8th GRADE TEACHER/ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Universities: Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska
Degrees: Master of Education/Administration
Experience: 38 years; 21 years at Concordia

Email Mr. Hagen

Previous service:
Trinity Lutheran School, Grand Island, NE····1975-1981
Portland Lutheran High School, Portland, OR····1981-1984
Sno-King Lutheran Jr./Sr. High School, Edmonds····WA, 1984-1991
Amazing Grace Lutheran School, Seattle, WA····1991-1992
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA····1992-present

About Mr. Hagen…
Al has a variety of teaching experiences which includes Kindergarten through high school. Most of his career has centered on 7th and 8th graders. He has coached a variety of sports at the Elementary and Secondary levels, including flag football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball and track. He also has served as a Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, and Athletic Director and is currently Concordia’s Principal.··Al has a lovely wife Stephanie, who is the Director/Administrator of a Lutheran Pre-School/Extended Care Program at Pilgrim Lutheran School in Bellevue, WA.··Al and Stephanie enjoy camping with the family and traveling. He is an involved member at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Tacoma, actively participating in the music ministry as an audio tech for Sunday morning worship services.

University: Concordia University, Portland
Degree: Bachelor of Arts·
Experience: 18 years; 14 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Acuña

Previous service:
Good Shepherd Lutheran, Inglewood, CA, 1982-84
Christ Lutheran, Brea, CA, 1984-86
Concordia Lutheran, Tacoma, 1998-present

About Mrs. Acuña…
Sue has taught grades 5 through 8, but she has a passion for junior high. Fascinated by how much they grow (inside and out) during 7th and 8th grade, she enjoys class discussions when she gets to hear what's going on in their heads and hearts. She also directs the choir, writes the Concordia Spirit newsletter, and leads worship in chapel. Sue and her husband Paul have raised three sons, all of whom chose to go to college in the Southwest. This gives her the opportunity to pursue her love for travel as she uses visiting them as an excuse to follow the sunshine. Her other interests include singing and ringing handbells at her church, St. Lukes, reading several books at once, and stalking Facebook to see what the students are up to.

6th GRADE TEACHER

Universities:
Concordia University, Portland, OR
City University, Seattle, WA
Degree: Masters of Arts in Education·
Experience: 23 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Pariseau

Previous service
Concordia Lutheran School, 1989-present

About Mrs. Pariseau…
Stephanie has spent her whole career here at Concordia. She has taught second grade, third grade, seventh, and currently teaches sixth grade.· Along with being a teacher, she is the yearbook advisor and the school's web manager. When not at school, she loves spending time with her family.· They run, bike, hike, and enjoy getting out as their schedules allow. Doug, her husband, works at REI and is an avid runner. ·His greatest accomplishment so far is a run from Issaquah to Portland in seven days.· Both of their two children attended Concordia and are now at Mt. Rainier Lutheran High School.· Their family attends St. Luke’s Lutheran in Federal Way.

5th/6th GRADE TEACHER

University:·Concordia, Portland, Oregon
Degree: Bachalor of Arts in Education·
Experience: 32 years; 22 years at Concordia

Email Mr. Dressler

Previous services:
First Lutheran, Culver City, CA· ·1980-1984
Amazing Grace, Seattle, WA ··1984-1990
Concordia, Tacoma·· ·1990-present

About Mr. Dressler..
Derwin has taught at many grade levels and has also served a couple of years in administration. He always finds himself in the middle grades; he is currently teaching 5th grade at Concordia. He loves to coach boys’ flag football and girls’ basketball. Gardening, woodworking, and fishing are some of his favorite past-times. The Dresslers attend Immanuel Lutheran Church in Puyallup where Derwin reads scripture and helps with the maintenance of the church properties. One of the most exciting parts of the summer for the Dresslers is when they lead a mission trip to Northern Canada.

·

University: Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Experience: 5 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Varvil

Serice: Concordia Lutheran School 2008- present

About Mrs. Varvil…
Mrs. Varvil began her time at Concordia as a parent volunteer, and later, PTL president. She continues to wear many hats, as she is able to work with students from pre-K through 8th grade on a daily basis. She lives in Federal Way with her husband, Brad, and their 2 daughters: Jessica, a sophomore at MRLH, and Hannah, a 6th grader at CLS. She has a rather large dog, and 2 fluffy cats. Her favorite activities are reading, hiking, watching sports and spending time with family and friends. She attends Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where Brad is the assistant pastor. She teaches 7th & 8th Grade Sunday School there, as well.

