Staff
Leadership
Fr. Cook
Pastor
Margaret Beale
Principal
Fr. Cook
Pastor
Margaret Beale
Principal
What is Ms. Beale’s background?
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts in Education, both from Virginia Tech. Ms. Beale grew up in New Martinsville, West Virginia, a tiny town nestled next to the Ohio River.
What was Ms. Beale like in K-8 grade?
She always wanted to be the wake-up fairy in kindergarten but was never selected. Now she gets to fulfill her lifelong dream and help wake up our pre-k students from their nap.
What was her best vacation?
Going to Italy. Walking through the Vatican and other holy sites was priceless to her.
What hobbies does she have?
Ms. Beale loves reading, cooking, and watching and playing sports.
About Ms. Beale’s family
She is the oldest of seven children and is from a family of educators. Her mother and three of her siblings teach in some capacity. They are all very close and enjoy playing various card games and board games when they get together. They are all huge WVU Mountaineer fans and love going to watch them play as a family. Their faith is very important, and one of her brothers is a Dominican priest.
What is her favorite quote?
“Cheerfulness prepares a glorious mind for all the noblest acts.” – Elizabeth Ann Seton
What is her proudest moment?
Walter Whitfield
STEM & Middle School Science
Marian Congdon
Art Teacher, Academic Support
Felicia Carter
Middle School Math Teacher, 6-8 Team Leader
Walter Whitfield
STEM & Middle School Science
Marian Congdon
Art Teacher, Academic Support
What is Mrs. Congdon’s background?
Mrs. Congdon has a BFA degree in painting and printmaking from Miami University with an art history minor, an MFA from University of California, Berkeley, and graduate courses in behavior analysis for BCBA certification from Florida Institute of Technology. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What was Mrs. Congdon’s best vacation?
Her best vacation was going to Munich, Germany, with her husband. They stayed with friends and visited castles, cathedrals, Bavaria, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, Austria. They rode an Alpine coaster in Meiders, Austria, and ate delicious food.
What are her hobbies?
Mrs. Congdon took up crochet when Covid lockdowns started. She likes to use scrap yarn, plarn (made from plastic bags), and old t-shirts.
About Mrs. Congdon’s family
She has been married to her husband, Eric, since 1994. He is a musician. They have four adult children, and three of them attended ICS! They have two cats, two dogs, and an aquarium full of snails and some fish.
What is her favorite quote?
“The simplest and most practical lesson I know is to resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow.” – Catherine McAuley
Who influences or inspires her?
Felicia Carter
Middle School Math Teacher, 6-8 Team Leader
What is Mrs. Carter’s background?
Mrs. Carter has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from UNC Asheville. She is a rare Hendersonville native and was on the school cheerleading team.
What are her hobbies?
Mrs. Carter likes to read and spend time with her family. She also enjoys shopping.
About Mrs. Carter’s family
She is married to her high school sweetheart, Matt, and has a son named Jackson who attends East Carolina University majoring in business and pre-law. She also has a Germen Shepherd named Axel.
What is something random we might not know about Mrs. Carter?
She danced for former President George H. W. Gush with other students from Pat’s School of Dance when he attended the Apple Festival in Hendersonville in 1992.
What is her favorite quote?
“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” – Mother Teresa
What is one of her favorite childhood memories?
Sarah Bell
Religion Teacher, 7th Grade Homeroom
Brian Longacre
Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
Sarah Bell
Religion Teacher, 7th Grade Homeroom
What is Ms. Bell’s background?
Ms. Bell has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Humboldt State University. She grew up in Shafter, California, where she enjoyed playing sports, especially gymnastics.
What are her hobbies?
Ms. Bell enjoys walking with friends and embroidery.
About Ms. Bell’s family
She has two amazing, enthusiastic kids, Lindsey and Ian.
What is her favorite quote?
“It is easy to talk about the cross; it is not easy to carry your cross.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz
What does she love about teaching?
Brian Longacre
Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
What is Mr. Longacre’s background?
Mr. Longacre has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Florida Atlantic University and is working on a Master of Arts in English Education from Western Carolina University. He grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
What are Mr. Longacre’s favorite places?
Coffee shops and coral reefs.
What are his hobbies?
Mr. Longacre loves animals and art.
What is something random we may not know about Mr. Longacre?
He can braid hair; he met Johnny Cash, he’s picked up a sloth in the wild, and he once scored seven goals in one soccer game.
What is Mr. Longacre’s favorite thing about Immaculata?
Tracy Lewis
3rd Grade Teacher & Team Leader
Louis Torchio
4th Grade & Music Teacher
John Gordon
5th Grade Teacher, Head of Business Development
Tracy Lewis
3rd Grade Teacher & Team Leader
What is Mrs. Lewis’ background?
Mrs. Lewis has a Bachelor of Science degree from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN, and a Masters of Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.
About Mrs. Lewis’ family
Her family consists of a grown daughter who lives in California, a grown son serving as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force stationed in South Korea, and a husband who moved with her from Minnesota to North Carolina in 2018.
