Tina Boettcher

I was born in Kankakee, Illinois where I attended St. Joseph's Grade School on Center Street. I have two brothers and a sister, and we all graduated from Bishop McNamara High School. So I guess you could say that I've been in Catholic Education all my life.  My Mom & Dad happily made many sacrifices to send us  to Catholic Schools.  They showed me that they valued a Catholic Education for their children more than any earthly possession.  My parents weathered the Great Depression and knew that education is the key to success.  Because of that my Dad always said, "You can lose your money, your house, your car, but the only thing no one can ever take from you is your education."  He graduated from St. Anne High School and never had the opportunity to go to college, but was a lot smarter than many college graduates!

My husband, Steve, works for State Farm so we have raised our children here in Bloomington.  We have three children, Chris, Shelli, and Angela who have all attended St. Mary's Grade School and received an excellent education.

I moved to Bloomington after high school to attend Illinois State University.  I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1988, with certifications in Junior High Education, Social Studies and Spanish. Currently I am halfway through a Master's Degree in Educational Administration.  I taught at Epiphany Grade School in Normal for 7 years before coming to St. Mary's Church.  I have enjoyed attending many workshops dealing with topics of the Catholic Faith, including Catholic Creed, The Catechism of The Catholic Church, apologetics, and prayer.  I have completed the St. John Bosco Institute on Catechetics through the Diocese of Peoria. 

Since 1997 I have been the Coordinator of Religious Education for the parish.  In this position, I direct the CCD, RCIC, and Sacramental Preparation Programs for the parish.  Our sacramental life is central to our identity as Catholics, and the life of our parish centers on the community celebration of Sacraments and Liturgy.  I really enjoy helping parents to prepare their children to celebrate sacraments!

I am currently serving on a Diocesan Committee working on a proposal for the Religious Education  Curriculum.  I also serve on the Commission of Education at Central Catholic High School and enjoy being a chairperson for the "Saints Alive!" annual dinner and auction fundraising event for the school. 

I have previously served on the Bishop's Committee on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Diocesan Curriculum Articulation project, and have been regional Coordinator for the Diocese of Peoria Religious Education Network in the Bloomington-Normal and surrounding area.

I have ongoing special interest in educational research dealing with brain functioning, and have completed honors work in metacognitive teaching strategies.  In my spare time I enjoy reading, visiting with friends & family, and whatever sport that my kids are into at the time.