Chesterton Academy of the St Croix Valley is blessed to have a talented and dynamic faculty dedicated to the vision and mission of our school. Each faculty and staff member takes the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium at the Mass of the Holy Cross at the beginning of the academic year. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, faculty at Chesterton participate in the House System, which is designed to promote character and virtue.
Eileen Douglass
Head of School
Mrs. Douglass is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College and holds a Master's Degree in Theology with an emphasis in Bioethics from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut, a Certification in Bioethics with Highest Honors from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, and is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Douglass has worked at institutions including St. Agnes School in St. Paul, St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, and most recently was principal at Transfiguration Catholic School in Oakdale.
Donna Amaral
Educational Specialist
Ms. Amaral holds a BA in Elementary Education and Special Education (K–12) from Morehead State University, KY. She holds a Minnesota license for elementary education and all levels of developmental cognitive disabilities. Originally from Massachusetts, she thanks God for continuing to bless her with a wide and varied career. She’s taught K–12 in schools from San Vito Air Station in Brindisi, Italy, to the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, and she has numbered both the gifted and the disabled among her students. After 42 years, during which she taught mostly high school students with a specific learning disability or a developmental cognitive disability, she retired from public education and joyfully joined the ranks of Catholic school educators when Eileen Douglass hired her as the reading interventionist at Transfiguration School, where she served for the past three years. Ms. Amaral now looks forward to working with Chesterton faculty and parents to help students access our rigorous curriculum or to help challenge them with extension and enrichment opportunities.
Jeffrey Arrowood
Humanities, Academic Dean
Jeff Arrowood holds a master’s degree in theological studies from the Institute for Religious and Pastoral Studies through the University of Dallas and a BA in English and social science with emphasis in psychology and history. Jeff taught moral theology, literature, history, and psychology in a diocesan Catholic high school for ten years in Marshfield, WI. He was the recipient of two teaching awards: the Crystal Apple award and Teacher of the Year award. Jeff was hired by the Diocese of LaCrosse, WI for the Office of Marriage and Family Life as the Natural Family Planning educator. He also taught for the diocesan deacon formation and lay formation programs.
Samantha Bertrand
Humanities, dean of houses
Miss Bertrand’s family returned home to the Church at the Easter Vigil at St. Mary’s in 2004. After surviving public school K-12, she was very happy to move onto Catholic education at Ave Maria University. There she fell in love with Philosophy, receiving her MA in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She then entered into a PhD program at Catholic University of America, but after a year was found working for the church as a DRE in Maryland. She moved home to Stillwater and spent four years working in communications for St. Charles Borromeo in NE Minneapolis in addition to helping them start Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, in which she is trained through Level III.
James (Mickey) Biedrzycki
Math and Science
Mr. James "Mickey" Biedrzycki studied mathematics and science at Century College before transferring to the University of Wisconsin River Falls. There Mr. Biedrzycki completed degrees in physics and mathematics with an emphasis in mechanical systems. He was employed for a year as the director of the mathematics resource center at Century College aiding the student body in their academic pursuits of mathematics. Mr. Biedrzycki then returned to UWRF to pursue a graduate degree in education. In the course of the program, Mr. Biedrzycki has instructed students in River Falls and Hudson as well as New Richmond High School. He now brings his expertise in education, mathematics, and the sciences to Chesterton Academy of The Saint Croix Valley.
Michael Douglass
Math and Science, Dean of Men
Born and raised in Stillwater, Mr. Douglass graduated from St. Croix Catholic School and St. Croix Prep Academy as a National Merit Scholar. He graduated from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA, and is thrilled to use that experience to help form the next generation here at CASCV. He obtained a Mathematics degree from the University of Minnesota, and is currently in a graduate Data Analytics program. Michael is looking forward to helping students get a deeper and more rewarding understanding of mathematics.
Krista Gapp
Fine Arts
A graduate from Chesterton Academy herself, Ms. Gapp has been honing her artistic skills since she could hold a pencil. She holds a BS and is currently a student at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts in Minneapolis studying oil paint portraiture. She loves all artistic mediums, but graphite and oil paint have a special place in her heart. Her favorite artists include John Singer Sargent, Caravaggio, and Winslow Homer.
Claire Kennedy
Office DIRECTOR
Mrs. Claire (Thoemke) Kennedy studied elementary education with a minor in classics at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. After graduating during the pandemic, she returned to her home state of Minnesota to teach 4th grade at St. Peter Catholic School in North St. Paul. Her 3 years of classroom teaching were challenging yet lifegiving, and she got to learn so much more about education as a whole. While classroom teaching will always hold a special place in Mrs. Kennedy’s heart, she is enjoying the new challenges office management brings, and she already feels very grateful for and supported by the CASCV community.
John Niemann
humanities
Mr. Niemann has been an educator for over 25 years, raising six children with his wife Sibyl and working as a teacher and administrator at some of the best traditional schools in the area, including Chesterton Academy, Eagle Ridge Academy and Trinity School. He is currently the director of the Saint John Paul II Education Guild. He has a law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law, a Master of Liberal Studies degree from Saint John’s College, Santa Fe, NM, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative History from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. The Niemanns are parishioners at All Saints Catholic Church in Northeast Minneapolis.
Anna Regnier
Humanities, dean of women
Hailing from Prescott, Wisconsin, Ms. Anna Regnier is an alumna of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. During her time there, she double majored in Liberal Arts and Catholic Studies with a minor in Theology/Philosophy. In addition to completing her own studies, Ms. Regnier served as a learning assistant to the chair of the philosophy department, leading discussion seminars for the university’s freshman students. After graduating a semester early, she took a semester of graduate level courses in UMary’s Catholic Studies Master’s Program while she also worked full-time as the Ministry Coordinator for the university. Since moving back closer to her hometown, Ms. Regnier is now very excited to be teaching with Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley, and she looks forward to working with her fellow faculty, her students and their families, and all involved with the academy who love to pursue the truth as she much as she does.
Amanda Weis
Drama
Ms. Amanda Weis is an experienced performing artist and stage director who divides her time between private vocal instruction and performing and directing throughout the Twin Cities and greater area. Ms. Weis obtained her BA in vocal music at the College of St.Benedict/St. John’s University and her Masters of Music at the University of MN, Duluth. Ms. Weis has performed leading and supporting roles with numerous notable performing arts companies in the region. Ms. Weis was also the vocal director for the national tour Nick Jr Live, a new work from Nickelodeon and VStar Entertainment. Amanda Weis is a member of the NATS – National Association of Teachers of Singing and is a solo & ensemble contest judge for the Minnesota State High School League under the name, Amanda McGivern.