Meredith Arldt graduated in 1997 from Concordia University in Irvine, CA with a K-8 multiple subject degree, and a concentration in child development. She also earned her Master's Degree in School Administration from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. She has worked with Middle School Students since 1997.
Mrs. Arldt enjoys interacting with her 7th grade students while teaching Theology. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Arldt is the Middle School Academic Director. As Academic Director, Mrs. Arldt works with the students and staff of Prince of Peace in a myriad of roles involving academic programs and other opportunities open to Prince of Peace Middle School students.
The most important message she desires to share is the love the Lord has for each one of us and the awesome gift of salvation He has graciously given to us. She believes that this message is not only meant to be shared with her students, but also with the families that she serves.
Mrs. Arldt lives in Plano with her husband Mike and their two boys, Will and Sean, who both attend and love POPCS. Mrs. Arldt and her family attend Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
Mr. Austin graduated from Concordia University, Texas with degrees in Middle School Education and Broad Field English/Language Arts and Social Studies. Mr. Austin grew up in the DFW metroplex and even competed against Prince of Peace in middle school when he attended St. Paul Lutheran in Fort Worth. He credits his 8th grade teacher at St. Paul for inspiring him to teach. He joined the Prince of Peace staff in 2009 to teach both Middle School History and English.
Mr. Austin welcomes the opportunity to impact lives at such a vital age in the students’ lives. He believes that no matter the age of the students, God can use them to do amazing things.
Mr. Austin’s favorite Bible verses:
Matthew 6:33-34: 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Habakkuk 1:5 - 5 "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Mrs. Lisa Baker grew up in Carrollton and graduated from R.L. Turner High School; she has a BSW from the University of Texas at Arlington, and earned her teaching certification from the University of New Mexico.
She has been the sixth and seventh grade science teacher at Prince of Peace since 2002. Before teaching at POPCS, her previous experience included: two years of teaching 5th grade in Santa Fe, four years of teaching 5th grade math and science in Euless, and three years being a stay-at-home mom. Mrs. Baker encourages her students to be independent thinkers, to discover their own learning styles, and to never stop asking "Why?" She frequently uses cooperative learning groups and authentic assessments in her classroom.
Lisa and her husband Kenny have two amazing boys, Austin and Nicholas. The Bakers are active members of St. Andrews Christian Church in Carrollton.
Mrs. Barnum’s educational journey began with a desire to teach kindergarten and then advanced through the grade levels as her own children grew. She received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Texas Tech University, majoring in Home and Family Life with an emphasis in Child Development. She also received her Texas Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education with a Kindergarten endorsement. Five years later, she completed her Masters of Education from Texas Tech with a major in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Multicultural Education. Mrs. Barnum has also received her A.C.S.I. Professional Certification and has taken Biblical Studies courses at Dallas Christian College. With thirty plus years of teaching experience, she hopes her own life will be an example to her students as they venture on in their own journeys of lifelong learning.
Mrs. Barnum believes that life is a journey filled with learning all along the way. This summer, as in previous summers, she has continued studying, attending advanced training sessions, and preparing for the four courses she will be teaching during the 2010-2011 school year.
High School students take Technology Applications as a graduation requirement. Mrs. Barnum teaches the semester long Technology Applications Part B during the regular school year and also during the summer. (Mrs. Rogers teaches Technology Applications Part A during the opposite semester or summer school session.) Tech App Part B focuses on design and composition elements using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop software. Students apply many of the techniques in designing graphic projects to include personal logos and magazine covers about themselves.
Also in the technology field, Mrs. Barnum will be teaching the newly restructured class, Communication Design and Photography. Formerly called “Digital Imaging and Publications”, the reworked class will expand its base to include a strong emphasis on photography and composition. These students will still design and produce the new Athletic Media Guide, programs for sporting events, drama productions, special event school t-shirt designs, and other school related publications.
