Faculty and Staff

Hello!  My name is Fr. Louie Floeder and I’m very excited to serve this community of St. Dominic.

I grew up in Shoreview, MN as the second of ten kids.  After graduating from Mounds View High School in 2011 I immediately joined the St. John Vianney College Seminary.  I had such a great time at SJV growing up, discerning my vocation, and creating lifelong friendships.  It was during these four years that my vocation was confirmed.  Then, I had 4 years at the St. Paul Seminary in order to learn theology and grow in pastoral charity.  Since being ordained in 2019, I’ve had several wonderful assignments.  I’ve had the privilege to serve the people of St. Stephen’s in Anoka for two years as well as the people of Divine Mercy in Faribault and St. Michael’s in Kenyon for one.  After that, I worked part time at St. Dominic in Northfield as a bilingual aid and I also served part time in Vocations Work.

Now that I’m full-time here in Northfield I’m so grateful to God!  He is the giver of all good things.  I can’t wait to see what good things are in store for St. Dominic!  God bless you all.  🙂

Greetings!  My name is Shawn Dudley, and I am absolutely honored and thrilled to join the St. Dominic School staff. After being a teacher and principal in both Catholic and public schools for 38 years, I am beyond lucky to have the opportunity to return home… to St. Dominic School where I was a student through 8th grade and a 6th grade/Music teacher in the late 1980’s. 

I grew up in Northfield on a farm, where I live now, just northeast of Northfield in Waterford Township. I have been a lifelong member of St. Dominic parish and have been playing piano, guitar or singing at Masses since 5th grade, when I learned to play guitar at St. Dominic School. My parents, John and Pat Dudley, having attended Catholic schools themselves, were proud supporters of St. Dominic School. In fact, my dad attended St. Dominic School when it was Rosary School.  I have four brothers, Mike, Brian, Dan and JB,  all of whom attended St. Dominic School through 8th grade.  

My husband Joe and I enjoy the outdoors, sports, four-wheeling, music (we love seeing Collin Raye in concert!) and living the country life.

🌟 Guess Who’s Back at St. Dominic School? 🌟

I’m so excited to be back at St. Dominic School! Some of you might remember me as the Physical Education teacher from the early 2000s. Well, I’m thrilled to return—this time in a new role as the Development Director!

I’m really looking forward to meeting all the new faces and families in our community and reconnecting with familiar ones. It’s amazing to think that some of the students here now are actually the children of the students I once taught! Looking forward to a wonderful year of growth, connection, and fun together!

Hello! My name is Claudia Bauer, and I am the Administrative/Marketing Assistant. I will be the first person you see when you walk into the building. Before starting at St. Dominic School, I was the Latino Outreach Coordinator at the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minneapolis.  My husband and I are parishioners of St. Dominic Church and have extensive knowledge of our parish and school community. I look forward to connecting with our families, especially our Latino families!

I am originally from Mexico. My husband, Kyle, and  I have four children and we live in Northfield. Our eldest is a preschooler at SDS.  In my free time, I love to spend time with my family going fishing, taking walks, and making home-cooked meals.

Hi Ya’ll,

My name is Andrea Redder, and I am the Preschool Teacher here at Saint Dominic Catholic School. I have taught in the Northfield Public Schools where I have been an Early Childhood Education Teacher and also a Special Education Assistant. Prior to that I was a self-employed licensed Childcare Provider for 9 years. I am attending Grand Canyon University for a degree in Early Childhood Education.

My experience in Catholic schools over the years was that I was PTA chair and also was on the board for Saints Night Out at St. Dominic’s for many years when our children attended. My family and I are active members of the St. Dominic Parish, where our children are acolyte servers and ushers at mass Sunday mornings. My husband, Corey and I have six children. Jayden, Cohen, Skylar, Callyssa, Jocephine and Charlize. As our house is not full enough, we have two dogs Gizmo (Shorkie) and Lady (Toy Aussie). We are a military family as my husband has been in the Air Force at Fort Snelling for 28 years now.

I enjoy spending my time at the ball fields watching our son play baseball and daughters play softball. If we are not on the ballfields, we are watching our daughters dance in competitions and recitals. We love to take road trips and make memories together. I am looking forward to Saint Dominic School to not only teach early childhood education but to have each child grow their individual relationship with God. I describe a Catholic school as a family, and I am excited and blessed to be a part of the Saint Dominic family.

My name is Maria Sosa and I am a preschool assistant at St. Dominic School. My husband and I have two beautiful daughters, Selena and Amy. We are active members of St. Dominic Parish! I love spending time with my family especially attending Mass together.  Sunday’s are family time!

