Staff
Teachers
Jessica Kempema
jessica.kempema@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Jessica! Ms. Jessica teacches Young Fives and Kindergarten. As a grade school student she was quiet and kind to everyone, we are thankful that she is teaching our kindergartners to be quiet and kind to everyone.
Ms. Jessica’s favorite habit is synergize because it is so important to learn to work together! She would like her students to know “they should always be a trying lion and never give up. You can do anything you put you mind to!”
Life Hashtag: #humble&kind
Can’t Live Without: Her Faith & Chocolate
Life Motto: “Find the beauty in every day!”
Special Talent: Knitting
Amanda Schurman
amanda.schurman@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Amanda! Ms. Amanda teaches first grade.
Bucket List: Visiting Australia to see a Kangaroo
Favorite Book: Where the Wild Things Are
Favorite Snack: Salt and Vinegar Chips
Julie Sopko
Meet Ms. Julie! She is a paraprofessional for our youngest friends.
Jacoba Diekema-Mead
jacoba.diekema-mead@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Jacoba! Ms. Jacoba teaches second grade. She comes to IAC with several years teaching experience and is ready to teach her students where they are and help them grow to their fullest potential. She loves spending time with family and friends, riding bikes, walking her dogs, and watching movies curled up on the couch.
Mrs. Mead’s favorite Habit is Synergy because being a team player makes everyone stronger! She wants to remind students to, “spread kindness like confetti;” it’s important to always be kinder than you feel. Making others happy, makes you happy in return.
First Job: Babysitter
Favorite snack: Cheese and Crackers
Favorite book: The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Favorite Quote: “Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
Michelle Tourangeau
michelle.tourangeau@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Michelle! Ms. Michelle teaches 3rd and 4th grades. She has over 20 years expierence teaching and loves
She loves spending time with her family and making great memories with them.
Her favorite Habit is Synergy. She has always believed that a classroom is like a sports team and that everyone has a special part to play on the team. She also believes that cooperation and respect are essential tools on this team.
First job: bagger at a grocery store
Favorite snack: pretzels and popcorn
Favorite book series: Magic Tree House
Alma Mater: Grand Valley State University
Carol Woldring
Meet Ms. Carol! Ms. Carol is a paraprofessional for our elementary students. She is creative person. She is kind,caring, and all around great person. Ms. Carol loves spending time with her family and her dod, Colby. Miss Carol is a cheerleading coach for Fennville as well.
Hobbies: Crafts & Hiking
Can’s live without: My family and my dog.
Favorite color: Teal
Favorite drink: Iced coffee
Zach Rasmunson
First Job: Paper Boy
Favorite snack food: Chicken wings
Can’t live without: Coffee
Life Motto: Rejoice always
Carrie Pond
Meet Ms. Carrie! Ms. Carrie teaches math and science for our middle school students. She has spent the past ten years as a middle school science teacher. Carrie has lived in Michigan, Illinois, and Virginia and taught in all three states. She is now happy to call west Michigan her final home with her husband, three daughters, a rabbit, and a horse.
Life Motto: “Everyone you meet, knows something you don’t.” – Bill Nye
Favorite Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Hobbies: Running, biking, hiking…any activity outdoors!
First Job: Working at my dance studio in high school.
Can’t live without: Coffee in the morning.
Shelly Silva
Meet Ms. Shelly! Ms. Shelly is teaching music for us this year. Ms. Shelly has “visit every continent” on her bucket list! She is almost there since she has visited Canada, Mexico, India, and Germany.
Ms. Shelly’s favorite habit is Be Proactive because it is the habit she is working to improve for herself. She would like her students to know “be yourself because you are pretty awesome!”
Favorite Snack: Coffee
Can’t Live Without: Hope
Life Motto: Love changes everything
Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice
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
Suzanne O’Shea
Meet Ms. Suzanne! She brings years of expierence with her as she works as our Special Education Teacher.
First Job: Custodial staff in a bank.
Favorite Food: Popeye’s Chicken
Bucket list: Traveling around the world in 80 days.
Becca Beebe
Meet Ms. Becca! She has been a part of the IES family for 5 years as a speech therapist. Ms. Becca’s first job ever was a lifeguard and then a music teacher/piano teacher for years and years. Jim is Becca’s husband and they enjoy swimming, sailing, cycling and cross country skiing. The Beebe boys live on both sides of North America and smack dab in the middle in Indiana. Ms. Becca is our Speech-language pathologist helping students think and talk about language by turning on their best voices.
Ms. Becca’s favorite habit is “Put first things first” because she is motivated by the reward at the end of the tunnel and she really wants her students to know that feeling of accomplishment. “I want our learning to be effective and always fun. When you are dismissed from speech we will celebrate together.”
Bucket List: Become a Gramma!
Special Talent: She can spot a Petoskey stone faster than anyone she knows.
Life Motto: If you pass physics, you can do this.
Favorite Book: The Hobbit
Lisa Runyon
Meet Ms. Lisa! She supports our students as our school psychologist.
Favorite of the Seven Habits: Synergize
Favorite Food: Chicken and Waffles
Bucket List: Visiting all the States in the U.S.
Ashley Ristau
Meet Ms. Ashley! Ms. Ashley has supported students with specialized instruction for 17 years. She is currently the Director of Specialized Instruction, working with several schools in the Allegan Area ESA.
Support Staff
Krista Schrotenboer
krista.schrotenboer@innocademy.com
Meet Ms. Krista. She is coordinating the front office for us . Ms. Krista is a graduate of Hope College and has been spending the last few years at home with her two sons, as well as being an active volunteer and then staff member at Little Hawks preschool at the Outdoor Discover Center. She is excited to be a part of IAC as we expand our Nature Based programming. Her favorite quote is, “Never underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglia
Favorite Snack: Cake, brownies, cookies — anything chocolate!
Can’t Live Without: Faith, Family
Favorite Hobby: Gardening and Traveling
Jake Hedges
Jake.Hedges@innocademy.com
Life Motto: Circumstances never define your identity
Favorite Author:Francis Chan
Favorite Food: Fish and Chips
Bucket List Item: England making a World Cup Finals appearance and attending the match
Carol Confer
Meet Ms. Carol! She is the best bus driver. She enjoys time with her family.
Kelly Johnson
Meet Ms. Kelly! She is our custodian and beautifully cleans our building everyday.
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. 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 expierence and works hard to guide our schools as our IES executive director.
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.