Carroll Lutheran School | Westminster, Maryland private K-8 Christian School

Mr. Bronson E. Jones, Jr. ~ Administrator

B.S., Physical Education, Towson College
M.S., Administration & Supervision, McDaniel College
Contact Mr. Jones

Mr. Jones, our school administrator, is in his seventh year at CLS. Mr. Jones was a teacher for Carroll County Public Schools in Taneytown for 18 years before becoming an administrator, serving Northwest and East Middle schools for another 18 years. He is married with two grown daughters, and enjoys gardening, jogging, sports, and spending time with family. Buck and his wife are members of St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Manchester, where they are both active in a training program for newly engaged couples. They are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

Mrs. Gina Claxton ~ Office Manager

Contact "Miss Gina"

Mrs. Claxton has worked in administrative assistant roles for many years as well as an instructional assistant at Carroll County Public Schools. She is married with two children, ages 20 and 17. Gina, her husband, Tom, attend New Hope Fellowship Church. “Mrs. Gina” -- as she is known to our students -- leads the after-school Choral Club and serves as our school "nurse." Her interests include music, children, and her family.

Mrs. Ilana Johnston ~ Office Assistant

A.A., Villa Julie College

Mrs. Johnston works in the office one day per week assisting Mrs. Gina. She has worked many years as a Court Reporter. Her daughter Emily is in seventh grade at our school. Her family attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Reisterstown and they live in Westminster. In her spare time, Mrs. Johnston enjoys spending time with family, music, and reading.

Mrs. Janet Shrader ~ Kindergarten

B.S., Early Childhood Education, Towson State University
Contact Mrs. Shrader | View Kindergarten Class Website

Janet Shrader joins us for her fifth year as Kindergarten teacher. Before coming to our school, Mrs. Shrader was a teacher at Little Friends of Grace in Westminster for nine years. She is a member of Grace Lutheran and lives in Westminster with her husband and dogs. She and her husband have two grown daughters. In her spare time, Mrs. Shrader likes to read, do needlework, and play with her puppies.

Mrs. Jane Drozinski ~ First Grade

B.A., Special Education, Hood College
Masters in Education in Reading, Loyola College of Maryland
Contact Mrs. Drozinski | View First Grade Class Website

Mrs. Drozinski, better known by all as "Mrs. D," is in her tenth year at Carroll Lutheran School. Prior to teaching at CLS, Mrs. D had 15 years of classroom teaching experience from her positions in Baltimore City and Carroll County Public Schools. Jane and husband Rick live in the Hampstead area with their children and family pets, Lois, the turtle and Felix Ann, a precocious kitten. The Drozinski's are active members of Grace United Methodist Church in Hampstead where Jane chairs the Mission/Outreach committee and helps teach Sunday School and VBS. Jane also enjoys reading historical fiction, vacationing, and participating in her church's mission trips.

Mrs. Janet Hatkin ~ Second Grade

B.A., Sociology, Salisbury University, Maryland
B.S. Early Childhood Education, Georgia Southwestern State University
Contact Mrs. Hatkin | View Second Grade Class Website

Janet Hatkin returns for her fourth year as our second grade teacher. Before coming to CLS, she was a substitute teacher for Carroll and Frederick counties and taught third grade in Georgia for six years. In her spare time, she likes to read, travel, and attend agility trials with her daughter and dogs. Mrs. Hatkin and her husband Josh live in Taneytown with their daughter.

Mrs. Joyce Rost ~ Third Grade

B.A., Elementary Education, Ohio Northern University
Contact Mrs. Rost | View Third Grade Class Website

Mrs. Rost joined Carroll Lutheran School in 2000, having previously taught at Ryan Private School in Virginia. She has substituted in Carroll and Baltimore Counties. Joyce enjoys cross-stitch, puzzles, music, and reading. She attends Immanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester where she is involved in several areas including vacation bible school and the hand bell choir. Joyce and her husband, Richard, have two grown children and live in Hampstead.

Mrs. Diane Beatty ~ Fourth Grade

B.S., Education, Towson State University
Restarting her Masters Program
Contact Mrs. Beatty | View Fourth Grade Class Website

This is Mrs. Beatty’s third year teaching at our school. She brings 22 years of teaching experience, 9 of which were at St. Paul Lutheran teaching grades 3-8. Before that she taught in public school in Houston, Texas. Diane and her husband Mark have 4 children and live in Manchester. Two of her daughters attend our school. Mrs. Beatty’s hobbies include assistant coaching recreational cheerleading and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Shirley Fetchko ~ Fifth Grade

B.S., Elementary Education, Moorehead University
Certificate in Reading & Special Education
Masters in Library Science, McDaniel College
Contact Mrs. Fetchko | View Fifth Grade Class Website

This is Mrs. Fetchko’s fourth year teaching at our school. She has over 35 years of teaching experience, 27 of which were in Carroll County Public Schools. Prior to that, Mrs. Fetchko taught in North Dakota on Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. Shirley and her husband Greg live in Hanover, PA. They have two daughters and three grandsons. In her spare time, Mrs. Fetchko enjoys painting.