I recently have earned my Para Educator Certificate at the Hubbs Center in St. Pauls and I am currently taking  college readiness courses online.

Hello St. Dominic families!  I am excited to begin the new school year with your children.  This will be my sixth year as a part of the St. Dominic staff and my third year teaching in the Pre-K classroom. 

My family and I moved to Northfield from Northern Wisconsin in 2019.  We currently live out near Circle Lake.  My Husband, Jim, is employed at Community Resource Bank.  This summer, we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Together, we have raised three wonderful children.  Vanessa, my oldest daughter, is a Physician Assistant employed with UM-fairview at the Prior Lake clinic.  My other two children, Erica and Evan, attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Both are enrolled in the college of engineering. 

I, too, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison!  (Go Badgers!) I received my BA degree in psychology and a certificate in gerontology.  My first employment opportunities allowed me to work with older adults and their families in the long term care and senior housing industry.  After 15 years,  I decided to try something new and began my second career in education.  I have taught 4 and 5 year olds in both public and private school settings and have loved each and every connection made with my students and their families.  This year will mark my 14th year of being in the classroom!  I look forward to meeting you, and developing a strong relationship with your child that will help them succeed in PreK.   

It is going to be an awesome year learning and growing together! 

Hello! My name is Brooke Viskocil! 

I have lived in Northfield all my life, I guess you can call me a townie.   I attended St. Dominic School from kindergarten through eighth grade, and graduated from Northfield High School. I love St. Dominic School and I’m very excited to be back teaching here for another year!

This will mark my third year working in Pre-K with Mrs. Loe, we make a great team!   I really enjoy spending time with all of the students; creating, learning and growing together!  I have worked in childcare for the past 8 years in various positions and truly enjoy it.   I love spending time with my two sweet little nephews, Raylan and Tatum.  In my free time, I enjoy going on walks,  spending time outside, traveling and being with my family. 

We are going to have a fun year and I look forward to meeting all the Pre-K children and their families. 

Hello! My name is Jamie Larson and I am the St. Dominic School Kindergarten teacher this year. I was previously the Preschool teacher at St. Dominic School. I started my early childhood teaching journey by obtaining a degree in Psychology from Bemidji State University. I had grand plans to be a high school guidance counselor but had the great pleasure to help out in my son’s Early Head Start classroom. Working with younger children became a passion, and I earned a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Concordia-St. Paul in 2015.

I have been teaching young children for almost ten years, and I am excited to become a part of the St. Dominic family. My children attended St. Dominic School for the first time last year, and it was such a blessing for our family. As a child, I attended St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic School in Mankato, MN, was involved in the youth group at St. John the Baptist and served as an usher for the church. I look forward to reconnecting to my strong Catholic roots and tying my love of teaching to my faith.

I currently live in Dundas with my husband Alex, who can be classified as a “Townie.” We have two children, Matthias and Natasha. In my free time, I enjoy reading and writing a wide range of novels and clinging to my inner child by playing video games.

My name is Jane Jeffrey, and I am St. Dominic School’s first-grade teacher. I grew up in central Iowa and attended college at Augustana in Sioux Falls, SD and North Texas State where I majored in elementary education with an emphasis in special education. Since then, I have earned many continuing professional hours of credit at a variety of institutions in both Iowa and Minnesota. I began my teaching career in Iowa where I taught children in grades K-4 with learning disabilities, and I also taught third and second grade there.

My family then moved to Minnesota where I taught third, first, and second grade in New Prague for several years. We moved to Northfield in 2004, so I am thrilled I will now be working in the community I consider home. St. Dominic School has been a longstanding asset to Northfield, and I feel very fortunate in becoming a part of that legacy. An additional bonus for me is teaching first grade again. It is such a wonderful time in a child’s life. As a teacher, it is extremely rewarding to see young children progress so much and be excited about their learning.

My personal time is spent flower gardening and working in the yard. I like to walk and go hiking whenever possible. A good book is a joy as is a crossword puzzle or two—not too hard! I am also a member of my church choir. (And yes, I have done binge-watching on Netflix.)

I look forward to my partnership with the St. Dominic staff and families as we guide the children’s academic and spiritual growth!

Hello! My name is Ellie Ackland, and I am St.Dominic School’s second grade teacher. I grew up in Apple Valley, MN. I graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology. As a teacher, I strive to create an empowering environment for all individuals to go beyond where they think is possible. I want to create a nurturing space where all students feel seen and valued. As a class, we will practice celebrating all of the small victories each day has to offer.

