SJPII School Teachers & Staff
Myriam McClellan, Principal
K4, Esther Drzewiecki
K5, Carrie Schleicher
1st Grade, Patricia Boyle
2nd Grade, Patricia Boyle
3rd Grade, Elaina Harding
4th Grade, Vanessa Covarrubias
5th Grade, Megan Rocque
6th Grade, Jason Koszuta
7th Grade, Bella Lambrecht
8th Grade, Claire Busken
School Coordinator, Dawn Boyer
ESL Teacher, Krystal Hayes
Physical Ed., Ben Pryztarski
Art Teacher, Jaleinys Castro
Art Teacher, Spencer Henry
K-4 Aide, Cynthia Reyes
K-5 Aide, Maria Luz Ramirez
3 Grade Aide, Jenny Hagen
Myriam McClellan
Principal
For more than 20 years, I have been blessed to serve in Catholic education, dedicating my career to forming students academically, spiritually, and morally. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as Principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School, where I continue to build upon the foundation of faith, excellence, and service. Having spent 14 years as a Catholic school educator at St. John Paul II, I have witnessed the life-changing impact that a faith-filled education has on children and their families.
To me, being a Catholic educator is more than a profession—it is a vocation and a ministry. It means seeing Christ in every child, leading with compassion and integrity, and helping students discover the unique gifts God has given them. Catholic education is about nurturing the whole child by integrating faith into every aspect of learning while fostering academic excellence, servant leadership, and a lifelong relationship with Christ. It is an honor to walk alongside our students, families, and staff as we work together to build a community rooted in faith, hope, and love.
Marissa Hernandez
Middle School Secretary
I was born and raised in Milwaukee primarily on the south side. I began working in the office at St. John Kanty School. I have been working in the office at SJP2 for 6 years. Soccer consumes the majority of my free time. My kids are in various soccer leagues in Milwaukee. I love to travel and try new things.
Graciela Martin
Elementary School Secretary
I have been working at SJPII School since 2013 as the Elementary Administrator Assistant and the Security Administrator and have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. For 26 years I have been married to Robert Martin and have five adult children (Emily, Melany, Nataly, Robert & Michael). I speak Spanish, English and some French. I enjoy reading, singing, and traveling. Her Catholic faith is the center of her life.
Esther Drzewiecki
K-4 Teacher
Hi, My name is Esther Drzewiecki.I have been teaching for 35 years at SJPII school and for 17 years in various grades. Most of my teaching has been with 4K. No matter what grade I have taught, it has been a learning experience and along with a lot of fun. I have 3 adult children, a husband, a dog, a cat and a rabbit. I enjoy crafts, playing golf, cooking, the outdoors and teaching.
Carrie Schleicher
K-5 Teacher
My name is Carrie Schleicher and I teach 5 year old kindergarten at SJPII Catholic School. I have been teaching since 1992 and most of those years have been as a kindergarten teacher. I went to UWW for my BSE in Early Childhood Education and UWM for my MSE in Curriculum and Instruction.
I enjoy watching the students grow in so many ways through the school year such as in their independence as well academically. I feel 5K is an important time for the students to build their foundation for future learning.
I was born in Milwaukee and lived here until my family moved to Caledonia (Racine County) when I was ten. My husband and I have 4 adult children. Our oldest is married and they have one child. As well as spending time with my family I love to do many things outdoors, but hiking has become my passion. I enjoy what God has created and often take pictures of what I find. It is amazing what you can find if you slow down and look closely.
Patricia Boyle
1st & 2nd Grade Teacher
My name is Patricia Boyle. I have been a teacher for forty-nine years. I really enjoy watching students learn and grow. I like to use music in my teaching, and the students helped me write a school song that shares our beliefs in faith, knowledge, and service. I received my Bachelor's degree in education from Alverno College, and my Master's degree in education from Mount Mary University. I have seen many changes in education, and I enjoy working as an educator.
Elaina Harding
3rd Grade Teacher
I made an exciting career change from architecture to teaching last year, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to teach elementary education. Easily the best decision I've ever made! Helping students to become confident in reading is my favorite part of the job. I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs and have called Milwaukee home since moving here for college. I live on the east side with my husband and our pointer-labrador mix, who has become very popular with my students! My favorite color is green, and my hobbies include painting, baking and travelling to the UK and Ireland to visit family.
