Meet the Four New Faculty and Staff for 2020-2021

We are so grateful for how the Lord has provided four new additions to our faculty and staff for the 2020-2021 school year. Even though we are only a few weeks into summer, these faculty and staff members have already participated in our New Teacher Orientation and are preparing for the fall. They are very excited to meet everyone, so let’s introduce them to you:

Miss Emily Baldwin: Emily is joining the WCGS family as our new Orchestra Teacher after graduating from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Music Education. She will be working in our Music Department alongside Mr. David Wright (Band and Choir) and Mrs. Cathy Liebenow (Elementary and 6^th Grade Music).

Emily has taught music lessons in schools across the Chicago suburbs as well as at a local daycare. She has been a freelance musician across the Chicagoland area since 2011, playing the violin for events and with different ensembles and jazz groups. Emily is most excited to work in a Christ-centered community here at WCGS. A fun fact about her? She once canoed 54 miles overnight!

Mrs. Molly Furrow: Molly is a familiar face to our community as she attended WCGS from Kindergarten through 8^th grade, graduating in 2011.  She will be returning as a 1^st grade teacher this fall, alongside Mrs. Lindsey Sharrar and Mrs. Mary Beth Laptad.

Molly comes to WCGS with diverse teaching experiences, as she was an ESL Director/Teacher and 1st and 2nd grade teacher at Mercy Christian School in Kampala, Uganda. Before those roles, she worked in various positions across different elementary schools in Wheaton, IL. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Wheaton College in December 2018 and also has an ESL Endorsement (PK-12).

Molly says, “I cannot wait to begin working at WCGS! I had such a wonderful experience when I was a student and I want to help students learn more about the Lord and develop their God-given gifts in the classroom.” Fun Fact: When she was 7 years old, she called into a radio station and won $100 just because her name was Molly!

Mrs. Susan Heidelman: With over 18 years of experience in education, Susan is excited to be joining the WCGS Jr. High team to help our students grow in language arts. She has worked in a variety of schools in multiple states as a 3^rd and 4^th grade teacher, 7^th-8^th grade English Teacher, High School Speech and Research (advanced writing) Teacher, and Substitute Teacher.

Susan received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Wheaton College and has middle school endorsements in social science, mathematics, and language arts. Susan says, “I am thrilled to be joining the WCGS community as the new 8^th grade Language Arts teacher. I look forward to helping my students become more comfortable and confident in their writing abilities, enabling them to enjoy the process as they develop into excellent communicators for the Kingdom of God. I also cannot wait to build relationships with my students, to be one of their biggest cheerleaders, and to encourage them forward in their relationship with Christ.” A couple of fun facts about Susan: She has the world’s sweetest dog and having just moved from Orlando, her family had the opportunity to spend a lot of time at Disney and Universal Studios!

Miss Ingrid Prichard: We are excited to welcome Ingrid back to campus as a staff member this time around since she is a 2012 graduate of the school! She will be joining our team this summer as the new Marketing Specialist.

Ingrid graduated from Biola University this spring with a B.A. in Public Relations and minor in Bible. She will be bringing her experience as an intern at the United States Department of Education, Peer Advisor for PR, Marketing and Corporate Philanthropy Intern, and Cultural Events Planner to help her execute the various tasks needed to help move our school forward.

What excites Ingrid the most about working at WCGS is “the opportunity I will have to enter into an integral stage in students’ lives as they learn and grow in their walk with Jesus. I also look forward to the relationships I will form with coworkers and students!” Fun Fact: She was baptized in the Jordan River!

Student Services Update:

With Amanda Leonhart taking on the role of Principal at Cornerstone Christian Academy, we have decided to modify the current position into two separate roles.  We have hired Mandy Jasper as the Student Services Director and Heather Van Wagner as the Student Services K-4 Coordinator.  Mandy will oversee the entire Student Services program and will focus on the specific needs of students in grades 5-8, while also fulfilling her role as the school’s Social Worker for 24 hours/week.  Heather Van Wagner will oversee the needs of our students in K-4 and work closely with Mandy to cast vision for how we can meet even more student needs within our entire student body.   Both Mandy and Heather know well the needs within our school community and are passionate about the mission of WCGS. We are thrilled about their leadership of our Student Services Program as we look ahead to next year and the years to come. 

Please join us in praising the Lord for His sovereignty in helping complete our team for the 2020-2021 school year. Pray that they will be able to acclimate well and have a smooth transition this next school year. We can’t wait for you to meet them in-person this August!