Lower School
“You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so, you learn to love by loving.”
-St. Francis de Sales
Mrs. Linda Klein, Fifth Grade Math and Science
Bio coming soon - please check back!
Mr. Ben Domnarski, Fifth Grade Humanities Teacher
Ben Domnarski brings to OLMC the hallmarks of a classical education: integration of academics, athletics, and the arts. He grew up (and learned to ride) on a horse-boarding farm in Massachusetts, and later worked as a farmhand in New Hampshire. Long hikes and camping trips with friends and family nourished his love of the outdoors. Competing at the varsity level for soccer and track & field honed his skills as an individual athlete and a teammate. A high-school trip to Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic opened his eyes to the rich history, art, and architecture of the Church.
Mr. Domnarski received a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Aquinas College in 2023. He spent thousands of hours engaged in Socratic discussions over literature, philosophy, and theology, which kindled his passion for learning through conversation about primary sources. When not studying, he could be found on the TAC stage acting in Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Macbeth, or cooking (and cleaning up after) huge meals for classmates in a college kitchen. Before joining the OLMC faculty, he taught history, mathematics, science, grammar and composition, literature, and Latin to students in grades 5 through 7 at St. Michael’s Catholic School in Brattleboro, Vermont. He also coached St. Michael’s high school soccer team and led adventures in cross-country skiing.
Mr. Domnarski loves sketching, hiking, and swing dancing, and looks forward to sharing his hobbies with colleagues and students. He was drawn to OLMC by what he describes as the “zeal, faith, and charity of the community—coupled with the school’s true conception of a Catholic liberal arts education: forming the human soul to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ for time and eternity.”
Mrs. Susanne Tyrrell, Fourth Grade Teacher
Bio coming soon - please check back!
Mrs. Maggie Killackey, Fourth Grade Teacher
Maggie Killackey credits her father with inspiring her lifelong love of learning. He helped her to see the world as a place of endless wonder and beauty, an experience she strives to share with each of her students.
She graduated from Villanova University with a BA in Economics and dual minors in Philosophy and Business. Following a career in human resources, she immersed herself in homeschooling her own four children, guiding their education from kindergarten through high school. A love of teaching is a passion she has passed on to her children, as all of them are currently teaching in various capacities.
Mrs. Killackey has also taught online classes to other homeschooled students, spent many years coordinating her parish’s high school youth group, and was caregiver to the elderly. She is now enjoying her new role as a grandmother to her two (perfect!) grandchildren.
Ms. Katie Zachok, Third Grade Teacher
Miss Zachok is very excited to be working at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. She attended Centenary University in Hackettstown, NJ, graduating summa cum laude with a BA in English and a Minor in History and Political Science. She is also a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society. Over the years, she has enjoyed working with children in her parish youth group, tutoring fellow students on her college campus, and reading classic literature. In her free time, you can find her working on her latest writing project, watching old films, or cuddling her Golden Retriever!
Miss Zachok is an avid devotee of C.S. Lewis. She agrees with his statement that “[s]ince it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” She fully believes that a good story, whether real or fictional, has the power to transform the reader for a lifetime. It is her mission and her dearest hope to help others find God within the pages of great literature, and in the drama of history.
Mrs. Christine Holmberg, Third Grade Teacher
Mrs. Holmberg’s desire to be an educator started at a very early age. It was at her kindergarten graduation that she proudly announced to everyone that she wanted to be a teacher or dance on Broadway when she was older. Although her competitive dance career ended when she finished college, her passion for teaching was really just beginning to blossom. Mrs. Holmberg graduated cum laude from Florida Atlantic University with a B.A. in Elementary Education and then went on to receive her M.A. in Teaching and Learning, with a concentration in Elementary Reading, from Nova Southeastern University.
She was very fortunate to teach in a wonderful New Jersey school district for almost 12 years before taking some time off to raise her three boys. After seven years at home, focusing solely on her family, Mrs. Holmberg knew it was time to get back in the classroom. Her family feels so blessed to have found OLMC and that she was given the opportunity to become part of the incredible faculty at just the right time.