4th GRADE TEACHER

Universities:
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
Concordia Teachers College, Seward, NE
Degree:· Bachelor of Science in Education·
Experience: 19 years; 10 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Freitag

Previous Service
St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Yorktown, IA, 1981-1983
Zion Lutheran School, Bethalto, IL, 1983-1986
Holy Cross Lutheran School, Gladstone, MO, 1986-1987
St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool, Webster City, IA 1988-1989
Christ the Vine Lutheran Preschool, Damascus, OR, 1998-1999
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA, 2002-Present

About the Mrs. Freitag…
Linda considers herself extremely blessed to have the privilege of teaching in a Christian school where she is able to share the love of Jesus with students and their families. ·Linda’s husband, Jim, is an Army Reserve Chaplain. They have been blessed with three wonderful children: Krista, Daniel, and Kayla. Linda coaches the 5/6 grade girls’ basketball team and enjoys watching sporting events at Concordia and Mt. Rainier Lutheran High School.· Some of her personal interests include reading Christian fiction books, baking, scrapbooking, working out at the YMCA, and connecting with her family and friends. Linda and her family are members at Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Universities:
Concordia College, Portland, OR
Concordia College, Seward, NE
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle
Degree: Master of Arts in Education 
Experience: 41 years at Concordia

Email Miss Koch

Previous service
Concordia Lutheran, Tacoma, WA·· 1972 to present

About Miss Koch…
Miss Koch attended a Lutheran school much like Concordia through 8th grade.··When she was in fourth grade, she knew she wanted to become a teacher.· She attended Concordia colleges in Portland, OR, and Seward, NE.· Just after her graduation, Concordia needed a teacher for 4th and 5th grades, so Margene became a Warrior for "just a year" - that was quite a few years ago.·· She finished her master’s degree at PLU. ·Her homeroom grades have been in 3-6, but she has taught classes in grades 1-9.

Margene has been blessed with two daughters, Megan and Kaity, who were both born in India.· They have recently graduated from college and are pursuing vocations working with youth and service.

Margene enjoys reading, Star Trek, gardening, seeing the beautiful places God created, learning “odd” facts, eating dark chocolate, and drinking smoothies and tea.· Her favorite classes to teach are Bible history, U.S. history, and reading.· She is a member of St. Luke’s in Federal Way.

2nd GRADE TEACHER

Universities:
Concordia University, Portland, OR
Christ College, Irvine, CA
Lesley University, Boston, MA
Degree: Master of Arts in Education 
Experience: 28 years; 22 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Dressler

Previous service:
Amazing Grace Lutheran School, Renton, WA· 1984-1990
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA·· 1990-present

About Mrs. Dressler…
Ardyce has experience teaching preschool through 2nd grade.· She has directed middle school vocal and bell choir, as well as being the school choir accompanist.· Ardyce is married to Derwin Dressler, and they have four children; three grown, two married, and one in high school still living at home.· Ardyce and Derwin enjoy camping, fishing, and gardening.· Ardyce is also an avid reader who enjoys cooking and creating cards with rubber stamps.· Immanuel Lutheran is the Dresslers’ home church.· Ardyce enjoys music ministry there as organist, choir accompanist, and a bell choir member.· Ardyce and Derwin also host a Home Bible Study attended by people from a variety of church homes.

Universities:
Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebraska
City University
Degree: Master of Arts in Education 
Experience: 28 years; 22 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Bethke

Previous service:
St. John Lutheran School, Detroit, MI ···1973
Trinity Lutheran School, Portland, OR ·1978-80
Emmanuel Lutheran School, Kahului, Maui, HI ··1988-1991
Concordia Tacoma, 1991 – present

About Mrs. Bethke. . .
Karen has taught many years at the First Grade level. ·She has also taught Kindergarten, Second, Third, and Seventh Grades. ·She enjoys watching children grow into excited and interested readers. ·She has been married to her husband, Paul, for 40+ years.· They enjoy traveling, working and relaxing in their backyard, taking long walks, and spending time with their grandchildren. ·In addition, Karen enjoys reading, listening to jazz music, and crafts of many kinds. ·The Bethkes are active members at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma.

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER·
Angie Kamrath

Universities: Concordia University, Wisconsin
Degree: Bachelor of Arts  in Early Childhood Education
Experience: 12 years; 9 years at Concordia

Email Miss Kamrath

Previous service
Crown of Life Lutheran School, Colleyville, TX, 2000-2004
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA, 2004-present

About Miss Kamrath …
Angie grew up in Mayville, Wisconsin, and has 2 sisters.· She graduated from Concordia, Wisconsin, with a degree in Lutheran Early Childhood Education.· She has been teaching Kindergarten and coaching volleyball at Concordia since 2004.· Angie has a passion for young children and tries to create relevant and exciting learning opportunities for her students.· Her goal is to help students grow spiritually, academically, and socially.· Angie is a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and enjoys traveling, watching movies, playing board games, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.