Mrs. Barnum will continue for the sixth year as the yearbook advisor, working with her students to incorporate the skills taught in the two previous courses to produce the POPCS yearbook. Over the past five years, her staff’s productions have been recognized with state and national awards, earning First in State this past school year.
Mrs. Barnum is returning as the teacher of the Career and College Preparation class. Building off of her years of experience working in a major university admissions/freshman orientation office, owning her own business, and from being married to a professional human resource manager, Mrs. Barnum helps her students prepare for their futures. Her students explore career options, investigate their educational options, research scholarship opportunities, and prepare to move out into the world of independent living after graduation. The Career and College Preparation class has direct application to each student’s journey into their future.
Always involved in the school she loves, Mrs. Barnum also serves as the Junior Class Advisor. When she is not involved in school activities, she enjoys spending time with her husband Jim, being involved in her church, First United Methodist of Carrollton, and playing with her dogs. Megan, her daughter, is a graduate of POPCS’ first graduating class. Her son, Trevor, lives in Lubbock.
Mrs. Beckham was raised in Holmen, Wisconsin, a small town along the Mississippi River. She graduated from Holmen High School and attended Luther College in Decorah, IA, where she learned to love the Humanities. She graduated from Luther with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis on education. In 2009 she completed her Masters degree in Humanities at the University of Dallas.
Her first job out of college was as a counselor at a treatment center for children ages nine to eighteen. This job taught her many of the skills she uses in the classroom today regarding respectful and honest communication, discipline and accountability, and ways to understand the issues that many young people face as they grow into adulthood.
Mrs. Beckham has been in the academic classroom since 1998, most of those years have been in the state of Texas. In that time, she has taught every grade from seventh to twelfth in all levels from remediation to Advanced Placement. She continues to enrich her education by participating in classes at The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture’s Teachers Academy, attending conferences conducted by the College Board, such as the AP Institute, and attending seminars conducted by Region 10 and Region 11. She has also benefited from mentoring programs as mentee, mentor and facilitator.
Mrs. Beckham was recognized as “Teacher of the Month” at Westwood Junior High and “Teacher of the Year” by the Mansfield Wal-Mart. Her greatest sense of accomplishment, however, comes from the accomplishments of her own students who have benefited from her classes and who recommend her classes to other friends and siblings. Her reputation as a teacher has been that she has high standards and that her classes are difficult, but that her personality makes it bearable and that what she teaches is useful to her students in future academic classes. Mostly, she just loves teaching and tries to bring that attitude to the classroom every day.
She has been happily married to her husband Larry since 2003 and has beautiful twin boys who attend Preschool at POPCS. They are truly a blessing to her and her husband. Because of them their faith in God is renewed, their hope for the future is reshaped, and each day they are reminded of the gifts they have been given. She and her husband attend First Methodist Church in Aubrey, TX.
Mr. Blackerby teaches high school physics and chemistry. He earned his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Arlington, and earned his teaching certificate from Texas Tech University. He taught Biology and Chemistry for eight years at Frenship High School, just outside of Lubbock, TX. For eight years he was a stay at home dad.
He lives in Carrollton with his wife Sharon, who is an RN working as a Senior Clinical Analyst for Baylor Health Care System. They have 3 boys, Aaron, Kenan, and Jason. They are members of Farmers Branch Church of Christ.
Mrs. Calatozzo teaches middle and high school choir. She is pleased to work with Lori Hill, the drama teacher, when classes join for musical/drama productions. Mrs. Calatozzo and her husband, Frank, have two beautiful daughters, Samantha and Caroline.
Mrs. Calatozzo was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. She has one sister, Teri. Her favorite childhood memory was playing piano in church. When she was little, she dreamed of becoming a musician, and she got her wish. She went to North Florida Christian School for high school and enjoyed participating in choir and cheerleading. She was also a church accompanist and pianist during her high school years. She then went on to study at Belhaven College.
Mrs. Calatozzo now enjoys doimg what she loves, teaching. She earned her Master's from SMU for accompaniment and vocal coaching, and has taught at Dallas Theatre Center. When asked what she likes best about teaching, she says, "Flunking my students! Just kidding! I love the kids!" Her favorite thing about POPCS is "The loving, Christian spirit of the teachers and students."
