School Advisory Board

Rob Basile is a lifelong south sider with strong connections to Catholic schools.  He attended St. Jude the Apostle (South Holland), Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights), and graduated from the University of St. Francis (Joliet) in 2004 with a degree in Accounting. He moved to Lockport in 2009 with his wife, Courtney.  They are the proud parents of Olivia  SDJCA Class of 2030.   Rob has over 20 years of experience in financial services and is currently a Senior Wealth Advisor with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Oak Brook. Rob brings expertise in accounting, tax and other financial concepts in addition to organizational management to the board. He is a member of St. Joseph Church Finance Committee. He is a firm believer in Catholic education and is looking forward to contributing to the SDJCA School Advisory Board.

Growing up in Westmont, Kathy Brightmore is a proud graduate of Holy Trinity School. She earned a B.A. in biology from DePauw University and a B.S. in physical therapy at Northwestern University. Kathy and her husband Dave are both physical therapists and have recently retired after the sale of their business, Brightmore Physical Therapy. They have four children ages 22-30 who all graduated from St. Joseph School in Lockport and Providence Catholic High School. While at St. Joseph School, Kathy was actively involved having served as a member of the School Board. Kathy and Dave also served to aid couples in marriage preparation and were named as St. Joseph Legacy honorees. As a graduate of Holy Trinity School and a parent of Catholic school alumni, Kathy believes that Catholic education is pivotal in every young person’s development. She is looking forward to using her decades of experience working in health care and business management to be an asset while serving on the SDJCA School Advisory Board .

John Garvey has worked in the educational ministry for a total of 48 years as both principal and teacher. John is a retired Diocese of Joliet Catholic School principal and happily continues to serve when God calls. He served his last 11 years as principal at St. Mary Immaculate in Plainfield. John and his wife, Anne, have been active parishioners at St. Joseph Parish for more than 45 years. He and Anne began their teaching careers at St. Joseph School in Lockport. They have two adult children, John Jr. and Suzanne, who are both graduates of St. Joseph School. In addition to serving on SJS School Board, John also serves the community as a member of the Knights of Columbus, a home-bound Eucharistic minister, parish usher, substitute teacher and music minister. John also works as a faculty advisor for Lewis University working with aspiring school principals. John is proud to continue to team with the Saints Dennis and Joseph Catholic Academy School Advisory Board as he looks forward to helping to merge the thoughts and ideas of the community to find great success in Lockport’s newly formed Catholic Academy.

Mary Anne Koscianiuk grew up in a strong Catholic family in Homer Glen, IL. She attended S.S. Cyril and Methodius School and graduated from Lockport Township High School. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Illinois State University. She went on to graduate from Governors State University with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2003. Since that time, Mary Anne has dedicated her career to helping children with special needs. She has worked at Lockport Area Special Education Cooperative for over 20 years servicing the Lockport and Crest Hill schools. On October 18, 2003, she married her husband, George Koscianiuk Jr, at S.S. Cyril and Methodius Church. They have been residents of Lockport since that time and were previously parishioners at St. John Vianney Church. They later joined St. Dennis Church and have two children, George and Elizabeth, who both attended St. Dennis School for several years. Currently, their children are students at SDJCA. Mary Anne continues to grow in her Catholic faith and shares these values with her family every day. She has developed strong ties to the community here in Lockport and will continue to support SDJCA to give her children the opportunity to receive a strong Catholic education.

Sarah Oprzedek, born and raised in Lockport, is the proud descendant of a long family line of parishioners from both St. Joseph and St. Dennis Catholic Churches. She and her husband, Brendan, were married at St. Joseph in 2004, and are the proud parents of Soffia (SJS ’22) and Isaac (SDJCA ’28). Leading with faith, hope and charity, Sarah looks forward to working in partnership and unity to collectively build a new foundation and set the new standard for excellence in Catholic education. Sarah brings nearly two decades of professional, not-for-profit and leadership experience to the SDJCA School Board, including governance, strategic partnerships and community advocacy. As the President and CEO for United Way of Will County, she strives to unite communities and resources to empower people and create positive change. She is eager to bring her professional experience and passion for making a difference to SDJCA!

Danielle Pugh has been a part of the St. Joseph School community since 2009. She has served the St. Joseph School board for seven years (five as president), and as the Oktoberfest Children’s co-chair, room mom and volunteered at many SJS events along the way. Danielle and her husband, Jonathan, are proud parents of Nick (SJS ’18), Nathan (SJS ’18), and Makenzie (SDJCA ’26). Their family lives in Lockport. Danielle is an Executive Director of Technology at JP Morgan Chase and has been at the firm for 18 years. She prays that her organizational leadership, client focus and strategic planning will help this board bring SDJCA to a successful future. Danielle is proud to serve this new combined community. She adores the kids, believes in the pillars of Catholic education and is excited for what SDJCA can become for the community and for Catholic education in the Joliet Diocese. She loves that we are leading the way!

