Specialties - Saint Leo The Great Catholic Church/School

Specialties

All students in Grades K through eighth participate in additional classes that support the development and growth of each child.  

Get to know the teachers:

Religion and STEAM

Mr. James Hamilton

Originally from: Hamilton, New Jersey

Bones broken as a kid: 6

Education: Harvard University – AB in Linguistics with Related Field in Japanese Linguistics

Average Number of Books read each year for the last 3 years: 112

Years at St. Leos: 3

Positions held: Substitute Teacher, Middle School Science Proctor, After School Care, STEAM Teacher, and Middle School Religion Teacher

Favorite Saint: St. Paul Miki

Mr. Hamilton is excited to continue to mold young minds at St. Leo the Great Catholic school. He has held a variety of positions but is especially excited that he is focused on Religion class this year. Getting to teach about the saints, the story of salvation history in the Bible, and how to live out one’s faith in today’s world is his dream come true! While he likes to have fun in his class, he also understands that learning about the Catholic faith and striving to become a saint is serious business.

The driving Bible verse for him is “This is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”  – John 17:3. At the end of the day, Mr. Hamilton just wants everyone to know Jesus and to have eternal life. But, when he isn’t bringing students to Eucharistic Adoration, going to mass, or keeping the hallways safe, Mr. Hamilton likes to play board games, read (sci-fi and mysteries are his top genres right now), cook, and help other young adults grow in their faith and having community.

Daily Schedule:
Morning Homeroom
Pd. 1 – 8th Grade
Pd. 2 – 8th Grade
Pd. 3 – 5th Grade
Lunch
Pd. 5 – 5th Grade
Pd. 6 – Prep
Pd. 7 – 6th Grade
Pd. 8 – 6th Grade
Afternoon Homeroom

Wednesdays are Eucharistic Adoration days! We have an abbreviated lesson on those days, and then head to the chapel to join the parish is quiet adoration before the blessed sacrament, ending with the Divine praises.

8th Graders are working their way through Decision Point, as they prepare for Confirmation, along with special projects and weekly homework that has them read the Sunday Gospel reading and answer questions about it.

6th Grade is working through a new curriculum, from the Sophia Institute for Teacher. We start by deep diving into the what and why of the Bible, before covering the major Old Testament figures and testaments.

5th Grade is working in Alive in Christ, as we focus on the power and grace of the Sacraments. They also take time during the year to look at the different liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time) and how we are to live each season. 

STEAM

Mrs. Andrea Covey

My name is Andrea Covey.   My husband Dave and I have been married for 21 years and we have three daughters.  Two of them are at Lancaster Catholic and my youngest attends St Leo’s.  I was born and raised in Lancaster County and attended Sacred Heart School and Lancaster Catholic High School.   I then attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where I earned a BS in Environmental Science-Biology with a Geology Minor.  Following college, I worked at Lancaster Laboratories for 11 years before taking 6 years to be a stay at home Mom.

As my children grew I became a Preschool Aide at their school and did that for several years before I was given the opportunity last year to help in the Cupertino Room and teach Library at St Leo’s.  This year I am teaching Library and STEAM.

In my free time I enjoy gardening and spending time in my back yard no matter the season!  I love spending time with my family especially at the beach or while watching Notre Dame Football, the Pittsburgh Steelers or Boston Bruins!  My favorite sports to watch though have to be my girls’ Lacrosse, Basketball and Field Hockey games!

I am so thankful God lead me to St Leo’s and I am looking forward to another great year!

  • I teach STEAM and Library to K-5
  • In Library we spend a lot of time reading. I often read aloud but other times Library time is spent in quiet reading.  I like to give the students some downtime during their day.
  • In the Library I was also tasked to get our new Database up and running. I labeled and entered almost 4,000 books!
  • In STEAM we learn all aspects of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. The lessons vary.  Sometimes we work on projects that may take a few weeks and other times we do quick challenges that just take one class period.  
  • In STEAM we reinforce the 4 C’s (Communication, Collaboration, Creativity & Critical Thinking) by using the Engineering Design Process.
  • My favorite thing to do in STEAM is to take the kids outside for a project and have them explore their natural surroundings.

Religion and Music

Miss Emily Baker

My name is Miss Emily Baker. I have been teaching at St. Leo the Great for two years. I teach K-8 music and middle school Religion. I am also the director of our school musical, Christmas concert, and our school Mass choir.

I graduated Elizabethtown College with my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2017. I am currently working on my Masters degree in Choral Conducting at Messiah University. I believe that no person ever stops learning. I strive to learn something new every day and I strive to incorporate new ideas and discussions in my classroom.

I am recently engaged and my fiancé and I are always busy with wedding planning! In my free time, I love to listen to music, watch classic movies, play games, look at vintage cars, and spend time with my family. A fun fact about me is that I have a twin sister who is also a music teacher!