She has a special appreciation for the beauty of nature and all that God has created for us in this world, especially Monarch butterflies. Mrs. Holmberg has raised, tagged, and released them with her students in the past as part of the Monarch Watch conservation and research program. It brings her great joy to continue to carry on that tradition at home with her own children.
In her free time, she and her husband can be found at the baseball field cheering on their boys as they compete for their league and tournament titles. When she isn’t busy doing that, she loves to spend time with her extended family, enjoy a delicious dinner at a nice restaurant, or stick her toes in the sand and listen to the crashing of the ocean waves.
Mrs. Laurie Hain, Second Grade Teacher
Mrs Hain has been teaching for over 25 years, and most recently was a Pre-K teacher for 6 years. We are very happy to have her expertise and enthusiasm in our second grade classroom! Check back soon for more!
Mrs. Bridget Tierney, Second Grade Teacher
Bio coming soon - please check back!
Mrs. Kim Marion, First Grade Teacher
Kim Marion brings a both a passion for teaching and a wealth of experience into her classroom. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with a minor in mathematics from William Paterson University, and in addition to 1st grade has taught kindergarten and third-grade for more than thirty years in the Diocese of Paterson.
Mrs. Marion continues to share her love of learning through Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s classical method of education. Every year she looks forward to preparing the first-grade students for future success and an utter love for learning all their own.
Mrs. Marion is married with two adult children. When she is home, she devotes much of her time to her brand new grandson. In her free time she likes to devote her green thumb to the cultivation of her family garden.
Ms. Alyssa DeBlasis, First Grade Teacher
When Alyssa DeBlasis was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always answered, “I’m going to be a teacher and a professional basketball player!” These two passions have continued to inspire her. She graduated cum laude from Cabrini University with a degree in education and a focus on special education. For the last nine years, she has helped to run the Caldwell-West Caldwell Recreation summer camp for children in grades 1-8. She also started and leads a summer math and reading program. After playing four years of varsity basketball in high school, she has continued her love of sports through various coaching opportunities, and is currently head coach of the OLMC 4th-5th grade girls basketball team.
In her free time, Miss DeBlasis likes to play basketball and is an avid reader—just ask her how many books she’s read so far this year! She also enjoys spending time with her family at the beach and taking walks in nature. A passionate sports fan, she frequently attends games for her favorite New York sports teams: the Giants, Knicks, Rangers, and Yankees.
Mrs. Carolyn Clark, Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Clark earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education with a minor in Mathematics from Saint John’s University (Jamaica, NY) and a Masters in Education from Queens College (Flushing, NY). Following college and graduate school, she participated in the Writing Workshop at Teachers’ College (Columbia University) for two summers, during which she learned the value of great books and stories that capture children’s attention. She continued her education at the Circe Institute, during which she refined the foundational skills of her classical approach. Among the many delights of teaching, her greatest joy is sharing a good book that utterly enchants her students.
After teaching all grades in Catholic, public, and private schools, staying home to raise her two daughters, serving as an aide and substitute at OLMC, and caring for her parents, Mrs. Clark is thrilled to be back at the school where children learn to love God, one another, and learning!
Mrs. Judy Swetlitschnyj, Kindergarten Teacher
Judy Swetlitschnyj has enjoyed teaching and tending to young children since her own childhood, when she cared for her younger cousins. From there, she worked at an early education both in high school and while attending William Paterson University, where she majored in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. Mrs. Swetlitschnyj continued her work in early education while raising four children of her own.
She has also enjoyed sharing her faith as a first grade religious education teacher at her home parish of St. Ann’s Melkite Catholic Church (Woodland Park) for the past eight years.
Mrs. Swetlitschnyj is overjoyed to share both her faith and her love of learning with OLMC’s Kindergarten students, and is excited to be a part of such a God-loving community. Particularly inspired by the gentle methods of Fred Rogers, she often uses puppetry to engage and enchant her little learners.
During her free time, Mrs. Swetlitschnyj enjoys drawing, painting, sewing, and crafting, and has even dabbled in refinishing old furniture. Mostly, though, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her children, and her two grandchildren.