Staff
Precademy
Aimee Streur
Meet Ms. Aimee! She has always loved working with kids and knew at a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. We are lucky to have her as one of our 4 day Preschool teachers for the past 3 years.
Ms. Aimee’s favorite habit is “think win-win” because if it isn’t a win for both it will be a loss for both in the long run. She wants her students to know “to find the win-win in every situation as everyone is on the same team.”
Bucket List: Travel to Africa and Alaska
First Job: Worked at a summer daycare program
Favorite Hobbies: Baking and crafting
Katelyn Labutte
katelyn.labutte@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Katelyn! She teaches in Precademy and has been working in IES for 4 years!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Begin with the end in mind.
Favorite Book(s): The Bible and The Best Mouse Cookie
Bucket List: Live in an RV and travel the U.S. for a year
Grace Potter
Meet Ms. Grace! She helps in our 4 day classes and has the warmest smile!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Put first things first.
Favorite Color: Sage Green
Bucket List: To travel to all 50 States
Classic Elementary
Kerri Bosch
Meet Ms. Kerri! Anyone that knows Ms. Kerri knows she loves her Cheez-its and we have been loving her the last 11 years! Ms. Kerri has taught many grade levels over the last 9 years, but currently teaches the youngest friends in Young5s.
Ms. Kerri’s favorite habit is “Synergize” because she loves working with others. She also would like her students to know “one person can make a difference in your life if you are being bullied! Be that person to stand up for someone else!”
First Job: Dairy Queen
Bucket List: Whitewater rafting
Favorite Book: Wonder
Voted Most Likely: To get married
Monica Kraai
Meet Ms. Monica! In Grade school, Ms. Monica loved school, studied often, and loved to make new friends. She has been sharing her love of school and teaching our youngest friends how to make new friends the last 10 years as the youngest friends teacher teaching kindergarten standards. She loves spending time with her husband and two children.
Ms. Monica’s favorite habit is “Seek first to understand then to be understood” because she thinks it is important to learn to listen to others first before talking. She wants her students to know “that they can do and be anything! Once you believe in yourself, the sky is the limit! Our students have so much potential-it is our job to help them reach it!”
Favorite Snack: Beef jerky
Special Talent: Art! She loves to draw, write, and create art
First Job: Serving ice cream at The General Store
Bucket List: Traveling out of the country with her kiddos and husband
Rachel Warren
Meet Ms. Rachel! Ms. Rachel is teaching 1st grade this year and loves to be in nature with her class!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Think Win-Win
Bucket List: Scuba Diving
Favorite Color: Aureolin yellow
Cyndi Nykamp
Meet Ms. Cyndi! She has been teaching 2nd grade objectives in Innocademy’s Green Room for 9 years and still LOVES it! She became a grandma last year to two fun little girls, Renee and Elliana, born to her son and wife, Caleb and Rita, AND to her daughter and husband, Lydia and Josh. Her son, Elijah, traveled to Oregon with her this summer, visiting family, hiking, canoeing, walking and eating good food!
Ms. Cyndi’s favorite habit is “Begin with the End in Mind” because she feels like she can achieve so much more when she set goals for herself! She would like her students to know “they are valued and loved.”
First Job: Ice cream dipper and waitress at a ice cream parlor
Favorite Children’s Book: Owl Moon
Surprising Fact: She learned how to “barefoot ski” but was afraid she would lose her toes, so she put tennis shoes on her feet and skied that way!
Chad Zuber
Meet Mr. Chad! Mr Chad has been with Innocademy for the last 8 years in many roles, he is currently teaching third grade classic in the blue room. He stresses with his class to be proactive and take responsibility for actions within your control. He often points to a quote from Arthur Ashe, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” you can often find him at a local park, checking out a bug in his native plant garden, or on a walk with his family when he is not in school.
