Say Hello to Our New Faculty & Staff at MICDS

Lower School

Olivia Hoyle – Lower School Teaching Associate

Olivia joins the MICDS Lower School as a teaching associate. She recently relocated to St. Louis from Texas after teaching first grade for several years. Olivia graduated from Texas Christian University, earning a bachelor’s degree in English and an early childhood teaching certificate. At TCU, she was also a dance team member—a passion she employed to create an after-school dance program at her former school. Olivia, her husband, and their Golden Retriever, Sunnie, are excited to join the MICDS community, where she hopes to start an after-school dance club. Welcome to MICDS, Olivia!

Emma Matteson – Lower School Assistant Director of Extended Day

Emma may be a familiar face at MICDS after her work in the Extended Day program in recent school years, where she now assumes the role of Assistant Director. Emma recently graduated from Webster University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She loves volleyball and has played competitively at the club and collegiate level for 13 years. Her favorite part of the MICDS community is the authenticity of the students, faculty, and staff, along with the sense of community and school pride. Another fun fact about Emma is that she is a distant cousin of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Welcome to this role, Emma!

Middle School

Carol Dalton – Middle & Upper School French Teacher

Carol joined the MICDS World Languages department full-time last January after being one of our regular world languages substitute teachers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in French and aims to finish her master’s in French Literature this fall at Saint Louis University. Carol has taught French at various St. Louis schools, most recently at Chaminade. She looks forward to getting to know her colleagues and appreciates all that the MICDS community has to offer. Fun fact: Carol traveled to Paris for the Olympics and enjoyed beach volleyball competitions under the Eiffel Tower. Welcome, Carol!

Ethan Forte – Middle & Upper School Orchestra Teacher

We are delighted to welcome Ethan Forte as an orchestra teacher in the middle and upper schools at MICDS. Ethan holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and music composition from the University of Missouri and is pursuing a master’s in music composition from Webster University. Ethan comes to us from the Columbia public schools and Webster University, where he serves as a teaching assistant. Fun fact: Ethan had an original composition performed by the St. Louis Symphony. Welcome to the Arts Department, Ethan!

Upper School

Kimberly Allred – Upper School English Teacher

Kimberly may be a familiar face as one of our regular Upper School English substitutes and now joins the English department permanently, teaching ninth and 10th graders. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Emory University and a master’s in education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Kimberly has worked for 12 years as an English/Language Arts teacher, most recently in the Fulton County School District in Atlanta, Georgia, where she lived for 10 years before relocating back to St. Louis. Kimberly looks forward to growing with her advisory over the next few years. Welcome to MICDS!

Dora Biegl – Upper School Math Teacher

Dora Biegl joins MICDS as an Upper School Math Teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Belmont University and a master’s in education, specializing in math education, from Vanderbilt University. She has 30+ years of teaching experience and comes to MICDS after several years of teaching at the Britannica International School in Budapest, which followed a long career at Harpeth Hall in Nashville, Tennessee. Fun fact: When growing up in Hungary, Dora was the national Junior Judo Champion. Dora looks forward to working with students who love to learn and are willing to be leaders in their learning process. Welcome to MICDS, Dora!

Staff

Bob Graeff – Director of Safety & Security

Bob joined our operations team from the Webster Groves Police Department, where he worked for the last eight years as a police officer, school resource officer, and detective. Bob was pivotal in implementing school safety measures in Webster, leveraging technology to enhance security efforts and collaborating effectively with internal and external stakeholders. Bob holds a bachelor’s degree from Fontbonne University and has a 40-year history of playing soccer, including a short stint in professional indoor soccer. Bob is the father of twin seven-year-old daughters, Rowan and Lydia. He looks forward to working in a school environment where he can share his experiences from his law enforcement career and develop additional safety plans to help keep the MICDS community safe. Welcome, Bob!

Bill Senti – Associate Director of Admission – Lower School

Bill joins the Admission team at MICDS after a distinguished 20-year career in schools, most recently serving as the principal of Bristol Elementary in Webster Groves, which earned a prestigious Gold Star award from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) at the conclusion of the last school year. Bill holds a master’s degree in educational administration and a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design with concentrations and certifications in educational leadership and as a K-8/7-12 principal. Bill has a passion for connecting with students, parents, and staff to build and maintain strong learning communities. Bill has three sons and loves supporting their sports teams, watching Cardinals baseball, and being outdoors. He is excited to be part of the JK-12 experience at MICDS. Welcome, Bill!

Henry Darris – Housekeeping Staff

Henry joined the MICDS housekeeping team first as a temporary employee, and after seeing the value he added to maintaining our facilities, he was hired full-time. Before joining MICDS, Henry had various operational roles with Ameristar, River City Casinos, and Pitney Bowes. In his free time, he loves to be with his family and spend time with his five children. Welcome to MICDS, Henry!

Dan McCalter – Security Officer

Dan brings over 25 years of safety, security, and education to MICDS, including serving as a safety officer for St. Louis Public Schools, Director of Security at a health facility, and extradition agent. Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and physical education from Lincoln University and is a certified paralegal. Dan was named Officer of the Month during his time at the IRS when he found and rescued a missing child before the child headed into traffic. Welcome, Dan, and thank you for helping to keep the MICDS community and campus safe!

Justin Schoenfeld – Groundskeeper

Justin joins the MICDS Grounds team from Harris Stowe University, where he used to work with another MICDS grounds crew member, Shawn Rose. He learned elite sports field care and striping from the Arizona Razorbacks grounds crew, as well as other grass, turf, and ice rink knowledge, such as climate zone appropriation. In his spare time, Justin likes to be outdoors fishing and kayaking. He looks forward to being part of the MICDS community because of its biodiversity of campus plant species, the use of rainwater bioretention areas, and, of course, the MICDS athletic teams. Welcome to MICDS, Justin!

Michael Stoecklin – Development Specialist

Michael joined the Alumni & Development team as a Development Specialist. He comes to us most recently from the St. Louis Country Club and, before that, served the Campbell House Museum downtown, which is located on the same street as one of the original Mary Institute campuses. Michael is a proud Chaminade alum who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He and his wife have a 9-month-old daughter named Penny, two standard poodles, Opal and Sylvia, along with a family of houseplants. He looks forward to meeting everyone in the MICDS community. Welcome, Michael!