Staff
Joanne Dobberstein
I am originally a Minnesota farm girl. I was raised on a farm near the Hastings, MN area. I have been teaching for more than 20 years. I have taught many different ages and subject areas throughout the years, but Pre-K has always been my favorite! My family and I moved to this area five years ago from the Eau Claire area, where we had owned and operated a dairy farm for eleven years. During the years we were farming and raising our 5 young children, I certainly wasn’t bored, but I always felt something was missing from my life if I wasn’t teaching. So I always found a way to teach in some capacity, whether it was full-time, part-time, subbing, or summer school.
I have been a part of the St. Matthew’s School faculty since the fall of 2019, when St. Matthew’s began their five-day/week Pre-K option and extended their Surround Care to precede and follow Pre-K class hours. I was hired to teach that Pre-K section and to direct Surround Care. It was a perfect fit for me. Besides the awesome privilege of being able to daily share God’s Word with the littlest of his lambs, this is where my heart is for the reason that this is my family’s Church home and where we have chosen to entrust the education of our own children.
I am married to Chad, and we have 5 children: Emily, Eric, Cory, Isaac, and Nathan. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy “spectating” at our children’s MANY sporting events, reading, and walking these amazingly beautiful bluffs God has created!
As my students and I sing at the end of each day,
“GOD BLESS YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO, IN ALL YOU SAY AND DO!”
Karen Rossin
I was Called to St. Matthew’s to be the 3rd grade teacher.
After three years, I began the “Extended Learning Program” at St. Matthew’s.
(It was our own in-house remedial and gifted program.)
After three years of running that program, the faculty shifted and I was Called to teach in the 2nd grade classroom.
After six years of teaching second grade, I was Called to be the Pre-K teacher …
and have been sitting criss-cross applesauce ever since!!
I am married to Tom and have two boys, Christian and Caleb!!
My favorite pastimes would be spending time with family or spending time with a book!!!!
Always remember —
Jesus loves you and so do I!!
Volunteers and Aides
Those serving in this position work under the supervision and in coordination with the classroom teacher.
- They assist so that the teacher is able to completely and efficiently fulfill her teaching responsibilities
- They assist the teacher in making the classroom a safe and fun learning environment
BLESSINGS!!
- Superior student/teacher ratios
- Rich inter-generational interactions
- Unique personal connections day-by-day
- The opportunity to serve the Lord, by those giving of their time
College Connection
Typically each semester, students from Winona State University and students from Minnesota State College Southeast join the Pre-K classroom at St. Matthew’s. They are in the classroom as a part of their early childhood curriculum requirement for field/lab experience.
As the semester progresses, their emerging work with the children (and in the classroom) develops into teaching opportunities and lesson presentations with the students.
Welcome future early childhood educators!!
If you cannot speak like angels, if you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus; you can say he died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked with the Judgement’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children to the Savior’s waiting arms.
Christian Worship
Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn 573 stanza 2
