Specialty Courses - Saint Leo The Great Catholic Church/School

Specialty Courses

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

Teaching at Saint Leo the Great: 2019 – present

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 and Library

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!

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!

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

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.

Teaching at Saint Leo the Great: 2018 – present

Fun Facts:

 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

Señorita Hannah Frymoyer

Education: 

B.A. from Millersville University in Spanish Language and Culture Studies

M.Ed from Kutztown University in Early Childhood Education PreK-4

Teaching at Saint Leo the Great:

2013 – present

Spanish language and culture has always been a passion of mine, from the amazing food to the beauty of how the language sounds. I have been studying the language since I was in 7th grade taking my first Spanish class. I took it all through high school and then decided to major in it for college. I went to Millersville University right up the road studying with professors from all over the globe learning how to perfect my Spanish. I even studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain where I lived for 2 months. I have learned so much over the years of taking Spanish and even studying abroad.

I recently received my master’s in Early Childhood Education and was able to complete my student teaching. I feel like as a teacher I grew a lot with getting my master’s learning from and interviewing many teachers to dive deep into some diverse teaching styles.

I personally take the approach that the students need to have a lot of active engagement within the classroom, and not just tests. We explore all aspects of Spanish and do many projects to help us grow and learn. I want to try and ignite the same passions in my students. We work on talking about geography and customs within Spanish speaking countries as well as learning the basics of the language. By the end of 8th grade, they should be able to speak full sentences in order to order food at a restaurant!

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.

Art

Mrs. Kathryn Hemlick

Quote: “Hazard Yet Forward”- This is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s motto, which means, to keep moving forward, even when there are challenges!

Hometown: Saltsburg, PA (near Indiana, PA)

MFA Industrial Design – Rochester Institute of Technology

MFA  Art – Ceramics – Pennsylvania State University

BFA  Art – Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA

PA Certifications: Art K-12, Mid-Level Math Grades 6-9

Teaching at Saint Leo the Great: 2014 – present

Favorite Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life

Favorite Saint: Hildegard of Bingen – She was an abbess, artist, composer, author, mystic, and theologian. 

Mrs. Hemlick enjoys sharing her passion for art with the children. Nothing compares to seeing a kindergartner’s facial expression when they ooh and ahh with delight at the new colors they create when they first begin to mix paint.

Likewise, before doing a chalk drawing of Botticelli’s painting of the Annunciation, she has the fifth-grade students pose like the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel. The students are joyful and excited as they twist and turn to mimic the postures, which helps them to make sense of what they are drawing.

All students are artists when they step into the art room! 

Recently, Mrs. Hemlick has also been teaching math classes. She has kept this nerdy side of her out of the spotlight until now. She enjoys seeing the students learn new concepts and master skills as they solve math problems. Confidence in math is an important skill that she likes to see grow along with math skills. This is especially important in middle school, when some students might begin to question their abilities. It is important for students to keep trying, persevere, and find joy in their successes. To find out more about what we are studying in math, check out the 8th-grade math curriculum. 

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:

  • are based on data-informed decision making
  • are delivered to all students systematically
  • include a developmentally appropriate curriculum focused on the mindsets and behaviors all students need for postsecondary readiness and success
  • close achievement and opportunity gaps
  • result in improved student achievement, attendance, and discipline

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.