Middle School Teachers
The middle school component of St. Joseph School is comprised of grades 6, 7 & 8. The teachers in this level are responsible for a classroom homeroom and the instruction of one or more core subject specialties.

Gigi Hafemann
Math & Social Studies      8thgrade@stjosephgrafton.org

Gigi has brought energy and excitement to our middle school level. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Gigi brings great knowledge and expertise to our middle school program. She is also part of our student activities committee.

 

Gigi’s Philosophy
"My philosophy of teaching is to be a facilitator of learning. I understand that students learn in different ways and therefore I adapt my teaching methods to meet these needs. My goal is to have my students leave middle school with a solid foundation of pre-algebra skills and problem solving strategies."

What does Gigi like best about St. Joseph Parish School?
"I am thankful for the wonderful students, parents and staff that I have the opportunity to work with."

Kevin Kostick
Language Arts         7thgrade@stjosephgrafton.org

Kevin joined our school 7 years ago. He has an amazing ability to help the students both understand and deeply appreciate literature and our English language.
 
 


Kevin’s Teaching Philosophy
"Teaching is autobiographical. I bring the sum of my experience in life to my classroom where it is filled with what I believe teaching can be: insightful, caring, and impassioned. As a teacher, I use humor in my classroom. Through modeling, I hope to foster a positive outlook to learning and life. Informing parents of their children’s progress is necessary and I establish this dialogue to include everyone. My instructional methods touch upon the different learning styles found in my classroom. Mixed-ability grouping is found in various classes. I expect a creative environment in my Language Arts classroom. Censorship is addressed through standards that make learning relevant to real-life situations. I believe classroom displays of student work demonstrate that ‘creating’ is a public act that can be shared with the entire learning community. Finally, surrounding students with books and technology provides access to information. My desire is to model lifelong learning and to inspire my students."

What he likes best about St. Joseph Parish School
"The school has a caring attitude between all staff and students. There is a strong support system for those needing it, and application of Christian values helps to bring forth the best in everyone. Parents are always supportive in the development of their children as members of society. Students demonstrate that the foundation received at St. Joseph School will guarantee their futures to be faith-filled."

   Josh Bastianello
   Science & Religion       6thgrade@st.joseph.org

Josh’s Teaching Philosophy
"My role is to be a facilitator. My job is to promote active learning. I accomplish that by providing meaningful discussion and relating material to something in the real world that is important to the students. I provide hands-on experiences that engage students and keep them interested in learning. It is my belief that students need to move from simple knowledge to synthesis and evaluation of information, and my goal is for students to obtain these skills."
 

What Josh likes best about St. Joseph Parish School
"There is a real sense of camaraderie as the staff is so helpful and upbeat. Being able to incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ into class every day is a truly wonderful way to build a sense of community. The students are such high achievers that we are able to set high expectations for them."

Meg Canepa
Social Studies          canepam@archmil.org

Meg joins us at the 6th grade Social Studies teacher.  She has been a part of the St. Joseph Parish community for over 15 years.

Meg’s Teaching Philosophy
"Learning is a life-long experience, which we all have a right and privilege to experience.  Each student is a special gift from God and my goal is to increase their knowledge and understanding."

What Meg loves best about St. Joseph Parish School.
"I look forward to coming to work everyday because of the supportive staff, the students' willingness to learn and the very cooperative parents."