While at Saint Ben’s, I continued to keep my love for dance largely in my life. I have a strong love for choreography and dance itself. I believe this creativity is brought into my teaching quite often. I am very excited to help with the spirit squad at Saint Dominic school this upcoming year! This will be such an exciting new experience to embark on. I am so grateful and blessed for the ability to begin my teaching career at St.Dominic School!

Hello! My name is Judy Hefer and I am very excited to belong to the faculty and staff of St. Dominic School. My 34 years serving as a Catholic educator includes both teaching and being a principal. My recent teaching experience included teaching 5th, 6th, and 7th grades on the Standing Rock Reservation at St. Bernard Mission School, in Fort Yates, North Dakota. When I returned to Northfield, I expanded my work experience by working at Three Links Apartments as a Service Coordinator where the duties included my area of expertise – lifelong learning.

My husband and I raised our family here in Northfield over the past 25 years, and we are parishioners of St. Dominic. I think of Northfield as my home, however, I am originally from St. Louis, MO. When I have spare time I enjoy quilting and embroidery, playing cards and board games, going for walks, and traveling.

Hello, my name is Mr. Vlasak, and I am so excited to begin teaching 4th grade at St. Dominic! I am from Montgomery, MN and graduated from Montgomery-Lonsdale high school before they became Tri-City United. I recently obtained my teaching license through the teacher preparation program at Minnesota State University, where I also obtained my bachelor’s degree in History, and where I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Teaching.

This is my first foray into Catholic education, but I cannot be more excited. My faith has always been an important part of my life, and I cannot wait to help instill a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Catholic faith to my students. Moreover, I am deeply familiar with the importance of family, and as an educator, I put an emphasis on building and maintaining a relationship with all of my students. This allows for an open and safe environment for students to feel comfortable to develop and grow, and that includes me too, as I fervently believe that education never really ends.

Additionally, I have many different interests and hobbies, including spending time hunting with my bird dog Jonesy, watching football, especially the Vikings, and watching movies with the family, as I am a huge movie buff. I love all kinds of movies, but I love the oldies the most, including John Wayne, Indian Jones, and everything else. Moreover, I am an avid reader, in particular, historical fiction novels by C.S. Forester.

I look forward to meeting the students and families of St. Dominic School!

Mr. Vlasak

Hello! My name is Scott Broughton, and I am so excited to be your teacher this year!

First, let me tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised “Up North” in Minnesota. In 2002 I graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with a teaching degree in Spanish. In May 2024 I got my Masters in Elementary Teaching from MSU Mankato. I love learning languages and working with kids.
For most of my teaching career, I taught in Central America—5 years in Nicaragua and 12 years in Honduras. I also met my wife during that time, and we have two children, Nathan (14) and Hannah (11).

Since 2021, we call Northfield our home. This is my second year teaching at St. Dominic School. I will be teaching 5th & 6th grade, as well as Science & Algebra.

Hello!  It is an honor to be the 4-8th Grade Enrichment Teacher at St. Dominic School! This will be my fourth year teaching here.

I am originally from New York and attended St. Peter’s Catholic school from K-8. I am the youngest of five and have three children with my husband Daniel. Prior to teaching, I was a design and product engineer for eleven years in the automotive industry.   I hold a BA in Elementary Education and recently completed my Master’s in Education from St. Mary’s University with a middle-level math endorsement.

I graduated from Bemidji State University in 2018, where I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. I received my undergraduate degree at Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota. While living in Ely, I had the chance to be close to family and I fell in love with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Spending time outdoors is a true passion of mine. When I’m not at school, you can also find me at Mainstream Boutique downtown New Prague, where I help empower women through fashion.  

I have had the privilege of becoming a Groves Believe and Read certified Interventionist as well as a Literacy Coach with our partnership with Groves Learning Organization. Believe and Read is a best-in-class literacy program that transforms reading instruction, using the science of reading. This is St. Dominics 5th year as a certified Groves Literacy school! 

My goal as the Enrichment Teacher is to motivate and challenge all students to maximize personal growth and meet their individual educational needs. As an interventionist, I help our Kindergarten- 3rd grade students build their foundation in reading using the science of reading. It is rewarding to watch our students grow so much academically each year. 

I am also St. Dominic’s in house Groves literacy coach where I help support and certify our classroom teachers keeping our literacy program in tip top shape! Our team of literacy teachers here at St. Dominic School provide the best literacy education in town and we teach with 100% fidelity. We are very proud of our literacy program and our students for performing well above the national average. 

