Pope St. John Paul II.

Lower School Faculty

Prebble Hare received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Texas Tech University. Her passion for Faith formation for all ages recently led her to serve as a non-profit missionary with FOCUS for several years, and she is eager to return to the classroom as a member of JPII’s Lower School Faculty. In her spare time, Miss Hare loves doing cartwheels, playing sports, discovering new coffee shops, going on adventures with friends, and her new favorite hobby is embroidery.

Her favorite book is Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Philippe, and her favorite saint is St. Mary Magdalene.

Writing

Maria Hilger holds dual B.A.s from Benedictine College in English and Secondary Education. During her time in grade and high school in Wisconsin, she fell in love with the classical curriculum in which she was educated and desired to pursue this model of education in her own teaching. Throughout college, she became involved in youth ministry which grew her desire to combine education with the pursuit of the Faith. On the side, Maria has a passion for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and is fully certified in Level 1 and is currently working towards completing Level 2. She lives in Omaha with her husband, Christopher, and her children, Isaiah, Damien, and Anna.

Her favorite book is Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and her favorite saint is St. Therese of Lisieux.

Kindergarten

Born in England, Annelise Mellender has lived in Nebraska since she was three. She graduated from Ave Maria University with a B.A. in Theology. She spent two summers teaching Totus Tuus for the Archdiocese of Omaha. When not at school, Annelise can be found singing in parish choir and hanging out with her siblings.

Her favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and her favorite saint is St. Cecilia.

Upper School Latin, Humanities

An Omaha native, Luke Mellender is a graduate of the Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts. He holds a B.A. in the Liberal Arts. While in high school, Luke earned the rank of Eagle Scout as well as many awards on the National Latin Exam. Luke has completed ICLE’s Spirit and Craft of Teaching program.

His favorite book is Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis, and his favorite saint is St. Francis of Assisi.

Physical Education

Bio coming soon!

Lower School Phonics

Cathy Potter is a retired resource teacher for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Her career also includes 25 years as a private tutor for students in grades K-8. Mrs. Potter is certified in the Spalding Phonics Method. Spalding is a language arts program that uses explicit, integrated instruction and multisensory techniques to teach spelling, reading and writing. Cathy enjoys teaching and spending time with her 12 grandchildren.

Her favorite books are the Little House on the Prairie series, and her favorite saint is St. Catherine of Siena.

Middle School Faculty

Bio coming soon!

Kindergarten Aide

An Omaha native, Evelyn Sawicki is a current undergraduate with a passion for Biology, and brings her experience leading a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium to JPII. In her free time, Evelyn enjoys painting, baking, sewing, restoring her '52 classic car, and teaching herself the banjo.

She has a great love for short stories, particularly those by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and one of her favorite saints is St. Jude.

Upper School Science, High School Math

Jerrad Silke holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska - Omaha. In his free time he enjoys hiking, being at the lake, golfing, hunting, shooting guns, bike rides with his daughters, and playing volleyball and pickleball with his wife, Deena.

His favorite saint is St. Charbel Makhluf.

Lower School Faculty

Eva Simons holds a B.A. from Benedictine College in Art with a minor in Education. After serving as a Seton Teaching Fellow in the Bronx in New York, she is thrilled to be returning to the Omaha area as a member of the Lower School Faculty at St. John Paul II Academy. Miss Simons is a talented artist, and loves creating and teaching art. Even more so, she enjoys spending time with children, and is passionate about learning and teaching across the curriculum.

Her favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and her favorite saint is St. Josephine Bakhita.

Upper School History and Literature

Natalie Thorpe holds a Bachelor's in English from Hillsdale College. Despite her best efforts to escape them, she came to love classical education and the life of the mind during her studies at Hillsdale. Since graduating five years ago, she has taught Humane Letters, economics, literature, writing, and math at classical schools both public and private. Most recently, she completed a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training for the infant/toddler atrium, and assists in a Level I atrium at her parish in Lincoln. In her free time, she is usually looking at bugs with her daughter or beautiful architecture with her husband.

Her favorite book is Moby Dick by Herman Melville, and her favorite saint is St. Augustine.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)

Angela Vogel graduated from Creighton University with a B.A. in American Studies and a Business Certificate. She is a certified Catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She completed Level 1 Formation (training) in 2016, Level 2 Formation in 2018, and began the Formation course for Level 3 this summer. Her favorite hobbies include cheering on her five children at their various activities, reading and telling stories, going for walks, and traveling.

Her favorite book is Emma by Jane Austen, and her favorite saint is Queen Esther.

Marketing

Anna Fletcher started working in Marketing in her Junior Year of high school and loves the creative outlet it provides. She is blessed to be a wife and mother, and works for JPII in a mostly remote capacity. In her free time, you might find her sipping coffee, cooking, sewing, playing harp, chasing chickens, or spending time with her husband and their two lively children.

One of her favorite books is The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, and one of her favorite saints is Bl. Imelda Lambertini.