Based on his background in science and design, it may be a surprise to find out his favorite time of the school day is doing class read aloud because of the interesting discussions and depth of thinking students show around challenging texts. His classes’ favorite books have been Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Bud, Not Buddy, and Flora and Ulysses.
Megan Anders
Meet Ms. Megan! She teaches 4th grade Classic and this is her first year with IES!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Sharpen the Saw
Love Doing: Reading, playing games, spending time with family, and crafting.
Bucket List: Visit Ireland
Ky Lacy
Meet Mr. Ky! He is our 5th Grade Classic teacher and this is his first year at IES!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Seek first to understand then to be understood.
Love Doing: Curling up with music and a good book.
Favorite Color: Brown
Stephanie Parrott
stephanie.parrott@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Stephanie! She is our elementary special education teacher! This is her 15th year in education and 2nd year at IES. She and her husband Scott have three kids and together they love to read, hike, mountain bike, and play games.
Her favorite of the 7 habits is Synergize because 1) she loves working with others! and 2) she believes that every person is uniquely gifted and has something to offer. We all need each other! When we recognize each other’s gifts and the ways our strengths and weaknesses complement each other we are stronger. She wants all students to feel cared about, known, and valued.
Favorite Food: Dark chocolate and berries, together or separate!
Type of Grade School Student: Quiet, perfectionist
Favorite Hobby: Singing in a 10-person acapella chamber choir
Favorite Children’s Book: All Are Welcome
Renee Frye
Meet Ms. Renee! She is the K-4 Classic Interventionist and has been with IES for 8 years!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Synergize
Love Doing: Camping and going on offsite trips with students.
Favorite Dance Move: The Floss
Jen Lange
Meet Ms. Jen! She supports our friends as an interventionist.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Favorite Dance Move: Mambo
Bucket List: A trip to Hawaii
Kayla Coster
Meet Ms. Kayla! She supports our friends as a classroom paraprofessional.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Think Win-Win
Bucket List: Visit an active volcano!
Favorite Color: Phlox purple
Joelle Vruggink
Meet Ms. Joelle! She supports our youngest friends as a classroom paraprofessional.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Sharpen the Saw
Favorite Color: Orange
Bucket List: Travel the whole Mississippi River by boat
Danielle Campbell
Meet Ms. Danielle! She supports our friends as a classroom paraprofessional and has been with IES for 2 years!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: First Things First
Go-To Snack: Trail Mix
Bucket List: Build a cabin in Alaska.
Las Huellas Elementary
Ashley Dentler
Meet Maestra Ashley! She loves diet coke, puzzles, rainbows, and a good deal, but she loves her students even more! She has been a part of the Innocademy family for six years. She currently teaches young 5’s Spanish Immersion in las huellas.
Ms. Ashley’s favorite habit is “Begin with the end in mind” because she loves setting goals and working towards them with a bigger picture in mind. She wants all her students to know “You are loved, creative, strong, and smart. You all teach me as much as I teach you!”
Life Motto: “Use your smile to change the world, don’t let the world change your smile.”
Type of Grade School Student: Teacher’s pet
Voted Most Likely: To be a teacher
Can’t Live Without: Coffee
Natalia Bravo
Meet Ms. Natalia! Ms. Natalia has always loved learning! her bucket list wish is to continue her academic learning. She has shared her love of learning with us the last 6 years and currently teaches our youngest friends in Las Huellas.
Ms. Natalia’s favorite habit, is habit number three “Put first things first” because she likes to prioritize things that are most important. She would also like all of her students to know “ that we all have different personalities, different ways to learn, and talents, but they all are special to me .”
Type of Grade School Student: Quiet, and always worried about grades and homework
Can’t Live Without: Coffee
Favorite Book: Romeo and Juliet
First Job: Dishwasher (at 8 years old)
Marisol Arvizu
Meet Maestra Marisol! She is a BIG fan of animation AND she is in love with teaching and can’t wait to teach her Las huellas 1st graders! Something she enjoys is reading! Reading takes you places when you can’t travel! Open a good book, find your favorite spot and get reading!!
