Administrators

Principal - Jordan Ford
This is my fourth year at Beacon Academy. I graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. I started my educational career as an elementary teacher in Annandale, MN. I taught grades 2-4 for ten years. I became interested in educational administration and served as a district’s curriculum coordinator for six years. I began pursuing a graduate degree in educational administration from the University of Minnesota. I also served as a principal for several private schools, including 11 years in a Jewish Day School. I received my degree and principal’s license in 2002 and was hired to be the principal at Beacon Academy in 2004. My wife, Kathy, and I celebrated our 30th anniversary last May and we have two wonderful daughters, Sara and Jenny, who are in college. We have been residents of Plymouth for over 25 years and I am fortunate to live so close to work. I enjoy my annual fishing trip with my brother, photography, camping with my family, and sitting around a roaring campfire.

Assistant Principal - Sean Koster
My full name is Sean Patrick Koster, and when I was in college and dabbled in writing - one of my hobbies - I used the pseudonym Sean Patrick. Since you have yet to see my name on the New York Times best seller list, you probably guessed I never made it as a writer. Eventually I settled on teaching 7th grade English and raising a family in the metro. My wife has four boys, a husband, a snake, a fish and two rats to take care of at home; she does well. Our house is extremely busy with projects, homework and our children’s schedules dominating our time, yet we still find time to go hunting and fishing in northern Minnesota – I grew up in the woods on the north shore of Lake Superior. My heart has always been with children and I find the opportunity to work with all of your children on a daily basis an extreme privilege. I completed my undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota Duluth, my Masters in Educational Administration at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and my Principal’s Licensure at Hamline University. I enjoy the wonderful learning atmosphere here at Beacon and the dedicated staff whom I work with. It is an honor to work with all of you.

Teaching Staff

Kindergarten - Jennissa Wold
Hello Beacon Families! I am delighted to start my first year of teaching after three years of being a substitute teacher. I grew up in Maple Grove, MN. I graduated from Winona State University with my degree in Elementary, Preprimary and Early Childhood Education. I student taught 1st grade in San Antonio, Texas, and returned to my family and substituting. Over the past three years, I have had long-term substitute positions in Kindergarten, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, which has prepared me for this year. I look forward to an amazing year. I love what you do, and do what I love: teach! Please visit my website www.mswold.com for more about Ms. Wold's classroom.

First Grade - Lori Karcz
My name is Lori Karcz and I have been teaching first grade at Beacon Academy since it opened its doors. I live in Plymouth with my husband, Jim and my two children, Alec and Addison. I graduated from West Chester University in Pennsylvania with my Bachelors in Education and went on to graduate from The University of St. Catherine with my Masters in Education. Beacon Academy has many qualities that make working there a wonderful experience. I enjoy the community feeling, small classes, parent involvement and teaching the engaging curriculum. I am often asked what I enjoy about teaching and my answer is “Seeing my students enter the classroom each day with a smile on their face!” because then I know I am doing my job creating a nurturing and fun learning environment.

First Grade - Kalin Farrell
Hello, my name is Kalin Farrell and I am excited to be starting my third year here at Beacon Academy teaching first grade. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood Education. Working at Beacon has been a wonderful experience; I have the best teaching partner, the greatest colleagues and awesome administrators. I absolutely enjoy teaching the Core Knowledge curriculum and learning new things right along with my students. In addition to teaching, I am on a number of committees and on the Board of Directors. Outside of school, I enjoy playing with my dog Ranger and working on our house with my husband Jesse. I look forward to another great year at Beacon!

Second Grade - Candace Johnson
My name is Candace Johnson and I am in my third year of teaching, and currently I teach 2nd grade. I like teaching at Beacon Academy because the great community we have, the small class sizes, and Core Knowledge. It is amazing to me what they learn with Core Knowledge with all kinds of topics like the Civil War and Simple Machines! On a personal note, I love to travel all over the United States and across Europe. I like to bring those experiences into my own teaching as much as possible. This summer I will be getting married, so I've been busy trying to plan and relax with my soon to be husband. I also enjoy going on walks with my puppy Tula whenever possible.

