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Welcome New Faculty
As we prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 school year, I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to our new faculty and staff members who will be joining us and I am thrilled to announce new roles for several of our esteemed St M faculty.
These new faces bring with them a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, and I am confident they will contribute significantly to our vibrant academic community. Their passion for education and commitment to our values align seamlessly with the ethos of St M, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will undoubtedly have on our students' lives.
Please join me in welcoming our new colleagues and congratulating those who are taking on new responsibilities within our school. Your support and encouragement as they settle into their roles will be invaluable as they become integral parts of our Dragon community.
Thank you for your continued dedication and support to St M's mission and vision. Together, let us look forward to a productive and inspiring year ahead!
Sincerely,
Bob Gregg, Head of School
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Jonathan Williams, Middle School Director
Jonathan Williams is an experienced and passionate educator with over a decade of classroom and school leadership experience. He most recently held the position of Head of Lower School at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina. Previously, he served as Assistant Head of School for Academics and School Culture at Bishop Walker School for Boys in Washington, D.C., and taught fourth and fifth grade in both the D.C. area and Doha, Qatar.
He believes that to unlock the potential in students, one has to take time and be willing to give the appreciation, patience, and love it takes to build a relationship with each scholar that will ultimately transform their life. There is no barrier, not language, race, religion, learning difference, or ability that can’t be overcome when you show a child that you have their best interest at heart and will do whatever it takes to help them be successful in learning and life. Mr. Williams thrives in creating spaces where real, authentic relationships can be built and fostered. With a proven record of service to the community through numerous outreach initiatives and a passion for youth mentorship, he has also served as a Middle School flag football coach and a Middle School and High School basketball coach.
Mr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and a master’s degree in education (specializing in independent school leadership) from the esteemed Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, at Columbia University. He looks forward to building meaningful and supportive relationships with our St. Michael's students, faculty, and families.
"I'm excited to join St. Michael's because of the unique and exciting opportunities ahead for the school. From my conversations with community members and my time on campus, I could sense a great energy and enthusiasm for where the school is and for the possibilities of what's to come! I'm eager to work with the St. Michael's community and help bring our collective vision to fruition!"
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Jessica Allison, Middle School Science
Jessica Allison is an accomplished middle school science educator with over 8 years of dedicated classroom experience. She is recognized for her innovative approach to teaching, consistently creating engaging learning opportunities that resonate with her students. Mrs. Allison's teaching style integrates a variety of instructional techniques, including outdoor activities, watershed studies, field trips, astronomy nights, real-world science applications, technology integration, and hands-on scientific explorations. She firmly believes in the power of stimulating, collaborative, and experiential learning to foster student engagement and understanding.
Prior to joining our school, she taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade science at Robious Middle School. Beyond her classroom role, she has served as an assistant Track and Field coach and sponsor of the chess and fishing clubs, demonstrating her commitment to holistic student development.
Mrs. Allison holds a Bachelor's Degree from Longwood University and a Masters of Science in Coastal Wetland and Marine Studies from Coastal Carolina University. Her academic background and passion for science education make her a valuable addition to our school community, where she is excited to inspire and empower students to thrive academically and personally in an ever-changing educational landscape.
"I am excited to join the St. Michael's community because of the unique relationships that form between students, teachers, and parents because of St M's small class sizes."
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Alex Barbolish, Middle School Social Studies
As an enthusiastic and creative middle school and high school education professional who is passionate about history, Alex Barbolish is excited to share his love of social studies with our St. Michael's students.
Mr. Barbolish comes to us from Salem Church Middle School where he was a sixth grade social studies teacher. His teaching experience includes seven years as a teacher at both the middle and high school levels, as well as abroad in Krakow, Poland.
From a young age, Mr. Barbolish has been fascinated by history and other cultures. He has spent most of his life pursuing a deeper understanding of those topics through lived experiences and physical connections to the people, places, and events of the past, including through work in historic preservation, archaeology, and as an ESL teacher abroad. (Ask him about his archeology experience through the University of Wyoming's Archaeological Field School in Cajamarca, Peru, where he surveyed and excavated the Late Intermediate Period site of Yanaorco.)
He is currently earning a Masters in History at Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Masters in Secondary Education from Marywood University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Scranton.
"I am excited to join the St. Michael's community because of the warm welcome I've received and the support I know I'll have as I continue to grow in my career as an educator."
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Kelly McCall, Art Teacher
Art teacher Kelly McCall believes creativity and exploration are fundamental to a child's educational journey.
