We are happy to introduce nine new faculty and staff members who have joined the Saint James community this year. Several members of our community have also taken on new roles. Kevin Breslin will be teaching English, live in Mattingly Hall, and continue to coach Boys' Varsity Basketball and JV Boys' Tennis. Miranda Marsh-McDonald has taken over the School Store and Mail Services duties. Having been the Food Services Manager with Sage for the past seven years, Gabe Shaffer is now in the Business Office. We are grateful to have all of these individuals, both old and new, as part of our community!

This year, the school has contracted with Brook Lane for counseling services, and we are thrilled that our part-time, on-campus counselor is a Saint James alumna.  Rida Faridi, SJS Class of 2006, has a specialty in adolescent care and is on campus three days a week to assist our students with their needs. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a BA in Psychology from Washington and Jefferson College and an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Duquesne University.
Rida says she has always enjoyed the close-knit community at Saint James, and everyone has been so friendly in welcoming her back to campus. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, spend time with family, and travel.

New to the Science Department, Ting Li has a BS in Learning Science Education in Biology from East China Normal University and an MS in Learning Design and Technology from the University of Maryland, Global Campus.  She taught Biology at the Nanning Peihong School in China for ten years and has been teaching in the Maryland Public Schools for the last eight years.  She is teaching Advanced and Regular Chemistry, helping us communicate with Chinese-speaking parents, and lives in Onderdonk.
The thing she enjoys most about Saint James so far is teaching students who love to learn.
She likes to make crafts (making and selling agate jewelry), paint, and read in her spare time.

Joining the Science Department, Maddox Lee comes from Wabash University, where he earned a BA in Chemistry with a minor in Educational Studies.  He wrestled at Wabash and has served as a camp counselor, intramural official, and as a baseball umpire. He is teaching IPS and Chemistry, coaching wrestling and baseball, and lives on Maddox Hall in Claggett.
"I have enjoyed the friendliness of the people throughout the community, and that we can develop great relationships with the students as their teachers to help them grow," he said.
In his free time, he likes to watch sports, mainly wrestling and track. He also likes to travel, and enjoys going to new places any chance he can get.

Riley Loomis is our new Assistant Athletic Director, coming to us from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she was the Assistant Director of Aquatics. Prior to that, Riley lived in Dublin, Ireland for three years, earning her MSc in Coaching Science and Sport while also working for the university's athletic department with the field hockey and rugby teams. She holds her BA in English Literature from Emmanuel College where she played on the women’s lacrosse team. At Saint James, she is the head coach for girls’ varsity lacrosse and lives in Holloway. 
“I enjoy the ‘small-ness’ of Saint James.  We have our own small town here on campus and it allows us to create close-knit relationships with everyone,” Riley said. “I grew up in a small town, therefore it has very much reminded me of home.”
In her spare time, she coaches and plays a lot of sports.  She likes to stay active and enjoys the many hiking trails in the area.

In the Math Department, Tania McDuffie came to Saint James from Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina where she was a professor in Mathematics and had also served as Assistant Dean of Academic Support and Accommodations. She has previously held several teaching positions at the collegiate and secondary level and earned a BA in Economics and an M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics, both from Converse. She serves as the dorm head in Mattingly, where she lives with her son, Ramsey ’26. 
“What I have enjoyed the most about the SJS community is the structure that is provided for the students,” she said. “As a parent, I see the value for the students in the intentional structure which keeps them busy and involved in all aspects of the school.”
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places.

Teresa Lum, who has been our Nurse Practitioner for the last four years, is now serving as our School Nurse. Mrs. Lum has a BS in Nursing from Cedarville College in Ohio and an MS in Pediatric Nurse Practitioning from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has substantial nursing experience, most recently running her own practice for 26 years in Hagerstown. As a Nurse Practitioner, she is able to diagnose, prescribe, vaccinate, and supervise therapies on campus, which will significantly reduce the costs, delays, and disruptions caused by the present protocols.
Teresa says she loves the beautiful campus and getting to know the students, faculty, and staff. 
In her free time, she likes to read, scrapbook, attend scrapbooking events with friends, and vacation at the beach. She also really enjoys spending time with her two granddaughters and Sunday evening dinners with her three adult children. 

Our new Latin teacher is Kelly Northrup, who has a BA in Classics and Mathematics from Ursinus College and an MAT in Latin and Classical Humanities from Indiana University. She has been the Latin teacher and a dorm parent at the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, for the last 15 years. At Saint James, she will teach the full Latin program, assist with Cross Country, and serve as the dorm head in Coors, where she lives with her husband and two children.
She has really enjoyed the inviting and friendly atmosphere at Saint James. “From the day we moved onto campus, SJS faculty and students have gone out of their way to get to know us and help us settle into our new normal.”
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, knitting, and walking with her dog, Gracie, on the beautiful SJS campus. 

Brigitte Schmidt is transitioning from her role as a tutor at Saint James to the Director of Tutoring and Academic Support.  She has already been a major asset in this new role, bolstering our academic support programs to meet the needs of our students. Brigitte has a BA in Sociology from Mt. St. Mary's College, an MS in Special Education and Human Resources Management from Western Maryland College.
“I love that we are a collaborative community working to enrich and educate our students,” she said. “My favorite part of SJS is starting the day off in the chapel. Without God’s love and guidance, we cannot do anything worthy.”
Brigitte is learning to play mahjong, and also loves to read, listen to podcasts, cook, and take walks at Antietam or on the C&O canal. Mostly, she loves spending time with her three children, two of whom are in college.

New to the Math Department, Madison Thompson comes to Saint James from Wake Forest University, where she was a graduate teaching assistant while earning her MA in Mathematics. She earned her BS in Mathematics from Furman University, where she was an RA, and has also served as the Head Sports Counselor at Camp Rim Rock for two summers. Madison teaches Math, lives in Coors, and is an assistant coach for the field hockey and tennis teams.
“It has been really nice how students and faculty have reached out to me and made me feel part of the community,” Madison said. “As a teacher, I also appreciate how dedicated students are to learning and doing well in their classes.”
In her free time, Madison likes to hang out with her dog, Aster, watch movies, and play tennis.