Vanessa Covarrubias
4th Grade Teacher
My name is Ms. Covarrubias, and I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have been teaching for seven years, and this is my first year teaching fourth grade. I am also a proud mother to a wonderful two-year-old boy. In my free time, I enjoy reading, spending time with my family, and trying new coffee shops. I chose to become a teacher because I wanted to make a positive difference and help children in my community. I am excited to continue growing as an educator and to create a fun, welcoming, and supportive classroom for my students.
Megan Rocque
5th Grade Teacher
Hi! I’m Megan Rocque, and I’ve been teaching for 17 years, working with students from 4-year-old kindergarten through 8th grade. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UW–Milwaukee, with minors in Science and Social Studies, along with a certification in Early Childhood Education. My favorite part of teaching is building relationships with students, making learning fun, and watching those exciting “a-ha!” moments happen. Outside of school, I’m married to my husband Tim, and we have two daughters, Madelyn and Amelia. I love traveling, gardening, painting, tackling DIY home projects, and organizing just about anything! I’m also a huge animal lover and grew up with quite the collection of pets. I believe learning should be filled with curiosity, laughter, creativity, and the confidence to keep trying, even when things get challenging!
Jason Koszuta
6th Grade Teacher
I grew up in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s on the Southside of Milwaukee. Faith, family, and school have always been an integral part of my life. I grew up loving teachers, performers, and all people who educate and inspire. Photography and videography are my major hobbies. I still live in the area, happily married, with a growing, loving family of kids, grandkids, and many pets.
Claire Busken
8th Grade Teacher
This is my second year having the opportunity to teach at St. John Paul II and I feel very grateful to be a part of such a wonderful school community. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH and attended Catholic schools myself growing up. I earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) before deciding to become a teacher. I love teaching Math, Science, and Religion to middle school students and getting to see them learn and grow everyday. I have a pet turtle named Sue and live with my two roommates and best friends. I enjoy crocheting, cooking and everything Star Wars. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such a supportive and talented staff and am excited to continue to grow as an educator!
Krystal Hayes
ESL Teacher
My name is Krystal Hayes
I have been teaching in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for 18 years. I am the English as a Second Language teacher this year and I am excited to do so. I love to read and cook and spend time with my family which includes my daughter Olivia, who is a sophomore and my son Dominick who is in 5th grade. I sing in the St. Matthew Church choir, and love to watch sports, especially basketball.
Dawn Boyer
School Coordinator
My name is Dawn Boyer. I have been a part of the St John Paul II parish and school community for over 30 years as a parishioner, a parent and a teacher. In my free time, I love spending time with my family and friends. I love anything purple and sunflowers.
Ben Pryztarski
Physical Ed.
I have lived in the Southeast Wisconsin area my whole life (tiny Franksville, WI). I am really happy to be a part of the St. John Paul II CS staff. I think we are doing great things together.
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my wife, daughter and two guinea pigs. In the summers you will find me dressed up at several different Renaissance Faires.
Go Pack Go!
Jaleinys Castro
Art Teacher
My name is Jaleinys Castro, and I have been teaching for three years. I moved to Milwaukee from Florida about 2 years ago to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy and Art Education at Alverno College, and I also hold an associate degree in Early Childhood Development. I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, and one of my favorite parts of teaching is sharing that passion and excitement with my students. I love helping students discover their inner artist and find beauty in the world around them. My goal is to create a welcoming space where every student feels encouraged to explore and discover what makes their art uniquely their own!
Spencer Henry
Art Teacher
I am an art educator from Milwaukee. In the classroom, I love encouraging student creativity and critical thinking. Outside of class, I enjoy painting, reading, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. Most of all, I hope to leave the world a better place than how I found it, and to do everything with love.
Maria Luz Ramirez
K-5 Aide
My name is Maria Luz Ramirez, a proud mother of four children and blessed with two granddaughters. I've been with St. John Paull II for 14 years and it has been a wonderful experience that I will continue enjoying every day. Besides helping and assisting k5 class, another greatest pleasure is celebrating students and staff birthdays, organizing santa shops and mother's day shops for students to have an opportunity to shop for their families and to help in all I can to create memorable moments for our students and families.
Jenny Hagen
Grade 3 Aide
