Meet Our Staff

Mr. DiMarco, originally from Philadelphia, moved to Chicago to pursue his teaching career after graduating from St. Joseph’s University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Middle School Education with a concentration in Math and Science. After a year servicing with the Augustinian Volunteers, Mr. DiMarco began his teaching career as a high school math teacher. After graduating from DePaul University with a Masters in Education Leadership with a concentration in Catholic Education, Mr. DiMarco was a high school Dean of Students for two years before joining the St. Luke School community as Principal. Mr. DiMarco has loved his transition to a pre-K-8 school and working in a faith-filled Catholic environment. 

Outside of school, Mr. DiMarco enjoys playing golf and tennis, riding his bike, and spending time with his family and friends.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Science in Elementary & Middle School Education, St. Joseph’s University
Masters of Science in Educational Leadership, Catholic Education, DePaul University

Mrs. Coduti has been a member of the St. Luke School community since 2014. She began her teaching career as a fifth grade teacher. Her love of reading and writing motivated her to move to a middle school english-language arts teaching position, and she taught in that position for three years. She attended Dominican University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration, along with an elementary teaching certificate and a social sciences endorsement. After finding a love for curriculum and working with colleagues, Mrs. Coduti made the decision to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. 

Outside of school, Mrs. Coduti loves to spend time with her husband, children and dog. Running, camping and spending time outdoors are some of her favorite hobbies. 

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Dominican University
Teacher Certification with a Social Science and Middle School Endorsement, Dominican University
Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, American College of Education 

Mrs. Colagrossi has a Bachelor’s Degree from Concordia University in River Forest, IL.  She has an IL Type 04 certificate to teach children birth through age 8, with an Early Childhood Special Education endorsement. She believes in a learning through play curriculum that focuses on the learning process and encourages socialization and interacting with others. She believes in an environment that allows her students to be themselves as they engage, experience, and explore at their own pace. She values each student in her class and respects them simply for who they are.  Mrs. Colagrossi has been teaching at St. Luke since 2008. She loves spending time with her husband, Tony, their 2 children and 2 dogs, traveling, reading, and baking.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education with Specialization in Psychology, Concordia University
Early Childhood Special Ed Endorsement, National Louis University
Certified Catechist

Mrs. Filice began her tenure at St. Luke in 2001 as a student teacher and began teaching kindergarten in 2002. She took a break in 2006 after the birth of ther daughter, but returned in 2011 to teach preschool, moving back to kindergarten in 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Early Childhood Education from Dominican University. Mrs. Filice believes in a Kindergarten program that embraces the concept of developing the whole child and reflects an understanding that children learn through active involvement of play and that children represent their knowledge in a variety of ways. She provides a caring atmosphere that gives students the freedom to experiment and explore.  In her free time, Mrs. Filice enjoys crafting, DIY activities, and spending time with her 3 children and husband most of all.  

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Early Childhood Education, Dominican University

Mrs. Mathes has a Bachelor’s Degree from Kendall College with a type 04 state teaching certification in Early Childhood Education. She also has an ESL endorsement from National Louis University. She has worked with preschoolers for many years and has been with St. Luke School since 2015. Mrs. Mathes values each child as an individual and believes children learn best through hands-on, play-based experiences and exploration. She believes in a secure and nurturing classroom that gives students many opportunities to express feelings, engage and socialize with one another. This promotes independence and stimulates each child’s growth and development.

Mrs. Mathes loves spending time with her family and especially cheering on her teenage twin sons at sporting events.

Degrees and Certifications:

BA in Early Childhood Education, Kendall College
ESL endorsement, National Louis University

Mrs. Angela DiBenedetto attended St. Priscilla grammar school and Mother Theodore Guerin High School she believes in the importance of Catholic education with the sense of family and faith it brings. She has over 10 years of experience as a kindergarten aide as well as a 1^st grade aide. She also has experience as a Special Education paraprofessional in a self-contained classroom. Mrs. DiBenedetto loves children and is thrilled to be a part of the St. Luke community.

Mrs. DiBenedetto is fluent in Italian and enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, who were also blessed with a Catholic education. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, decorating, and cooking.