Please contact me if you would like to chat about Believe and Read or learn more about the program. Also, please help us spread the word about Believe and Read to other families with young children who might be considering Catholic education. Thank you for supporting our efforts to create an even better learning environment for our students! 

I feel blessed to have been a part of the St. Dominic School family for the last 6 years and I look forward to another wonderful school year! 

-Watching students learn to read: magic.  Knowing how they got there: science!

Hello! My name is Tiffany Matlock and I am the new Art teacher at St. Dominic School. I was born and raised in Northfield! I earned a BA in Art Education (K-12) from St. Cloud State University and I have my masters in Educational Technology Integration from St. Catherine University. I have taught art in public and charter schools for the past ten years.

My husband and I live in Northfield and we have a daughter named Harper, who is under one. We also have a golden retriever named Puck, and two cats, Izzy, and Otto.

I am very excited to teach art education at St. Dominic school!I am very passionate about teaching creativity to students through a variety of mediums. I cannot wait to meet everyone!

The music of the children, their voice, their movement, and their ability to let the music take them to another place, another time, is genuinely heartfelt – so pure, simple and beautiful. As I guide and lead children in daily music lessons, I watch, listen and take from them – never forcing. I respect the capabilities of children and believe the experience of making music together enables children to grow and achieve a richer and more fulfilled life.

I am excited to begin my fourth year (back at St. Dominic) as the Music teacher! In 1991 Sister Lois hired me to teach K-5 music. I taught at St. Dominic for 7 years, growing a private piano studio while here and being very blessed with the support students and families gave to music education, the arts, and to me. After that, I taught K-12 music in South Dakota, Ohio, New Prague (MN), at Prairie Creek, and in Nerstrand. I received my B.A. degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. I have also completed many classes at Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas towards my Masters in Music Education. I am a member and member at large of the American Orff-Schulwerk Associated and Minnesota Orff, I stand by the mission of our work as music educators dedicated to the creative music and movement approach developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman.

I graduated from Northfield High School and Concordia College, Moorhead, where I obtained my B.A. degree in Physical and Health Education. I also played baseball all four years for Concordia College and was an Assistant Coach for the baseball team after I graduated from college.

I am looking forward to seeing the growth in skills and confidence of every student as they participate in physical education. I have enjoyed being physically active my entire life and it has shaped me into the person I am today. I hope to bring that same joy and excitement out in each student.

In my free time, I enjoy working out and spending time with friends and family. In the summer months, you will find me out on the baseball fields playing for the Northfield Knights and also coaching local high school baseball players.

Hola!

My name is April Cunningham. I am the Spanish teacher for preschool through 8th grade.

I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska where I attended Catholic school from kindergarten to 12th grade. I then attended the University of Nebraska and I obtained my Bachelors of Science degree in education, and a Bachelors of Arts degree in psychology. During this time I also studied in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Before moving to Northfield, I taught Spanish at an all girls Catholic high school in Pittsburgh, PA.

I love teaching Spanish and I love working in a Catholic school. My husband and I have five fantastic children. They have all attended or currently attend St. Dominic’s.

Ever since I was a second-grader here at St. Dominic School I loved to cook and bake. It has always been a big passion of mine. After graduating from Northfield High School I decided to enroll in the culinary arts program at Hennepin Technical College (Eden Prairie Campus) and received my Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. Over the past 10 years, I have worked in a variety of foodservice settings and at that time I believe I have found my perfect fit.

My two biggest passions are kids and kitchens so a school cafeteria is ideal. I have many wonderful memories in this cafeteria and the school from when I went here as a child. It has shaped me into the person I am today and has left me with some of the strongest friendships a person could ask for.

I am very happy to have my son now in this school and to allow him those same opportunities. I am glad God lead me back to this school and look forward to getting to know all your children!

Hello St. Dominic Families !

My name is Shayla Kimpton and I am a volunteer in the Library at St. Dominic School.

My husband and I moved to Northfield from TX in 2017 after retiring. I worked for 20 years in public education in Special Education. I loved connecting with my students and all they accomplished. They remain in a very special part of my heart. I am so grateful that God led me to volunteer here at St. Dominic School to continue surrounding myself with a learning environment. The students and staff here are amazing! I call this my ‘Happy Place’.

When our children were young I was a volunteer at their school, in their library, so as my son told me, “that’s where it all began, Mom!” I want you to know that your children bring me joy every day! Thank you for sharing them with me!