Second Grade - Jill Zarriello
Jill Zarriello has been actively involved with Beacon Academy since it opened in 2004. She’s volunteered hundreds of hours and has also been a kindergarten Title II teacher and a substitute teacher. Currently she is excited to be entering a third year of teaching second grade at Beacon Academy! Jill graduated from the U of W-Eau Claire with a comprehensive degree in Elementary Education and Special Education-Learning Disabilities. After graduating she was employed at the elementary school in Colfax, WI for six years where she was a Kindergarten Assistant and also taught grades 5, 3, and 2. She currently holds Minnesota licenses in Elementary Education (grades K-6) and Special Education-Learning Disabilities (grades K-12). During her spare time, Jill enjoys gardening, biking, walking, crafts, and spending time with family and friends.

Third Grade - Andrea Lanz
Bio coming soon

Third Grade - Gretchen McQuillan
Greetings! My name is Gretchen McQuillan and this is my fourth year teaching 3rd grade at Beacon Academy. Prior to my time here at Beacon I taught 6th-8th grade Math and Language Arts in a Catholic School out in Baltimore, MD. While in Baltimore I was part of a volunteer program and earned my Master’s in Teaching and Leadership. When I moved back to MN I taught 7th and 8th grade Math at HOPE Academy charter school in St. Paul. This too was a great experience, but I knew that I wanted an opportunity to teach 3rd grade. I have really enjoyed my time at Beacon and love the families and kids that come through each year. Currently I live in Richfield with my husband, Frank, and our beautiful daughter Kensley who was born last November. It has been a lot of fun watching her grow and develop her personality. In my spare time I love to play a variety of sports (volleyball, softball, broomball, running, walking, etc.), read books, cook, and spend time with family and friends.

Fourth Grade - Anne Kronebusch
My name is Anne Kronebusch, and this is my fifth year teaching 4th grade at Beacon Academy. Many of you may know me as Anne Ingvaldson and I am now Mrs. Kronebusch because I got married over the summer. I grew up in Edina, MN and then went to the College of Saint Benedict where I received degrees in Elementary Education and Spanish. I completed my Master’s Degree from the College of Saint Catherine in Curriculum and Instruction. I love Beacon Academy because of the wonderful students, families, and staff. Beacon Academy is a close knit community where every member is valued and important. I am currently living in Woodbury with my new husband, Ryan. In my free time I enjoy reading, traveling, rollerblading, hanging out at the lake, and spending time with family and friends.

Fourth Grade - Laura Oman
I grew up locally in Golden Valley and graduated from Armstrong High School. From there I went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in elementary and middle education and a minor in teaching Spanish. I studied in Valladolid, Spain for a semester during my junior year of college. After marrying in 2002, my husband and I moved to Lebanon, Oregon. My first full time teaching position was as a Spanish teacher at a charter school for grades 1-12. Although I do love speaking and teaching Spanish, that experience told me that I wanted to be in a self-contained classroom where I could build community and relationships with my students. In 2005 my husband John and I moved back to the Twin Cities area, and that’s when I became a 4th grade teacher here at Beacon. I love it! John is a seventh grade technology education teacher in Shakopee. We have twin boys, Zachary and Nathan, who were born in March of 2007. During our free time we enjoy spending time with our kids, traveling, and being outdoors as much as possible.

Fifth Grade - Jamie Campbell
Beacon Families! I am so happy to say we are back from Chicago! A wonderful place, however we realized our family and friends were more important. My husband and I are anxiously awaiting the move into our new home in Prior Lake! Thank you so much for all the warm welcomes I have received these past couple of weeks! It was wonderful to see so many familiar and excited faces at Back to School Night and the first week of school! I am now teaching fifth grade and enjoying every moment! It is a new and exciting curriculum that I have become very familiar with already. I also have a great teaching partner who is just as excited as I am about teaching! I am looking forward to spending another wonderful year teaching at Beacon!

Fifth Grade - Michelle Thyren
I am Mrs. Thyren and this is my third year teaching 5th grade at Beacon Academy. I graduated from Colorado Christian University in 2006 and then I moved to Minnesota and started teaching here. I have been married for a little over a year to my wonderful husband, Paul. We love to be outside, enjoying nature and wildlife. We also are addicted to the game “Settlers of Catan” and we get pretty competitive while playing it. In my free time I like to run, rock climb, read, and hang out with my friends. Recently I started my Master’s in Education at Hamline University, with a licensure in Reading. I am excited to implement the new strategies I have been learning. I love teaching at Beacon and getting to share my passion for learning and teaching with my students. Beacon Academy is a wonderful place for students to grow and learn, and I am so glad that I get to be a part of this school.