Ms. McCormick grew up in Elk Grove Village, Illinois and attended Queen of the Rosary School and Saint Viator High School. As a product of Catholic schools herself, she is a believer of the importance of high quality academics and educating the whole child. Ms. McCormick believes “educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” (Aristotle). Her teaching philosophy is to foster intrinsic motivation in her students and to teach engaging, exciting lessons. School is Ms. McCormick’s happy place and she vows to make her classroom a safe, magical space. 

Ms. McCormick recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and is thrilled to begin her teaching career at St. Luke School.

Ms. McCormick enjoys a plethora of hobbies such as working out, running, exploring the city, and spending time with her parents and three siblings.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, University of Kentucky

Diane Ryan has been a part of the St. Luke School community since 2006. In her time at St. Luke, Mrs. Ryan has served as a 1st grade teacher, the new math series coordinator, the Professional Learning Communities coordinator, and has been a facilitator for homework club and EDS, helping students in grades 4 through 8. After graduating from Roosevelt University, Mrs. Ryan was an instructional teacher in 4th and 5th grades at an elementary school in Wheaton, IL. Mrs. Ryan believes that every child is capable of learning and succeeding in life. She enjoys learning from her students as they learn from her. As a teacher, it is her goal to instill a life-long love of learning and to make learning a fun and enjoyable experience. She loves to have the opportunity to learn new things along with her students and share new experiences and knowledge with them.

Mrs. Ryan has been married to her husband, John, for over 30 years and she has a son, John, and a daughter, Emily. Both of her children have very different learning styles, which continues to challenge her to present lessons in as many different ways as possible so all students are successful. Mrs. Ryan also enjoys reading, walking, scrap booking, and playing games with her family.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Education (K-8), Roosevelt University

Mrs. Zajac holds a BA in elementary education with a specialization in Earth and Environmental Science from University of Illinois at Chicago and an MA in Reading, with a Reading Specialist, from Loyola University. She became a second grade teacher at St. Luke School in 2006. Mrs. Zajac is excited to share her love for learning with children.

A very important aspect of her life is her Catholic faith and wants to share her enthusiasm with children. She is committed to helping children develop as a “whole” person not only intellectually but spiritually as well. She believes that every child has unique ways of learning and she helps children find those ‘best’ ways to learn. Mrs. Zajac wants her students to develop a love and enthusiasm for learning that will last a lifetime, and will allow them to develop the gifts that God gave them to use and share with the world.

Outside of St. Luke, Mrs. Zajac enjoys spending time with her family. She is a mother of three children. Her interests include family vacations, nature, reading, and prayer.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
Master of Arts in Reading, Loyola University
Reading Specialist, Loyola University
Certified Catechist

Mrs. Munno has been a third grade teacher at St. Luke School since 2006. Her undergraduate degree is in Business Administration from the University of Illinois. Her original career was in business as a contract manager for a medical supply company. After a period of staying home with her children, she tried substitute teaching and soon realized teaching was the career for her. Mrs. Munno then earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Dominican University. She is certified to teach K-9 and has middle school endorsements in math, language arts, social science, and business marketing and management.

In her free time, Mrs. Munno loves reading, traveling, hiking, the outdoors, and especially spending time with her family. Mrs. Munno feels that a special and unique aspect of teaching in a Catholic school is starting each day with prayer and giving the students time for their special intentions.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Illinois
Master of Arts in Teaching, Dominican University
Middle School Endorsements in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Business Marketing and Management
Certified Catechist

Miss Decker grew up in North Aurora, attending private schools for most of her school career. She attended Murray State University in Kentucky, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and is now working on a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education through National Louis University. She taught 5th grade at Annunciation in Aurora and has been coaching tennis for over ten years.

When she is not teaching or playing tennis, she likes to spend time hiking and playing games with her family.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, Murray State University

Master of Arts, Elementary Education, Lewis University (in progress)

Mrs. Tufano is from Chicago, where she attended grade school and high school. After graduation, she moved to Michigan where she graduated from Adrian College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Language Arts along with a minor in Elementary Education and an Early Childhood Endorsement. She earned a Masters of Science in Special Education  from Purdue University in 2022.