She also credits Jesus and her parents for having the biggest impact on her life. She was asked what one thing that students should learn from her as a teacher and she responded, "to love and appreciate good music and to have self-confidence." Her plans for next year's choir include "Bluegrass, Polka and Gregorian Chants for our fall concert. Just kidding!"
Ms. DuBose attended the University of Memphis and the University of Texas at Arlington. She has her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English and a minor in Dance. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, she taught English and dance classes for ten years – mostly at Mansfield High School, but also at the Tarrant County JJAEP and in Guatemala.
Angela is mother to four year old extraordinaire, Gabriela, whose name means “woman of God.” Their church home is Trinity Chapel Bible Church in Fort Worth, where God has blessed and enriched both their lives.
Angela feels blessed to be a part of the Prince of Peace family; especially so because Gabriela will be in the pre-school program and looks simply fabulous in her little school uniform.
Ms. Fine is a native New Yorker who grew up in New York City. Ms. Fine always knew she wanted to be a teacher and an artist when she grew up. She remembers sitting at her front door steps as a child handing out pencils to other kids in the neighborhood and pretending to be their teacher.
After high school, Ms. Fine attended the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York, where she majored in Fine Arts and Illustration. Later, she went back and got her degree in Advertising and Computer Graphics. She worked at the University of New Mexico in continuing education classes. She also ran arts and crafts programs in Connecticut and taught for a short time at the Art Institute of Dallas.
When asked what she enjoyed most about teaching at Prince of Peace, she said "seeing a student enjoying the work and developing. I like the teachers' commitment to students and their desire to see them develop academically and spiritually." Then chuckling, she continued, "Oh, and the kids aren't bad either." The one thing she would like all of her students to take away from her as a teacher is integrity and a love and appreciation of art. She hopes all of her students will be able to create or at least learn to appreciate and enjoy art.
Her current hobbies and interests include making jewelry, painting, sketching, traveling to new places, going to museums, and just hanging out with her friends and family. Ms. Fine is a single parent with one daughter named Catherine (Cat) who shares her mother's passion for art.
Mrs. Grant attended Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, OK for three semesters before transferring to Concordia College in Seward, NE where she received a B.S. in Education in December of 1994. She taught one semester of full-day Kindergarten at St. Paul Lutheran in McAllen, TX before coming to Prince of Peace in the fall of 1995 to teach 4th grade. She completed her Master's degree at Texas Wesleyan in 2001. In 2003 she moved to Delray Beach, FL to teach 4th grade at Trinity Lutheran School followed by a year at Cross of Christ in DeSoto, TX. Mrs. Grant returned to POPCS in 2005 to teach 8th grade Literature and Language Arts. Currently she teaches 6th grade English and 7th grade Texas History.
Mrs. Grant has seven years of experience at Lutheran summer camps. She served as a counselor, program specialist and adventure director. Mrs. Grant incorporates the team building activities and ideas gleaned from her camping experiences into her teaching. She encourages her students to give 100% and to always keep trying to do their best.
In the classroom Mrs. Grant works with the students on respect, accountability and organization. She keeps in close contact with parents and works hard to develop a trusting and lasting relationship with each family. Having fun in class is also important to Mrs. Grant. She wants her students to get as much from their education as she did from hers! Smiles, laughs, and growing together in the Lord are a part of her classroom teaching. She thoroughly enjoys interacting with the students on a daily basis and watching them grow spiritually and academically.
Mrs. Grant is the daughter of a Lutheran Pastor; her parents reside in Dumas, Texas. She has a younger sister who also lives in Dumas and a younger brother, a former Marine, who lives with his wife and daughter in Nebraska. Mrs. Grant and her husband currently reside in Frisco and worship at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
Louanne Grimes taught in the public school system for more than 25 years while living in the Richardson/ Garland area. She taught at Apollo JHS, in the Richardson ISD, and also at Sachse HS, in the Garland ISD.