Grades 6-8 English - Mindy Grant
Hello! My name is Mindy Grant and I am the language arts instructor for the middle school here at Beacon Academy. I am very excited to be here! I recently moved to Uptown, Minneapolis from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where I taught high school English for two years. Prior to that I had a wonderful experience working at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin, and I am excited to be back teaching middle school! I received my Bachelor’s Degree at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, in English teaching, secondary education with an extra minor in psychology. Literature and kids are my two passions, and I look forward to bringing them together! When I am not teaching, I enjoy reading, tennis, the great outdoors, yoga, and spending time with friends and family. It will be a pleasure working with you this school year!

Grades 6-8 Math - Jenny Conway
Hi. My name is Jenny Conway and I am the middle school math teacher here at Beacon Academy. This is my 2nd year at Beacon and also my 2nd year as a full-time teacher. Here is a little bit of information about me: I live in Oakdale, MN, where I grew up. I am the oldest of 4 daughters. After high school, I went up to University of Minnesota Duluth, to get my degree in elementary and middle school education, with minors in math and psychology. During my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Sweden for 6 months, where I had the opportunity to travel to many different countries. This experience was amazing and just fueled my desire to travel around the world and learn about other cultures. This is one of the reasons why I decided to do my student teaching in Bray, Ireland (about 20 miles south of Dublin). After graduating from UMD in 2006, I moved to Indianapolis for a year, where I substituted, and was an assistant at an ESL school in downtown Indianapolis. Last year, I moved back to Minnesota to be closer to friends and family and that is how I got my job here. I am currently taking grad classes at Hamline for my masters in education and my K-12 reading license. I am excited to continue growing my knowledge for the rest of my life. You are never too old to learn! I look forward to a great year with all of my students. It will be a successful year!

Grades 6-8 Social Studies - Cathy Burke
Hello my name is Cathy Burke and I am the middle school social studies teacher. This is my second year teaching middle school students, and I love every minute of it! Before teaching at Beacon, I had the opportunity to teach at a few other schools as well. Once I graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis in 2002, I began working for a school aged program in the Anoka-Hennepin school district. In 2004 I was hired to teach fourth grade and middle school social studies at Torah Academy, a private school in St. Louis Park. From there I ended up doing two long term subbing positions last year in the Fridley Public Schools, one in first grade and the other fourth. After those ended in December, I ended up at Beacon in March subbing for Mrs. Oman. Besides teaching, I enjoy many things. I am fortunate to come from a loving and supportive family. My parents are both still living in the house I grew up in, located in Coon Rapids. I attended and graduated from Blaine High School. I have two sisters, one older, one younger. They are both happily married and live close to me in Roseville. One of my favorite things to do is spend time with my 2 year old niece Mallory! She is a joy to be around and watching her grow up is a blessing. Besides my family I am very lucky to have a close network of friends who I enjoy spending time with. We enjoy many activities together. We often go camping, hiking, fishing, and traveling. Besides outdoor activities I also enjoy watching movies, and scrap booking.

Grades 6-8 Science - Rainey Miller
Hello, my name is Rainey Miller and I am the middle school science teacher. I am originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa, with Elementary and Middle School duel Majors and Minors in Math Education and Science Education. I started at Beacon Academy in the 2008-2009 school year, but previously I have taught at 6th grade Science in Cedar Rapids, and 8th grade Science at a private school in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Over the summer, and some weekends, I work as a teacher at the Science Museum of Minnesota teaching some of their camps and classes. Currently I am one of the teacher representatives on the school board here at Beacon Academy, and one of the curriculum lead teachers in our building. Outside of school I have a fiancée named, Ben, and two cats, Little One and Terra Catta. I love to travel and have visited over 14 different countries, including living in Guatemala, Brazil and Germany for several months. Over-all, I love Science and I look forward to getting your students active and involved in their learning!

Grades 6-8 - Ramona Flores
Hello, my name is Ramona Flores. I am from St. Paul, MN, and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2008. Before graduating I was able to student teach abroad for 4 months in Australia. While teaching abroad I was able to travel down the east coast. I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, toured the Daintree Rainforest, learned to surf, and jumped out of a plane in New Zealand! Of course I fit some teaching in there as well. This experience not only introduced me to many teaching strategies, but also helped me grow as an individual. When I am not at school teaching I love to play lacrosse. I play every summer out at Hopkins High School with my UMD Alumni, as well as coach youth girl’s lacrosse. I have just finished my first year of coaching for St. Paul Youth Lacrosse, third year as a youth coach. I am excited to start my first year of teaching at Beacon Academy. I will be busy this year as I will be teaching 6th grade Science, English, and Math, as well as 8th grade Algebra and Geometry. I feel that Beacon Academy is a great place for me to start my career because of the great faculty, staff and parents.

