QUICKLINKS

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Administration

Elementary Teachers

Secondary Teachers

Athletic Staff

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Preschool

Amy DeYoung

Preschool Teacher

Associates Degree in Early Education
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Personal message

Amy was saved at a very young age. She was raised in a Christian home and attended Christian schools. She shared that she continues to grow, learn, and study more about God each day. She enjoys each day that God brings.

Mrs. DeYoung believes that each child needs to be educated with the love of God and treated as an individual. 

She and her husband, Larry, have three daughters: Grace, Hope, and Faith.

She still enjoys sports, coaching her kids in their favorite sports, and hanging out with her family.

Michelyn Norton

Preschool Aid

B.A. Secondary Education; Math 
​Certified ACSI 

Personal message

With Grace since 2021

This is my first year working with Grace Christian Academy and I am excited to be interacting with the Preschoolers. I love this age group and cannot wait to see what GOD has prepared for me in this new opportunity. 
 
I was saved in my first year of teaching in a Christian school in Cebu City, Philippines (2003). I am passionate about being with the little ones. I believe that each child is created unique by our Creator. I also believe that at this age each child needs to explore and feel loved and to be taught about the BIBLE and its Truth. I have been teaching with little ones for 13 years in a classroom setting ( 7 years in Cebu, Philippines in a Christian school and 6 years in Quito, Ecuador in a missionary international Christian school.) 

My husband Andy and I are blessed with three active boys: Kenneth, Joel, and Michael. I enjoy being their mommy. All three of them love sports and I enjoy watching them do what they love. As their mom it is so rewarding to see them doing their very best to be a blessing with their teammates. 
 
I love my family and I enjoy spending most of my time with them. Our family loves sports, fishing, biking, watching movies and most of all learning about JESUS and how to live a life that is glorifying HIM. 

Pam Wymore

Prekindergarten Teacher

Associates Degree in Early Education
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Personal message

With Grace since 1998

Pam accepted Jesus as her Savior at an early age, and she rededicated her life to Christ in her senior year of high school. Each day, she wants to learn how to walk closer with our Lord and Savior.

Mrs. Wymore believes that the purpose of a Christian school is to teach and train young people who can reason and relate all issues of life to the doctrinal foundation of the Christian faith. True learning begins with facts about God and ends with an increased knowledge of God that produces Godliness.

Mrs. Wymore and her husband, Larry, have three children; each of whom have graduated from Grace Christian Academy. Her two daughters are married and both heavily involved in the school. Her son lives with his wife in New York. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, and being with her family, her grandchildren, and friends. 

​Laurie-Anne Wieringa

Kindergarten Teacher

B.A. Elementary Education
ACSI Certified

Personal message

With Grace since 2003

"I am a P.K. (Preacher’s Kid) so I attended church and Sunday school regularly all of my life, but it ...was not until I was a young adult that I began to have a personal relationship with Jesus. My faith has deepened and matured over the years as the Lord continues to mold me into the person He wants me to be. Through times of trial and loss in my life, I have learned that the Lord is my strength and His Grace is sufficient. After many summers volunteering as a church camp counselor and helping with VBS at my church as a teenager and young adult, I felt the Lord calling me to teach children about God. Teaching at Grace is so much more than a job: it is a ministry to which I am called and I am so thankful that I am able to serve the Lord in this way."

Mrs. Wieringa's education philosophy: "God has given us the gift of learning. Because God has created all things, every subject we learn draws us closer to Him. The more we learn about His creation, the more we stand in awe of His majesty. I believe that true education cannot happen separate from God for all knowledge and truth comes from God. I believe that each child is a unique creation, formed by the hand of God for His purposes, and I am humbled to be called by God to teach the wonderful children that He has trusted in my care." She and her husband, Rob, have three children, all three are GCA graduates.  Mrs. Wieringa enjoys gardening, photography (and sharing her photos with us!), spending time outdoors enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, and spending time with her grandchildren. Mrs. Wieringa and her husband attend Grace Baptist Church.

 Kim Dandurand

First Grade Teacher

B.A. Elementary Education
ACSI Certified

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Personal message

With Grace since 2016
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Testimony: Born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas where I met and married my husband in 2016. He attended ONY while I was at MNU. After school, he got a job here in Illinois where I followed him. I was invited to apply by Hollie Erickson to work while I completed my Illinois Teaching License. Since then, the GCA students and God have called me back.

Carol Gross

Second Grade Teacher

B.S. in Elementary Education
ACSI & State Certified 

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Personal message

With Grace since 1999
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In 1999, two weeks before school opened, I heard there was a teaching position available. I applied and was hired. I love teaching here at Grace and pray that the Lord allows me to stay here and minister.

Angela Furgal

Third Grade Teacher

B.A. Elementary Education
Masters in Curriculum & Instruction

​ State Certified

Personal message

With Grace since 2022

Testimony:  In 2021, my daughter was a junior at Grace, allowing me to see the school from a parent's perspective. I was very impressed with the school's teachers, administration, curriculum, sports programs, and overall atmosphere and culture. So when this teaching opportunity came along, my husband and I prayerfully considered it. After 28 years of teaching in public schools, I am beyond excited to be able to teach in Grace's Christian environment.
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I am looking forward to helping children grow both academically as well as spiritually. Being able to share my faith with my students is a luxury I have yet to experience. It's going to be a fantastic year!​

Jennifer Ponce

Fourth Grade Teacher

B.A. Elementary Education with Endorsements in Middle School Science, Language Arts, and Social Sciences​
ACSI Certified 

Personal Message

With Grace since 2015

​Jennifer first came to Grace in 6th grade and that is when she decided she wanted to be a teacher. From that point on God used the teachers at Grace to influence and guide her throughout junior high and high school. During college, Jennifer was unsure of where she wanted to teach, but God made it clear to her that she was being called to a Christian school and more importantly to Grace. Jennifer loves being able to openly talk about her faith and share God's love with her students. She sees working at Grace as more than just a job, it is a calling and a ministry. 

Jennifer married her high school sweetheart in October of 2016 and they have three children, Benjamin, Bailey, and Beckett. She loves to read and spend time with family and friends. She is entering her 7th year of teaching, but has been actively involved at Grace for 18 years!

Courtney Johnson

Fifth Grade Teacher

B.A. Psychology with minor in Education
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ACSI Certification

Personal message

With Grace since 2020

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