Thom Ritzema, principal  

 

Amanda Boelter was hired in 2008.  She is the 5th through 8th grade mathematics and 7th grade Blble teacher.  She graduated from Calvin College in 2004.  Mandy previously taught for four years at Jenison Christian School in Jenison, MI.

Sue DeZeeuw is part of the middle school team at AACS. She has a B.A. from Calvin College in education and social studies, and a M.A. from Eastern Michigan University in educational leadership. She has a Michigan teaching certificate. She taught in Lansing, IL before moving to Ann Arbor, and substituted while her children were small. She started teaching fourth grade math at AACS in 2001, moved to middle school math in 2002, and now teaches history, Bible, computers, and economics in the middle school. She has been involved in AACS as a public relations committee member and as a part-time administrator. Sue loves her students and enjoys being able to talk freely about God and his plan for the students (and herself!). She feels loved and supported by the awesome school community and encouraged to grow professionally and spiritually. Her other interests include reading, traveling with her family, and gardening. She and her husband have three children, all of whom have attended AACS. They are members of Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church.
  

Barb Dick has taught kindergarten at AACS since 1995. Barb grew up and attended pubic schools in Ann Arbor. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Education from Central Michigan University, completed 20 hours of graduate education work at Eastern Michigan University, and holds a Michigan permanent teaching certificate. Barb substituted in Ann Arbor for nine years in grades K-6, which included three years of teaching “children at risk.” For Barb, education is about nurturing and developing each child’s God-given spiritual, social, and academic abilities. She is so pleased that AACS’ Christ-centered environment, emphasis on excellence, and integrated curriculum allow her to do that. Along with a dedicated staff that works especially well together, Barb appreciates the supportive caring families. In addition to teaching, Barb enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters, and granddaughters. Walking, gardening, befriending a displaced family from Hurricane Katrina and reading Christian literature are other activities that she finds fulfilling. Barb and her husband are members at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

 

Susan Furr has taught at AACS since 2000, and currently teaches first grade. Susan graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education from Montana State University.  She has also attended Indiana State University, Indiana University, and is currently pursuing further education at Eastern Michigan University for Michigan certification requirements.  She has taught for 21 years, and she currently holds Michigan provisional certification. Susan says without reservation that this is the best school community she has ever had the privilege of serving, because of the central focus on Christ, on the school’s collaborative spirit, and on its commitment to excellence.  Susan attends Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church with her husband, Bruce, and enjoys reading, bird-watching, walking, and music.

 

Janet Jansen has been teaching at AACS since 2002. She has a B.S in Education and an M.A in Reading from Eastern Michigan University.  Her experience in small private schools spans many years. It started with her own K-12 education at Gaylord St. Mary, and she’s also taught at Saline Christian School and St. Mary in Pinckney. She joined the AACS teaching staff as a self-contained sixth grade teacher, but now teaches middle school language arts and social studies. Janet sums up her job as a perfect place to teach because kids are learning to break out of their comfort zone, take care of each other, and find exceptions to rules (i.e. grammar rules).  Both of her children have attended AACS. Hanging out with her husband and two kids, Lake Michigan, and pinball are a few of her favorite things.  She attends Ann Arbor Vineyard.

 

Claudia Hile has taught middle school Spanish at AACS since 2004. She was born in Heidelberg, Germany and lived part of her childhood in Barcelona, Spain. She attended Inlingua School of Languages in Berne, Switzerland and graduated with a foreign language correspondent diploma. She worked as a foreign language correspondent in Hamburg, Germany and Jerusalem, Israel. In 1981 she came to Ann Arbor, MI to visit a Christian community where she met and married David Hile. They have three children. Claudia first started teaching foreign languages out of her home, and then for a company in Plymouth that provides language instruction to employees relocating to other countries. In addition to teaching part time at AACS, she also teaches Spanish at St. Paul’s Lutheran School and German and French at Concordia University. Claudia loves teaching foreign languages and sharing the cultural knowledge she has gained from living in different countries. She also enjoys the contact with her students and helping them achieve their language goals. Claudia attends St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor.

 

Becky Jungkuntz has taught fifth grade at AACS since 1995. Teaching has been a life long goal for Becky, who doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be a teacher. Graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. in education and a K-8 provisional teaching certificate was the first step toward that goal. She now holds a professional certificate after earning an additional 18+ hours of graduate credit in the field of education.  After many years of teaching, Becky’s enthusiasm for the teaching profession and teaching at Ann Arbor Christian has only increased.  The Christ-centered, denominationally diverse environment, the integrated, hands-on curriculum, and the loving, nurturing climate of Ann Arbor Christian are all reasons why she loves her job and can’t imagine teaching at another school!  She is a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church and loves participating in her small group.  Outside of teaching she loves reading, leading worship, scrapbooking, gardening, and spending time with friends.   