Before coming to St. Luke School, Mrs. Tufano completed her student teaching at Audubon Elementary in Roscoe Village, then continued her work as a long-term substitute teacher at Saint Helen School in Ukrainian Village. She joined the St. Luke staff in 2020 as a first grade teacher, moving to fourth grade for the 2023-24 school year.

When she is not at school she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, or playing with her pets. Fun fact – Mrs. Tufano is married to a St. Luke alum!

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Language Arts, Minor in Elementary and an Early Childhood Endorsement, Adrian College

Masters of Science in Special Education, Purdue University

Mrs. Nieminski graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a minor in math. She began her career in 1983 teaching junior high math. Prior to teaching at St. Luke, she taught 4th and 5th grade. She chose to be a teacher in the Catholic schools for many reasons. She wanted to work in a faith community of educators, learners, and families, and has always felt at home encouraging and teaching her students to make good judgments and to develop good work habits and skills based on our faith. Mrs. Nieminski attended Catholic elementary and high school, and her children attended Catholic elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. Her daughter currently teaches at a Catholic high school. She has been married for 35 years and has two adult children.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Education with Math Minor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Mr. Bratager started his teaching here at St. Luke School in the fall of 1991. Over the years, he has taught American History, World Geography, World History, 7th grade religion (the Person of Jesus), 6th grade religion (the Old Testament), 8th grade reading, 7th grade reading, 8th grade Spanish, and 7th grade Spanish. Under his guidance, our 8th graders have been entering the Chicago History Fair for the past ten years. He helped run the Spanish Club for two years and has coordinated running the presidential mock elections since 1992. Mr. Bratager hopes to visit all 50 state capitals by 2030 (12 down, 38 to go) and he has had two lesson plans published on the Yale University web site through his participation in summer institutes for teachers: P.I.E.R. Programs 2013 and 2015.

“The exterior deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast.”

Pope Benedict XVI, 24 April 2005

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of History, University of Illinois at Chicago
Master of Education in Reading, Loyola University Chicago
Reading Specialist (pending)

Mrs. Crosswhite graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1981 with a degree in French Commercial Studies with a minor in Spanish. She augmented her business background with graduate study and received an MBA from UIC in 1983. For the next twenty-one years, Mrs. Crosswhite worked for McDonald’s Corporation. While employed at this international company, she held a variety of positions including serving for several years in the Training and Development Department at the corporate headquarters in Oak Brook. After many years in the corporate world, Mrs. Crosswhite returned to her first love – teaching. She received an MAT degree from National Louis University in 2004, and has been teaching at Saint Luke School since that time. In 2019, Mrs. Crosswhite was awarded the prestigious ‘Heart of Innovation’ teaching award from the Archdiocese of Chicago. She holds middle school endorsements in science, math, language arts, social science, French, Spanish, Italian, and business. Mrs. Crosswhite’s interests include physical activity, bicycle riding, reading, and spending time with family.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in French Commercial Studies; minor in Spanish, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Master of Business Administration, UIC
Master of Arts in Teaching, National Louis University
Middle School Endorsements: science, math, language arts, social science, French, Spanish, Italian, and business

Mrs. Neyenesch earned an Electrical Engineering degree from Marquette University and Master of Arts in Teaching from Dominican University. She is a graduate of Trinity High School in River Forest and St. Edmund School, formerly in Oak Park. Without a doubt, having earned an exceptional Catholic education, she believes in its importance. In addition, she has extensive international work experience as an Engineer and as a Product Manager for Motorola.

Mrs. Neyenesch began teaching at St. Luke in 2018. She began her academic career teaching Algebra I, Algebra II, and engineering at Queen of Peace High School. While pursuing her masters, she gained valuable experience working as a private tutor for middle and high school students, tutoring them in Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus. 

It is her dream to merge her excellent Catholic education, her wide-ranging teaching experience, her international work experience, and her ability to be a compassionate and enthusiastic teacher to make a positive contribution as a math teacher at St. Luke School.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Marquette University
Master of Arts in Teaching, Dominican University

Mrs. Mirkovic grew up in a small town in southern Illinois, not too far from St. Louis. She graduated with an elementary education degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Growing up, she always knew she wanted to be a teacher.

