St. Mark Catholic School Wilmington, NC

It's only DAY ONE ☝️ and our students are already growing in knowledge and making new friends! The upbeat energy of our students and their eagerness and excitement to learn inspire us each and every day! We thank God for another school year and His blessings upon our students, teachers, and staff. 🙏

Happy First Day of School, Lions! 💛🦁💚 Make it an EXCEPTIONAL year! 👏

Our students, teachers, and families are ready for another incredible school year! Thank you for joining us at Open House and filling the hallways with hugs, smiles, and sweet hellos! 🥹👋 We'll see you very soon on the First Day of School! 🎒📚 Welcome back, Lions! 🦁

Please welcome Mrs. Jennifer DeJoseph, our new Pre-K and K PE teacher and paraprofessional!

Mrs. DeJoseph moved to Wilmington in 1997 to attend college at UNCW and has made Wilmington her home ever since. She graduated in 2001 with a BA in Psychology.

She worked in Early Childhood Education with the same group of licensed centers for 27 years. During that time, she became qualified at the highest level for Teaching and as an Administrator through The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education. She worked as a teacher for several years before becoming Center Director for 10 years, and for the last 14 years as the District Manager.

Mrs. DeJoseph left the position to have more time with her family. She and her husband, Marty, and their two children have been a part of St. Mark Catholic School since 2016 when their daughter Avery started in the half day PreK program. Avery is now in 8th grade and younger brother, Ashton, is in 5th grade. They are members of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Castle Hayne where both children are regular altar servers.

Mrs. DeJoseph started subbing for St. Mark in February of 2026 and fell in love with being in the classroom with children all over again. She enjoys traveling with her family, the beach, and cheering on her children in their sports.

Welcome back, Mrs. Jacquie Murphy, our new 6th grade Social Studies and 7th grade ELA teacher! 🗺📖✍

Mrs. Murphy is excited to return to St. Mark, a community that has been an important part of her life for many years both as an educator and as a parent. She and her husband, Terence, are parishioners at St. Therese Catholic Church and are thrilled to have their three children, Mae, Nora, and John, at St. Mark this year.

Mrs. Murphy earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. After spending a few years living and working in New York City, she began her career at St. Mark as a long-term substitute in 2011 before teaching middle school Language Arts, Social Studies, and Religion from 2014 to 2019. After taking time to stay home with her children, she returned to St. Mark last year as an elementary instructional assistant and is excited to be back in middle school teaching Social Studies.

Mrs. Murphy became a teacher because she believes education should spark curiosity, build confidence, and encourage students to think critically. She is passionate about helping students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers by giving them the skills and confidence to analyze information, communicate clearly, and support their ideas with evidence. She loves that Social Studies allows students to explore the people and events that shaped our world while making connections to today.

Originally from Rockville Centre, New York, Mrs. Murphy moved to Wilmington in 2009 and has loved making this community home.

Please welcome, Ms. Louise Kooiman, our new 8th grade Math and Science teacher! 📐⚛🔬

Ms. Kooiman is originally from Southern California. She grew up going to Catholic school in Orange County, playing sports for her school and club teams. It was collegiate volleyball that brought Ms. Kooiman to the Carolinas. She attended the University of South Carolina where she majored in Middle Level Education and played on the beach volleyball team. After graduating from USC, she earned her M.Ed in Science and Mathematics Education from the College of Charleston.

After her time in Charleston, Ms. Kooiman moved to Wilmington where she began her teaching career. For the last few years, Ms. K taught math in 7th grade, 8th grade, and math 1. She is beyond excited to transition to St. Mark, teaching 8th grade math and science this school year. She has always had a passion for working with kids shown through her time as a camp counselor, swim instructor, coach and various other positions. It is the chance to help students grow into faith-filled and kind individuals that led Ms. K to choose education. Her focus as an educator is to build students’ confidence in their ability to adapt, overcome, and succeed in both academics and life.

Ms. Kooiman is extremely grateful for her family and their continuous support through every chapter of her life. She spends time with her parents and brother regularly and visits her sister and new nephew as much as possible. The Kooiman family would not be complete without several rescue dogs in their mix including Ms. Kooiman’s dog, Zeke. You can often find Ms. K and Zeke at the beach or hanging out with friends. If you see them around Wilmington, be sure to say hi!

Please welcome our new 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Amy Smith! 👏

“I am so excited to be teaching fourth grade at St. Mark! Education has always been a passion of mine, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue making a difference in the lives of students!”

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Dayton. She continued her education at Allegheny Community College and Carlow College while working in the teaching field in Pittsburgh, where she taught for many years. In 2007, Mrs. Smith moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, and taught with Wake County Public Schools through 2019, primarily teaching fourth and sixth grades.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Smith has been honored with the Golden Apple Award in 2008 and Teacher of the Year at Holly Grove Middle School in 2017. At St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Apex, Mrs. Smith was honored as Teacher of the Year for the Diocese of Raleigh in 2024 and was also a 2024 Lewis Award finalist. She has led and coached many student activities, including Student Council, cheerleading, and STEAM. In 2016, Mrs. Smith’s STEAM team won first place at the NC State competition. In 2013, Mrs. Smith spent the summer teaching in China as part of the State of North Carolina’s Global Alliance.

Family is a very important part her life. Mrs. Smith has four children and four stepchildren, ages 22–32. Her children live throughout the United States, including Boston, New York City, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Boone, NC, and Florida. Mrs. Smith is also a proud grandparent to a one-year-old grandson, KJ. She has two sons who proudly serve in the United States military, one in the Army Reserve and one in the Air Force.

Outside of teaching, Mrs. Smith enjoys reading, cheering on the Carolina Hurricanes, and playing pickleball!

Our teachers and staff are back for a ✨BRAND NEW✨ school year, and we're excited to welcome some new and familiar faces! 😁

Please welcome Mrs. Briana Burley, our new 6th grade ELA teacher! 📚✏

Mrs. Burley is excited to begin her journey as the new 6th Grade English Language Arts teacher. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communications and Public Relations from Mount St. Mary's University before completing her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary English at Liberty University.

After spending several years working in public relations, Mrs. Burley realized that her true calling was in education. As a passionate, lifelong reader, she credits many of her own past teachers with inspiring her love for learning and literature. She is passionate about helping students discover the same appreciation for reading as they develop the skills and confidence they need to become thoughtful readers, communicators, and writers.

Mrs. Burley lives in Wilmington with her husband, Hunter, and their two cats, Rajah and Remus. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys reading, spending time with family, taking drives on Fort Fisher’s FWD beach, and traveling. She is currently working toward the goal of visiting every National Park in the United States. Originally from the Greater Philadelphia area, she is a devoted Philly sports fan.

As a teacher at St. Mark, Mrs. Burley is committed to nurturing her students academically, personally, and spiritually. She understands that every child is uniquely gifted, and she will work hard to create an environment that will challenge, support, and value each of her students. She is excited to meet every family and work together to make this year one that is filled with academic growth and spiritual development.

Announcing this year's Lion Pride 5K PRESENTING SPONSOR, ✨📣Taylorbuilt Designs📣✨!

Interested in becoming a sponsor? 😄 Sponsorship packages are still available! Click the 🔗 to check them out! We appreciate your generous support! 🤝 Sponsorships are due today, August 5th!

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See 🫵 where? At the starting line! 🏁🏃 The Lion Pride 5K is quickly approaching, so START the registration process and FINISH it today! Click the 🔗 for more information.

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