A PROFESSIONAL CHRISTIAN FACULTY TEAM
KINDERGARTEN
MICHELLE EVANS
My name is Michelle Evans, and I am honored to be teaching Kindergarten this year at MLCS. I grew up in Sunnyvale, Ca with amazing parents and one younger sister, and moved to Sonora in junior high (attending Soulsbyville and Sonora HS). My time was spent involved with the Sierra Bible youth group, playing soccer and riding horses. After high school, I attended Fresno Pacific University, majoring in liberal studies and earned my Ca Teaching Credential (multiple subject K-8). I played womens soccer at FPU, and relished my summers working on staff at Hume Lake Christian Camp.
After college, I spent five years working as an Assistant Director of Student Ministries at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in the Bay Area. I have wonderful memories of mission trips, mentoring kids and creating weekly programming for hundreds of students. Afterward, I married my husband, James (Sonora native), and we eventually moved back to our beloved hometown, Sonora. We now have four children, all of whom attend MLCS, from preschool to middle school. I’ve loved being a volunteer over the last decade with Community Bible Study, children’s ministry at church, and at a local preschool co-op.
I love creating a great first experience of teamwork, learning skills and socialization for young children. To a great year together!
1ST GRADE
AMBER KARPUS
My name is Amber Karpus, I’m excited to begin my 3rd year of teaching at MLCS! I was born and raised in Sonora, 5th generation in my family. After graduating Sonora High School I attended Columbia College receiving my AA in Liberal Studies. I transferred to CSU Stanislaus; graduating in 2006 with a BA in Liberal Studies and a concentration in child development. Then I began CalState TEACH, an online credential program through CSU Fresno. During the program I taught in 5th, 7th/8th, and mostly in 1st grade. While attending Columbia College I met my husband, Paul Karpus. We have two amazing children. Tyler, 10 and Kaylee, 8; they attend MLCS and are in 5th and 3rd grade this year. The past two years teaching 1st grade at MLCS has been amazing. It is a such a blessing to be part of this teaching staff. Since a little girl I knew someday I would have my own classroom and it is so fun living out those dreams. I’m excited to teach 1st grade again this year, I have a passion for it and it’s where my heart belongs. I am looking forward to teaching your children!
2ND GRADE
BRIAN SIEMONSMA
Hi, my name is Brian Siemonsma. I’m originally from Costa Mesa in Southern California, but moved up to Sonora in 2013. My beautiful wife, Lisa and I met while attending Vanguard University, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Theology. It wasn’t long after graduation that I decided to move up to Sonora to begin our life together. We got married in 2014 and it was at that point when I began my pursuit of a career in teaching.
Lisa and I have a three year old daughter named Beau and she is pretty much my mini me. She is very smart and we are very proud. I can’t wait for the year that I have her in my own classroom!
I spent two and a half years teaching in San Jose, where I taught 3rd, 2nd, and 1st grade before making my way to MLCS last year to teach Kindergarten. This next chapter brings me to 2nd grade and I’m so thrilled for the opportunity to teach yet another wonderful group of kiddos!
3RD GRADE
CHARA REVORD
I was born and raised in Tuolumne County, surrounded by good friends, a solid church family and the constant reminders of God’s handiwork in nature around me. My first very first volunteer education job, at the ripe old age of 4, was teaching my younger sister Charity to read. She claims I taught her in self-defense to keep her from pestering me for just one more story. Whether it was self-defense or a heart for teaching, it has become my passion and my profession.
For my own education, I attended MLCS Kindergarten through part of 4th grade and then began homeschooling which continued through high school. High school was a mixture of homeschooling and Mother Lode Christian, including Mrs. Baer’s famous chemistry class. I attended Simpson University in Redding and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts and a double major in Diversified Liberal Arts and History and minors in Bible and English. I obtained my CA CLEAR teaching credential from Chapman University, attending classes on their campus in Modesto, while completing my student teaching in Kindergarten and 6th grade classrooms.
I have taught primarily 2nd and 3rd grade in classrooms in Patterson, at Columbia Elementary, in Dallas Texas and in several one room schoolhouse settings while also working with homeschool families through a local charter school. As an educator for the past 20 years, I have taught in public, private, charter and homeschool settings.
My husband Jim, 3 children Rebekah (17), Ruthie (14), and Ray (10) and I live in Sonora, quite near my childhood home. As a parent, my children have been in private, public, charter and homeschool settings for their education.
I am thankful for the wide variety of education experiences I have as a student, parent, and educator. I feel this helps me have a unique and unusual perspective on education, supporting our children as learners, and family school relationships. I am thrilled to be working with the amazing team of teachers and staff at Mother Lode Christian, and the precious children entrusted into our care each day.
4TH GRADE
LAURA BAKER
I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord during my high school years. I moved up to Tuolumne County in 1985, where I met and married John Baker, a local cattle rancher, and Tuolumne County native, in 1988. I had already received my Bachelor of Arts from Whittier College (1985), and completed my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Chapman University in 1990. John and I have 4 sons, all of whom have attended Mother Lode Christian School, K – 8th. I served on the MLCS school board, and volunteered as librarian for several years, before teaching in the classroom beginning in 2006, first as a long-term substitute and then in 2007 as a part-time teacher. In 2007/2008, I began teaching full-time in the 4th grade, and have been there ever since. The highlights of my MLCS teaching career include having had my two younger sons in the classroom, getting to know each of the kids as they come through 4th grade, and taking every class on great field trips, including our finale to Rock-n-Water’s 49’er Gold Rush camp in the spring. Teaching at MLCS has truly been my blessing!
