St. Mark's Team

The staff and leadership at St. Mark's Day School is a loving and nurturing team whose sole focus is the best interest of children. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and email our office.


You can contact the St. Mark's Day School office at office.dayschool@gmail.com.

Staff & Leadership

  • Karen Morse

    Director

    Karen is a highly experienced leader in early childhood education. As Head of School in both Illinois and California, she developed educational policy and programs that advanced her schools. Karen comes to us from working most recently as the Dean of Students at Berkeley Hall School in Los Angeles, CA where she developed social emotional learning standards and performance assessments for students in preschool through grade 8. She established and refined educational policy and procedures in their early childhood program and throughout the school. Karen has demonstrated her commitment to educational excellence, organizational effectiveness, and supporting faculty and staff to pursue their own learning and professional growth, knowing that the surest way to improve learning is to improve teaching. Karen is genuine, kind, and knowledgeable. Karen has a BA in Child Development, a MA in Special Education: Gifted and an administrative credential. She and her husband have three grown children and recently returned to the area to be near their first grandchild. She loves hiking and enjoying nature, reading, cooking and time with family.


  • Kathi Slatter

    Teacher

    Kathi has been teaching at St. Mark's for 13+ years. She grew up in Park Ridge and attended Maine South High School. Kathi graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison and earned her Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from National Louis University. She has four children in District 220 schools and enjoys skiing with all of them!

  • Meg Jorgensen

    Assistant Teacher


  • Sara Morrell

    Assistant Teacher/Administrative Assistant


  • Kelly Gunderson

    Teacher

    Kelly earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the American College of Education. She taught at the elementary level in Chicago Public Schools, but early childhood is her passion! Kelly lives in Barrington with her partner, two children and two dogs. In her free time, she loves to read, attempt to cook (with varying levels of success), and float on their lake.

  • Carol Kenneally

    Music Teacher

    Carol has been encouraging and developing preschooler's natural love of music & movement in the Chicago area since 1998. Children enjoy learning basic music skills, exercise their large & small motor skills, practice self expression & social skills, as they engage with Carol's guitar, age appropriate props & instruments, and different styles of music. Carol & her husband are empty nesters now and 'glamping' as much as possible! 

  • Kim Feigel

    Teacher

    Kim grew up in Carpentersville and now lives in McHenry with her husband of more than 25 years and two dogs. Kim earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and then her Master’s degree in Education. She has more than 30 years of experience in early education as a teacher and program director.

  • Lindsay Miller

    Assistant Teacher

    Lindsay and her family relocated to Barrington from Chicago is 2021. As Lindsay has many happy memories of attending St. Mark's as a child, she now has a child of her own who attends the Preschool 2 program! Lindsay is a graduate of DePaul University and earned her Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus in Early Child Education at Concordia University. 


  • Heather Taylor

    Assistant Teacher

    Heather is a graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York with 15 years of childcare experience. She is an enthusiastic, nurturing educator who is eager to contribute to St. Mark's mission of fostering an engaging and safe learning environment. 

  • Kelly Mertel

    GYM Kids Teacher

    Kelly Mertel (Coach Kelly) has been working with children both in the

    classroom and as a coach for over 9 years which led her to start Gym

    Kids Enrichment. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a

    Master’s degree in HR Management. She lives in Crystal Lake with her

    husband and three children. Coach Kelly loves working with children!