One of Mrs. Lewis’ funniest moments teaching
Once when Mrs. Lewis was about 42, she told her 5th grade class that she was 25. Apparently, this became the talk around the dinner table, and even though she had a 16-year-old daughter and some of her kids were pretty good at math, a group of moms brought her a 25th birthday cake on her birthday!
Mrs. Lewis’ proudest moment
“My proudest moment was when my son was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant.”
What are Mrs. Lewis’ hobbies?
Louis Torchio
4th Grade & Music Teacher
What is Mr. Torchio’s background?
Mr. Torchio has a Music Business degree from Montreat College and a Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education from Western Governors University.
About Mr. Torchio’s family
He has a wife of four years and a 16-month-old son.
Where did Mr. Torchio grow up?
Mr. Torchio grew up in Centreville, MD
Where is his favorite place?
Charleston, SC, is his favorite place.
Who influences or inspires him?
He is inspired by Jesus, Eddie Vedder, Bob Dylan, Ghandi, and Buddha.
What is his favorite quote?
Mr. Torchio’s favorite quote is, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
What are his hobbies?
John Gordon
5th Grade Teacher, Head of Business Development
What is Mr. Gordon’s background?
Mr. Gordon graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in business, went to the best MBA program for Entrepreneurship, Babson College, then spent 20+ years helping little businesses become bigger businesses before a recent career change.
What was Mr. Gordon like in school?
Mr. Gordon was a perfectionist who did not talk a lot but worked hard to get good grades.
Mr. Gordon’s favorite childhood memories?
He would play stickball in his backyard with his next oldest brother, who was his best friend throughout childhood. It was one thing he could beat his brother in. They played all the way through college, and he has the bad elbow to show for it.
What does he love most about teaching?
Mr. Gordon loves to watch the children’s growth: in spirit, humor, resilience, and of course, in academics.
Proudest Moment
Angie Scarduzio
Kindergarten Teacher
Noelle Harralson
1st Grade Teacher, Team Leader
Kathleen Kauss
2nd Grade Teacher
Denise Seidensticker
Kindergarten Teacher Assistant
Angie Scarduzio
Kindergarten Teacher
What is Ms. Angie’s background?
Ms. Angie studied Early Childhood Education. She grew up in Indiana and Ohio. Her family moved a lot, so making new friends was always a daunting task, as she was very introverted.
What are Ms. Angie’s hobbies?
She enjoys reading, playing cards with her family, and hiking with her dog.
About Ms. Angie’s family
She has been married for over 25 years and has three children. Her oldest attends UNC Greensboro and plans to join the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco. Her middle child is studying to be an Occupational Therapy Assistant, and her youngest attends Henderson County Early College.
What does she love about teaching?
Watching a student discover the answer and make the connection. She loves the family atmosphere at Immaculata.
What is her favorite quote?
“If you think you can do a thing or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
What is her funniest teacher moment?
Noelle Harralson
1st Grade Teacher, Team Leader
What is Mrs. Harralson’s background?
Mrs. Harralson has a Humanities degree from the University of Maryland and served in Teach For America.
What is one of Mrs. Harralson’s favorite childhood memories?
Flying home from the Philippines on a cargo plane, the pilots let her into the cockpit to watch the sunrise. “It appeared as if we were outracing time as we flew from night into day.”
What are her hobbies?
Mrs. Harralson loves to read, and she enjoys gardening in the summer.
What is her favorite quote?
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo
Where did she grow up?
Kathleen Kauss
2nd Grade Teacher
What is Ms. Kauss’ background?
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts and French Language.
What hobbies does Ms. Kauss have?
Outside of school, she enjoys reading, going to the movies, traveling to warm beaches, shopping, and spending time with her family and friends.
What does Ms. Kauss love about teaching?
She loves watching her students grow in their faith and become inspired by what they are learning.
What is her favorite thing about Immaculata?
She feels blessed working with dedicated teachers and staff.
Who influences or inspires her?
Denise Seidensticker
Kindergarten Teacher Assistant
What is Ms. Denise’s background?
Ms. Denise grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. She is married to Scott and has four children, two grandchildren, one cat, two dogs, and three chickens.
What hobbies does Ms. Denise have?
She loves fixing old, broken things, doing anything crafty and lots of laundry.
What is one of her favorite childhood memories?
Riding bikes around the neighborhood to get Slurpees at the 7-11.
Who influences or inspires Ms. Denise?
Teachers – the most unselfish group of people she has ever met.
What is Ms. Denise’s favorite quote?
“May the force be with you.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
What is something random we might not know about her?
Diane Maxwell
Pre-K Director
Sara Melendez
Pre-K Teacher
Catie Russell
Pre-K3 Teacher Assistant
Diane Maxwell
Pre-K Director
What is Mrs. Maxwell’s background?
She has an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science in Kindergarten Education with a minor in Special Education. She grew up in the North Carolina sandhills region, about an hour from the beach.
Who influences and inspires her?
