Meeting our school teachers

As we approach the start of another scholastic year, I like to introduce the teachers who are teaching in our St. Francis School—many of whom have lots of experience. Here are a few of them, in no particular order: 

Sister Sabina Mbenge—
- 15 years as Assistant Teacher;  13 years as principal (28 years total as teacher); 5 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My biggest blessing at St. Francis is all the wonderful students and parents and the larger parish community that has become a part of my life. All have become my extended family, and I thank God for each  one of you. My hope and future wishes for St. Francis is that the school grows bigger, and that both school and parish community become one strong family of God where love and peace can be experienced by all.” 

Julie Manion
- 24 years of experience and 20 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My greatest blessing has been having an extended parish/school family to help raise my children in the faith. My hope is that Catholic families will come to value Catholic education as an extension  of family education, as a support to their efforts.” 

Karen Laubacher
- 22 years of experience; 9 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My biggest blessing at St. Francis is that as a community, we have a great awareness of the needs of our  world, and we come together to serve those needs for our God. I hope and pray that the Christian spirit we all work toward will bring honor to God.” 

Colleen Rastovich—
- 35 years teaching privately; 10 years in classroom settings; 5 years as music teacher at St. Francis. “The biggest blessings I have experienced here are the sweet children and loving supportive staff, as well as the Catholic environment. My wish is for a robust student body and, musically, for enough resources for a middle school band.”  

Colleen Petersen—
- 21 years of experience; 16 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My biggest blessing being here is seeing the children and their wonderful families. I feel re-charged every day by their positive energy. My hope for the future is that I can inspire in others, in any small way, to pay forward the gifts God has blessed us with.” 

Crystal Young—
- 9 years of experience; 2 years at St. Francis, Bend. “The biggest blessing at St. Francis is this community. I love having my kids attend this wonderful school, and I feel blessed to teach here as well. My family has a long history at this school, and it’s more to me than just a school or job—it’s part of my heart. My wish for the future of St. Francis School is for it to continue to be a part of the Central Oregon community for another 75+ years. 

Sarah Schimmoller—
- 15 years of experience; 2 years at St. Francis, Bend. “The biggest asset at St. Francis is the sense of community among the staff and families. I hope for good health for all, and that we’ll keep learning every day.” 

Brenda Raven—
- 22 years experience; 10 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My biggest blessing at St. Francis is that I grow in my faith each and every day. I have a second family who shares my same values and believes in God like I do. I am grateful that I am able to help instill grit, confidence and moral standards and lead by example. My hopes and wishes are that St. Francis will be able to receive support from our parish and community to survive for many years to come. We need to pursue grants that will set our school apart. We need to do something drastic and different to survive!” 

Kathy Shelton—
- 20 years experience; 4 years at St. Francis, Bend. “My biggest blessing at St Francis is watching my son and daughter grow up in St. Francis. My hope for the future is to see the children who attend our school develop the same relationships my children have been blessed with.” 

Beth Boswell
- 32 years’ experience; 25 years at St. Francis, Bend. “I love the fact that I have been able to grow as a teacher in such a special environment. I have continued to guide the students at St. Francis to develop into thriving young adults who graduate from this school and go out into the world with a solid set of values and work ethics that helps them to be positive contributors to society. My hope is that St. Francis School follows its mission to aspire to the highest level of educational excellence that enables all we serve to reach their God-given potential. And we do this by living with faith, compassion, excellence, integrity, perseverance and joy.” 

Pilar Davami
- 8 years as an Aerospace Engineer; 3 years at St. Francis, Bend. “I cannot find a better word for describing my experience teaching math and Spanish at St. Francis School than a ‘blessing.’ Watching my students advance daily in their skills and watching the values of my Catholic faith in them has been very rewarding for me. I once was just like them, so I can relate to them and at the same time pass on to them everything I learned that has served me so well in my own life and career. I could not have become successful in both without my Catholic education, and that is why I know that by doing my job well, these children will become successful adults as well. That for me is the greatest motivation in my job as a teacher.”