Administration

Shindana Crawford - Principal

scrawford@sjte.org

Ms. Crawford comes to St. John the Evangelist in Silver Spring, MD from Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, where she served as Assistant Principal for Student Life. Before her time there, Ms. Crawford was with Holy Redeemer School in College Park from 2015-2021. While at Holy Redeemer, Ms. Crawford was the music and technology teacher before becoming Vice Principal. She also holds an associates degree from Schenectady County Community College. A bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition, her master of education degree comes from Loyola University Maryland and she holds Maryland State Department of Education administration certification. 

When asked why she wanted to serve our church as principal of a Catholic school Ms. Crawford stated, “I was baptized into the Catholic faith. I felt so strongly about the importance of leading by example, I chose to do it with students and staff present in our Catholic School. To share my love for Jesus and belief in the power of education at the same time is the perfect working scenario. Ultimately, my goal is to be an agent of meaningful positive growth and change in the lives of teachers and students. It will be an ongoing effort the duration of my career as an educator. Holding on to a strong belief in faith, I look forward to continuing to serve the St. John the Evangelist community.

Joined SJE in 2022

Fr. Joseph Calis - Pastor

office@sjeparish.org

Joined SJE in 2014

Faculty/Staff

Angela Colburn - Administrative Assistant/Medication Technician

acolburn@sjte.org

Mrs. Colburn is a life member of St. John the Evangelist Parish. She is a graduate of St. John’s School, as are her three daughters.  She attended Montgomery College and majored in Business Administration.  She has held various positions at the school since 2006.  Mrs. Colburn is also one of the school’s medication technicians. 

Joined SJE in 2006

Marci McNickle - Bookkeeper/Receptionist/Medication Technician

mmcnickle@sjte.org

Mrs. McNickle has worked with the Archdiocese of Washington since 2003 in various positions. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.  She is also a Medication Technician and an Extended School Program aide.

Joined SJE in 2013

Francesca Russo - PreK-3

frusso@sjte.org

Mrs. Russo graduated from Mount Saint Mary's University with a degree in Sociology and Marymount University with a Master's in Education, Professional Studies.  She has over 10 years of experience teaching Kindergarten within the Archdiocese of Washington.  She was most recently a Preschool Director for 6 years.  Mrs. Russo lives in Rockville with her husband and three children. 

Joined SJE 2021

JoEllen LaMonica-Hayes - PreK-4

jlamonicahayes@sjte.org

Ms. LaMonica-Hayes received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland with a dual certification in Elementary and Special Education. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University and worked as a Special Education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools for 37 years. She retired and joined the Archdiocese of Washington, both as a substitute and part time preschool and music teacher.  She started off at SJE as a long-term substitute in our preschool program and continues to enjoy spending her days with our four-year-old students.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends and is proud of her twin sons who are attending college at this time. 

Joined SJE 2020

Sister Doreen Willis, IHM - Kindergarten

srdoreen@sjte.org

Sister Doreen has been teaching in the primary grades for 47 years and taught first grade for 27 years and kindergarten for 20 years. She has a B.A. in Education with a minor in Special Education from Marywood University and an M.S. in Reading Education from Marywood University. Sister Doreen is also a certified reading specialist.

Joined SJE in 1998

Mary Jo Glacken - 1st Grade

jtschiffely@sjte.org

Mrs. Glacken was born and raised in Silver Spring, she attended Catholic Elementary and High School. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Early Childhood Development and a minor in Child Care management. She has over 40 years of experience teaching Pre –K, Kindergarten and
directing school age Child Care programs in the Maryland area and Archdiocese of Washington. She is married to a Bethesda native and raised her two daughters in Silver Spring, they also attended Catholic elementary school and High school. She now resides in Kent Island Maryland and recently returned to teaching after a short retirement. She joins St. John the Evangelist as a first grade teacher and loves getting to spend time with her family here in Silver Spring.

Joined SJE in 2022

Jean Engler - 2nd Grade

jengler@sjte.org

Mrs. Engler attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a B.S. in Special Education. She began teaching first grade here in the early 1980s and later became the primary grades reading and math teacher. In the mid 1990s, she returned as a full-time second grade teacher, where she remains today. Mrs. Engler was St. John’s Teacher of the Year in 2006. 

Joined SJE 1981

3rd Grade

Ms. Tschiffely graduated from Villanova University in 1989 with a B.S. in Economics. She moved to the DC area shortly thereafter and worked as an economist for 6 years with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. She left the Bureau to become a full time stay at home mom and raised 3 children while also receiving an MBA from the University of Maryland. She started her teaching career as a 1st grade teaching assistant in 2004, worked to become certified in teaching elementary grades K-5, and became the second grade teacher at St. Ann's academy in 2007. Since her teaching career began, Ms. Tschiffely has moderated both after school book clubs and after school lego clubs.

