Hi! My name is Jennifer Barnes.  I am the oldest of the seven children of Bob and Toni Grojean.  Many of you know my mom from her work as the Director of Religious Education at St. Francis Xavier Parish.  She has also taught Religion and Art for the school.  I have spent most of my life as a member of this parish.  I was baptized in Sikeston, received my first communion, and was confirmed and married at St. Francis Xavier.  I spent my first year of college at Southwest Missouri State University.  The following year my husband Mike and I transferred to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.  I received a Bachelor of Science in Education for secondary mathematics from UCA in 1995.  My first teaching job was for Sikeston Senior High.  I taught Geometry, Algebra 3, and Tech Prep math for three years.  In 1998, I started teaching at St. Francis. This is my 28th year.  I have a daughter Jaden, 27, and a son Jamie,25.  Both of my children attended SFX from preschool through 8th grade.  I have great confidence in the ability of this school to provide for both the spiritual and educational needs of my children. Both of my children graduated with honors from Notre Dame High School. Jaden earned a Master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology at Southeast Missouri State and Jamie is currently enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Scientist program in Kansas City.

Over the past 28 years my husband and I have enjoyed coaching many of the school's sports teams.  We coached boy's basketball for many years and then when Jaden got old enough to play, switched to girl's basketball.  I also spent several years coaching volleyball.  My husband and I have also have coached t-ball, baseball, and soccer for our kid's city league teams.  Sports provide so much enjoyment for our family and we like to see our children succeed in school as well as on the field.

Things I like: drawing, chocolate, oatmeal cookies, neatness, good hair days, photography, travel, time spent with family, math, quiz bowl, finding bargains, mystery books, watching my kids score in sports, the color red, Captain Crunch, vacations, hot chocolate, and seeing kids use their talents.

Things I don't like: cauliflower, rainy days, COMPLAINERS, bills, messes, weeds in my landscaping, cleaning bathrooms, negativity, kids eating food in church.