Totus Tuus
A Private Academy
in the Catholic Tradition
Mrs. Susie Carmack
Middle School
scarmack@pjp2a.org
Hi, my name is Susie Carmack and I am currently the Middle School Math and Science teacher at Pope John Paul II Academy. I grew up and spent most of my adult life in Durango, Colorado. Last year my husband and I moved to Montrose. I received both my Bachelor and Master's degree from Northern Arizona University. I am a Colorado certified teacher with over 30 years of experience. During my teacher career I have been able to teach a wide range of grade levels and subjects from High School Science to second grade, to Art and P.E. My favorite pastimes are spending time with my family, hiking, and traveling. After eight years of retirement, I realized how much I missed teaching children, and am extremely excited and honored to be working here at PJP2A.
Mrs. Leslie Holland
Fourth Grade
lholland@pjp2a.org
Mrs. Holland is a daughter of a US Air Force pilot and partially raised in West Germany. Upon graduating high school, she was selected as a student ambassador to the Republic of China for the summer. Later, she married a military officer and raised five children. She has been involved in Catholic religious teaching for the last twenty years, mostly teaching children. She has also been involved in fundraising for Catholic schools as she worked five years at the Bishop Hogan Catholic School in Chillicothe, Missouri. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas. Most recently the Holland family lived on the Western Slope from 2004 to 2012 and has returned to Montrose as an actively involved parishioner at Saint Mary's Catholic Church. Mrs. Holland has been with Pope John Paul II Academy since 2019.
Hello! My name is Emily Hartman and I’m a Montrose native! I grew up attending Pope John Paul II Academy throughout elementary and middle school, where I discovered I wanted to become a teacher. I recently graduated from Benedictine College with a B.A. in Elementary and Special Education. I spent my senior year of college student teaching at four different schools at the Fort Leavenworth military base in both elementary and special education classrooms. I loved my student teaching experience, and have a particular passion for helping any student needing additional support!
I love Montrose, and spend most of my time with my three sisters hiking, paddleboarding, reading, and spending time with my nephews. I’m thrilled to be back in Montrose, and have a deep love for the Pope John Paul II Academy community. I’m excited to be a part of the staff, working with the students and their families.
Mr. David Snyder
5th Grade
dsnyder@pjp2a.org
Mr. Patrick Hanus
Principal
patrickhanus@pjp2a.org
Hello JP2 community! I hail from a rural town in northern Illinois and had the best childhood
ever, partly because my parents owned an old-fashioned ice cream parlor giving me constant
access to way too much ice cream. From an early age, my faith in Jesus was very important to
me. After high school I attended Franciscan University and received my bachelor’s degree in
elementary education. My wife Christine and I married at Franciscan and, after graduation,
taught for a year at a Catholic school in Managua, Nicaragua. When we came back to the States,
the first of our children was born.
At that time, God directed us to Gallup, New Mexico to work in another Catholic school. During
that time, I taught at the elementary, mid-school, and high school levels and was assistant
principal for four years while earning a master’s degree in educational leadership. By the time
we left Gallup, we had added four more children to our family. For the next three years, I was
principal for a K-8 school in the Archdiocese of Washington DC, after which we moved to
Upstate New York to raise our children closer to my wife’s family. For the next 15 years, while I
worked in the private sector, my wife and I homeschooled our children. We were highly
involved in our parish faith formation program and local pro-life ministry. With four of our five
children married, we have been blessed with three grandchildren and have three more on the
way. We are excited to be a part of Pope John Paul II Academy and St. Mary’s parish.
Mrs. Marilyn Schmalz
Second Grade
mschmalz@pjp2a.org
My husband and I live on our family farm in Delta, but I am originally from the Denver area. I have four wonderful children: two daughters, two sons, seven grandsons, one granddaughter, with another one "on the way". I enjoy traveling, country music, fishing, and being with my family. Some of my most memorable trips were to Nashville, Hawaii, and Germany. I am a certified teacher for the state of Colorado and have a B.A. in Elementary Education with many hours devoted specifically to Reading Intervention. I love teaching at Pope John Paul ll Academy and all the staff, students and parents!
Ms. Rachel Sparks
Middle School
rsparks@pjp2a.org
Hi, I’m Rachel Sparks, and I’ve been working at PJP2A as the Middle School Humanities teacher for the last three years, enjoying every minute! I grew up 2 ½ hours south of Montrose on a small apple farm outside of Dolores, Colorado. As the youngest of five kids, I spent my childhood happily climbing trees, running from cows, and reading as many books as I could get my hands on.
After several years of attending college, I served as a Catholic missionary traveling the U.S. on a NET team. It was during this time that I finally accepted the vocation God had been calling me to for years—teaching. Following that, I attended the University of Northern Colorado, where I received a Bachelor of Arts in History with a pre-licensure in Secondary Education.
