Faculty & Staff - Intermediate
Mr. MIchael gibson / vice principal and Intermediate Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Gibson is excited to take on a new role at St. Isaac's as the Assistant Principal of Operations. He previously taught Social Studies in both private and public school settings from grades 6-12, as well as 6th grade ELA and Religion here at St. Isaac Jogues. Mr. Gibson is thrilled to continue to teach 6th grade World History, and will also continue to teach 8th grade Confirmation for the Religious Education program at SIJ. As a product of Catholic education from K-12, having attended St. Dominic's in Bolingbrook and Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Mr. Gibson is proud to send his daughter, Michaela, to St. Isaac's, who is looking forward to a great year of 2nd grade. Mr. Gibson received his B.A. in the Teaching of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago and will complete his M.Ed in Educational Leadership this coming Spring at Lewis University. Mr. Gibson is an avid reader and fan of all sports, especially soccer!
Ms. Jaclyn Martin / Intermediate Science Teacher/RELIGION/Theatre program director
Ms. Martin teaches fifth and sixth grade Science and fifth grade Religion. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, she holds a degree in Elementary Education, a Reading Minor, and endorsements in Science and Language Arts. Ms. Martin is also a graduate of St. Isidore School in Bloomingdale and St. Francis High School in Wheaton. She has attended Catholic schools during her entire academic career, and she truly believes in the main message of the faith: to serve others selflessly. She hopes to instill this drive in her students during their time at St. Isaac’s. In addition, Ms. Martin has experience teaching the dramatic arts to elementary, middle, and high school students. She is currently the director of the St. Isaac's musical program and is the Theatre Director at Montini High School. Ms. Martin is currently pursuing her Master's in theatre directing from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and is a proud member of the Illinois Theatre Association.
Ms. lindsey riker / Intermediate Language Arts and social studies teacher
Ms. Riker is new to the Saint Isaac Jogues community. Having graduated from Hinsdale Central in 2016 and venturing to the University of Mississippi for college, she is excited to return home to Chicago to begin her teaching career. At the University of Mississippi, Ms. Riker graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. Throughout this past year, she completed her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction while working as a graduate assistant at the school of education. As a graduate assistant, she trained and oversaw Teachlive. Teachlive is an immersive, virtual classroom simulation used to aid in the growth of training teachers. Ms. Riker is super excited about fifth grade and looks forward to watching her students' reading and writing skills grow throughout the year!
Mrs. maria keefe / Intermediate and Junior High Math Teacher
Mrs. Keefe is happy to be returning part-time to St. Isaac Jogues School. She graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Accounting and has experience as a CPA in public accounting and industry. In 2012, she obtained her MAT from National Louis University and has been teaching or tutoring math since.
Other than sharing her love for numbers and problem-solving, Mrs. Keefe likes to run and walk the family dog, Charlie. She lives in Hinsdale with her husband, Tom. Their twin daughters, Anna and Betsy (SIJ Class of 2013), graduated from college in May and are working in Cincinnati and Chicago.
Other than sharing her love for numbers and problem-solving, Mrs. Keefe likes to run and walk the family dog, Charlie. She lives in Hinsdale with her husband, Tom. Their twin daughters, Anna and Betsy (SIJ Class of 2013), graduated from college in May and are working in Cincinnati and Chicago.
Mr. Thomas Garro/Intermediate Religion and Junior High Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Garro is very excited to join the St. Isaac’s community this year, where he is teaching sixth grade religion and seventh grade social studies. He has been blessed with the opportunity to work with junior high students within the Diocese of Joliet for all ten years of his teaching career. Having taught sixth grade Religious Education at St. Isaac’s for the past six years, Mr. Garro is excited to lead the students in an exploration of their faith in even more depth throughout the course of the year. Mr. Garro is also particularly excited to be back teaching social studies this year. History is one of his passions ever since he earned his B.A. in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In his time outside of school, Mr. Garro spends most of the time with his wife and four children at home. When he gets a chance, he enjoys reading a good book, watching a new show or movie, or finding a new restaurant to try.
In his time outside of school, Mr. Garro spends most of the time with his wife and four children at home. When he gets a chance, he enjoys reading a good book, watching a new show or movie, or finding a new restaurant to try.
Mrs. Lila Hale/Intermediate and Junior HIgh Language Arts Teacher
Mrs. Lila Hale has been teaching for over ten years in both the public and parochial arenas. For the past six years, she taught junior high English Language Arts and Technology at St. James the Apostle in Glen Ellyn. She has a BA in Psychology from Illinois State University and a Masters Degree in Education from DePaul University. She is endorsed in middle school education for the subjects of humanities, reading and English/language arts. She is thrilled to be joining both the SIJ junior high team as well as the religious education program.
