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. 🙂
Hello families!
This is my fifth year with St. Dominic School! I am excited to step into the role of interim principal and create a welcoming and engaging environment for all students, staff, families, and parishioners.
I recently moved to Minnetonka, Minnesota this past summer and completed my Master’s in Educational Leadership. I attended undergrad at The College of St. Benedict where I earned my degree in Elementary Education. While in high school, I fully realized my passion for working with children.
When I am not at school, I can be found spending time with my family and friends, hiking, trying new restaurants, immersing myself in the arts, reading, and catching up on the latest Netflix, Hulu, or Disney series!
I am looking forward to another wonderful school year!
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 three children (#4 on the way) and we live in Northfield. In my free time, I love to spend time with my family going fishing, taking walks, and making home-cooked meals.
Hello! My name is Jamie Larson and I am the new 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.
Greetings St. Dominic families! I am very excited to teach this year in the Pre-K classroom. This will be my fourth year as a part of the St. Dominic’s staff. My family and I live out near Circle Lake, and I have three children and a wonderful, supportive husband. Jim and I have been married for 28 years. My two girls attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my son is a Junior at Northfield High School. I have had the pleasure of teaching 4 and 5 year olds in a public school setting, as well as in a faith based church school and loved each and every connection I made with my students and their families. This year will mark my 12th year of being in the classroom. I look forward to reconnecting with the St. Dominic preschooler who I spent time with last year and meeting all my new friends and families in Pre-Kindergarten. It is going to be an awesome year learning and growing together!
I received a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from the University of Iowa and taught first and second grade at a Catholic school in Northeast Iowa. After getting married and starting a family, I decided to be a stay at home mom and provide daycare out of my home. In 1997, we moved to Northfield and I have been a part of St. Dominic School and Parish ever since! I have volunteered countless hours and have also done some subbing. A couple of years ago I assisted in the Kindergarten room and thoroughly enjoyed it. The PreK teacher, Anna Wagner, and my oldest daughter attended St. Dominic School together and are still the best of friends. I enjoy working with such an amazing teacher!
My husband Doug and I are passionate about providing a Catholic education to our four children. All three of our daughters graduated from St. Dominic School and our son, Thomas, will be in seventh grade this year. We love the small class sizes, excellent education, and the fact that students can learn about God and live out their faith daily. I adore working with young people and have a special interest in instilling the love of reading. Teach a child to love books and they’ll be a life-long learner. I can’t wait to get to know all of the PreK students and their families! It’s going to be a wonderful, faith-filled year at St. Dominic School!
Hello! My name is Kjersta Donnelly and I am the Kindergarten teacher at St. Dominic School. I was born and raised on a farm in Southeastern Minnesota. I attended Winona State University. I earned a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education this spring.
My husband and I live in Farmington and our first child was born in May 2022. He is a farmer and works with his family. This past school year I was the Pre-Kindergarten teacher here at St. Dominic School!
I grew up with seven siblings and many family members as teachers! I am excited to take all I have learned from them and bring it to my classroom, as well as take what the students will teach me and grow with them. I cannot wait to meet your children and be a part of their life!
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 Judy Hefer and I am very excited to be joining the faculty and staff of St. Dominic School. My years serving as an educator in this diocese includes both teaching and being a principal. My recent teaching experience includes teaching 5th, 6th, and 7th grades on the Standing Rock Reservation at St. Bernard Mission School. When I returned to Northfield seven years ago, 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 20 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 Courtney Gilomen. I am so excited to be at St. Dominic School and start my teaching career as a third-grade teacher. I graduated from Grand Canyon University with my bachelor’s in Elementary Education and K-6 licensure. Before that, I obtained an Associate of Science degree in occupational therapy, and I was an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
I want to tell you a little about myself. I have a wonderful husband and two amazing kids. My husband and I have been together for 12 years, our daughter is nine, and our son is six. As a family, we love to go camping and spend time outside on our property. Our kids keep us busy with various activities. Our daughter is in dance, softball and loves her horse. Our son is in hockey, lacrosse and also drives a race car. The race car hobby is something my son got from my husband; he also drives a race car! We also have lots of fur babies to occupy our time!
I am so excited to be in 3rd grade this year and be a part of the St. Dominic family!
Hello! It is an honor to be teaching 4th grade Teacher at St. Dominic School! This will be my third 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 started teaching at St. Dominic School in 2001. I have a B.S degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota Mankato, with a Coaching Certification, and a Health/Physical Education Concentration. I also have my Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Curriculum and Instruction, with a K-12 Reading Certificate.
As most of my former students will tell you, I LOVE to read. It is my passion. I want to share this passion with all of my students. I try to show them it is not important what you read as long as they reading. My favorite moment is when you can match a reader with a book, and see that look in their eyes of true enjoyment. I am also passionate about math. I love to share this passion with kids who are hesitant or think that math is not one of their strengths. Once we start the process of breaking the problems down, they realize that they too can be a successful mathematician!
In my tenure here at St. Dominic School, I have taught 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 8th grade, and now I am in 6th grade. I loved each grade and I am always amazed at how much the students teach me! It is truly an honor to be work in a profession where we get to work so closely with parents to help educate their children. With this partnership, we can share in their child’s growth over the school year, both physical and academic. I look forward to new experiences that I will have this coming year and I am excited to be working with all of our amazing families!
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Hello, my name is Mr. Vlasak, and I am so excited to begin teaching 6th/7th 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
I graduated from Bemidji State University in 2018, earning 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 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 Northfield, where I help empower women through fashion.
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 Groves literacy method. It is so rewarding to watch them grow so much academically each year. I have recently taken on the job as St. Dominic’s in-house Groves literacy coach, where I help support and certify our classroom teachers. In addition, I am excited to assist Mr. Budd and teach 6th grade Minnesota History.
I feel blessed to be part of the St. Dominic School family, 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 Mary Quick and I am the new Art teacher at St. Dominic School. I was born and raised in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I earned a BA in Comprehensive Art Education (K-12). I have taught in both Catholic schools and public schools from Kindergarten through 8th grade.
My family and I are active members of St. Dominic Church. Through St. Dominic Church our family has grown in our faith with this community by participating in mission trips, helping with Faith Formation and ministry of service by being servers, singing in Joyful Noise, Mass Coordinators, and Eucharistic ministers. The St. Dominic community has always felt like home and I am very excited to teach art education at the school!
My husband Bernard and I live in Northfield and we have two college-age daughters and one adorable Goldendoodle! I am very passionate about providing all students the opportunity to explore and share their artistic creativity. I cannot wait to meet your children.
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.
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!