Our Faculty

Mr. John Henderson - Principal, Religion/History/Latin

Born and raised in the DMV region, Mr. Henderson graduated from The Catholic University of America, where he was inducted into Eta Sigma Phi, the national honor society for classical studies.

After graduation, he spent two years teaching middle school History and Religion for the Archdiocese of Washington before joining St. Anthony Academy in 2021. He currently serves as Principal of St. Anthony Academy and continues to teach Religion, History, and Latin in the upper school.

In addition to his classroom experience, Mr. Henderson served as Head Coach of the Boys 14U CYO Basketball Team at St. Raphael School from 2019 to 2022, where he helped young athletes develop teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. In 2024, Mr. Henderson also gained valuable entrepreneurial and leadership experience as a multi-unit franchise owner in the youth sports industry, overseeing programs, staff, and operations across multiple communities.

Mr. Henderson is passionate about classical Catholic education and is committed to forming students in faith, reason, and a lifelong love of learning.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Catholic School Leadership as a Braniff Scholar at the University of Dallas, where he is continuing to grow as a leader and deepen his understanding of effective Catholic school administration.

Mrs. Adrienne Henzel - Kindergarten Teacher & Vice Principal

Mrs. Adrienne Henzel serves as St. Anthony Academy’s Kindergarten Teacher and Vice Principal. Before joining St. Anthony, she taught history at the middle- and high-school levels in Fairfax County Public Schools and taught history and English as a Second Language at international schools in the Middle East.

Mrs. Henzel earned her B.A. in European Studies from George Mason University and her teaching certification from Texas Woman’s University.

Mrs. Henzel is also a longtime member of the St. Anthony community, where her three children attended school. She brings to our kindergarten classroom a wealth of teaching experience, a deep understanding of our school’s mission, and a genuine love and care for our youngest students.

Mrs. Jane Burton - Religion/Math/Science

A native of Lancaster, Ohio, Mrs. Burton graduated from Hillsdale College with a B.S. in Chemistry and Math, and then went to the University of Virginia where she earned an M.Ed. in Mathematics Education. She worked with IBM as a systems engineer for twelve years, before devoting herself full-time to homeschooling her four children.

In 2003, she helped found St. Anthony Academy where she enrolled her children and became a member of their teaching staff.

After many years of faithful service as principal, Mrs. Burton continues to share her love of learning with students through the teaching of math, grammar, and science.

Mrs. Theresa Kleeman - Lower School

Mrs. Kleeman received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Northern Michigan University and then worked as a research assistant in the biochemistry department at Louisiana State University. She later moved to North Carolina where she worked in the pharmacology department at Duke University. She left this position to become a full-time wife and mother, during which time she traveled the country with her military husband and homeschooled her children.

Upon settling in Fairfax, Virginia in 2012, Mrs. Kleeman enrolled her children in St. Anthony Academy and joined their teaching staff. She has served as a teacher of middle school math and science, but has found her niche in teaching students in grades K-3, whose curriculum she helped develop.

Ms. Chloe Costello - 2nd Grade Teacher

Chloe Costello grew up in Northern Virginia and received her B.A. at Christendom College, with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Sacred Music.

While there she received the Benedict XVI Assistant Organist scholarship and played for mass at least three times per week, having played organ and sang in the choir throughout high school, and continues to cultivate her love of music by playing as an interim and substitute organist.

Additionally, during her years at Christendom, she tutored, taught piano lessons, worked as a supervisor at the library and as a counseling office receptionist, and was inducted into and served as Secretary of the Chester-Belloc Debate Society.

She is passionate about cultivating a love of truth and beauty in young minds and hearts, and looks forward to fulfilling this vocation by serving on the faculty at Saint Anthony Academy.

Mrs. Wendy Palma - Pre-K

Originally from Stamford, CT, Mrs. Palma has been working with children for nearly 20 years and absolutely loves it. She has called Virginia home since 2015 and has been part of the St. Anthony Academy community for going on four years. Wendy currently has a child enrolled in Kindergarten and has experience working with Classical Conversations. She has a passion for arts and crafts, imaginative play, and all things child-centered. Pre-K is truly where Wendy feels at home, and she loves creating a fun, welcoming environment where children can learn, grow, create, and enjoy being kids!

Mrs. Mary Lou Loftus - Upper School

Mrs. Loftus is one of the founding members of the Academy, having served as one of the original teachers and its first principal. Currently, she teaches several writing classes using the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) method as well as a myriad of Literature and Religion courses.

A graduate of Christendom College with a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Economics, her teaching career began in a small, Catholic school in Ohio in 1993 with middle school and high school composition and literature classes.

She lives in Front Royal, Virginia, with her husband, Sean, and their 7 children, three of whom are graduates of SAA and four who are still attending the Academy.

Mrs. Monica Ward

Raised in Grand Rapids, MI as the third of ten children, Monica values the enriching liberal arts education she received both through her homeschool curriculum and her parish's classical academy. She graduated from Christendom College in May, 2025, with a BA in philosophy and has found a lasting home in VA since her wedding in late June.

Monica loves all things musical--whether singing, playing and teaching piano, or fiddling--and enjoyed her position as the Lower School Music Teacher for Chelsea Academy while finishing up her senior year at Christendom. Her experience teaching thus far has been beautiful and fulfilling, and her love of all things Catholic and classical makes her more than excited to join St. Anthony' Academy's faculty!

Mrs. Lindy Rackiewicz - Science

While growing up in a military family and traveling throughout the United States and Japan, Mrs. Rackiewicz developed a love for geography. This led her to pursue a B.A. in Geography, which she received from the University of Mary Washington in 1973. Following graduation, she worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Research and Policy Committees, and as a Legislative Aide for a Michigan congressman on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

She left her career to become a full-time mother, raising six children and homeschooling three of them for eight years.

In addition to volunteering for over twenty years in both the boys’ and girls’ scouting programs, Mrs. Rackiewicz served as a substitute teacher and a volunteer in several capacities at Seton School in Manassas. Her love of geography, science, and Virginia history led her to a teaching position at St. Anthony Academy in 2004.

Mrs. Rackiewicz continues to share her love for “exploring God’s world” in science and geography both with her students at St. Anthony Academy and her 20 grandchildren.

Mrs. Dawn Kuker - Music

Mrs. Dawn Kuker is a professional singer and choir director in the Northern Virginia area. She has served as a cantor and also directed youth and middle school choirs at local parishes in the Diocese of Arlington.

She has extensive vocal training, and she shares her knowledge of vocal pedagogy and enthusiasm for singing with her students. She is trained in the Ward Method of Music Instruction, which is unique

as an integrated approach to music education designed for children in Catholic schools. She uses this vocal-based method “to foster beauty through the joy of singing.”

Dr. John Corso - Civics, American Government

He is president and chief executive officer of Strategent Corporation, a management consulting firm. Dr. Corso teaches Strategic Management for the Master’s Degree in Project Management program at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies.

Dr. Corso served as an internal management consultant and senior-level program manager for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 1999 to 2018. Prior to that, he was a professional logistician and contracting officer. He is a former U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer, having retired at the rank of Commander in 2002.

Dr. Corso holds a doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy, a master's in general administration from Central Michigan University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.