Faculty

Mrs. Debbie Brumley

Mrs. Barbara Hall

Born during the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on the very same island as that monarch, Miss Barbara Lloyd graduated from the University of Leicester with an Honors degree in German, then completed the Postgraduate Certificate of Education at the Victoria University of Manchester, now as Mrs. Hall. Her first teaching post was at an all-boys’ boarding comprehensive school, where she learned firsthand the most important difference between boys and girls, i.e. boys readily accept their punishment! After raising three children, Mrs. Hall continued her teaching career, working in schools, as a freelance tutor for the Central University of Lancashire, and West Cumbria College, teaching German courses in companies, and teaching EFL and German for the Brussels Language School in Belgium. Upon receiving the Green Card three years after emigrating to the States, her first paid job was as the assistant to a Methodist pastor, where the pastor and she thrived on a strike and riposte situation regarding religion! Eight years ago the Blessed Mother was instrumental in guiding her to the position of First and Second Grade Teacher and High School Modern Languages Teacher at Kolbe Academy ( although Mimi Street insists she played a role in this union too). For the past six years junior high students have tolerated her clipped accent, high expectations and insistence on good penmanship through the use of the fountain-pen.

Mrs. Hall has fostered her love of languages, which grew from an exchange visit to Germany as a fifteen-year old, by learning Flemish whilst living in Brussels, and Italian for the Kolbe High School Rome trip. These are in addition to German, French and Spanish, which she learned as a student. She enjoys cycling, hiking and swimming, and is into writing her third chapbook of Christian poetry, which has been compared to the poetry of George Herbert. Playing the piano for Mass and sometimes the flute is one way in which she has recently served her parish community.

7/8 Grade Math

Mrs. Maureen Thoits

 John Bertolini has had the privilege of attending Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep for all twelve years of primary schooling. He continued his education at Hillsdale College in Michigan, spent his junior year abroad at Oxford University, and received a B.A. in Political Science and History. He also holds a masters in Politics from the University of Dallas, Texas. John teaches Greco-Roman history to 9/10 grade and American history to the 11/12 grade. Additionally, he teaches 9/10 grade Introduction to the Bible and 11/12 grade Catholic apologetics, not to mention utilizing PowerPoint presentations for the 7/8 grade Western civilization class.

John has been married to the lovely, Allison Bertolini, Pre-K and Kindergarten teacher, for over two years.

11/12 Grade Homeroom

9/10 Medieval Literature

11/12 Modern European Literature

7 - 10 Latin

Tom Riley was educated at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, and at the University of Notre Dame.  He has taught at Canisius College in Buffalo, at Kolbe Academy, and at Trinity since its inception.  He has published well over 700 poems in venues ranging from The American Spectator to Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.  He was the featured poet in the Summer 2000 issue of Light Quarterly, and his book-length manuscript Sideshow and Other Poems was a runner-up in the most recent Anita Dorn Memorial Competition.

Prominent poet and critic Richard Moore writes: “Riley’s forms are great because they reveal a powerful, deeply complex moral sensibility.  He understands our world.  We can learn from him….”

Algebra II

Pre-Calculus

Chemistry

Mr. Matthew Badley is returning to teach for his eighth year here at Trinity Prep. Mr. Badley has taught Latin, math and science to both junior high and high school students.

After graduating from Thomas Aquinas College, Mr. Badley worked variously as a See’s Candies clerk, a Seattle hotel manager, a data analyst at Boeing Commercial Aircraft Group, and a long-term care insurance salesman with General Electric. In the spring of 2000, he was accepted into the USAF. However, during the time his application was being reviewed, he had been helping out at Trinity by substitute teaching. By the time he heard that he had been accepted by the Air Force, he had already realized that he was called to teaching, and decided to forgo the military life.

After five years of full time teaching, while his family grew, practically exponentially, he was hired by Queen of the Valley Medical Center, as a data analyst, but continues to teach part-time at Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep. His wife, Heidi, and their eleven children reside in American Canyon.

7/8 Physical Science

9/10 Physical Science

Algebra I

Mrs. Thornton's Homepage

Geometry

Mrs. Ann Kimball

Brian Muth’s roots in private, Catholic education in Napa go deep. His parents are one of the founding couples of Kolbe Academy. Over his vigorous protests (but with his eventual acceptance), he attended Grades 7-12 at Kolbe. In the first year at Kolbe, there were a total of eight students. There were two students in his graduating class—prom was really boring. It was great telling people that he graduated first in his class, though, until they inevitably asked “Out of how many?”

Brian graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Dallas with a BA in Politics. He also met and married his wife, Deana, at UD. After college, he dabbled with law school and then got down to the business of supporting his family. He and his wife (and the ever-growing ranks of their children—they’re up to eight now) lived in Southern California and in the Dallas area. While in Southern California, Brian received his MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Southern California. He has held a variety of positions over time, from Paralegal with a leading pharmaceutical company to Director of Marketing for the premier legal publisher in the country.

With a plethora of experiences that would prove helpful and feeling God’s call, Brian and his family relocated to Napa in 2003 to direct the efforts at Kolbe, both the day school and the home school program. In 2008, Brian accepted the position of Headmaster at the combined Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep.

Assistant Principal

High School Drama

Co-Teaches 7-12 Forum (Public Speaking)

Nancy Jaminet

Miss Nancy Jaminet graduated Summa Cum Laude from Franciscan University with a B.A. in Literature, a minor in Theology, and a Certificate in the Great Books of Western Civilization. In 1995 she moved to Napa and took a teaching position at Kolbe Academy. In her total of 10 years of teaching at Kolbe Academy she was fortunate to teach every grade from 1st through 8th in the homeroom capacity, as well as high school courses in Writing, Theology, and Drama. As the Lead Teacher at Kolbe for 4 years, she developed and implemented training for teachers. Miss Jaminet traveled to schools and conferences in California, Oregon, and Florida to speak and work with other Catholic educators and teachers. She served as the Principal of Wood Rose Academy in Concord, CA for one year. In 2008 she returned to post-graduate studies as a full-time student at Sonoma State University. She completed student teaching at Northwood Elementary in Napa and received her CA Multi-Subject Teaching Credential in May 2009.

Miss Jaminet is also the high school Drama teacher and co-teaches the public speaking Forum with the junior high and high school classes. Her involvement in the performing arts dates back to kindergarten. She has been dancing since Kindergarten, acting since 6th grade, and singing since 7th grade. She is a former Vermont State One Act Play Competition Champion and was named to the All New England High School Cast. She was the 1991 Kentucky Forensics League State Champion in Informative Speaking and 3rd place in Persuasive Speaking. Miss Jaminet continued acting at the college level and then began working with children in theatre after graduation.

Miss Jaminet has lived in Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky, Ohio and Austria, and travelled to most of the U.S. and 13 countries, but loves California the best! In her free time she can be found doing quiet things, such as reading, or adventurous things, like sky-diving.