 

Kristen Kovak has taught art at AACS since 2005. Kristin graduated from Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania with degrees in Studio Art and Art Education along with a minor in Art Therapy.  She is currently pursuing her Masters of Fine Art (low-residency) at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  She has taught art to students ranging from 4-84 at various schools, community centers, and institutions for the last seven years as well as exhibiting as a painter. Kristin is excited to enter her third year at AACS, where she is able to collaborate with her exceptional peers to create an integrated art curriculum.  She believes that the AACS community is uniquely committed to the growth of the whole child and to celebrating his/her unique gifts. Kristin attends West Side United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor with her husband, Brian, and enjoys painting, hiking, bird-watching, baking, and practicing her life-long ambition to be a professional kazooist.

  

Mark Morgan has taught at AACS since 2007. Mark holds a B.A. in music education from Wichita State University, a master's degree in trumpet performance from the University of Michigan, and a master of divinity degree from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. Whether through listening, singing, dancing, or playing, Mark wants students to discover they can grow to recognize more of what they hear in music. His overarching goal is that students will experience that music lives at AACS. Besides music, Mark plays tennis and bicycles with his wife, who is a professional flutist. They have two children. The Morgans attend Plymouth Baptist Church.

 
Thom Ritzema began serving as principal at AACS in August 2007.  Thom has a B.A. in elementary education from Calvin College and an M.A. in educational administration from Michigan State University. He came to us with 16 years of experience in K-9th grade teaching in Christian schools as well as eight years as a public school principal and six years as a Christian school principal. In addition, Thom has worked at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Hospital (Grand Rapids) with troubled youth. Thom has been happily married for 27 years to his wife, Jan. They have four children and three foster children – Todd, Laurel, Ryan, Heather, Akuot James, Deng Samuel, and Akuot Daniel. Thom enjoys music, puppetry, mime and karate. The Ritzemas are members at Calvary Undenominational Church.
 

Pam Schroeder has taught part-time at AACS since 2004 as the resource room, teacher consultant.  She works for Lutheran Services Education Ministries, which meets the special learning needs of students while enabling them to receive a Christian education. Pam has been a teacher in Christian schools for more than 20 year, both in New York and Michigan.  She has a B.A. in Elementary Education from Concordia University, River Forest, IL, and a M.A. in Reading from Eastern Michigan University.  She is currently working on an “Inclusion Specialist” degree from U of M, Dearborn. Pam is married to Pastor Tom Schroeder of Christ Our King Lutheran Church in Saline.  She has three children and six grandchildren (all 5 and under).  She keeps busy with activities in their church including playing guitar and singing on the Praise Team, and directing two choirs. She loves the warmth, care, and attention to detail that the students receive at AACS—a lot of “Jesus with skin on”!

 

Kellie Steen has taught third grade at AACS since 2001. She graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is currently pursuing further education at Eastern Michigan University for Michigan certification requirements. She currently holds Michigan provisional certification. Kellie has a deep love for Ann Arbor Christian School and is especially thankful for the opportunity to integrate faith and learning.  One of her favorite parts of the day is worshipping with her students each morning!  Kellie also appreciates the excellent academic environment that promotes hands-on, experiential learning that engages the children in the learning process.  She enjoys forming relationships with her students and is grateful for the gift of the warm, supportive community of staff and families at AACS.  Kellie attends Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church with her husband and together they enjoy outdoor activities such as playing on the church softball team, kayaking, camping, and biking.

 
Mark Wiersma has taught middle school science and Bible at AACS since 2003. Mark grew up in Michigan’s creeks, countryside, and snow piles. He recalls emerging from middle school a very different person with a personal commitment to Jesus. Mark earned a B.A. in education at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and an M.A. in education from Michigan State University. God has blessed Mark abundantly through his marriage to Eileen and through their three children. Mark has been a teacher since 1979. While he has typically taught middle school, Mark  also coached Haitian teachers in rural Caribbean schools for more than 10 years. Mark is profoundly thankful to teach at Ann Arbor Christian, particularly due to the intentionally cooperative spirit that energizes teachers and parents and spreads to students. He makes time for swimming, biking, hiking, canoeing, downhill and cross country skiing. Mark attends Dearborn Christian Reformed Church.

 

Kim Windeler has taught fourth grade at AACS since 2004. She holds a B.S. in elementary education from Eastern Michigan University, and is certified to teach middle school in social sciences and fine arts. Kim is currently working on a master's degree in curriculum development from Eastern Michigan. She taught K-5 music at Cornerstone School in Brighton before coming to AACS. Kim always knew that she wanted to teach in a Christian school so that she could freely share Jesus with her students while offering them a challenging and fun educational environment. She knew she loved AACS after her first visit, and has felt very blessed to be teaching fourth grade at this school. She is very impressed by how hard the parents and staff work to create a welcoming community at AACS. Kim and her family live in Brighton, and attend Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church.