Mrs. Mirkovic began her teaching career in 2000 at the same small school she went to as a child. She has had a wide range of teaching experiences at every grade level from preschool through 8th grade and has loved every minute of it. In 2013, Mrs. Mirkovic relocated to Oak Park with her husband and two daughters after numerous years of teaching at St. Agnes and living in Springfield, IL. 

Mrs. Mirkovic is looking forward to sharing her love of all things related to reading and language arts with her students at St. Luke as they learn and grow in their faith and education. In her free time, Mrs. Mirkovic enjoys reading, taking pictures, spending time outdoors and movie time with her family.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in English from SIUE

Mrs. Batherson is the Computer Technology Teacher at St. Luke School and began her career here in 2014. She received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Northern Illinois University in 1983 and her teaching certification from Trinity Christian College in 2009. Mrs. Batherson has taught in multiple classrooms from Pre-K through 8th grade, including ELL and self-contained classrooms, during her four years as a substitute teacher. In 2016, she became a grandmother for the first time to Will and is loving every minute of it. In February of 2019, she became a grandmother again to Julia. What a difference! Mrs. Batherson believes that teaching in a Catholic school is wonderful because of the sense of community and faith present every day and that Christian values are emphasized in every subject and in the lives of the students and staff. 

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Northern Illinois University
Teaching Certification, Trinity Christian College

Mr. Russ graduated from St. Xavier University with a bachelors degree and received his teaching certificate from Trinity Christian College. Mr. Russ also earned his master’s degree from Concordia University Chicago. He has spent the past 12 years in a variety of roles including teaching, administration, and coaching. However, his main goal was to someday become an athletic director. He is very grateful to have the opportunity to be the Athletic Director and physical education teacher at St. Luke. He will strive to improve each student not only athletically, but academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

In his free time, Mr. Russ enjoys family time with his wife and 3 children. He loves to exercise, play golf, and watch his children play sports.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts, St. Xavier University
Teaching Certificate, Trinity Christian College
Master’s Degree, Concordia University Chicago

Mrs. Jennifer Reckamp is overjoyed to be a part of the St. Luke community as the K-8 music teacher and Learning Resource Specialist. She has spent the last 17 years teaching music and directing the school choir at St. Matthias School on the north side of Chicago. While there, she directed many Christmas programs and spring shows, incorporating both art and music. She enjoys teaching in a Catholic school and helping her students learn to sing their faith with joy!  There is nothing that makes her happier than to teach children to know and love music and have fun in the process. 

Originally from Princeton, Illinois, Mrs. Reckamp graduated from Illinois State University with a Music Therapy degree and received her Master’s degree in Music (Voice Performance) from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. She spent many years  performing throughout the U.S. before starting a family and realizing her love of teaching. She is happily married to her husband and best friend, Matt, and they have three children: two daughters in high school and one son, Jack, who attends St. Luke. When she is not at school, Mr. Reckamp enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her family.

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy, Illinois State University
Master’s Degree in Music (Voice Performance, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Ms. Gleason graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Elementary Education, and concentrations in Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. She also received a Master’s in Special Education from Dominican University. Ms. Gleason began teaching at St. Luke in the fall of 2011. She started with half-day three-year-olds, and half-day junior kindergarten. She then spent a year and a half as the Computer teacher, before moving to a third grade classroom, and finally settling in as a Learning Specialist. Ms. Gleason strongly believes in a Catholic education, and enjoys discussing her beliefs with her students. 

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Loyola University
Master of Arts in Special Education, with an LBS1 Endorsement, Dominican University

Ms. Lubarski graduated with her degree in Psychology from Lewis University. She has previously been in school as both a Dance Major and studied Social Work. Ms. Lubarski has over 10 years experience working with students of all ages in a variety of settings, from the dance studio to preschool enrichment, as well as volunteering as a Catechist. After being at St. Luke for a long term subbing position in 2022, she is thrilled to be back and working with the St. Luke community as the School Counselor.

In her free time, Ms.Lubarski enjoys spending with her two teenage children  and her dog. 

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Lewis University