5TH GRADE
STEPHANIE TOROK
I grew up here in the mountains where I graduated from Summerville High School and met my husband, Michael Torok (an MLCS alumni). We’ve been married for thirty-four years and have two grown children – plus lots of extended family throughout the county.
My graduate degree is in Liberal Studies with emphasis on Math, English, and U.S. History from UC Santa Barbara where I also earned my Multiple Subject Teaching credential and supplemental single subject credentials in Math and English. After teaching for nine years on the coast, we moved back here to the mountains where I continued teaching elementary school for the Curtis Creek School District and was recruited to help train teachers throughout the state on best methodologies for teaching children to read and write. The training brought the strongest upswing of reading skills our state has ever seen to date. Praise God!
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect or desire to do anything other than serve as a public school educator, but the LORD’s plans prevailed. After seventeen years in the public sector, He directed me into the ministry to serve as the Christian Education Director of what is now Twain Harte Bible Church where I oversaw the teaching of God’s Word from birth through adults for the next thirteen years. During that time, I also helped to establish after-school Good News Clubs in many local elementary schools to bring the gospel to our public school children.
After my retirement from the ministry and a season of rest, God brought to mind the times I was invited to be speak at MLCS’s chapel and the joy I felt seeing the love of God fully integrated into education. So, it is with great pleasure that I join the staff here at MLC by serving as the 5th grade teacher. It is a melding together of my love of teaching and of ministering the gospel.
6TH GRADE
ANNA CALDERA
I am the mother of three MLCS High School Alumni and four eighth grade MLCS Alumni. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Education and have worked with children and families throughout my life. I have been an Instructor for the Foster/Kinship program for Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties, developed and implemented curriculum for families who provide foster care and adoptive homes for children, I am a Commissioner for First Five of Tuolumne County and have held numerous volunteer advocate positions for children with disabilities and educational differences. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, reading, cooking and knitting.
Remembering that children are not empty vessels, waiting for the adults in their lives to “fill them up” with knowledge we believe they should have; yet beautiful, amazing, unique individuals, created by God, for His glory and honor, is a philosophy I practice daily.
Teaching at Mother Lode Christian School is one of the greatest privileges that God has blessed me with; I love partnering with families to build environments where children feel secure, valued, and loved, to explore their unique, individual strengths given to them by God. I look forward to being your child’s teacher.
6-8TH MATH
JENNIE RADONICH
I am grateful that the Lord has led me to teach at MLCS, and am excited to join this devoted team. Originally from San Jose, I attended Valley Christian School from K-8, and know firsthand the importance of laying the foundation of faith through a Christ-centered education. I was raised in the Bay Area before earning a BS in Business Administration from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. During this time, I served in youth ministry at church, working with both junior high and high school students. Soon after graduating, I accepted a teaching position at Pacific West Christian Academy in Gilroy, where I taught 7-9th grade math, along with other subjects. I met and married my husband, and we are now partners in crime, raising our three sons. In 2012 we moved our young family to the mountains. Prior to enrolling our children at MLCS, we homeschooled our boys for 4 years while serving on the Cornerstone Christian board, and opened our home to foster care for a season.
I now find myself back in the classroom! I love the energy that comes from interacting and problem solving in class. I consider it a great responsibility and privilege to build relationships and teach these middle years that can often be awkward to navigate. I believe that a teacher with a lot of love and a good sense of humor can spark learning and demonstrate to students that they can do hard things. I strive to be that, and look forward to a great year ahead.
7TH - 8TH GRADE
LAURA BRINEGAR
My name is Laura Brinegar and I have the privilege of teaching Jr. High at MLCS. I graduated from The University of the Pacific and completed my credential with a major in Education and a minor in Music. As a the mother of ten I chose to home school for the years after college which provided me with a unique opportunity to teach all grades and see my students develop year to year.
I have been involved at MLCS on and off for 23 years as a teacher or parent. God called me to teach Jr. High 7 years ago and I have absolutely loved teaching these young men and women. They are funny, creative, talented, interesting, and intelligent young people with an energy and excitement that is wonderful to witness.
We have travelled across the country to Washington D.C., climbed mountains to study glaciers and rocks, and dissected every specimen we could get our hands on. Every day I am challenged and inspired by their love of learning and their willingness to try new things. Learning to succeed, and sometimes fail, but to always learn in the process.
AD / PE K-8TH
DONNIE WRIGHT
- Athletic Director
- Athletics / P.E.
I have coached and officiated multiple sports at the elementary and high school levels for the past 26 years. My most important goal has always been to allow children to enjoy a fun, safe and structured environment to learn more about themselves and God’s glory through exercise and sports. Mother Lode Christian School gives children this opportunity, through God’s glory, to build knowledge and experience through team sports and physical fitness.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SPECIALIST
HELEN BETZLER
I have been teaching multiple subjects and grades for the past 25 years. I first became involved at MLCS as a parent, in 1983, and then stepped into teaching and subbing rolls within the past 10 years. I then decided in 2010, to become a specialized teacher which took me to Spalding Education International, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, where I completed classes and was awarded specialized certificates for teaching Spalding English Language Arts. Spalding is an all-inclusive language arts program which is phonics based. Since then I have taught first through eighth grades using this method. I have also been working with learning challenged children for the past several years and I find great joy in helping them to achieve success in learning.
My husband Bill and I have lived in Tuolumne County since 1977, raising our eight children, and now enjoy spending time with our twelve grandchildren.