As an educator with ten+ years of experience
teaching art education in and around Richmond, Mrs. McCall has worked with students in grades pre-K through rising sixth grade with the acclaimed children's art studio, ArtHaus Richmond. Many of our St M families may know Mrs. McCall as she has worked as an after-school enrichment teacher at St M for several years overseeing art classes with ArtHaus, which has allowed her to build strong connections with both our students and faculty.
Through her experiences at St. Michael’s, she understands what makes our St M school and community unique — an unwavering support of children. She views each student as having unique needs, and she strives to educate in a way that support individual creativity and assists in social and emotional growth.
"I am excited to join St. Michaels community because I have always been impressed by the imaginations and creativity of all St. Michael's Dragons!"
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Mallory Rossi, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant
Mallory Rossi has been an exemplary substitute teacher for the past school year. As we have gotten to know her, her maturity and excellent judgment have made her indispensable to our Lower School. We are so pleased to have her assisting Kindergarten teacher Angie Rowe in the classroom where she'll bring her reliability, can-do attitude, and love of teaching to us every day.
Ms. Rossi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Tech.
"I am excited to be a part of St M as the St. Michael’s community was truly so easy to become comfortable in, in no small part due to the immense amount of support and dedication between every individual. The students make the days go by so smoothly with their respectfulness and true desire to learn."
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Allison Seay, Chaplain
Allison Seay brings a profound commitment to spiritual guidance and educational leadership to our Chaplain's role with over twenty years of rich and diverse academic experience. Her journey in education has encompassed roles ranging from university-level, high school, and lower school teaching to coaching middle school athletics, and from senior administration to religious formation.
Throughout her career, Ms. Seay has advocated passionately for integrity, kindness, boundaries, independence, justice, and love. She believes deeply in the transformative power of education and spirituality, viewing teachers as chaplains on the journey of guiding and nurturing young minds. Her philosophy emphasizes the importance of creating safe and inspiring spaces where students can grow in wisdom, compassion, and self-awareness.
Her professional background includes a significant tenure at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, where she served as the Associate for Religion and the Arts under a tailored position created by the rector. During her over five years in parish ministry and religious formation, she gained invaluable insights into the Episcopal tradition and its cultural richness.
A published author and accomplished poet, Ms. Seay holds an MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, as well as a BA in English from The University of Mary Washington. Her literary background enriches her ability to communicate and inspire through the spoken word, weaving together spirituality, creativity, and educational excellence. She is thrilled to join the St. Michael's community, where she sees a deep alignment between the school’s mission and its daily practices.
"I am excited to join the St. Michael's community because a school's mission should be inseparable from its daily living and practice; I am attracted to inspiring communities like St. Michael's which are striving for wholeness and for excellence and never at the cost of a child's spirit. That spirit is the primary reason I am committed to the project of education and I am thrilled to join you in this important work."
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Tracy Jebo, Fourth Grade Teacher
With over a decade of teaching experience, including three years as part of St M's Lower School kindergarten instruction team and as a technology teacher, Mrs. Jebo is excited to bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to her new role as a fourth grade teacher.
Her warm and sunny personality naturally draws students and colleagues alike, creating a calm and positive classroom atmosphere. Mrs. Jebo is particularly excited about teaching fourth grade, an age group she finds incredibly fun and fulfilling due to the students' readiness for increased rigor, their burgeoning sense of humor, and their growing independence.
She is passionate about sharing her love for math and science with her students, aiming to inspire a similar enthusiasm in them. To Mrs. Jebo, every child is a unique individual with special gifts to offer the world. She believes in celebrating these gifts by recognizing and amplifying them and forming meaningful connections with each student. By fostering an environment where each student feels valued and loved, Mrs. Jebo teaches the importance of a supportive classroom community and the responsibility of children's words and actions.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Psychology from The College of William and Mary and a Master's in Public Health from The George Washington University.
"I am excited to give back to the St M community, to expand my role in fourth grade, and to help students absorb new skills and learning as they develop a sense of their ability to solve problems and affect change."
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Jen Radgowski, Lower School Technology/SEL and Instructional Assistant
Over the course of a 19-year career dedicated to teaching and school counseling, Jen Radgowski has an expansive skill set directly relevant to helping children experience success in a school setting. She inspires children to develop a growth mindset, become self-sufficient, use critical thinking skills and innovative strategies to solve problems and to enjoy the process of learning so much that they seek out lifelong learning opportunities.
Mrs. Radgowski is excited to expand her roles at St M. She will remain as a first grade instructional assistant (with reading dog Stanley at her side) and take on additional roles as Lower School technology and SEL (social/emotional learning) teacher.
"I cannot wait to begin working across multiple grade levels so that I can really get to know my students and develop longer-term relationships with them. I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to teach skills that will help our Dragons to be successful in life."
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