ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL - Key Persons
We are blessed to have Father Adam Laski as a part of our Four Parish team! Father Adam has been a part of this cluster for the last year and was ordained a priest in 2015.
He went to college at the University of St. Thomas and received a BA in Philosophy & Catholic Studies (Masters in Divinity & Masters in Canon Law).
Father Laski moved several times because of his father's job, but eventually found roots in Haugen, WI when he was six years old.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Associate Pastor
Fr. Isaiah Schick is the Parochial Vichor (Assistant Pastor) at Four Parishes One Faith. Fr. Schick started on July 1, 2023 and was recently ordained May 2023.
Father Joseph Kumar Mayakuntla was born in India and grew up in a multi-generational Catholic family. His mother is a very devoted Catholic and has a very special devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary which has impacted his faith throughout his life. He is the oldest of two brothers.
At the age of 14, Fr. Kumar was able to hear from priests who visited his Catholic School. He, very early, was inspired by the testimonies shared by those priests and began discerning the priesthood while in grade school. At that time, he was offered the opportunity to work at a local Catholic parish. This was the start of God working in his life and this encouraged him to enter the seminary at the age of 15. Fr. Kumar attended the seminary for 11 years and was ordained in the Diocese of Guntur (India) on April 11, 2011.
Following ordination, Father Kumar served in the Diocese for five years and then was given the opportunity to come to the Diocese of Superior. This is now his 6th year serving in the Superior Diocese. He has served Our Lady of the Lake (Ashland) and Holy Family (Bayfield). After having some issues with his visa he was forced to return to India for 10 months and then, God willing, was able to come back to the Dioceses of Superior where he served most recently at St. Ann in Somerset.
Father Kumar loves sports; Especially soccer, ping pong, and bags. Fun Fact: He entered a bean bag tournament in Somerset and won!
Father Kumar loves serving and administering the sacraments, especially as a missionary priest. This is now his 13th year as a priest. The Gospels have always inspired him from a young age. His favorite bible verse is Matthew 9:37, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few".
Job Titles:
- Special Education Teacher
My name is Jen Nelson and I have been a part of the SJS family for 14 years. I started subbing and volunteering with my son started preschool. Officially, I have been the Special Education service provider here at St. Joseph for RLASD for about 6 years. This is my first year as an official SJS Special Education Teacher and Case Manager. However, I also work for RLASD in this role as well.
I have two children. My daughter is a sophomore in college and my son is a senior at Rice Lake High School. They both graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School. I attended Catholic school through High School and am so happy that my children also were able to receive a Catholic education.
I attended and received my Bachelor's Degrees in Special Education and Regular Education at UW-Eau Claire. I grew up in Chippewa Falls and moved to Rice Lake in 1999 when I got married to my husband, Chad, who is a local to Rice Lake.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal at St. Joseph Catholic School
Jerry Van Dyke has been the principal at St. Joseph Catholic School for six years. Him and his wife, Cheri, have four adult children and four grandchildren.
Jerry graduated from Marquette University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Education. He also received his Masters in Educational Leadership from Viterbo University.
Jerry grew up near Manitowoc, WI and in his free time he enjoys traveling, hiking and home renovation projects.
What he loves most about St. Joseph School is the commitment he sees from families and the community to the success of their children and to the vitality of the school.
My name is Tony and my family and I have been a part of the St. Joseph School team for 8 years. I was born and raised in Rice Lake. I attended WITC in Rice Lake and earned a degree in Wood Techniques.
Hello! My name is Alicia and I have three children, two of which attended St. Joseph Catholic School. I attended WITC for my Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. I was raised in Chetek and enjoy camping, traveling and fishing with my family.
What I love most about St. Joseph School is the small family atmosphere and the joy of watching your littlest learners grow.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Advancement
Hello! My name is Emily, and I love all things marketing and Catholic schools. I grew up in Almena, WI on a dairy farm and attended High School at Cumberland High. I received my Bachelor's degree in Marketing Communications from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a minor in Business Administration. I recently moved back into the area from the Twin Cities where I worked for 7 years in Catholic School marketing, enrollment, and fundraising.
I have two children who attend St. Joseph School. In my free time, I enjoy horseback riding and bonfires.