Mrs. Grimes has also taught various levels of Spanish and English in the RISD and Spanish in the GISD. She was the English department chairperson as well as the foreign language chairperson at various times throughout her teaching career.
Mrs. Grimes graduated from Lake Highlands HS in the RISD. She received a B.A. degree in Spanish and English and an M.A. in Secondary Education with an all level reading certification from Texas A &M Commerce. Mrs. Grimes has also received other various training and teaching certifications, such as ESL certification, TPRS (total physical response storytelling), and Advance Placement training.
Mrs. Grimes and her husband John have three daughters, Monica, Stephanie and Rachael and one granddaughter, Katie Beth. Monica graduated from Texas Tech University, Stephanie graduated from The University of Texas and Rachael is currently a senior at the University of Texas.
Mrs. Grimes is very happy and excited to have the opportunity to teach Spanish at Prince of Peace and share her enthusiasm for the Spanish language and the Hispanic culture. Contact Information
phone: 972-447-0532 ext. 258 e-mail:louanne.grimes@princeofpeace.org
Rebecca Weiss
Mrs. Weiss graduated with high honors from Concordia University Wisconsin in 2005 with a BA in History and Secondary Education and a minor in Political Science. She hopes to begin work on a Masters degree in Renaissance History.
Mrs. Weiss completed her AP College Board certification for U.S. History and has worked to develop a dynamic curriculum for her Advanced Placement students. Her passion for current events led her to the design a Current Events course where students explore global events, analyze their impact and determine their relevance to our daily lives. In addition, she teaches World Geography, Government, and serves as the advisor for Student Council.
Intrigued with politics at an early age, Mrs. Weiss has worked in several campaigns for elected officials in both New Jersey and Wisconsin. She spent a summer as an intern for a U.S. Congressman in Washington, DC and worked for a semester as an intern at a presidential campaign. She loves sharing her stories of working in the nation’s Capitol because she hopes to inspire her students to be involved in the political system as well, seeing their democracy as something tangible.
It is her goal that every student know and trust that “no insignificant person was ever born”, and that they each grow in mind and in spirit, and understand that life’s experiences are those that form us into the servants God would have us be. Her prayer is that her students gain an appreciation of history and contemporary issues and be inspired by the work of God’s hand throughout the centuries.
Mrs. Weiss grew up in the great state of New Jersey and remains fervently loyal to it. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe including participating in a UN-sponsored environmental project in Wales. Mrs. Weiss loves traveling, reading, hiking, camping, and is enthusiastic about service work both locally and internationally. She is a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church where her father serves as pastor.
Mrs. Henke is the math department head and teaches high school Algebra 2, College Algebra and AP Calculus. She came to Prince of Peace at the beginning of the 2001-2002 school year after teaching two years of Algebra II and Calculus at Lutheran High North in Houston. She was the Senior Class sponsor for the first graduating class of POPCS, assisting them with many important decisions about high school traditions and working with seniors to established Eagle pride in high school academics, sports, dances, mission trips, and other various competitions. Currently she is the senior sponsor and the Varsity Volleyball Coach. She is proud that her team earned the state runner-up title in 2007, as well as making it to the state final four in 2009.
Born in Austin, and after a few years living in Houston, Mrs. Henke moved to the Metroplex where she graduated from Plano East Senior High. After attending Collin County Community College, where she played volleyball, she transferred to Concordia University in Austin. There she graduated with a degree in Secondary Education, specializing in math and physical education.