The 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Doctors (Doctor Who) and her beloved friends, Diana, Paula, and Marie, cancer survivors who never, ever gave up.
How does God play a role in Mrs. Maxwell’s life?
She had a major crisis of faith when her husband of 36 years died and she went through some really painful times. God never stopped holding her and carrying her through.
What is something random we may not know about Mrs. Maxwell?
She has published seven books and has three soon to be released.
What is her most embarrassing or funniest moment?
Her husband proposed to her at a church dinner. He got down on one knee while she was seated. When she stood up to hug him, she bumped into someone carrying two glasses of iced tea. He tripped over his feet and dumped sweet tea and ice all over a lady who was like a grandmother to them both. Through dripping gray curls, she told Mrs. Maxwell, “I’m so glad I love you so much. I just got this perm yester-durn-day!”
[for the yellow section of bio] What is the most famous thing someone in her family ever did?
Her grandfather and father both received honors from President Jimmy Carter.
Sara Melendez
Pre-K Teacher
Catie Russell
Pre-K3 Teacher Assistant
What is Ms. Catie’s background?
Ms. Catie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Belmont Abbey College. She grew up here in Henderson County, where she liked to sing and dance. She was in the band and theater in middle school.
What are her hobbies?
Ms. Catie likes to read, do arts and crafts, play the ukulele, and do Zumba.
What is her favorite quote?
“Creativity requires boredom.” – Fr. Mike Schmitz
What is one of her funniest moments as a teacher?
Cristina Nieto-Lopez
Pre-K4 Teacher Assistant
Lupita Aguillon
Pre-K4 Teacher
Cristina Nieto-Lopez
Pre-K4 Teacher Assistant
What is Ms. Cristina’s background?
Ms. Cristina received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. She grew up in Hendersonville, where she was a major bookworm, loved the outdoors, and was very much into academics.
What are Ms. Cristina’s hobbies?
She loves hiking, reading, dancing, yoga, and Netflixing.
What is Ms. Cristina’s favorite place?
Any body of water, especially the beach. A great mountain view comes a close second.
What does she love about teaching?
The creativity, imagination, and potential of each of her preschoolers.
What is Ms. Cristina’s favorite quote?
“The world doesn’t need what women have; it needs what women are.” – Edith Stein
What is Ms. Cristina’s proudest moment?
Lupita Aguillon
Pre-K4 Teacher
What is Ms. Lupita’s background?
Ms. Lupita has an Associates degree in early childhood education. She grew up in Hendersonville where she loved being on a jump rope team.
About Ms. Lupita’s family
She is married to a “superhero.” She has a two-year-old and an almost five-year-old.
What are her hobbies?
Ms. Lupita loves jumping rope, running (but has a hard time finding time), and doing hair.
What is something random we might not know about Ms. Lupita?
She teaches Mexican dances.
What is her favorite quote?
Never follow where the path may lead. Instead, make your own path and leave a trail.
What does she love about teaching?
Support & Specials
Paul Capodanno
Athletic Director
Annaliese Bopp
STEM & Science Support
Barbara Bayless
Academic Support
Paul Capodanno
Athletic Director
Annaliese Bopp
STEM & Science Support
What is Mrs. Bopp’s background?
She has a Bachelor’s in Social Work from University of West Florida and a Master of Education in Speech Language Pathology from Nazareth College of Rochester.
What was Mrs. Bopp’s best vacation?
The week she and her husband spent on a boat in the Galapagos Islands. She had always wanted to see the unique animals that live there.
What hobbies does she have?
Mrs. Bopp loves to create art quilts. Many of the quilts are of places she has seen while traveling.
What is something random we may not know about Mrs. Bopp?
She was the first female commodore of the yacht club that her husband and she belonged to on Lake Ontario.
What is Mrs. Bopp’s proudest moment?
Winning a Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and Science in 2018 was the epitome of her career.
What does she love about teaching?
Mrs. Bopp loves to see the wonder in students’ eyes and to see them enthusiastic about learning.
What was her funniest teacher moment?
Barbara Bayless
Academic Support
Leslie Stott
Administrative Assistant
JR Christy
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Leslie Stott
Administrative Assistant
What is Ms. Leslie’s background?
Ms. Leslie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Florida. She grew up in a tiny town in Central Florida, where she loved reading, riding her horse, and playing in the band.
What are Ms. Leslie’s hobbies?
She loves taking hikes to find waterfalls and wildflowers, singing, growing orchids, and reading.
About Ms. Leslie’s family
She is happily married to Mike, and they have three wonderful adult children, Geoffrey, Bryan, and Sarah.
What was Ms. Leslie’s most embarrassing or funniest moment?
The first football game she ever marched in with her high school band, they marched to the 10-yard-line and split. Every other person was supposed to turn around and march back 10 yards. She forgot to turn around, but then ran back to her group. She was VERY short, VERY red, and VERY well-known from that point on.
What is her favorite quote?
God’s peace is joy resting. His joy is peace dancing.
What is something random we might not know about Ms. Leslie?