Grades 3-6 Spanish - Kerry Carlson
My name is Kerry Carlson and I am the Spanish teacher for kindergarten through third grade. Many may know me by my maiden name, Toso, and students this year know me as Señora C (pronounced“say”). I live in Blaine with my husband, Kevin, and my two adorable cats, Sian and Luka. In my free time I enjoy scrapbooking, photography, being outdoors and spending time with friends and family. My passion for Spanish began at an early age, when I had my first class in eighth grade. It was always my favorite subject in school so, naturally, it was my major in college. During my junior year I studied abroad for a semester in Chile. I stayed with a family in Concepción and was able to travel across the entire length of the country. It was a fantastic six months, I fell in love with the country and its culture, and I remain in contact with my host family today with hopes to travel back there soon. The other Spanish-speaking countries I have been to include Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico and Argentina. I graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2004 with a BA in Spanish and a minor in psychology. Shortly after, I had the opportunity to teach Spanish at Beacon Academy during the 2005-06 school year. It was here at Beacon that I discovered my calling to become a teacher. After my first year at Beacon, I entered the graduate teaching licensure program through the University of Saint Thomas. After two years and a lot of hard work, I am overjoyed to be back at Beacon! Beacon’s Spanish program offers the unique opportunity for students to have Spanish everyday and it allows me to share my passion for the language (and its culture) with the students.

Grade K-3 Spanish - Abigail Palacios
Bio coming soon

Spanish Classroom Assistant - Judith Diaz
Hola! My name is Judith Diaz, I'm teaching Spanish for the fourth and fifth grades, and as an assistant for the advanced and native Spanish speakers. I'm a native Spanish speaker from Mexico. My family and I moved to Minnesota almost four years ago. I've been married for 19 years with my husband David. We have 2 kids, Jesus David (16) and Fernanda (12). My favorite hobbies are, cooking and biking. Hasta la vista!

Grades 6-8 Spanish - Megan Maus
¡Hola! My name is Megan Maus and I am the Spanish middle school teacher here at Beacon Academy. I currently live in Chaska, MN. I am a proud alumna of the College of Saint Benedict, where I graduated with a Spanish major and K-12 Education minor. Currently, I am working on my Masters of Arts in Education at Hamline University, and planning a wedding for next summer. As a Spanish fanatic, I have traveled to Mexico and all of the Central American countries, except Panama. I also lived in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala for five months. My next desired destinations are the diverse countries of South America. Two of my passions are Spanish (and all the aspects that go along with the language) and teaching adolescents - so I am finding Beacon Academy a wonderful place to be. This is a busy and exciting year for me and I am happy to be here!

Art - Sara Fabian
My name is Sara Fabian, and I am the new art teacher at Beacon Academy. This is my third year working as an art educator. Prior to this year, I was employed by Anoka Hennepin at McKinley Elementary, teaching first through fifth grade art. I have worked in a variety of schools and communities throughout the metro area and I am thrilled to begin a new experience at Beacon Academy.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I live in Saint Paul, where I recently purchased a home over one hundred years old; needless to say I have been spending a lot of time renovating it! I still find time to work on my own paintings, and I have fun trying out recipes in my new kitchen.

This year I hope to engage the students of Beacon Academy creatively and foster a passion for art! Please stop by the art room anytime and take a look at what we are creating in the classroom!

Music - Mari Scott
Hi! My name is Mari Scott and this is my third year teaching music here at Beacon. I love being able to teach all the grades, k-8, so I can witness their growth through the years. Before working at Beacon, I directed several community and church choirs, taught private voice lessons, and taught as a long-term substitue in both New Prague and Roseville. I graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Music Education. I recently began additional training at St. Thomas University, taking a class in this summer to receive certification in the Orff-Schulwerk method of music teaching. This approach to teaching music focuses on four main ideas: Singing, Saying, Dancing and Playing. Outside of teaching, I sing in a professional choir in Minneapolis called VocalEssence Ensemble Singers which keeps me very busy. I grew up in the Twin Cities area and now live in New Hope with my husband, Michael, and our cat, Dora.

