St. Joe has welcomed many new members to the community this year, not just students. This year, St. Joe welcomed several new teachers. This includes two new members of the English Department, Mrs. Mills and Ms. Mitchell.
Mrs. Mills has been teaching English for 15 years. St. Joe is the fifth school she has taught at. She first started teaching in Milan, Missouri for two years. She then moved to Kirksville, Missouri, her hometown, where she taught for 12 years. She then found her way to St. Louis and taught at a charter school called Gateway Science Academy for one year before heading to Oakville High School for one year. Then she finally made her way to the best all-girls school in the nation, St. Joseph’s Academy. She has loved teaching English because she can learn a different side of her students through their writing.
At St. Joe, Mrs. Mills teaches two different classes and is the head of the school newspaper, The Voice. She teaches sophomore World Literature and Composition as well as one creative writing class with juniors and seniors.
Mrs. Mills has truly enjoyed her time so far here at St. Joe, and to her the most enjoyable part has been the people.
“The people here have been so welcoming and so sweet about making sure all the new people feel we belong. They are always willing to help with any challenges and questions we have,” Mrs. Mills said.
The other new English teacher at St. Joe is Ms. Mitchell. This is her 3rd year teaching. She first taught in Kirksville, Missouri, the town of her alma mater, Truman State University. She always wanted to teach at a Catholic High School since she attended Bishop DuBourg High School. She had first heard about the opening at St. Joe through her grandfather. She instantly felt drawn to working at St. Joe. She went to Easter mass and prayed she would get an interview. She was called the next day and now here she is.
Ms. Mitchell loves English because there is always something new to learn.
“New texts and literature will never stop being made, so it’s very exciting and refreshing to think about how every year will be different and my students will get to read articles and stories that are relevant to pop culture and their interests,” Ms. Mitchell said.
The St. Joe community has already seen the impact these two spectacular teachers have made. They both come into school every day with a smile on their face ready to prepare the next generation.
Sydney Clayborn, junior, loves Ms. Mitchell’s class and the environment around it.
“Ms. Mitchell is an excellent teacher and person. Every time I walk into her class, I feel very relaxed,” Sydney said.
These two teachers have already started to make an impact at St. Joe. The Angels could not be more excited to have these teachers who are so committed to bettering their students every day they walk into school.