Heidi is married to Chad Henke, POPCS MS Athletic Director. They both joined the POPCS faculty in 2001. They welcomed their first child Kaley in 2002, Karli in 2004, and Payton in 2007. Contact Information phone: 972-447-0532 ext. 396
Lori Hill is the founder of the North Texas Arts Project and a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. She also holds a B.S. in Education and a M.S. in Theatre from UNT in Denton. Lori has a passion for creating and teaching educational arts programs. Her experience includes many years as a Master Teacher at Shepton High School in Plano. In addition to serving as Fine Arts Chairman, Ms. Hill also taught Speech, Drama and Radio/TV/Film classes as well as co-authored the district drama curriculum. Several of her former students can be seen in national commercials, films and Broadway productions. Ms. Hill was recognized as “Rookie Teacher of the Year” by her peers and “Favorite Teacher” by students. She has served as Artistic Director at Plano Children’s Theatre, Lakeside Community Theatre, and has extensive performance credits in stage, TV and film including working professionally with Jason Robards, Winona Ryder, Jane Alexander, Rob Lowe and others. A commissioned playwright, Ms. Hill’s credits continue to include producing and performing with a professional adult touring company.
Ms. Hill came to POPCS 5 years ago to start the theater program. She resides in Lewisville with her husband Bunker and their three daughters who all attend Prince of Peace.
Mrs. Cindy Higginbotham graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education with minors in both Math and Reading. She is certified to teach 1st-8th grades. She also earned her Master’s Degree from Texas Woman's University in Education, specializing in Math Education.
Mrs. Higginbotham’s experience includes teaching Middle School Math in Irving ISD and General Math at the Art Institute of Dallas. She currently teaches Middle School Math here at Prince of Peace Christian School.
Mrs. Higginbotham and her husband Bob have two children, Lori, a graduate student at NYU, and Sara, a member of the class of 2012 at Prince of Peace Christian School
Mr. Isbell graduated from UT Arlington, with a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Physics. He taught and coached football and track in Texas public schools for the first 16 years of his teaching profession. He and his wife Linda then moved with their children to Vail, Colorado where they have resided for twenty years. During that time Bob taught Math and coached for seven more years in the area public schools. In 1998, Bob and Linda helped start a Lutheran high school in the Vail Valley where he taught Math and Theology, coached football and track, and served as interim Principal and Athletic Director. He completed his Colloquy at Concordia Irvine in 2000. From August 2008 to June 2009, Mr. Isbell served in Uganda as a missionary from his church in Colorado. His duties were to finish building an elementary school and to train the teachers.
Bob and Linda have been married for 39 years and have two children, Chris and Travis. They also have two grandchildren, Andrew and Maddy.
Mrs. Isbell is back in her native state of Texas with her husband Bob, continuing their teaching adventures at Prince of Peace Christian School. Linda has both a BA and MA in French with certifications in Spanish and English from the University of Texas at Arlington and UT Permian Basin. She has taught in public schools in both Texas and Colorado. Most recently, she served at Vail Christian High School in Vail, Colorado, a Lutheran high school which she was privileged to help start in 1998. At Vail Christian, Linda taught Spanish, French, Music, Drama and Theology, in addition to serving as Director of Development for two years. From August 2008 to June 2009 Mrs. Isbell was in Uganda as a missionary from her church in Colorado. She trained the teaching staff and supported the construction project at an elementary school in the village of Kicuna.
Linda’s philosophy of teaching language is wrapped up not only with the academic demands of the classroom, but also with sharing the passion she has for Christian outreach through missions in the world. She seeks to instill a heart for service into her students through using the Spanish language in their own backyard or throughout other Spanish-speaking countries.
Linda and her husband Bob have two sons. Their oldest son Chris graduated from the University of Notre Dame and lives in the Midwest with his wife Abigail and their two children, Andrew and Maddy. Their son Travis attended Baylor and Texas A&M Medical School and now is a physician at Scott and White Hospital in Temple. Away from her ministry at Prince of Peace, Linda enjoys serving in missions and spending time with family.
Mrs. Kennedy is a native Texan. She graduated from Austin College with a Bachelor in Science degree in Psychology and later earned a Master's degree in Education. She is certified to teach Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Mrs. Kennedy taught various subjects and grades in the Dallas ISD. She stayed home for five years to spend more time with her family, and in 2003 began a part time position at POPCS, teaching math.