Job Titles:
- Kindergarten Aid / Art Teacher
Job Titles:
- Special Education Teacher
Jodi Seyer has four children who attend St. Joseph School. She attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she earned a dual certification in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Special Education. She grew up in Southwest Wisconsin and moved to Rice Lake in 2021 after her husband was offered a position in Eau Claire. Their family enjoys being outdoors together, particularly on the lake. Mrs. Seyer also enjoys gardening, cooking and reading. She loves helping students to recognize their potential and celebrate the unique individual that God created them to be! She is excited to have the opportunity to encourage students to embrace lifelong learning.
Mrs. Jodi Seyer is a part-time Special Education Teacher that works in collaboration with Mrs. Jen Nelson, Special Education Teacher.
Job Titles:
- School Office Administration
My name is Julie and I have been a part of the St. Joseph School team for over 13 years. My husband, Mark, and I have three adult children (and a daughter-in-law). All attended St. Joseph School at one time. I grew up primarily in Neillsville, WI. My family moved from Eau Claire to Rice Lake in 1991.
Mrs. Hafstad comes to us with 35 years of teaching experience in the Prairie Farm and Cameron School Districts. She retired in June 2023 and decided to come back part-time to be a teacher aid in our 4K Preschool classroom. She enjoys being with students and staff in a supportive faith-based environment.
Lisa and her husband Ken have three children: Jordan, Daniel, and Elizabeth, who have all attended St. Joseph School. SJS was a wonderful experience for her family and she now has eight grandchildren, four of whom are current students at SJS.
Lisa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, majoring in Elementary Education and English. She grew up on a dairy farm west of Rice Lake and she has lived just up the road from her home for 33 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, camping, biking, and boating. Welcome Mrs. Hafstad!
Hello! My name is Mrs. Melissa Handorf and I have been teaching for 8 years at St. Joseph Catholic School. I have 4 children that attend St. Joseph School. I received my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.
Job Titles:
- Member of St. Joseph Church
- Special Education
Mrs. Monika Audette has been a member of St. Joseph Church for 35 years. She has three grown children, and all three attended St. Joseph Catholic School from preschool to 8th grade. Her daughter Auriana Hyllested is the middle school science teacher at St. Joseph.
She says, "the school has been central to our family and it is so welcoming." Audette served on the St. Joseph Education Committee for about 10 years. During that time, she enjoyed helping with sports, field trips, special classroom projects, the building of the playground, multiple remodeling projects, and of course, many fundraisers.
Monika graduated from the University of St. Thomas with degrees in public relations and nonprofit management. She recently retired from Barron County Restorative Justice Programs and is an instructor at Northwood Technical College.
During her childhood years, she lived in Minnesota. Her husband Francis got his first job after college with Marketplace Food, and after they married, moved to Rice Lake.
Some of her favorite hobbies are being involved with several music groups and the Barron County Rotary. Monika enjoys gardening, traveling (especially to visit her family), reading, and fishing. She is also learning to snowshoe.
Mrs. Audette is excited to help our students recognize and develop their individual strengths. She will be assisting teachers and students on Mondays and Fridays.
My name is Mrs. Pat Western! This is my twenty-first year at St. Joseph School. My first 5 years were in a job share position with Mrs. Barb Burns. This is my sixteenth year as a full-time kindergarten teacher. I obtained my teaching certification from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Clarie in 1988 and have been enjoying the profession ever since!
I have two children that graduated from St. Joseph School, otherwise known as "Josers." My daughter, Ellen, is also a teacher; however, she is now doing in-home daycare and preschool with her one-year-old son, Sawyer. I'm pretty excited about my new title, Grandma! My son, Eric graduated from the University of Madison in Bio-systems Engineering and is in the process of moving to Boston to start his own lawn maintenance business.
I grew up on a dairy farm in Thorp, Wisconsin. I have very fond memories of growing up in the country, and I do miss it at times! I have seven siblings: four brothers and three sisters. My husband, Mark, and I have been in Rice Lake for almost twenty-seven years, and I love it! Mark works as a pharmacist in Ladysmith; however, he worked for Shopko when we first came to Rice Lake. Mark's job at Shopko brought us to Rice Lake.
My favorite hobbies involve the outdoors. I love to bike, hike, camp, canoe; pretty much anything I can do in nature. I also enjoy flower gardening in my yard.
I am excited to be joining the St. Joseph School family as the new 4th-grade teacher. I cannot wait to meet my new students and learn and grow with them throughout the year. I look forward to being able to share my excitement for learning as well as my love for God with each and every student that comes through my classroom door.