Joined SJE in 2019

Caitlin McNickle - 4th Grade

cmcnickle@sjte.org

Ms. McNickle attended Loyola University Maryland where she received her Bachelors of Art in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. She has student teaching experiences from first grade to fifth grade in schools throughout Baltimore. 

Joined SJE in 2015

Cathy Tramontana - 5th Grade Homeroom - 5th and 6th Grade Language Arts;

ctramontana@sjte.org

Dr. Tramontana graduated from Villanova University with a B.A. in English, a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Honors, and a minor in Women’s Studies. She then earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Literatures in English from Rutgers University, where she taught expository writing and literature. Dr. Tramontana worked for a decade as a writer and editor for AAAS Project 2061, a K-12 science and mathematics education initiative. As a long-time SJE parent, she has worn many hats, including substitute teacher, HSA president, recess/lunch monitor, Girl Scout leader, Vacation Bible School teacher, and, her favorite, organizer of Poetry Night.

Joined SJE 2020

Sean Skahen - 6th Grade Homeroom - 5th-8th Grade Science and 4th-6th Grade Computers

sskahen@sjte.org

Mr. Skahen is our Science teacher at SJE. He is the oldest of two, originally from the Boston area.  He enjoys hiking, skiing, and running. He has spent time at the University of Maryland, the seminary at Catholic University, and Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, MD. He is glad to be a part of the staff here at SJE! 

Joined SJE 2021

Steven Albertini - 7th Grade Homeroom - 6th-8th Grade Math;

salbertini@sjte.org

Mr. Albertini earned his BA from University of Maryland Baltimore County in 1985.  He taught high school math in Montgomery County Public Schools for seven years and has taught middle school math in the Archdiocese of Washington since 2009.  Mr. Albertini believes math is the universal language and is a part of everything we do!  He loves playing tennis and the accordian outside of school, and is quick to explain that sports and music also involve math!

Joined SJE in 2018

Emily Pacconi - 8th Grade Homeroom - Language Arts 7th & 8th Grades; Religion 8th Grade;

epacconi@sjte.org

Ms. Pacconi graduated from John Carroll University with a B.A. in Education with a minor Social Studies and Language Arts. She is currently working toward her Masters. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to the area to work at St. John the Evangelist.

Joined SJE in 2014

Connie Sanneman - 5th Grade Math; Geometry

csanneman@sjte.org

Mrs. Sanneman graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a B.S in Civil Engineering.  She then earned her M.A. in Leadership in Teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, Maryland.  Mrs. Sanneman holds Maryland Education Certification in Elementary Education grades 1-6 and Mathematics grades 7-12. She has also been a certified catechist for the Archdiocese of Washington since 1995 and taught 4th grade religion in her home parishes.  Her early career as a professional engineer includes working at General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut and at NASA and California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.   Mrs. Sanneman has been working in ADW schools since 2005.

Joined SJE in 2019

Jessica Rivera-Zelaya - PreK-8th Grade Spanish; 1st-3rd Grade Computers

jrivera-zelaya@sjte.org

Born in El Salvador, Sra. Rivera-Zelaya has lived in the United States since she was four years old. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business and is currently enrolled in the Master’s Program for Elementary Education at Grand Canyon University, which plans to complete in December 2021.

She is a long-time parishioner at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, along with her husband and daughter.

Joined SJE in 2021

Kevin McTighe - PreK-8th Grade Physical Education

kmctighe@sjte.org

An avid sportsman, Mr. McTighe attended Rockville High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball. His love of sports continued at Montgomery College, and while there he played centerfield and pitcher for the school’s baseball team. After two years, he transferred to the University of Maryland, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. 

Joined SJE in 2012

Colleen Zarzecki - Librarian; 5th-7th Grade Religion

czarzecki@sjte.org

Mrs. Zarzecki graduated from the University of Dallas with a B.A. in English Literature.  She received an M.Phil. degree in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College, University of Dublin in Ireland and completed coursework and qualifying examinations for the Ph.D. in English Literature from the George Washington University.  Mrs. Zarzecki worked for four years in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services library and for more than a decade in the Office of Information Systems of the Administration for Children and Families. Both of Mrs. Zarzecki's daughters have attended SJE since preschool; one graduated from SJE in 2018 and the other will graduate in 2021.  