Mrs. Kennedy and her husband Tim have been married for twenty years. They have one son, Jackson, who will be in 11th grade this year at POPCS. She and her family attend Fellowship Church in Grapevine. Her hobbies are reading and traveling.
Mr. Knotts is the Science Coordinator and Biology teacher at POPCS. He obtained his B.A. from Concordia College, Ann Arbor and M.Ed. in Science Education with an emphasis in Biology from the University of Minnesota. He taught fifteen years at Lutheran High School in Bloomington, Minnesota and five years at Concordia University, Ann Arbor in the Department of Biology and the School of Education. He has led numerous workshops and sectionals in the area of Science Education including the National Lutheran Educator Conference. His current projects include working with Dow Corning in designing lab manuals for classrooms, doing workshops for Population Education, and working with NOAA in environmental research.
He lives in Frisco with his wife Pamela who teaches Kindergarten, and their twin sons who graduated from POPCS, and will be attending the University of Arkansas.
GayMarie Kurdi is a 4th generation Dallas native and a graduate of Trinity Christian Academy in Addison. She earned her B.S. in Secondary Education and her teaching certification in Social Studies from The Pennsylvania State University and her Masters Degree in Humanities: specializing in Studies in Literature at the University of Texas at Dallas. She completed an additional Masters Degree in American Studies at The University of Dallas in 2009. She is holds Texas certification in both English and Social Studies. She is an active member in the National Council of Teachers of English and has attended multiple AP College Board teacher training institutes for AP teachers. She also enjoys taking additional courses of interest at The Athena Foundation and The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, where she sits on the Advisory Board for the Teachers Academy. She is married to Ahmad, a native of Lebanon, and has two daughters who attend POPCS. She and her family are members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Plano.
Prior to joining the staff at POPCS in 2004, she taught at Liberty Christian School in Denton, The King’s Academy, a coed boarding school outside of Knoxville, TN, and Nolan Catholic High School in Ft. Worth. She currently teaches Pre-AP English III, AP English Literature and Composition, AP US Government and Politics and AP Microeconomics. She also serves as the English Department Chair, AP Coordinator and oversees the TAPPS Academic team. More than anything she enjoys interacting with teenagers. She is known as a demanding teacher who thrives on watching her students achieve success and grow as thinkers.
Mr. Lang joined Prince of Peace in the fall of 2003 to provide computer science instruction to the sophomore and junior classes. Mr. Lang graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelors degree in Business Computer Information Systems. He worked as a software developer in logistics systems for General Dynamics for ten years. Mr. Lang worked for Metasolv Software in Plano for five years as a software developer and analyst. He also has completed his Masters Degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix.
Mr. Lang has been involved in lay mission projects in Honduras, Mexico and India, preaching and playing music. Mr. Lang was involved in the ministry of the Greater Fort Worth Christmas Pageant for twenty years as an actor, vocalist and instrumentalist. He serves as lead trumpet player in the orchestra at First Baptist Church in McKinney and also teaches private trumpet at First Baptist’s School of the Arts.
Mr. Lang has been married to his wife Ruth for over fifteen years and has two children, Christina and Matthew; both attend Prince of Peace.
Mr. Lang is committed to the mission of Prince of Peace Christian School and is also committed to, and unashamed of, the Gospel of Jesus Christ believing that it truly is “… the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes”.
Mr. Lorenzen graduated in December 2008 from Concordia University, Wisconsin with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and Broad Field Social Studies, with a minor in Political Science.
He is now teaching high school U.S. History, World History, and Economics at Prince of Peace.
Mr. Lorenzen is originally from Pipestone, Minnesota. He grew up on a farm with an older sister and brother, and one younger sister. The farm has several hundred pigs, some cattle, horses, and Labrador dogs, along with several hundred acres of soybeans and field corn. Spending many long summer days on the farm with his dad and grandpa, Mr. Lorenzen learned the importance of working hard and doing things right the first time. From his mom, who is a Lutheran preschool teacher at his home church, he witnessed the joys of teaching children about God’s love.
