Faculty & Staff

Mr. Robert Patrick

Mr. Robert Patrick

Principal

Mrs. Linda Childers

Mrs. Linda Childers

Preschool

Mrs. Rachel Van Arsdale

Mrs. Rachel Van Arsdale

Kindergarten-First Grade

Mrs. Linda Hoffmann

Mrs. Linda Hoffmann

School Secretary & Admissions Counselor

Mr. Dale Woock

Mr. Dale Woock

Music Director

Mr. Robert Patrick

Mr. Robert Patrick

Principal

As an educator my goal is twofold.  My first responsibility is to share the message of salvation with my students and to make sure that my staff has what they need to implement this mission. My second goal is to guide students so that they develop the tools needed to become independent learners.

Mr. Patrick joined the St. John’s Lutheran School staff in the fall of 2019. Over his tenure as a Lutheran educator he has been a music director and history teacher in Lutheran high schools as well as principal at two Lutheran high schools and a Lutheran elementary school. He earned his bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University and masters degrees from Butler University and Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN. Mr. Patrick is excited to continue to expand the exemplary Christ-centered education that has been part of St. John’s for over 150 years.

Mrs. Linda Childers

Mrs. Linda Childers

Preschool

“Preschool is such an exciting time for children! It is a joy to share the day with these little learners! They are so eager to learn and explore! It is my goal to create a loving, Christian learning environment where each child develops a love for learning and is excited to come to school each new day!”

Linda Childers makes sure each child receives the genuine, loving care and attention needed to learn and grow and is very skilled at working with each individual student at their own level. She makes sure that her preschool students develop a love for learning by doing a lot of creative hands-on activities.

Mrs. Childers graduated on the Dean’s List from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She was a member of Kappa Delta Pi (an Honor Society in Education) and Mu Alpha Theta (a National Mathematics Club). She has been teaching preschool since 1999.

Mrs. Childers is a lifelong member of St. John’s. She and her three children all attended St. John’s Lutheran School from Preschool and Kindergarten through 8th Grade.

Mrs. Van Arsdale

Mrs. Van Arsdale

Preschool

“I am passionate about what I do and am always thinking of new ways to motivate students to learn and to make my classroom fun.”

Mrs. Van Arsdale loves teaching in Early Childhood because of young children’s excitement and love of learning. It is most rewarding to her to see her students learn and grow.

Mrs. Van Arsdale graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She was also on the Dean’s List. She has 8 years of experience teaching preschool and 3 years of experience teaching Kindergarten.

Mrs. Van Arsdale attended Immanuel Lutheran School in Crystal Lake from preschool-8th grade. She has been working in Lutheran Schools for the past 7 years.

Mrs. Linda Hoffmann

Mrs. Linda Hoffmann

School Secretary & Admissions Counselor

“St. John’s has strong academics and a community feel. I think it’s important to give our children a strong grounding in an atmosphere where they feel safe and cared for. No one gets lost in the shuffle here.”

With these words representing her philosophy, Linda Hoffmann is an important liaison for the school as she answers students’ questions, greets parents who stop by the office, and assists teachers during the school day. She makes everyone feel special, parents and students alike. For her, St. John’s has a family atmosphere, and she especially loves how the school has many second and third generation families. All three of her children attended and graduated from St. John’s.

Mrs. Hoffmann received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from Penn State University and has used her talents at our school for the past sixteen years.

Mr. Dale Woock

Mr. Dale Woock

Music Director

“I became a teacher to share the gift of music with children and help them discover and develop their God given talents.”

What a great reason for Dale Woock to teach!  He graduated from Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is the music director for St. John’s Lutheran School and Church and has been teaching since 1980.

For Mr. Woock, music is his family’s passion. His wife, who also teaches kindergarten at St. John’s School, is the director of the Adult Chancel Choir and two of the school's choirs.

Mr. Woock loves to encourage students to develop their musical talent and is very passionate about his calling. He teaches music for grades 1-8 and is responsible for the Primary Choir. As he works with the students, he helps them engage in musical opportunities for school events and Sunday morning worship. His devotion to his students and to his faith is evident in all that he does.