Universities: Trinity Lutheran College
Degree: Associates of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education 
Experience: 15 years; 5 years at Concordia

Email Ms. Banta

Previous service
Noah’s Ark & Sammamish Christian School, Issaquah WA, 1994-1999
Our Savior Lutheran Preschool, Tacoma WA, 2003-2007
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma WA, 2007-Present

About Ms. Banta
Rachel has taught pre-kindergarten for many years in Lutheran Schools and churches. ·She chose Early Childhood Education as her career because she believes early learning gives students a stronger start. She feels it is an honor to provide many with their very first experience of being students.· Additionally, she works as support staff in our Learning Edge. She has a passion for helping identify learning obstacles and offering positive solutions that encourage success. She says there is nothing better than hearing a child say, “Ahhhh, I get it!”· ·When Ms. Banta is not here at school, she loves spending time with her two children, Samuel and Abigail, being an active member and onsite Wedding Coordinator for Our Savior Lutheran Church, reading, doing yoga, dancing, and traveling.

RESOURCE DIRECTOR of THE LEARNING EDGE

Universities: Pacific Lutheran University
Degree: Masters Degree in Elementary Education/Reading 
Experience: 27 years; 19 years at Concordia 

Email Mrs. Gibelyou

Previous service:
Tacoma Public Schools, 1979-1986
Concordia Lutheran School, 1993-present

About Mrs. Gibelyou…
Sherrie has taught grades from Preschool through Eighth Grade. She has a passion for meeting the needs of diverse learners and has dedicated most of her teaching career to finding the best strategies for student success. She has been a presenter at the LCMS Northwest District Teachers’ Conference several times. Sherrie has a husband, Tom, and two grown children, Cameron and Kristal; both are CLS alumni. Sherrie and Tom are long-time active members at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Tacoma.  In her spare time, Sherrie enjoys playing the organ; she put herself through college playing professionally at Pizza and Pipes in University Place.

Universities:
University of Texas
University of Alaska
University of Washington
Oregon State University
Major: Bachelor of Arts in Music Education K-12
Experience: 20 years; 16 years at Concordia

Email Mrs. Schmidt··

Previous service
Esparza Elem. School, San Antonio, TX ·1977
Anchor Point Elem. School, Anchor Point, AK ··1979 - 1981
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA 1996-present

About Mrs. Schmidt…
Connie has taught elementary music in Preschool through Fifth Grade and junior high Marimba ensemble in both urban and rural settings.· She also conducts the Music Maker Training Choirs for the Tacoma Youth Chorus, and sings in the choir and directs Sunday School music at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Lakewood.· She and her husband, Pastor John Schmidt (Concordia’s cross country coach), have two grown daughters, one working in special ed., the other teaching English as a Second Language. When she’s not singing, Connie likes to cook, read, hike, make Pysanky (Ukranian eggs), raise vegetables in her tiny garden, and travel.

Universities: Pierce College 
Experience: 2 years at Concordia

Email Mr. Boyt

Previous service
Concordia Lutheran School, 2011-present

About the Teacher…
Nate is relatively new to band directing, but not to music. A part of performance groups and an accomplished soloist from age 5, music has always been one of his greatest passions. Playing the trombone and singing in concert and jazz choir paved the way for state-level performances both vocally and instrumentally. Nate and his wife Cori love to play music together, along with taking road trips and enjoying walks with their dog Sinatra. Nate is currently serving as the Worship & Arts Pastor at Puget Sound Christian Center in Tacoma, WA. There he directs both the worship team and the choir while continually developing the next generation of musicians.

Universities:

Email Mrs. Tadena

Previous Service:
Concordia Lutheran School; 2012-present

About ...

Universities: Pacific Lutheran University
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts
Experience: 21 years

Email Mrs. Bowers

Previous service
Franklin Pierce School District, Tacoma WA, 1991-1999
Friends & Servants Ministry Puyallup, WA, 1999-2003
Concordia Lutheran School, Tacoma, WA, 2004-Present

About Mrs. Bowers. . .
Cindy has worked with various schools and ministries over her career.  She came to Concordia to teach art classes to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.  She accepted the position as Administrative Manager, which allows her to continue teaching art at Concordia part time and working in the office full time.  She is married to Bill who also has a full time ministry in Puyallup.  Cindy enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, reading, working on projects around the house, and painting.  Cindy and Bill are members at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Puyallup.