Mr. Lorenzen’s favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” He enjoys the historical aspect of the verse that looks back on the great faith of many important Biblical figures and also how it ties into his favorite activity- running!
While at Concordia, Mr. Lorenzen was a two time NCAA DIII All-American and a several time National qualifier in cross country and track and field. Micah is passionate about running and anything related to the great sport of track and field. He holds the Concordia school records in the cross country 8k, and the 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m on the track. In the future he hopes to begin training for the marathon.
Mr. Lorenzen has been married to his wife, Amanda, for three years. They recently moved from Wisconsin to join the Prince of Peace family and are currently residing in Plano.
Mr. Lusk graduated from Baylor University in Waco with a degree in Business Administration/Marketing. Realizing his true calling was to be a teacher, he pursued his teaching certification in math through Region 10. After serving as the Athletic Director and coach at Bending Oaks High School for two years, he joined POPCS in 2005 to serve as Math teacher and Baseball coach. Mr. Lusk completed his Colloquy in 2007 and recently graduated from Concordia University in Austin with his Masters Degree in Education Administration with principal certification.
Mr. Lusk currently teaches Geometry, Business Math, and Marketing and coaches the Girls Varsity Soccer Team. The girls team made it to the State Final 4 in 2008/2009 and finished as the State Runner-up in 2009/2010.
Mr. Lusk enjoys the challenges of helping students succeed whether it involves solving a complex math problem or mastering a skill on the field as an athlete. It brings him tremendous joy, knowing he played a role in helping a student achieve success.
He and his wife Sarah have a son, Noah, in the POPCS Preschool, and a daughter, Sophia, in the Early Learning Center. They are active members of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Contact Information
phone: 972-447-0532 ext. 409
e-mail: dallas.lusk@princeofpeace.org
Karen Lusk
Ms. Lusk graduated from Texas Tech University in 1998 with a B.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies, specializing in English. She completed her Colloquy at Concordia in November of 2002 and her SLED certification, a training program for prospective administrators in the Lutheran School System, in July of 2006. She is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Professional Biblical Counseling. Before coming to POPCS, Ms. Lusk taught Kindergarten for three years. She also taught first grade at POPCS for two years before joining the middle school staff. Ms. Lusk currently teaches English and Theology.
Ms. Lusk believes that her main goal is to spread the gospel to all, churched and un-churched, so that all can come to know Christ as their personal Savior. Ministering not just to the students, but to the whole family, the school is a “grace place” where forgiveness is modeled for everyday situations.
Ms. Lusk feels that we are to bring Christ to all so that all may come to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. The students will carry the Gospel to their un-churched friends, bringing Christ’s light into a seemingly dark world. Through the witnessing of the students, more families will see the joy and security of knowing Christ as their personal Savior.
The students should have no doubts that they are special children of God. Through the support, modeling and prayers of their teachers, the students should further develop their self-esteem, morals and values. They should leave middle school knowing that with God on their side, they can handle any situation. It is imperative that all students know, own, and understand the words of Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”
Mrs. Nelson attended Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, concentrating in Math and Science. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1991 from Concordia. She then began teaching in Wisconsin and later came to Prince of Peace for the 1993-1998 school years, teaching 5th grade. Mrs. Nelson completed her Master’s Degree in Computer Education and Cognitive Systems at the University of North Texas in 1997. She then worked as a computer software trainer from 1999-2004. She is a Microsoft Office User Specialist in Word, Excel and Power Point. Mrs. Nelson returned to POP in August 2005 as the Middle School computer teacher.
Mrs. Nelson comes from a long and distinguished line of teachers. Her father was a teacher and principal, her mother has 30+ years of teaching, and her older brother is also a principal. Angela is married to Ken Nelson and they have 3 children, Kenny, Conner, and Cooper; all are students at Prince of Peace. The Nelson family attends Bent Tree Bible Fellowship where Angela is active in the Children’s Ministry.