I’m truly enjoying my time here in Montrose and love watching my students grow and learn. Some of my favorite activities include solving puzzles, cooking, biking, spending time with family, and watching movies. I also feel blessed to be at a Catholic school, where I can openly share my faith and reflect on how amazing it is to have God in my life!
PJP2A FACULTY, BOARD, AND STAFF
The heart of our school is our teachers. Their service to our children is born out of their faith and their desire to see each child grow to his or her fullest potential.
Faculty and Staff:
Ms. Emily Hartman
Third Grade
ehartman@pjp2a.org
Selina Carrola
Kindergarten
scarrola@pjp2a.org
School Board Members:
Dr. Michael Brezinsky – President
Dr. Lou Dwyer – Member
Mr. Hector Diaz – Member
Mrs. Shelly Poust - Member
Mr. Drew Loewen - Member
Hello! My name is Selina Carrola and I am so excited to be teaching Kindergarten at Pope John Paul II Academy. This will be my fourth year teaching at a Catholic school. I was born and raised In Olathe Colorado. I have one brother named Mario and a goldendoodle named Rocky. My family and I love to travel to our second home in Guanajuato, Mexico every so often. Growing up I attended Our Lady of Fatima and St Mary's Church. I was an altar server for about seven years. After high school, I moved to Glenwood Springs for eight years where I attended Colorado Mountain College. I graduated with my associates and bachelor's degree in elementary education in 2021, while also acquiring a culturally linguistically diverse endorsement. I worked as a 2nd grade teacher for three years at St. Stephen Catholic School in Glenwood Springs. Through the Archdioceses of Denver, I attended courses from their Catholic worldview education program. I am beyond blessed to be part of PJP2A family and community.
Pope John Paul II Academy
67051 Sunnyside Rd.
Montrose, Colorado 81401
(970) 249-2996
copyright popejohnpaul2academy.com
Ms. Luanne Baumann
First Grade
lbaumann@pjp2a.org
Hi! I am Luanne Baumann. I am the first grade teacher here at Pope John Paul II Academy and have been since I came to the school in 2015. I tease the kiddos all the time that I can’t seem to get out of first grade…I love it! Although I do not have a family of my own, God has blessed me with the best family anyone could ask for. I get to help and see so many kiddos grow…it is amazing! Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your kiddos’ lives.
I grew up in Washington and Oregon and come from a big family. I have 5 brothers and 6 sisters. Growing up was a blast! I now have more than 30 nieces and nephews, with HOPEFULLY a lot more on the way!
I love the outdoors! Mountain biking is one of my favorite activities, along with hiking, camping, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Now for the boring stuff (ha ha ha)
I have been in education since 2006 and a teacher since 2008. I spent the first 6 years of my teaching career in the Milton-Freewater School District in Milton-Freewater, OR. There I taught first grade for two years and the BESST (Behavior Emotional Social Skills Training) classroom for four. I moved to Sterling, CO in 2014 and taught third grade at St. Anthony Catholic School for a year, before the school was permanently closed…The school closing is how I ended up at Pope John Paul II Academy…Sometimes blessings are hidden in pain. It was hard to leave St. Anthony’s. I loved it there…but God had a plan and here I am…I love it! God put me right where I needed to be. This is a great community. Now I am not only a teacher here, but am also a fire fighter and EMT with Olathe Fire Protection District.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your kiddos’ lives!
God bless you all!
Miss Bauman (Lu if you are not a student at PJP2A)
Hello, my name is Dave Snyder. I am currently the 5th grade Teacher at Pope John Paul ll Academy and feel very blessed to be a part of this school.
I grew up in Aurora, Colorado attending Saint Pius X Catholic School through 6th grade. After graduating high school I attended and graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado with a degree in Business Administration. After nearly 20 years working and playing in and around the Gunnison area, I received my teaching license in Elementary Education. Soon after, I met my wife Megan and moved to Montrose. We have two children who keep us busy with all of their activities which include choir, volleyball, football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, livestock judging, and 4-H.
Mrs. Sharon Gordon
K4
sgordon@pjp2a.org
Hello! My name is Sharon Gordon. I was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area. I attended Lutheran Parochial Schools for twelve years (I converted to the Catholic Church in 2005). In 1979, I married my wonderful husband, Gery, and together we raised four children and now we have five grandchildren. In 1984, I opened an in-home preschool and daycare which I ran for seventeen years all while homeschooling my own children. In September 2001, I began to run an in-home Montessori School for children ages 3-6 while pursuing a Montessori Certificate through United Montessori Association in the state of Washington. I received my certificate in August 2002. After 18 years, I am closing my Montessori School to start a new adventure working with the K4 students at Pope John Paul II Academy. When not teaching children, I enjoy quilting, scrapbooking, embroidery, camping, hiking, reading, ham radio, playing music, singing, and spending time with my family, especially the grandchildren. I am very excited about being on the team at PJPII Academy and working with my students and their families.