Ms. Marisol’s favorite habit is “Be Proactive” because when you are, you accomplish so much more!!! She wants her students and coworkers to know that “there will be mistakes made throughout the school year. But when you make a mistake…what do we do when we make them? WE LEARN from them.”
Bucket List: Visit all the great wonders of our world!!
Favorite Book: Corduroy
Voted Most Likely: To love too much!
Favorite Hobby: Reading
Rachel Potter
Meet Maestra Rachel! This is her 7th year at Innocademy, and teaches second grade standards to our Las huellas Spanish Immersion friends. If she’s not at school, you can probably find her growing some veggies in her garden, golfing with her husband, trying her hand at some amateur sewing, or lounging on the beach with her dog!
Her favorite of the 7 Habits is “Think win-win”, because it encourages us understand others’ point of view and teaches us how to compromise when we don’t see eye-to-eye! Maestra Rachel would like her students to know “you are brave, you are strong, and you are loved!”
Favorite Food: Crab legs
Can’t Live Without: One-woman concerts in her car on the way to school
Bucket List: Seeing a Broadway musical
Elisabeth Van Wolde
elisabeth.vanwolde@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Elisabeth! She teaches 3rd grade Las Huellas and this is her first year with IES!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Pon primero lo primero (put first things first)
Favorite Book: Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Would be voted most likely to: Win a Grammy!
Morgan Cummings
morgan.cummings@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Morgan! When she is not teaching, Ms. Morgan enjoys taking trips to the beach and strumming up a tune on her ukulele! This is her 3rd here at Innocademy teaching fourth grade standards to our Las Huellas middle friends!
Ms. Morgan’s favorite habit is “First Things First” because it is important to prioritize the most important tasks and save the extra stuff for later! Ms. Morgan would like her students to always remember that “if at first you don’t succeed, try again!”
Can’t Live Without: Taco Bell and coffee (separately…not together!)
Favorite Book: Robot Salvaje
Personal Hashtag: #ifyouknowyouknow
Voted Most Likely: To be mistaken for a student
Maria Torres
Meet Ms. Maria! She’s busy teaching our 5th grade friends this year and has supported students in the past as a paraprofessional.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Be Proactive
Favorite Hobby: Riding rollercoasters at Cedar Point
Favorite Color: Royal Blue
Jennie Gonzalez
jennie.gonzalez@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Jennie! She supports our friends as an interventionist.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Sharpen the Saw
Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby
Jailin Sanchez
Meet Ms. Jailin! She supports our friends as a classroom paraprofessional.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Begin with the end in mind.
Favorite Snack: Doritos
Favorite Book: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly
Tania Yunissi
Meet Ms. Tania! She supports our friends as a classroom paraprofessional.
Classic Middle School
Alvin Essenburg
alvin.essenburg@innocademy.com
Meet Mr. Alvin! Mr. Alvin’s bucket list wish is to visit All the National Parks in the United States. We are lucky enough to have him share all his outdoors and science knowledge with as the Oldest Friends Science teacher.
Mr. Alvin’s favorite habit is “Synergize” because it is a challenge (and fun) to get all the moving pieces to work together to present a unified whole. Mr. Alvin wants his students to know that “I want to help them be curious about the world around them and use their knowledge to make a difference in that world.”
First Job: Paper Route
Favorite Snack: Combos/Mountain Dew
Favorite Book: The Bible
Special Talent: Computers and fixing things
Isaac DeBoer
isaac.deboer@innocademy.com
Meet Mr. Isaac! He has joined IES this year as our English Language Arts teacher. He will be finishing out the 2023 school year with us.
Favorite of the 7 habits: Seek First to Understand, Then To Be Understood
Favorite food/snack: Mango or Carrots
Bucket list item: Going to a Red Rocks concert in Colorado
Nick Wyatt
Meet Mr. Nick! He is our Middle School Social Studies teacher. This is his first year with IES! When he’s not doing history things, he’s probably reading books involving history!
