Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 – Mr. Orem teaches his class how to put together their art assignments, Monday Aug. 31. Mr. Orem, a new teaxher this year, teaches Paschal Mystery, Sacraments, and Church History.

Saali teaches Spanish with veteran experience

By Jose Cardenas ’16
THE ROUNDUP

New teacher Mr. Jim Saali came to Brophy after teaching 22 years at a Jesuit high school in St. Louis. 

He currently teaches five sections of freshmen Spanish 1 and has taught the language at all levels.

He first decided to come to Arizona when his wife was offered the chance to become a nurse at the Mayo Clinic.

He applied to Brophy because he wanted to continue teaching at a Jesuit school.

“The Jesuit Magis, ‘Man for Others’ and Grad@Grad are all the same in these schools,” Mr. Saali said. “I feel like it is in my blood having taught at St. Louis.”

He said he is very much enjoying himself as a Brophy teacher and is impressed with the technology this school utilizes and loves what the Jesuits idealize.

He said he is also very impressed with the intelligence of his students saying he feels no pressure as a new teacher since all of his students have already been exposed to Spanish in various ways.

Although he is in a new state, his approach to teaching has not changed.

“My teaching philosophy is to have my students like the class, enjoy the class and look forward to coming to class,” Mr. Saali said. “I want them to be enthusiastic learners.”

Nowhere does his enthusiasm show up more than in his personal experience with the Spanish language.

“What made me want to teach Spanish was my freshman year in high school,” Mr. Saali said. “It was a new subject. I didn’t have it in grade school and I thought it was so exciting to be able to speak a different language. I used it and practiced it outside of the classroom, and I just became passionate about learning Spanish.”

As he goes on through the year Mr. Saali said he will incorporate the meaning, morality and power of foreign words into all of his classes.

Catan pleased with new position

By Henry Nallen ’18
THE ROUNDUP

Mr. Wayne Catan is Brophy’s new freshman English teacher and head wrestling coach.

This is his fourth year teaching English, and he has previously worked at Hillside School in Massachusetts, Blair Academy in New Jersey, and the Learning Foundation and Performing Arts School in Gilbert, Ariz.

Mr. Catan is originally from Long Island, N.Y., and he has been involved with wrestling since the age of five.

He said he originally practiced Judo, where he placed third in nationals, before eventually moving on to wrestling.

Mr. Catan said Brophy, so far, is an amazing school, unlike any other he has worked at before.

“The academics are rigorous and all the extra curricular are outstanding as well. They far outweigh anything that I have ever experienced,” Mr. Catan said.

Orem seeks to help students grow, develop through religion classes

By Bryce Owen ’17
THE ROUNDUP

Shortly after he finished grad school, Mr. Quinten Orem arrived at Brophy where he is now teaching in the religious studies department. 

Mr. Orem teaches Sacraments and History of the Catholic Church to sophomores and Paschal Mystery to juniors. 

“I love theology, and I’m ready to focus on someone’s development other than my own,” Mr. Orem said.

This is Mr. Orem’s first year teaching full time, however he does have some experience from this past summer where he taught a junior Paschal Mystery class.

Mr. Orem said he has learned from his brief teaching experience over the summer.
“I learned a better sense of how to make that content interesting, and I’m learning more and more about development, the development of you guys, and make sure you know all the right stuff,”  Mr. Orem said.

Mr. Orem has also lived out his faith in many different ways. 

He spent time in El Salvador and completed the walk of St. James, a Christian pilgrimage where participants walk for hundreds of miles on the border of Spain and France to deepen their relationship with God through meditation.

Mr. Orem’s colleagues and students said they appreciate the special skills that he brings to campus. 

“He brings a sense of passion, commitment and Ignatian values to the religion department, and we were impressed with his experience,” said Mr. Jim Grindey, the chair of the religious studies department.

Connor Brachtl ’17, who took Mr. Orem’s class over the summer, said he was impressed by his teaching style.

“He is very excited about what he teaches, and he has great enthusiasm for the subject,” Brachtl said. 

Mr. Grindey also said Orem is beneficial to the school.

“He’s a gift. He is learning, open and collaborative. He fits really well and is a great addition to our department,” Mr. Grindey said.

Mr. Orem said he plans to get involved in different Brophy activities.

This year he will be coaching the brand new freshman soccer team, and he hopes to make a big impact on his players.

Mr. Orem also was a member of a rap group named “Moby Sick” when he was in high school. He said that if students wanted to collaborate on a rap, he would love to work with them.