Phy Ed - Karen Ellis
This is my fifth year teaching Phy. Ed. in grades K-8 at Beacon Academy. I live west of the Twin Cities with my husband, son and yellow lab. I graduated from Concordia College-Moorhead with a B.A. in Physical Education, Health and Coaching. Before coming to Beacon, I taught Phy. Ed. and Health in grades K-12 for eight years and coached High School Varsity Softball, Volleyball and Basketball. I worked for Public Health as a Health Educator and Wellness Coordinator for four years. I've also worked for Community Education as a Recreation Coordinator and Softball/Baseball Coach for youth in grades K-9 in the summer months. I look forward to working with the awesome staff and students at Beacon Academy and am excited for another great year!

Technology - Carol Tracy
This is my first year at Beacon Academy, and my 7th year as a teacher. I am teaching 2nd – 8th grade computer technology, and have also taught 1st, 3rd & 4th grades and computer technology for K-8 at other schools in both Minnesota and California. I am originally from a suburb of Detroit, Michigan; but have lived in Illinois, Kentucky and most of my adult life in Southern California, where I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political Science. I received my Masters in Education from University of St. Thomas and am looking to re-enroll in another graduate program at Hamline University, initially in keyboarding for computer technology and eventually working toward my administrative licensure.

I am married and have two daughters, Ella and Olivia, ages 6 and 9, who keep us very busy. I am the youngest of 5 girls, and my family is spread out between Michigan, Minnesota and California. We spend most of our summers on the shore of Lake Huron, where my family has a cottage in Michigan, and during my favorite week of the summer, 21 members of my family get together and spend time boating, swimming and sitting by the campfire. We will now add California to our summer adventures, as we are missing the family and climate.

In addition to working as a K-8 teacher, I have done many other things in my past including teaching computer software to adults, producing training videos, working as a news intern for a major L.A. TV station and a public radio station, medical transcription (enabling me to put myself through college), ground crew for United Airlines (allowing me to fly for free to visit family!) and as a school secretary. I’m very happy to be settled into my position here at Beacon and am looking forward to a year of learning and growing with your children.

Para-Professionals

Special Education Staff

Special Education - Nancy Olson
My name is Nancy Olson and I am the Special Ed teacher. I started teaching at Beacon on the first day it opened. Minnesota has always been my home, as I grew up in Minneapolis near the lakes. I went to college at the College of St. Catherine and graduate school at the University of St. Thomas. Prior to teaching, I owned an art studio and worked in advertising and marketing. I have a son in 7th grade and another son in college. They have kept me busy going to skateboard parks, baseball, soccer and tennis games. In my spare time I love to read, visit art museums and travel. This past summer we took a trip to England. One of my most interesting trips was to follow the "Tour de France" bicycle race throughout France (in a car, of course). I love working at Beacon because of our dedicated staff and amazing students.

Special Education/Resource Teacher - Connie Isle
My name is Connie Isle and this is my fourth year as the school counselor at Beacon Academy. I really enjoy working here because we have a great community of teachers, administrators, parents and students. Prior to coming to Beacon, I worked in the following schools: Minneapolis Public Schools (learning disabilities teacher & school psychologist), Cairo American College – Egypt – (elementary school counselor), International School of Brussels – Belgium (learning disabilities teacher) & Brewarrina, NSW, Australia (elementary teacher). I currently hold Minnesota teaching licenses in the following areas: school counselor, elementary education, learning disabilities and school psychologist. I have two wonderful children and five grandchildren who live in Brussels, Belgium and Honolulu, Hawaii. I live in Edina with my husband Frank and we enjoy traveling as often as we can.

Special Education - Erin Miller
Hello, my name is Erin Miller and I started with Beacon in January of 2009. I mostly teach middle school special education, but I am lucky enough to have one middle school social studies class as well. I graduated from UMD with my elementary education license in 2007, and my EBD/LD special education license in 2008. Duluth was a wonderful place to live for 5 years during college, but I missed the cities too much so I moved back here last summer (couldn’t stay away from the Minnesota Twins any longer!) I am very close to my family and often spend time with my twin brother, his wife, and their 4 year old son. I just recently got married and my husband and I are very excited for the winter because we love to snow shoe and go sledding. I am very excited to be here at Beacon and I look forward to a successful year!