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Seek first to understand than to be understood.
Favorite Book: Dracula
Favorite Food: Nachos
Josefina Guillen-Henders
josefina.guillen-henders@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Josefina! She is lending us her spanish expertise this year and is teaching Spanish for our oldest friends.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Sharpen the saw
Bucket List: To visit Brazil during Carnival
Favorite snack: cheese and crackers
Kate Webb
Meet Ms. Kate! From preschool on up, she’s always loved school. Being a teacher just makes sense! This is Ms. Kate’s seventh year as the middle school resource teacher at Innocademy. When she’s not at school, Ms. Kate enjoys spending time hiking with her husband and their dog.
Ms. Kate’s favorite habit is Habit number 5 “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” She loves this habit because truly hearing others’ needs (and being heard yourself) is so important to having good relationships with others. She would also like her students to know “You can accomplish anything you set your mind to – and we’ll help you find your path.”
Job Experience: Besides being a teacher, Ms. Kate has had jobs where she’s washed motor homes, scooped ice cream, and chased toddlers around (not all at the same time).
Life Motto: “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody” – Kid President
Bucket List: Visit a Dark Sky Park
Hobbies: Baking, reading, and finding new ways to explore nature
Erin Beyer
Meet Ms. Erin: Ms. Erin loves the color orange. She has worked at Innocademy since January 2020. She is an interventionist with our oldest friends. She is married to Ryan and they have four daughters.
Ms. Erin’s favorite of the 7 habits is seek first to understand. She thinks understanding others point of view is key to good friendships. Ms. Erin would like students to know “everyone of us is unique and valuable.”
First Job: Babysitter
Can’t Live Without: Potatoes and Dr. Pepper
Favorite Book ~ The “Little House on the Prairie” series
Surprising Fact ~ Was a camp counselor for 17 summers.
Jess Proper
Meet Ms. Jess! She supports our friends as a classroom paraprofessional.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Think Win-Win
Loves to: Cook and Bake
Bucket List: Visit Sicily!
Specials & Electives
Emily VanDam
Meet Ms. Emily! She teaches art! It is her 5th year teaching art here at Innocademy. Ms. Emily lives in Zeeland with her husband and two daughters, and their dog Charlie.
Her favorite of the 7 Habits is synergy because she believes it is important to be able to work with other people. Ms. Emily wants students to know that “it is okay (and super important) to make mistakes because it allows us to be creative and grow as artists.”
Favorite Food: Ice Cream
Favorite Book: Where The Crawdads Sing
Hobbies: Reading, going on hikes with her family, making art
Hillary Schmidt
hillary.schmidt@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Hillary! Ms. Hillary is in her fifth year teaching Y5-8th grade music at Innocademy. Ms. Hillary teaches in one of the few rooms in our building with walls. And it’s a good thing because she loves moving, grooving, singing, and playing with our students!
Ms. Hillary’s favorite habit is “Put First Things First” because when the task list is long or the job is feeling overwhelming, it helps to just take things one step at a time.
Special Talent: Classically trained singer
Favorite Book: The “Harry Potter” series
First job: Dry-cleaning clerk
Favorite hobbies: Cooking & gardening
Jess Skinner
jessica.skinner@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Jess! She is excited to be teaching as our Physical Education Teacher.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Sharpen the saw
Favorite Snack: Chex Mix
Favorite Color: Blue
Ashley Pommer
Meet Ms. Ashley! She is excited to be teaching as our elementary Spanish teacher.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Be Proactive
First Job: McDonalds
Favorite Book: Little Women
Support Staff
Jessenia Martinez
jessenia.martinez@innocademy.com
Meet Maestra Jessenia! A couple of things on her bucket list include taking a road trip around the United States and sky diving!