Joined SJE in 2019

John Higgins - 7th and 8th Grade Public Speaking

 

Mr. Higgins began teaching speech at St. John’s in 2012.  He is the grandfather of seven current students and graduates of the school.  Mr. Higgins is an attorney, retired from the National Labor Relations Board.  He currently teaches at Catholic University Law School and has taught there since 1982.

Joined SJE 2012

PreK-8th Grade Music

Mr. Harrison's musical education started at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He further pursued his education at Morgan State University, where he traveled worldwide with the acclaimed Morgan State Choir. He has his Master of Music degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has performed in numerous styles of music such as opera, musical theater, and sacred music  Things that Mr. Harrison enjoys are powerlifting, watching movies, and traveling.

Stephanie Rico - K-8th Grade Art

srico@sjte.org

Mrs. Rico initiated the school’s formal art program. She graduated from the University of Maryland with B.A. degrees in Studio Art and Art History. She also pursued graduate studies while at the University of Maryland. In 1993, she founded Art Horizons. This program is currently offered as an after-school enrichment program at St. John the Evangelist.

Joined SJE in 1995

Ross Tschiffely - Para-educator

rtschiffely@sjte.org

Mr. Tschiffely graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in 2014. He studied at Salisbury University and Montgomery College. During his time at SJE, he has been both a para-educator and a substitute teacher.

Joined SJE in 2019

Amy Maddox - Para-educator

amaddox@sjte.org

Mrs. Maddox graduated from Montgomery College with an A.A. in Marketing.  She started at SJE as a parent volunteer and then became a para-educator, where she has supported students with special needs ever since.                                                       

Joined SJE in 2008

Tina Niglio - PreK-3 Aide/After Care Teacher

tniglio@sjte.org

Mrs. Niglio is returning to SJE after a year at home with her grandkids.  She previously worked here for many years, and we are glad she was able to return this year! Originally from Philadelphia, she has been in Silver Spring and a parishioner at St. John's since 1977.  Her children all attended SJE.  Welcome back, Mrs. Niglio!

Re-joined SJE in 2021

Dondra Coniglio - PreK-4 Aide/Before & After Care

dconiglio@sjte.org

Mrs. Coniglio was born in Silver Spring. She grew up in this area (and also attended Catholic Schools nearby). Mrs. Coniglio has enjoyed working with various Catholic Schools over the years. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and also volunteers with animal rescue projects. One of her very favorite places to visit is the Shrine of Saint  Anthony in Ellicott City (she calls it a slice of spiritual Italy in Maryland).  Mrs. Coniglio will be helping in PreK-4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Welcome, Mrs. Coniglio!

Joined SJE in 2021

PreK-4 Aide/Before & After Care

 

Nila Diraimo - After Care Teacher

ndiraimo@sjte.org

Mrs. Diraimo currently teaches in our After Care program.  Previously she taught Spanish to our primary grades.  Prior to that, she taught at St. Catherine Laboure as well as at a Catholic school in NJ.  Mrs. Diraimo received the 45 Years of Service Award for Catholic Education from the Archdiocese of Washington.

Joined SJE in 2013

School Delegating Nurse

 

Jacklyn Price - Counselor 

jprice@sjte.org

Mrs. Price graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, with a degree in special education and elementary education. While at Canisius, she volunteered at the Big Brother/Big Sister program for the city of Buffalo. She earned a Master of Education in School Counseling from Loyola University Maryland. Mrs. Price taught in the Howard County Public School System as a Special Educator for 8 ½ years and 1 year as a School Counselor before joining the Archdiocese of Washington. She holds an Advanced Professional II certificate in Elementary Education 1-6, Generic Special Education 1-8, and School Counseling. She also is a National Board Certified Counselor and is a member of the Maryland School Counseling Association and the American School Counseling Association. 

Joined SJE in 2019

Kristin Maloney - Band Director

kmaloney@sjte.org

Ms. Maloney is a graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in History.  She began teaching band in the Archdiocese of Washington in 2002.  Ms. Maloney has been selected twice to conduct the Archdiocesan Honors Band. 

Joined SJE in 2015

Wendy Hassler - Resource Teacher

whassler@sjte.org

Ms. Hassler received her BS from York College in Therapeutic Recreation.  She received her teacher certification from Millersville University.  She has many years of experience working with students with special needs.  Ms. Hassler recently moved to the area from Pittsburgh, PA and is looking forward to sharing her gifts at SJE.

Joined SJE in 2021

Pedro Chicas - Facilities Manager

Mr. Chicas, lovingly called "Mr. Pedro", worked as a painter and handyman prior to joining the staff at St. John's.  He has managed the school and parish facilities since 2010.

Joined SJE in 2000