Welcome to New St. Paul's Faculty & Staff 2024-2025!

We are thrilled to welcome new teachers and staff across the school. Keep reading for more info on each new member of the Spartan family! 

 

Hilary Battle
2^nd Grade Teacher

Hilary is joining St. Paul's after teaching the past 10 years in the Park Hill School District. Hilary has 12 years of experience teaching Kindergarten through Second Grade. She holds a BA and MAT from Trinity University and a M. Ed. in Language and Literacy from Park University. 

A Kansas City area native and Fairway resident, Hilary enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughter, Hayden, husband, Graham, and their energetic dog, Zoe. She also has a love for reading and cherishes the summer months at her family's lake house in Wisconsin. 

Hilary is looking forward to working at St. Paul's because of its commitment to nurturing both academic excellence and personal growth in a supportive and inclusive environment.

 

Drew Diener
5^th – 8^th Grade PE Teacher & Athletic Director

For the last nine years, Drew has been the head men’s basketball coach at Rockhurst University. Drew holds a BA in elementary education from Saint Louis University, and he has extensive coaching and leadership experience.

Drew enjoys sports, exercise, travel, and being outside. When it comes to teaching and coaching, Drew loves seeing kids improve and learn life lessons through sports and athletic achievement.

 

 

Stella Frisby
5^th – 8^th Grade Counselor

Stella recently served as a High School Counselor at Notre Dame de Sion High School. She also developed and taught a Seminar course for freshmen and led travel experiences for students, most recently to Olympic National Park in Washington. Prior to counseling, Stella taught Middle School Humanities at the Mission Dolores Academy. Stella holds a B.S. In Health Sciences from UMKC, and a M.Ed. in Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology from Mizzou. 

When not at school, Stella loves spending time with her family, walking around Loose Park, or cooking a new recipe. She looks forward to joining the St. Paul's team full time, as she has spent the last three summers working at Summer in the City and has loved getting to experience the culture and community of St. Paul's. 

 

Callie Giannetti
5^th-8^th Grade Learning Specialist

Callie holds a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Masters in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Kansas. Callie is joining St. Paul’s after working for six years as a speech therapist for middle and high school students. She has loved helping adolescents find the power of their own voice!

She can't wait to transfer her passion to this new role as a learning specialist at St. Paul's. Callie and her husband have two dogs (a border collie, Dave, and a blue heeler, Roger). She loves to travel, play fetch with the dogs, read, and she's currently learning to play tennis and make pizza from scratch.

 

 

 

Julie Nolen
1^st- 4^th Grade Learning Specialist

Julie taught at Longview Farm Elementary in Lee’s Summit 19 years. She holds a BS in Journalism and Communications from KU and a cross categorical special education certificate from UCM.

Julie is passionate about mentoring and coaching students with diverse learning needs, and she's looking forward to getting to know the St. Paul's community.  She enjoys experiencing local cuisine and live music, loves spending quality time with her four daughters, as well as traveling with her husband.

 

Annel Rice
Development Coordinator

 Annel joins the St. Paul’s team as our new Development Coordinator after most recently serving as the Volunteer Coordinator at Shelter KC.

She enjoys traveling to new places, discovering new coffee shops, and spending time with her sweet husband, Devin, and their new puppy, Colby Jack. She was raised in Utah and misses its mountains, but Kansas City is home! She loves music, reading and anything creative.

Annel is excited and so proud to be part of the St. Paul's team, and she looks forward to serving St. Paul's teachers, families and fellow staff as Development Coordinator.

 

Rachel Rubinow
Kindergarten Teacher

Rachel most recently worked as a paraprofessional at Sunset Ridge Elementary in Overland Park. She has also worked as an elementary teaching assistant at Bank Street School for Children in New York. Rachel holds a BS in music with an outside focus on elementary education and a MS in Early Education from Bank Street School of Education. (She also holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance from Stony Brook!)

Rachel loves spending time with her family; her son and daughter keep her busy! She can't wait to join the St. Paul's community.

 

 

Sara Waller
1^st Grade Teacher

Sara Waller is returning to St. Paul’s as a 1st grade teacher. Sara was previously a member of our team from 2010-2015. Sara holds a BS from Mizzou and a M.Ed. in elementary education from Rockhurst. For the past 9 years, Sara, her husband, and their two daughters (Addison and Ryann) have resided in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, but they are excited to be back in KC! Addison is starting her freshman year at University of Missouri, and Ryann will be finishing out high school at Pembroke Hill HS with friends from her former St. Paul’s class!

Sara enjoys spending time with her family and their two dogs, boating on Lake St. Clair in Michigan, watching her girls play sports, staying active at Orange Theory Fitness, and traveling with family to the beautiful coast of Oregon!

Sara is eager to return to the first grade classroom co-teaching with Ms. Lorfing. Teaching is one of her passions, and she looks forward to collaborating with the incredible staff at St. Paul’s.

 

Miriam Zavagnin
Early Learner Teacher

Miriam served as the St. Paul’s admissions director from 2009-2012 and has experience as a Spanish teacher, yoga instructor, and most recently, as a mindfulness coach at Pembroke Hill. Miriam and her husband, Kerry, are also current St. Paul’s 6th grade parents.

Since receiving her Master of Education in 2002, Miriam has served school communities in Kansas City as a teacher, administrator and consultant.  She loves teaching yoga-inspired movement and mindfulness in school settings and has inspired a countless number of children and adults to engage in their own practices.  Miriam currently teaches regular yoga to Woodside Health Club and Children’s Mercy Hospital.  

In her spare time, you can find Miriam hanging out with family, reading, walking the dog, or exercising. She’s excited to return to St. Paul’s, since it has always felt like home. She can’t wait to begin morning with the community at chapel again – it really is the best way to start the day.