She has been at Innocademy for the last 7 years and has served as a paraprofessional, elementary and middle school teacher for las huellas. Currently she is the lead for our building!
Her husband Juan, her daughter Delyla, and her enjoy reading and watching family movies.
Her favorite habit is putting first things first as she likes to get things done in the order of importance. The one thing she wants every student to know is “Your voice matters and you have SO much to share with the world, make sure to do so!”
Kristin Frederick
Meet Ms. Kristin! She supports our students as our School Social Worker.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Favorite Color: Purple
Bucket List: Scuba diving with sharks!
Lisa Runyon
Meet Ms. Lisa! She supports our students as our School Pyschologist.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Synergize
Favorite Food: Chicken and Waffles
Bucket List: Visiting all the States in the U.S.
Becca Beebe
Meet Ms. Becca! This will be her seventh year with Innocademy as the Speech-language Pathologist. She is one of only a few staff that work in all the IES schools (precademy, las huellas, Innocademy, iCademy and Innocademy Allegan Campus). She is married to Jim Beebe and they love doing anything that has to do with water (either liquid or frozen). They have three grown sons who live all over the country; Maine, Indianapolis and Washington!
Ms. Becca’s favorite habit is sharpening the saw. It seems like everyday she is practicing a skill she already has or is learning something that she didn’t know she needed to learn.
Fun Facts: Loves classical and folk music and can play piano, recorder, voice and harp
More Fun Facts: Her mother is still healthy and living at 98 years old
Enjoys: SWIMMING, reading, cooking, knitting, playing the piano, cycling, cross country skiing, rowing, sailing, going out to eat, chocolate and tea.
Melissa Meyer
Meet Ms. Melissa! Ms. Melissa has been with IES schools for 7 years, starting as a parent volunteer and is now our technology coordinator.
First Job: Video Store clerk
Favorite Snack: White Cheddar Popcorn
Can’t Live Without: Her husband, kids, and cats
Meet Ms. Raquel! She greets everyone with a smile as she wrangles our front desk for all of us.
Oscar Rodriguez
Meet Mr. Oscar!
Kelly Johnson
Meet Ms. Kelly!
Heidi Wolters
Meet Ms. Heidi! Ms. Heidi has been with IES schools for almost 10 years, starting as a parent volunteer and is now our pupil accounting and registrar for all three IES Schools. You may also see her smiling face at the front desk on Fridays.
Ms. Heidi wants all the students to know that “You are capable of great things in your life. Make good choices, move on from your mistakes and you will be capable of anything you set your sights on!”
First Job: Grocery store cashier
Favorite Snack: Doritos
Can’t Live Without: Her husband & kids
Quote to Live By: “Life is all about the choices you make”
Meet Ms. Leisa Lobbezoo! She believes her special talent is her super loud whistle, but after being part of the IES family for the last 14 years, we know she is a woman of many talents! Ms. Leisa wears many hats at Precademy, Innocademy and iCademy Global as she works to help all of our new families through the enrollment process as well as working in communications and marketing.
Ms. Leisa’s favorite habit is “Be Proactive” because you can’t beat the feeling of being prepared and ready for whatever life is going to throw at you. She would like her students to know “how glad I am that they are here, learning with us!”
Type of Grade School Student: Teacher’s pet… for real…. they gave her an award
Voted Most Likely: To become an actress
Life Hashtag: #hangontightandenjoytheride
Bucket List: Visit Europe, walk on a glacier, watch the Detroit Tigers play in most of the MLB ballparks
Deb Feenstra
Meet Ms. Deb! Deb comes to us with years of experience and works hard to guide our schools as our IES executive director.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Think Win-Win
Favorite Snacks: peanut butter pretzels
Bucket List: Drag racing
Meet Mr. Dave! He handles the finances for all of our schools.
Meet Mr. Jamison! He is our human resources person for all of the schools.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Begin with then end in mind.
Can’t Live Without: Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Bucket List: Going to an Esports tournament