St. Peter's Episcopal School

St. Peter's welcomes
five new faculty members

Ready to start the new school year are (L-R): Michelle Bailey (first grade); Blaes Schmissrauter (PE/Wellness); Tracy Schuster (4s and 5s Pre-K); Wendy Ransom (4s Pre-K) and Ann Jennings-Grisham (Spanish).

Michelle Bailey joins St. Peter’s as a first grade teacher. Michelle brings a variety of teaching experiences to the classroom after earning her Bachelor of Science degree in human ecology. She has worked in the Hamilton County Department of Education’s School Aged Child Care Program as a Musikgarten instructor and as the Brain Dance instructor for kindergarten and first grade students at Thrasher Elementary.

Recently, she earned her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education and taught at Barger Academy of Fine Arts. Michelle’s two oldest children attend Signal Mountain Middle/High School and her youngest child Caroline enters second grade at St. Peter’s this year.

Ann Jennings-Grisham joins St. Peter’s as a part-time Spanish instructor. Since earning her degree in elementary education from Bryan College, Ann brings a wealth of cultural experiences after working in Bolivia while her husband earned his masters degree. While there she worked at the Cochabamba Cooperative School and founded the Cooperativa Elohim. Locally, Ann has experience managing summer camp and tutoring at St. Andrew’s Center and working as a Spanish instructor at Normal Park Museum Magnet school.

No stranger to St. Peter’s, parent Wendy Ransom begins her work this year as the lead teacher for the four year-old preschool class. Wendy has worked as a substitute teacher at St. Peter’s for many years after an extensive career in youth ministry and most recently, as a volunteer for T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Tennessee Technological University. Her eldest son, Jon Pat is a St. Peter’s alum. Her younger son Max is a fourth grader at St. Peter’s and youngest daughter Molly is a future preschooler.

Blaes Schmissrauter joins St. Peter’s this year in an exciting new role as a full-time physical education and wellness instructor. A St. Peter’s alum (class of 1997), her family has a long history at St. Peter’s, with all four of her siblings also graduating from St. Peter’s! Blaes brings a strong background in athletics, recently serving as a softball instructor and fulfilling her second love of English working as a combined journalism teacher/head softball coach at Notre Dame High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Birmingham-Southern College and is currently earning her Masters Degree in English from Tennessee Technological University.

Blaes joins St. Peter’s as the school enters the second year of its “Go Healthy, Go Green” initiative. This school-wide initiative focuses on a commitment to health and wellness for life. In the classroom and on the field, Blaes will focus on movement concepts and specialized motor skills while emphasizing sportsmanship and healthy living. Additionally, Blaes will coordinate the school’s robust after school athletic program, which includes soccer, basketball, track and cross country teams.

Tracy Schuster joins St. Peter’s this year as the lead teacher in the four and five year-old preschool class, teaching with assistant Carol Daugherty. Tracy has worked as a first grade teacher in the Hamilton County School system in addition to her recent volunteer work at local schools and Sunday school while raising her two children. Tracy received her degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Tracy’s younger son Harrison joins St. Peter’s as a preschooler this year.