Academics

"Catholic education aims not only to communicate facts but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision libertate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom." ~St. John Paul II

Teaching Excellence

Fall RIT Scores

RIT scores measure student academic achievement on a stable, equal-interval scale, indicating a student's instructional level in subjects like Math and Reading, allowing schools to track growth over time, compare students to norms, set goals, and tailor instruction, with higher scores meaning greater achievement.

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Spring RIT Scores

Spring RIT scores are compared to Fall RIT scores to help determine the amount of growth obtained during the school year for an individual student. A single RIT score represents a student's achievement level; the higher the score, the more content mastered.

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ACRE Scores

The ACRE (Assessment of Catholic Religious Education) is a widely used, spring-administered tool in Catholic schools to evaluate religious education programs and student faith knowledge. It measures both cognitive knowledge (4 pillars of the Catechism) and affective areas (beliefs, attitudes) in grades 5 & 8.

Meet the Team

Ryan Weber

Principal

Ryan is married to Nicole Weber, and together they have five children. He has been teaching in Catholic schools for 16 years, with the past 7 years spent at St. Joseph School. Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and being outdoors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree as a reading specialist from Central Michigan University. Most recently, he completed a Catholic School Leadership Certificate at Creighton University.

Morgan Mowatt

Administrative Assistant

Morgan is a Westphalia native and graduated from P-W High School. She first earned a Certification in Human Services at LCC before leveling up with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Spring Arbor University. From there, she planted roots in Pewamo with her husband, Ned, and their two children, Reegan and Jackstyn. In her free time, you’ll find her soaking up time with family and friends, exploring new destinations, enjoying the great outdoors, or unwinding at her family’s cottages.

Beth Thelen

Young 5s

Beth is the Young Fives teacher at St. Joseph School. She is a member of St. Joseph Parish along with her husband, Fran and their children, Ella and Sam. Beth feels very blessed to be able to work in a Catholic School with such strong, deeply held Catholic beliefs. She enjoys spending her time with her family playing sports, cards, and board games. She also enjoys attending her children’s sporting events.

Kerri Hafner

Kindergarten

Kerri grew up in Westphalia and graduated from P-W High School and attended GVSU to receive a Bachelor of Arts and then transferred to Aquinas for elementary teacher certification and a reading minor. She married Jarrod in 1998 and joined St. Joseph Church. Together they have 3 daughters, Gabrielle, Lily and Katie. She taught for 5 years at Saints Peter and Paul in Ionia and began teaching at St. Joseph School. In her free time, she enjoys golfing and spending time with my family.

Brianne Henning

First Grade

Brie is married to Todd Henning. They have 5 children: Ace, Duke, Olive, Berkeley and Dash. She graduated from PW High School and then went on to graduate from Central Michigan and Michigan State University with Special Education degrees. She has been teaching at St. Joe’s since 2022. Teaching faith to the students is such a joy and the best part about teaching. Brie loves to spend time with her family hiking in the UP, reading a good book, chasing around her kids and drinking coffee on the porch with Todd.

Gina Nowland

Second & Third Grade

Gina is teaching 2nd and 3rd grade at St. Joseph. She received her degree in integrated science and elementary education at Aquinas College. In the year 2022, Gina completed her student teaching at St. Joseph’s and was awarded Michigan Student Teacher of the Year. Gina has been teaching at St. Joseph School since 2022. Gina believes in hands-on learning in the classroom and loves to come up with different projects in which her students can gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Outside of school, Gina loves to garden, read a good mystery, hike, and watch classic movies with her sister.

Kim Pung

Fourth & Fifth Grade

Kim attended Michigan State University and has a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Mathematics with Michigan Teaching Certification in Mathematics and Biology. She is currently teaching Algebra 1, 4th grade math, and 5th grade math at St. Joseph’s and absolutely loves it. She lives in Pewamo with her husband and three kids.

Alison Klein

ELA

Alison is married to Nathan Klein. They have four children, Sam, Eli, Leo, and Penny who all attend St. Joseph School. She grew up in Hillsdale, MI and graduated from Hillsdale College with a degree in English and Elementary Education. She coaches 8th grade volleyball at PW. She loves being active and being involved in sports as well as spending lots of time at the lake with her family!

Debra Thelen

Middle School

Deb is married to Brian and currently resides in Fowler. She has three children and eight grandchildren. Before her teaching career, she did daycare in her home for fifteen years. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree In Elementary Education. and has been teaching at St. Joseph School for almost twenty years.

Catherine Weber

Music

Catherine Weber has been married to her husband David Weber for over 40 years. They have 4 children: Jeremy, Joshua, Carrie and Ashley. They also have 8 grandchildren. She has been a church musician at St. Joseph in Pewamo since 1987. She has also taught piano privately since 1987. She was a musician at St. Bernadette in Stanton and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ionia for several years. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from CMU in 1998.

Kelly Kowatch

Librarian

Kelly Kowatch, our wonderful and enthusiastic librarian! She has been a part of our community her entire life. She is the second oldest of seven children, with two brothers and four sisters. Growing up in the country, she developed a deep love for animals, especially bunnies, which are her absolute favorite! Kelly’s journey with St. Joseph began when she attended the school in 3rd grade, later graduating from 8th grade. After completing high school in 1996, she started working here—and she’s been bringing joy to the school & parish ever since! Now celebrating 25 wonderful years, Kelly’s love for her job shines through in everything she does. When she’s not surrounded by books, you can find Kelly baking delicious treats, playing cards, or spending time with her beloved nieces and nephews. Her warmth, kindness, and passion make her an irreplaceable part of our Parish family. We are so grateful for her dedication and the joy she brings to all of us!