GETTING TO KNOW ALL SAINTS TEACHER Jeanelle Peet: “I Love Being Able to Share My Faith”

Jeanelle Peet never thought she would grow up to be a math teacher. In fact, she nearly failed algebra.

“I used to play school on the weekends and over summer break when I was young, but I never thought I would teach math,” Mrs. Peet says. “Now I’m in my first year of teaching at All Saints, and I couldn’t be more excited to be the new middle school math teacher.”

As a mom to eight children from ages 23 down to nine months and as a longtime public schoolteacher, Mrs. Peet believes that in those two roles — teacher and mother — you grapple with a similar challenge.

“The most challenging aspect of both of those roles are the outside influences your children face in their daily lives,” Mrs. Peet says. “It is obvious we are living in a world that lacks courage or understanding for people to stand up and say, ‘I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,’ not to mention actions to back up those statements.”

Mrs. Peet received her Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Master’s in Physics Education from Western Governors University. She first began teaching at her alma mater, Tremper High School, in Kenosha, Wis., before making a change for her and her family.

“I realized Kenosha isn’t what I wanted for my own children and then moved up north to White Lake, Wis., and taught ALL the math,” Mrs. Peet says. “From there, I taught at Elcho and now at All Saints.”

Mrs. Peet loves teaching within her new environment, and it seemed like a fit right from the beginning.

“What I love most about All Saints are my students,” she says. “They are a great group of individuals. I love being able to share my faith. My faith has saved me from many tribulations, and I feel it is important for young people to hear that message.”

Mrs. Peet enjoys reading, exercising, and being outdoors during the warmer months. She was raised in an Evangelical Lutheran home in Kenosha but believes that she’ll be participating in RCIA and will come into the Catholic Church when the time is right for her and her family.

“As I have been learning more about Catholicism compared to Lutheranism, I see that there are very few differences in the liturgy,” Mrs. Peet says. “There is definitely a lot more to learn about Catholicism, but the more I learn, the more it sparks something, and I want to read or research even more.”

Mrs. Peet would like to remind the faith community how much our youth need us.

“When I saw what was happening in public schools, I knew I needed to fight the battle from a different approach,” Mrs. Peet says. “My mission is to be the best math teacher for All Saints. This will be doing my part for our youth as well as for our school.”

Jeanelle Peet with her family — (from left) Max, Bart, Belle, Lily, Jeanelle (holding Jacob), Addy, and Frank; front (from left) Justin and Peyton