Katie Swiech grew up in Davenport, Iowa, where she attended Catholic Grade School at Our Lady of Lords and Davenport Assumption Catholic High School. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Northern Illinois University. Katie moved to the area 10 years ago where she met her husband Paul.  The Swiech family were members of Saint Patricia Church in Hickory Hills prior to joining SDJCA in 2023-24. Katie has spent the last 20 years in Leadership, Human Resources, and Business Management. She is excited to bring her ability to build an amazing culture, paired with organizational planning, and human resource to the board. The Swiechs have two children, Sadie and Saul, who attend SDJCA. Katie believes in SDJCA and the importance of Catholic Education. She is excited to bring her experience and positivity to the board and is committed to ensuring that SDJCA is successful for many years to come. 

Andy Weis is a 30-year parishioner at St. Joseph’s Parish. His four grown children graduated from St. Joseph School. He and his wife, Donna, have served on various parish and school committees, including eight years on the School Board. Andy has been a Lockport resident since 1992. Andy is in business management and has a passion for making sure Lockport has a viable Catholic school option available to local residents.

SDJCA, Lockport

SDJCA, Lockport

291

Saints Dennis and Joseph Catholic Academy is a dual-campus, serving PS-8th grade students.

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✝️Have a wonderful Easter Break with your families!✝️
⛪️See you in Church!!!⛪️

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✝️Have a wonderful Easter Break with your families!✝️
⛪️See you in Church!!!⛪️Image attachment

🥚🐣🥚You’re Never Too Old for an Egg Hunt🥚🐣🥚
Ms. Thompson introduced an Easter project that started at the North Campus today and runs throughout the entire Easter season! All classroom teachers submitted Religion questions for each egg to be answered by whoever find it. The students are excited about it already! Happy hunting!

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🥚🐣🥚You’re Never Too Old for an Egg Hunt🥚🐣🥚
Ms. Thompson introduced an Easter project that started at the North Campus today and runs throughout the entire Easter season! All classroom teachers submitted Religion questions for each egg to be answered by whoever find it. The students are excited about it already!  Happy hunting!Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

WE KNOW JESUS. HE’S OUR FRIEND!
💜Bridging Hearts from the ELC to Kindergarten💜

Miss B and Ms. La collaborated by creating a joint lesson inspired by the book The Sparkle Egg by Jill Hardie; story about forgiveness, grace, and the true message of Easter.

In the story, a young boy lies to his parents. Though they forgive him, he still feels guilty. On Good Friday, his mother suggests creating a “sparkle egg,” drawing a picture representing something he feels ashamed of and placing it inside the egg. On Easter, he finds the egg empty; symbolizing that his shame is gone, replaced by the joy and freedom found in Christ’s resurrection.

Moved by this message, every PK4 student and Kindergartener gathered for a reflective and sacred Holy Thursday activity. Each child thought about a sin or heavy feeling on their heart, drew it privately, and placed it into our communal Sparkle Egg. They prayed, asking God to remove the weight of their sin and help them move forward into Easter with joy and peace.

What a special experience, filled with reflection, love, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be forgiven.
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WE KNOW JESUS. HE’S OUR FRIEND!
💜Bridging Hearts from the ELC to Kindergarten💜

Miss B and Ms. La collaborated by creating a joint lesson inspired by the book The Sparkle Egg by Jill Hardie; story about forgiveness, grace, and the true message of Easter.
 
In the story, a young boy lies to his parents. Though they forgive him, he still feels guilty. On Good Friday, his mother suggests creating a “sparkle egg,” drawing a picture representing something he feels ashamed of and placing it inside the egg. On Easter, he finds the egg empty; symbolizing that his shame is gone, replaced by the joy and freedom found in Christ’s resurrection.
 
Moved by this message, every PK4 student and Kindergartener gathered for a reflective and sacred Holy Thursday activity. Each child thought about a sin or heavy feeling on their heart, drew it privately, and placed it into our communal Sparkle Egg. They prayed, asking God to remove the weight of their sin and help them move forward into Easter with joy and peace.
 
What a special experience, filled with reflection, love, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be forgiven.Image attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment

➕”Be the sunshine on a cloudy day and look for rainbows. Happy Thursday.” Jack – 1st grade
“If you can’t find somebody kind, BE kind.” Owen – 6th grade
“Doors will slam in your face. You just have to find the open one.” Elliana – 5th grade ➕

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➕”Be the sunshine on a cloudy day and look for rainbows. Happy Thursday.” Jack - 1st grade
“If you can’t find somebody kind, BE kind.” Owen - 6th grade 
“Doors will slam in your face. You just have to find the open one.” Elliana - 5th grade ➕Image attachmentImage attachment

🟢🍕🔵Kindergarten making shape pizza 🟢🍕🟨
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🟢🍕🔵Kindergarten making shape pizza 🟢🍕🟨Image attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment



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