MEET OUR STAFF
At Heartland Lakes Community School we are innovative, adaptable, and dedicated to creating a dynamic, and new learning experience for children.
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MEET OUR CREW
Lead Teacher & 4th-6th Grade Co-Teacher
Elise Erickson
Curious and passionate, Elise will bring heart, dedication and her variety of experiences in education. She is eager to begin her 15th year teaching and learning alongside the 4/5/6 students and staff in bringing to life HLCS's mission of, "Being Brave, Wise, and Curious." Outside of school you'll find her with family, enjoying nature, going on adventures big and small, reading and dabbling in being creative. She can't wait for our Crew to grow and learn together!
Kindergarten Teacher
Madison Benham
Hello! I’m Madison Benham, I am excited to start my first year of teaching at HLCS! I graduated from Park Rapids Area High School and continued my education at Bemidji State University where I received my bachelors degree in Elementary Education. My hobbies outside of the classroom include reading, fishing, boating, playing volleyball,listening to music, being with family and friends, and spending time with my cat and dog. I am so excited to learn and grow this year with our HLCS community.
1st Grade Teacher
Emily Kirchenwitz
Emily comes to us with a variety of experiences working with both kids and adults at summer camps, after school programming, and other care settings. Emily is a caring and enthusiastic team player, with contagious energy.
Emily’s hope is to foster an environment that values authenticity, where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and exploring their role in their learning community.
She plans to incorporate lessons on sustainability and environmental awareness into her teaching and to encourage scholars to ask questions, think critically and seek solutions to problems they see in their world.
4th-6th Grader Co-Teacher & 3rd-6th Math
Todd Marsden
Todd brings a breadth of life-experiences to our HLCS Crew. Todd enjoys being active and learning new things. He is a licensed Math teacher (Mathematics Education from Eureka College) and also speaks a language that is quite rare in this part of the world. He loves helping young Scholars appreciate and enjoy learning in general, and especially learning and using Math. Todd and his family live in Park Rapids, MN.
Special Education Teacher
Kasey Schorn
Hello, my name is Kasey Schorn. This will be my 5th year teaching Special Education. I have previously worked as an Early Head Start teacher, and an LPN in a few different settings.
I have a 4 year old daughter, 2 dogs and a cat. We are very active, and we love to play outside and go camping in the summer. In my spare time I enjoy reading, playing with my dogs, being outside in my flower beds and listening to music.
I'm looking forward to working at HLCS!
Forest Teacher
Sarah Wilson
Exploring the forests around her home from an early age sparked Sarah’s passion for the outdoors.
For the past 17 years, she has enjoyed sharing that passion by engaging young people in powerful, place-based, learning while teaching everything from Social Emotional Learning classes to math, science and literacy.
She loves to experiment with innovative teaching methods and is passionate about creating equitable learning spaces that lift up marginalized voices.
She lives and plays in the gardens and forests around Bemidji with her family.
Paraprofessional
Ellie Kirchner
We are pleased as pie to introduce Ellie Kirchner, Special Education Paraprofessional at HLCS.
Ellie was born in Columbia! She is a graduate of Nevis High School and she brings a wide variety of experiences to the HLCS Crew. She has worked as a paraprofessional and assistant teacher at Headstart.
Ellie and her family of two kids, one dog and two cats live in Park Rapids. They spend their time hunting, fishing, playing on the lake, grilling and having bonfires.
If Ellie had a superpower it would definitely be flying.
Paraprofessional
Garnet Mosse
We are so excited to introduce you to Garnet Mosse, Special Education Paraprofessional.
Garnet is the newest member of our Staff Crew. A dedicated mom of three amazing daughters, Garnet brings her positive spirit and love for the outdoors to our community. With a passion for exploration and play, she believes in the importance of creating a fun and engaging learning environment.
As a paraprofessional, Garnet is committed to supporting our scholars and helping them thrive.
We’re excited to have her on board and can’t wait for you to get to know her!
MEET OUR SUPPORTERS
We are wise with our resources and depend on our experts for additional focused support.
NEW STAFF OPPORTUNITIES
Do you Like Being Outside?
Are you Adaptable?
Are you Curious?
Do you believe in the innate ability of every student to succeed?
Are you willing to try a wildly different type of teaching and learning?
Do you prioritize Relationships?
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If you answered "yes" - then you just might like it at Heartland Lakes Community School.