Who We Are
Inspired by the classical educational tradition and ancient Christianity, we are compelled to act toward building a school for the preservation of beauty, truth, culture, and Christian goodness. While each of us has varied experience in public schools, academia, business and the corporate world, we have come together with a common dream to act on behalf of our children in order to inspire a generation of leaders and cultural influencers for the sake of our communities, nation, and the world.
Having spent more than twenty years in public education myself, I am grateful for the skills and knowledge I have gained and could not be more delighted to exercise and expand these within a Christian classical setting. I am thrilled to serve the families of Saint George Classical Academy as Head of School and I look forward to nurturing the formation of our children’s souls, their sense of joy in learning, and their rigor in pursuit of wisdom and virtue.
Join us in this beautiful journey as we take our first steps together!
Warmly,
Juliana Schneider Joyce
Head of School
Mrs. Juliana Schneider Joyce
Head of School
With twenty plus years in public education as a teacher, leader, curriculum developer, problem solver and school principal, Juliana’s skills include building systems, nurturing culture, and resolving conflict. Seeking a more integrated life, while drawing inspiration from her Orthodox Christian faith, she has completed the three-year master teacher apprenticeship through the CiRCE Institute. She is inspired by beauty, deep relationships, and a well told story.
Dr. Colin James Joyce
Director of Curriculum
Upper & Middle School Math Teacher
Upper School Science Teacher
James is an academic with a PhD in astrophysics who has worked on numerous NASA missions as a student, researcher, and team leader. Inspired to study the cosmos by the mathematical order which undergirds all of the created world and which points to our transcendent Creator, he is intrigued by the potential for classical education to open the eyes of students to the beauty of the mathematical world we inhabit while providing them with the moral imperative to seek meaning in every pursuit. His inspirations include music, symbolism, and the philosophy of learning and knowledge.
Dr. Irene Chrysovalantou Duros
Upper School Development
Modern Greek Teacher
Chrysovalantou is an accomplished researcher, school administrator, counselor, non-profit board member, and public speaker with over 20 years experience. With a doctorate in developmental studies from Boston University and a master’s degree in child development from Tufts University, she began her career evaluating students in a clinical setting and supporting parents in advocating for their child’s needs. She then worked as Director of Counseling and Health Services in public schools, helping students to develop strategies to enhance their academic, social, and executive functioning skills and assisting families in navigating college admissions. Last year, she joined our faculty, establishing and teaching our early elementary curriculum, and will continue to work within the school, launching our Greek Language Program and helping to develop our academic programming.
Mrs. Tess McKinley
Middle School Humanities Teacher
Tess has been interested in classical education for many years and is delighted to be a part of the vision and formation of Saint George Classical Academy. She has taught English and theater for the past 16 years at public and private middle and high schools and is the founder and Artistic Director of Imago Stage Company, a ministry of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Danvers. Her English classes have focused on the reading of classic books, the memorization of poetry, speeches, and soliloquies, the study of grammar and writing, and the Greek and Latin roots of English vocabulary. She studied theater and dance at Interlochen Arts Academy and is a graduate of the New York University Tisch Theater program.
Dr. Alexander Ruggeri
Upper School Humanities Teacher
Alexander received his PhD in English from Tufts University, where he focused on modernist literature and sound studies. His research has since pivoted towards mythology and folklore, classics in translation, fantasy literature, and film studies. He is fascinated by languages and the history of ideas, seeking out the underlying intellectual currents that shape our world and sense of self. Some of his favorite authors include Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, and Tolkien. For more than a decade, Alexander has taught literature and composition courses at a range of higher education institutions in the Greater Boston Area, and he looks forward to bringing his rigorous dialectical approach to the humanities seminars at Saint George Classical Academy, where the Orthodox Faith can illuminate and guide all participants to the Truth.
Alexander.Ruggeri@gmail.com
Mrs. Jackie Nickolas
Early Learners Teacher (3-4 year olds)
Jackie graduated from college with a criminal justice degree, and immediately began working at an early childhood center in Melrose, MA. She advanced into the director position where she oversaw the administrative piece of the program, until she left to raise her own children. Jackie understands the developmental stages of our youngest learners, she is thoughtful, and she is all love. She integrates art, nature, music, and faith into every area of the classroom with creativity and joy. She partners with parents in order to best support every child for their unique gifts. Jackie joined Saint George Classical Academy as a parent and as a teacher, and has been an incredible blessing to our students.
Mrs. Trudy Williamson
Lower School Classroom Teacher
Middle School Science Teacher
Trudy will join Saint George as the upper elementary teacher in September, 2025. She brings tremendous educational experience, and a passion for science. Most recently, she taught at the Belmonte STEAM Academy in Saugus, MA as their lead STEM instructor. Trudy has experience developing curriculum in a project-based learning model, as an elementary classroom teacher, and has worked in the NOAA organic chemistry lab. She is a member of First Church Congregational Boxford and is enthused to be able to integrate her faith and care for community into the classical model of education. She has three adult children who live locally with their families. Trudy and her husband Mark reside on a small farm in Boxford with two horses, a pony, and a small flock of ducks.
Ms. Katia Gaffney
Lower School Classroom Teacher
Katia will join Saint George as an early elementary school teacher in September 2025. Katia graduated from Northeastern University, where she studied psychology with concentrations in education and biology. After graduating, Katia began a Teacher Education Fellowship through Merrimack College. Through this fellowship, she obtained her master’s in education while working as a teacher in the Lynnfield Public Schools. Katia grew up attending Christian schools and is grateful for the opportunity to return to a Christian environment as a teacher. She has a passion for learning and strives to foster joy and curiosity in her students. Katia lives on the New Hampshire seacoast and enjoys spending time with her family.
Ms. Mary Yetts
Lower School Classroom Teacher
Mary comes to Saint George Classical Academy bringing an Irish brogue and an enormous heart. Having taught for the past eighteen years at Plumfield Academy in Danvers, she has a deep command of the Charlotte Mason methodology. Mary is a Wilson certified teacher, bringing tremendous expertise to teaching reading. She is motivated to facilitate the education of children such that they come to know their true identity as beloved children of God, endowed with unique gifts given to them by their Heavenly Father.
Mr. Christopher Hartford
General Music and Instruments Teacher
Chris is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (2010) where he studied music performance and education with an emphasis on Music Learning Theory. Mr. Hartford has over ten years of experience teaching in both Japan and the United States. He is a multi-instrumentalist, church choir director, and conductor. For years, Chris has employed Music Learning Theory or the “Sound Before Sight” approach, a process of building a foundation of musical understanding and fluency which immerses students in music through listening, singing, and playing instruments prior to the introduction of musical notation.
Mrs. Olivia Morrow
Violin/Strings Teacher
Olivia is a classical violinist and dedicated educator with a deep love for sharing music through performing and teaching. She holds degrees in violin performance and music education and has taught students of all ages in ensemble and private lesson settings for over a decade. Her approach integrates joy, beauty, and support for the individual needs of each learner, always striving to nurture a lifelong love of music in her students. Olivia is delighted to join the faculty at Saint George, leading the strings program, and looks forward to creating beautiful music with students.
Mrs. Marianne DiMatteo
Early Learners Teacher (3-4 year olds)
Marianne has worked with young children for over 40 years as a preschool teacher, mother, and grandmother. With a degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, she has experience developing curriculum, as well as running her own preschool. Her love of God, her family and young children permeates all she does in her life and in the classroom.