Special Education - Deborah Symalla
My name is Deborah Symalla and I am a Special Education teacher here at Beacon. I come from the St. Cloud area, graduating with a BA at the College of St. Benedict and a Master’s of Science degree in Special Education from St. Cloud State University. I like to travel, read fiction novels, garden, and sew holiday ornaments. I like to give handmade gifts for Christmas so I am always busy in my free time coming up with ideas for my friends and family. In the summer, I grow a huge vegetable gardens with many heirloom vegetables. I also can them for the winter months so that I can have fresh food. My nieces and nephews are very special to me. I like to take them to parks, zoos, and babysit them whenever I can. I really enjoy working at Beacon. The students are wonderful and the team of teachers we have is excellent!

Title I Teacher - Lorie Schultz
I grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota and graduated from UND with a degree in elementary education in 1993. I am married and have two sons, one dog and a very naughty cat. I loved the opportunity I had to stay at home when my boys were younger, but once they started school, the desire to teach resurfaced and I began to look for ways to get back into a school setting. I am blessed to be starting my fourth year at Beacon and my second year as a Title I teacher. When I have spare time, I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, shopping for home décor on clearance and painting the interior of our house crazy colors.

Special Education - Nicky Cronin
Hello! My name is Nicky Cronin and I am a Special Education teacher at Beacon Academy. I grew up in Southeastern Minnesota in a small farming community. As a kid, my dad owned a local grocery store and was a race car driver. I traveled to many states with my father watching the NHRA drag races. I have been to every state but Hawaii and Alaska. I have been working in education since 1999. I started off as a volunteer. I then worked as a paraprofessional, educational provider, and now teacher. I attended Augsburg College and graduated in the summer of 2008. I have K-12 license in Emotional Behavioral Disorder and Specific Learning Disabilities. In my spare time, I love listening to music, going to plays, drag races, and sporting events. Now, I live in "Friendly Fridley" and love teaching at Beacon Academy.

Support Staff

Administrative Assistant/State Reporter - Jeanette Olsen
Hi, my name is Jeanette Olsen and I am the new Administrative Assistant in the office. I graduated from North Central University in 2006 with a degree in Youth Development. I have experiences working at a college, with at-risk teenagers, and managing a retail store. I heard about Beacon Academy and the position through my good friend Kristi Pingel. I enjoy working at Beacon because of its core values, community atmosphere, and its mission to provide excellence to the students we serve.

Here are some fun facts about me:

• I have 4 sisters
• My favorite colors are orange and yellow
• I enjoy camping, hiking, fishing and biking
• My favorite food is any kind of fruit
• I have a beagle named Daisy
• My favorite animal is a frog.
• I enjoy working and volunteering with people who have a special needs
• I have a sister who has special needs and is the light of my world
• I took sign language for a year in school
• I also enjoy working and mentoring at-risk teenagers
• I led an at-risk jr. high program for 2 years.
• I have worked with at-risk high school students and have volunteered in my church’s youth group.

Volunteer Coordinator - Ann Marie Roder
Bio coming soon

Enrollment Coordinator - Christina Holmes
Hello! My name is Christina Holmes and I am the person you will speak with first when you call Beacon Academy. I am the Receptionist, Enrollment Coordinator and Attendance Clerk. Mr. Ford calls me the Director of First Impressions. I will also help your child if the nurse is not available. I love to help the parents, students, faculty and the new families interested in our school. My husband, Scott, and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last December. We have a beautiful daughter, Cecilia, that has attended Beacon Academy since Kindergarten. Last year we moved from the city in Minneapolis to the country in Greenfield and love it. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, relaxing by our pool, watching our neighbor bird families nest in the houses around our yard, roasting s’mores by the fire, scrapbooking and volunteering with Beacon’s Governance Committee.

Business Office / Human Resources - Jan Allen
Bio coming soon

Nurse - Renae Gorman
My name is Renae Gorman and I have been the school nurse at Beacon Academy since the 2005-06 school year.

I attended nursing school at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas and received my BSN in 1983. My work experiences include medical/surgical, limited obstetrics, neurology, neonatal intensive care, emergency room, home care (both adult and pediatric), pediatrics (office based) and pediatric gastroenterology.

I currently work part time at Beacon and part time for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota doing pediatric home care.

My family moved to Minnesota in August 2004 from beautiful Colorado but now feel very much at home in Minnesota. We came to the west metro area because I had found Beacon Academy online and wanted to continue my oldest son’s education in a charter school and have my other kids in a charter school as well.

Lunch Room Supervisor - Dana Adamson
Bio coming soon

Lunch Room Assistant - Kristi Pingel
Bio coming soon

IT Administrator - Darrin Enerson
Bio coming soon