Mrs. Rogers was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but has lived in Dallas most of her life. She comes from a family of teachers. Her father was a minister and a Christian school Headmaster, her mother taught a women’s Bible Study class for over twenty years, and her grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Virginia.
Mrs. Rogers is passionate about Christian education because it equips students with the world’s knowledge built upon the foundation of God’s Word. She enjoys sharing her love for Technology with students and teaching them to use it as an asset as they seek God’s plan for their lives in the 21st Century.
Mrs. Rogers graduated from Baylor University with an Education degree and later earned her Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology from the University of North Texas. She is an active member of Texas Computer Education Association, regularly participating in Technology Professional Development seminars and training in the DFW area.
With over 30 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Rogers has taught middle school and high school at First Baptist Academy, Highland Park ISD and Trinity Christian Academy. In addition to her work in the classroom, Mrs. Rogers has been responsible for coordinating and conducting technology staff development in utilization of software, implementation of hardware and integration of technology in the classroom. She has also provided technology training for parents who want to stay current with the technology their children use.
Mrs. Rogers has two children, Zachary, a student at University of Texas at Dallas, and Kaitlyn, a student at University of North Texas.
Mrs. Schnell graduated with honors and distinction from The Pennsylvania State University in 1989. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and was named the Outstanding Graduate in Political Science.
Mrs. Schnell worked in hotel management for several years before establishing a career as an insurance defense paralegal. In 2002, she joined the support staff of Prince of Peace Christian School.
Whether she was coaching athletic teams, teaching Sunday School, conducting preschool choirs, or managing Destination ImagiNation teams, Mrs. Schnell always felt drawn to teaching. While at Prince of Peace, she soon found her interest had matured into a calling. In 2004, she entered Texas A&M University-Commerce to obtain her post-graduate teacher certification.
Mrs. Schnell’s philosophy of teaching can be summed up by a Chinese Proverb, “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”
Mrs. Schnell and her husband are the proud parents of a daughter, Cori. Cori has been a student at Prince of Peace since the age of three. The Schnells are active members of Christ United Methodist Church in Plano.
Mrs. Swanson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she attended Lutheran schools. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 1985. She then received her teaching credential and Lutheran teaching certificate from Concordia University, Irvine in 1989.
Mrs. Swanson taught elementary grades for seven years in Orange County, California and taught elementary and high school for four years in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has taught Theology, Psychology and Sociology since coming to Prince of Peace in 2005 and is the High School Theology Department Head.
Mrs. Swanson’s husband Craig, is the principal of the high school, and they have one daughter, Tessa. They are members of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
Mr. Thomas completed his undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies and Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University. He went on to receive his Masters degree in the Humanities in the spring of 2008 from the University of Dallas. He is also an alumnus of the Teacher’s Academy at the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Over the last five years he has been tutoring Latin and the classics of the Western Tradition to individuals and homeschoolers throughout the community. He spent one year at St. Alban’s Episcopal School in Arlington teaching Latin and Film. This year he will be teaching senior English and Latin I, II, and III.
Brian has lived in the DFW area for over twenty years and is married to Stephanie Thomas and has one son, Preston, a new POPCS student.
Mr. Thomas requests that individuals not groan when hearing of his career choice as a Latin professor even if it necessarily evokes memories of that person’s own boring Latin teacher.
Mr. Weiss graduated from Concordia University, Wisconsin with degrees in Secondary Education and Broad Field Science. He joined the Prince of Peace staff in 2007. As a child, Mr. Weiss grew up on a farm in Michigan where experimentation ruled! Whether it was dissecting a deceased cow, building catapults from junk lying around, fixing a tractor, or solving one of the many problems he encountered, Mr. Weiss was fully immersed in the science of farm life. His passion in the classroom is to find an application for everything. Why learn it if you can’t use it? He believes God has a plan and purpose for every student, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, he will do everything he can to guide them.
The following are Mr. Weiss' favorite Bible verses:
Phil 4:13: I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Quentin Blackerby