In my music classes I strive to provide the students with various insights and thoughts on how they can take the subject and apply it to their daily life. One of my goals is to include all genres of music! Here are some activities we do in music class:

  • Listening to various pieces of music (from before the 17th century to our modern day!)
  • Discussions on what a piece of music makes us think about
  • Movement activities (cultural dances, etc.)
  • Playing musical instruments
  • Learning about musical history, decades, genres, and more!

In my religion class, I always encourage my students to ask questions. Discussions are always a big part of the classroom as I want students to learn from each other as well. Here are some activities that we do in religion class:

  • Daily Saint of the Day (video, discussion, and questions)
  • Real world application of religious subjects (sacraments, prayer, relationship with God)
  • Study of religious text (The Bible, the Catechism)
  • Daily prayer
  • Scripture reflections
  • Classroom discussions

Teaching is my passion! I strive to provide my students with opportunities to learn more and to be exposed to various kinds of music. I also make it a goal to guide my students on their faith journey and to deepen their relationship with God. I am always excited to teach, learn, and explore the faith and music with my students!

Physical Education and Health

Mrs. Jennifer Kauffman

Hometown: Lancaster

Education:
West Chester University- Bachelors in Early Childhood Education

 NASM- Certified Personal Trainer, Youth Exercise Specialist, WLS, Womens Fitness Specialist

Favorite Saint: Saint Therese of Lisieux is my favorite Saint.  She is proof that anyone can, and should, aspire to sainthood and that great feats are not needed, just a lot of love.

Fun Facts:

 I’ve taught at St Leo’s for 4 years.  The kids bring me such joy when they come into gym very excited for class.  They always try to guess what we will be doing. 

I have two, soon to be 15 year olds, who keep me and my car very busy.  In my spare time I enjoy running, and watching sports.  (Favorite teams: Philadelphia Eagles & Notre Dame)

I believe Phy Ed helps students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviors to initiate and maintain a physically active lifestyle.  

Favorite Quotes:

 “You know well enough that our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.”

St Therese of Lisieux

 “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

St Teresa of Calcutta 

 Spanish

Señora Lisa Moffatt

Spanish teacher Grades 6,7,8

4th year teaching at SLTG

Favorite Saint: Saint Francis of Assisi 

Favorite quote: “Do unto others as you’d have done to you” 

I grew up in Montoursville, PA, Lycoming County 

Graduated from Millersville University with a degree in French/Secondary Ed

Earned Spanish certification from Millersville University

Taught middle school French and Spanish for more than 12 years in the Hempfield School District 

As a teacher at SLTG, I love seeing the language acquisition that takes place from 6th to 8th grade.  I enjoy having the same students for three years and seeing not only their achievement in Spanish, but also their growth as individuals in Christ.  

6th graders meet twice per week, and 7th and 8th meet three day per week.  

In Spanish class students are taught basic vocabulary, grammar, culture pertaining to the “Avancemos” textbook series curriculum that is followed at Lancaster Catholic High School. 

At the end of 8th grade, SLTG Spanish students take a placement test to determine if they can advance to Spanish 2 as a 9th grader at LCHS.  

I live in Mountville/West Hempfield with my husband of 30 years.  Together we have 3 children: Connor, Ryan and Lauren –  a cat named “Bear”

My favorite activities include attending my kids basketball games, spending time with family, being outdoors, going to concerts and traveling. 

 Health

Mrs. Joanne McMahon

Joanne and her husband Mike have been parishioners of Saint Leo the Great since 1982. Each of Joanne’s four children attended and graduated from Saint Leo’s and she now has several grandchildren who are current students at the school.

Joanne joined as the school nurse in the Fall of 2022. She has over twenty-five years of experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse, serving in various specialties throughout her career. Prior to joining the staff at St. Leo’s, Joanne served as a school nurse in the Penn Manor School District.

She is a member of the Parish Security Team and has previously volunteered with the American Cancer Society.

Joanne is thrilled to be a part of the team and help provide our students with a safe and healthy environment.

Get to know our counselor:

School Counselor

Mrs. Michele Tappany

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 717-394-1742   Ext 236

Millersville University – BA Special Education – Master’s Degree School Counseling

As the School Counselor, I believe I have the best job in the building. I get the opportunity to teach classroom lessons, run small groups, and work with individual students at all grade levels.  I collaborate with staff, parents, and community agencies to help students improve academic achievement, attendance, and behavior.  My schedule is flexible based on the specific needs of the day.  I serve on the Student Assistance Team, and the School Wide Positive Behavioral Support Team as well as work directly with the principal to fulfill the school’s mission. 

American School Counselor National Model (American School Counselor Association)

School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. The ASCA National Model outlines the components of a school counseling program that is integral to the academic mission and is created to have a significant positive impact on student achievement, attendance, and discipline.

The ASCA National Model guides school counselors in the development of school counseling programs that:

Click the hyperlinks below to find out more about School Counselors:

Classroom Curriculum Utilized:

Overcoming Obstacles https://www.overcomingobstacles.org/curriculum

Everfi       https://www.everfi.com

American School Counselor Association. “ASCA National Model” Dec.28, 2022.