My husband Nathan and I have 4 children, Aidan, Ella, Josiah, and Alvin. I attended college at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. I received my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and went on to get my Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Curriculum and Instruction. I moved to Rice Lake when I was 10 days old and lived here until I went off to college. After marriage, my husband and I moved to Southern WI where I taught 1st grade. We later moved to Minnesota for a few years and then finally returned to the Rice Lake area 11 years ago. I love to spend my free time sewing, reading, fishing, gardening, crafting and playing games with my husband and kids.
Hi! I am Mrs. Shannon Holthaus. I have worked at St. Joseph School for three years but I have been a part of the community for quite some time now. I have two children, Lauren and Julia. They both attended St. Joseph School from K-8th grade.
My name is Wendy and I have been a part of the St. Joseph School family for 15 years. I have three children that all attended St. Joseph School. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in Elementary/Middle-Level Education.
I grew up in Cameron, and we moved back to the area when our children were young so they could enjoy the beautiful north woods of Wisconsin. I love anything outdoors, but I especially enjoy hiking, kayaking, gardening, cooking, knitting, and spending time with my family.
I'm excited to get to know my new coworkers and students this Fall as the new 3rd-grade teacher at St. Joseph School. I do not have children of my own but my niece and two nephews currently attend St. Joseph Catholic School. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at UW-River Falls. I grew up in Tomah, WI. My sister and her family live in Rice Lake - (Mrs. Melissa Handor) who is the current 1st-grade teacher at St. Joseph School! Some of my favorite hobbies include crafting, hanging out with family and hiking.
Hello! My name is Mrs. Sarah Plahn and I am the Middle School Social Studies teacher. I have worked at St. Joseph Catholic school for almost three years. I have two adult sons.
I earned my Bachelor's degree at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. I earned my Master's degree at Bemidji State University. I was born in Shell Lake, WI but grew up in Mound, MN. My dad is from Shell Lake. We spent a lot of time there when I was growing up. I have lived in many different places over the years, including Wisconsin. It was always my goal to move back here when I moved away in 1996. When my sons grew up and moved away, I began looking for a job in this region. My parents and brother live in the cities; my mon's family is in Clintonville; my sons are in Minnesota too. I am just a few hours away from everyone. My dream job has always been a place where I can practice my faith. St. Joe's has offered that for me.
My favorite hobbies are to read a lot, sew a little, and do some counted cross-stitch.
I love working at St. Joseph Catholic School because it feels like a loving family at St. Joseph's. Everyday at work is a happy day.
Hello, my name is Stephanie Schissel and I am excited to join the St. Joseph Catholic School and Four Parishes One Faith team! During the weekday I am a Science Teacher at St. Joseph School and a few hours a week I spend building the Youth Ministry program with Four Parishes One Faith. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor adventures with my dog, Lombardi, watching the Green Bay Packers, and playing with my three little nephews.
I grew up in Rice Lake and attended St. Joseph School from pre-K through 8th grade, and I am so excited to be back where it all began. After graduating from RLHS in 2015, I studied Biology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where I was comprehensively formed in both faith and science. Upon graduating, the Lord called me to serve as an inner-city missionary with Vagabond Missions, breaking the cycle of hopelessness, and sharing God's love to His children who have been outcast and underserved.
Hello! I am Sister Claudine Balio. This is my 29th year teaching as St. Joseph School. Since I am a Sister, I do not have any children of my own, but over these past 53 years of teaching, I have had thousands of children. I am so blessed!
I received my Bachelors degree from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. I grew up with my two brothers in Hammond, IN. Sister Jeanne Conzemius and I came to Rice Lake from South Bend, IN. Both of us are members of Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis. We, our community, own the property off Orchard Beach Lane know as Heart Island. At this time, we house a variety of ministries. They are: The Guest House, Benjamin's House Emergency Shelter, Heart Island Family Enrichment Center (where The Sisters' Food Cupboard is housed) and the Family Warming House.
I love to read, fish, bike, garden and spending time with our dog, Nina. I am a life-long Cubs and Bears fan; and, I love the Gonzaga Basketball Team!
St. Joseph School is home for me. My colleagues are my family and I know that they would do anything for me, as I would for them. The parents (and grandparents) of the children I teach are supportive, responsive and caring. They would do anything they could to partner with me in the learning of their children. The children are a wonderful gift in my life. They enrich me and are a blessing to me.