Mrs. Gwen Bounds ~ Middle School

M.S. in Education, Mount Saint Mary's
B.S. in Accounting and Economics, High Point University, NC
Contact Mrs. Bounds | View Middle School Website

This is Mrs. Bounds second year at our school. Her previous teaching experience is teaching preschool at Christian Preschool in Westminster and she taught sixth grade at Northwest Middle School for 4 years. She has most recently served as a long term substitute teacher in Carroll County. Gwen holds a real estate license for Maryland and Pennsylvania. She and her husband live in Taneytown with their two children and her daughter attends CLS. In her spare time, she likes to travel anywhere there is sand and palm trees.

Mr. Dennis Kniss ~ Middle School

B.S., Geography and Earth Science Education
M.L.A., Western Maryland College
Contact Mr. Kniss | View Middle School Website

Mr. Kniss joins the staff for his third year as a teacher in 2009-2010, but he is no stranger to our school family, having served on our Board of Trustees and volunteered for many projects here at school. He retired from Carroll County Public Schools after 34 years, teaching for 23 years and serving as assistant principal for 11 years. He has been a member of St. John’s (Leisters) Lutheran Church for 36 years, where he has been extremely active including serving as an assisting minister. He also sings in the church choir and with other groups and had directed the church choir for a number of years. Mr. Kniss is the father of three daughters and is a proud grandfather.

Mrs. Anne Miller ~ Middle School

A.A., Wesley College
B.S., Education, University of Delaware
Contact Mrs. Miller | View Middle School Website

We welcome Mrs. Miller to our school for her third year in 2010-2011. She has a wealth of experience, having taught in Carroll County Public Schools for 35 years. Anne is the mother of two boys. She and her husband Rick live in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where they are members of Grace United Methodist Church.. In her spare time, Mrs. Miller loves to travel and spend time with her family.

Mrs. Mandy Gilbart ~ Resource Services

B.A., St. Mary's College of Maryland
Masters in Reading
Contact Mrs. Gilbart | View Resource Website

Mrs. Gilbart joins CLS for her second year as our Resource Teacher in the 2010-2011 school year. Her two daughters attend our school. Mandy's previous experience includes teaching first grade for three years in Frederick County Public Schools, being the mentor teacher for student teachers at Hood College, and, most recently, preschool teacher at Little Friends of Grace. She is currently working on finishing her Master’s in Reading. Mandy and her husband live in Taneytown. In her spare time she enjoys scrapbooking, reading and spending time with family.

Mrs. June Leppo ~ Instructional Assistant

Contact Mrs. Leppo

Mrs. Leppo has been our Grade 1-5 Instructional Assistant since 2008. Mrs. Leppo makes each day at CLS brighter with her enthusiasm and the support she provides to the teachers. Her past work experience includes the Carroll County Public School system. June and her husband, Glen, have two children who attend CLS. She is an active supporter of our school, recently completing two terms as Treasurer for the Parent Group (FPP). She attends Hampstead Baptist Church. In her spare time she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Erin Shelton ~ Instructional Assistant

B.S. Liberal Studies, University of Central Florida
Contact Mrs. Shelton

Mrs. Shelton joined us in the 2009-2010 school year as Kindergarten Instructional Assistant. She and her husband have been actively involved at CLS for years as both of their children are students here. For the previous three years, Erin was a preschool teacher at Little Friends of Grace. Before that, she was a stay-at-home mom. In her spare time, Erin is a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and she enjoys theater, photography, and reading. She and her family attend St. Benjamin's Lutheran Church.

Mr. Stan Gilmore ~ Art

B.A., Art Education, Maryland Institute College of Art
M.S., Instructional Technology, Towson University

We are excited to welcome Mr. Gilmore to our school as Art Teacher in the 2010-2011 school year. Having recently retired from the Carroll County Public School system, Mr. Gilmore brings a wealth of knowledge and teaching experience to this position. Mr. Gilmore enjoys building radio control airplanes, collecting stamps, music (he plays alto sax), and, of course, art. He and his wife are members of Hampstead Baptist Church. They have three married children and two grandchildren.

Mrs. Theresa Wire ~ Vocal & Instrumental Music

Mrs. Wire joins us for a fifth year as our Vocal & Instrumental Music teacher. She brings us 20 years of experience as an instrumental music teacher. Mrs. Wire lives in Finksburg and enjoys reading, music and spending time with her grandchildren in her spare time.

Mrs. Sara Dickmyer ~ Spanish

M.A. Spanish Language, Literature and Culture, Middlebury College School of Language

Mrs. Dickmyer joins CLS in 2010-2011 to teach Spanish; we are excited to have her join our staff. She enjoys reading, crafting, decorating and spending time with family and friends. Sara and her husband, Bradley, have two children and live in Westminster.

Mrs. Aimee Rahnis ~ Librarian

Mrs. Rahnis is new to our staff this year, however, her daughter has been a student here since 2009. Aimee brings much expertise to our library position, having been a librarian in schools for many years. Aimee enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She and her husband Tim live in Westminster along with their daughter and new baby boy.

Mrs. Jaime Smith ~ Physical Education

Mrs. Smith joins us for her third year as our Physical Education teacher. Mrs. Smith and her husband, Dave, live in Westminster with their daughter who is a student here at our school. In her spare time, she enjoys playing softball, golf, and attending Ravens games.

Mr. Donald Grant ~ Custodian

Mr. Grant has been with CLS since 2006. Known affectionately as “Mr. Shorty,” he brings many years of experience from both the construction industry and custodial services. He is ever-present, keeping our school spotless and germ-free inside and maintaining the grounds as well. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Finksburg and are members of Taneytown Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon. Mr. Shorty is a father and a grandfather. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends.