meet our staff
Brenda Wilson
Principal
bwilson@bethlehemsaginaw.org
989-755-1144x104
A Saginaw native, Mrs. Wilson was raised from birth in the Lutheran faith. She graduated from Saginaw Valley State University, and also completed the Lutheran Teacher Colloquy Program at Concordia University, Ann Arbor. Mrs. Wilson has faithfully taught Kindergarten at Bethlehem for over a decade!
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Mrs. Wilson is thankful to God for the wonderful teachers she had throughout her early school years. Those teachers have been her inspiration, and she strives to be like them - a teacher whose foundation for all subjects is the Bible.
Mrs. Wilson is married to her husband Scott and has two children, Jacob and Katie - both of whom are Bethlehem graduates.
Angela Banda
Administrative Assistant
office@bethlehemsaginaw.org
989.755.1144x213
Angela is a Saginaw native. She has been married since 2013 to her husband Rafael, who she met in 1999. Angela is a dedicated mother of 3.
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She cherishes every moment spent with her kids, husband, family and friends. She is heavily involved in her children’s athletics both in school and outside programs where her husband also coaches too.
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She loves hosting. You can see her driveway full for family dinners, gatherings, birthdays, holidays or when the Detroit Lions or Michigan Wolverines are playing.
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In her free time, Angela enjoys watching movies, shopping, going to the beach, camping and vacationing in Texas.
Lisa May
Preschool Administrator
lmay@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Mrs. May's teaching journey began in 2005 when she began working in a Christian preschool. She obtained her Associates Degree in Child Development and Applied Science from Delta College and later, her Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education from Rochester Christian University. Mrs. May continues to learn through classes, workshops and conferences.
Mrs. May's experience as a mother deeply influenced her teaching style. She loves integrating faith into every aspect of the preschool program. Mrs. May is passionate about teaching children and growing the preschool program here at Bethlehem.
She lives in St. Charles with her husband, Dave. She has 4 children, Jenna, Jake, Mackenzie and Olivia and a crazy dog.
When not in the classroom, Mrs. May enjoys crafting, reading, camping, and spending time with her family and friends.
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Shawn Griffore
3 Year Old Lead Teacher
sgriffore@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Class Website
Mrs. Griffore has been serving at Bethlehem since 2011 in a variety of roles. She worked as a Paraprofessional and Preschool aid for 5 years and has been teaching 3 year old preschool since then. She obtained her credentials through Care Courses, an online program specializing in Early Childhood courses. Mrs. Griffore also works in our school library.
Mrs. Griffore and her husband, Darin, have been members of Bethlehem for over a decade. Mrs. Griffore has two college-age boys, Ethan and Logan, who attended Bethlehem and graduated from Valley Lutheran.
Jenna Wittig Fauske
4 Year Old Lead Teacher
jwittig@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Class Website
Miss Jenna is our lead 4-year-old preschool teacher!
She previously spent five years in La Grande, Oregon teaching preschool at a Lutheran church there, but moved back home with her husband, Kiel, to raise their daughter closer to home. Miss Jenna worked as the afternoon lead 4-year-old teacher at Bethlehem before transitioning to being lead teacher all day in 2023.
She truly is going back to her roots! Miss Jenna attended Bethlehem from K-8th grade. She then moved on to graduate from Valley Lutheran and attended Concordia University in Ann Arbor.
Jessica Coe
GSRP Lead Teacher
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jcoe@bethlehemsaginaw.org
This is Miss Jessica Coe's second year teaching at Bethlehem and has experience for five years from Saginaw ISD before Bethlehem.
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She earned her BA in Early Childhood Education from Ferris State University in 2021 and is obtaining her Masters in May from Spring Arbor University.
Miss Jessica always wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl and believes God brought her to Bethlehem for a purpose and to strengthen her faith in the Lord.
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She lives in Bridgeport with her three children, Kylie, Khalil and Mylah. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family when she is not working; she also enjoys traveling.
Rebecca Smith
Kindergarten Teacher
rsmith@bethlehemsaginaw.org
989-755-1144x200
Class Website
Miss Rebecca Smith is a Bay City native and a graduate of Concordia University, Ann Arbor where she earned her BA in Elementary Education with a focus in Language Arts, minor in Early Childhood Education, and Lutheran Teaching Diploma.
Having attended Lutheran schools from preschool through college, Miss Smith is passionate about Christian education. Many of her teachers inspired her over the years, encouraging her to succeed and grow academically and spiritually. These teachers instilled a passion for learning and love of Christ that Miss Smith prays she can share with the students of Bethlehem.
Outside of the classroom, Miss Smith enjoys performing in community theatre, playing the ukulele, and riding roller coasters. She resides in Saginaw with her best four-legged friend, Rory, the Australian Cattle Dog.
Christine Engelhardt
1st Grade Teacher
cengelhardt@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Mrs. Engelhardt obtained a teaching degree at Central Michigan University with an emphasis in early childhood development. Prior to her current role, Mrs. Engelhardt taught 3 and 4 year old children at Bethlehem's preschool.
Mrs. Engelhardt is a member of Bethlehem along with her husband, Kurt, and their three daughters.
Mrs. Engelhardt enjoys camping, Pinterest, spending time with friends and family and coordinating events for Bethlehem's Children's Ministry.
Abigail Gipson
2nd Grade Teacher
agipson@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Ms. Abigail Gipson comes to Bethlehem after teaching in public schools for two years. Ms.Gipson attended grade school at Carrollton Public Schools, and then went to early college at Saginaw Valley State University, graduating in 2019.
Ms. Gipson has a BA in Early Childhood Education and a BA in Elementary Education from Saginaw Valley State University.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, looking after her four-legged friends, and traveling.
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Adam Jezowski
3rd/4th Grade Teacher
ajezowski@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Mr. Adam Jezowski, a lifelong Bay City native, comes to us after graduating in May from Saginaw Valley State University with a BA in Elementary Education in 2023. He attended parochial school at St. Paul Frankenlust and continued his high school education at Valley Lutheran.
Mr. Jezowski has spent his last ten summers working at Camp Lu Lay Lea; working multiple different positions across those years. He also worked at Warmbier Farms for multiple years and has been the custodian at St Paul Lutheran Church since 2015. In his free time, he enjoys getting out and playing a quick round of golf and socializing with friends. He is very excited to begin his teaching career here at Bethlehem!
Julie Glumm
5th Grade Teacher
jglumm@bethlehemsaginaw.org
989-755-1144x206
Mrs. Glumm has been teaching and playing school in her parents basement since she was a small girl. Mrs. Glumm became an official teacher in 1998, teaching fifth grade for twenty-one years and seventh and eighth grade for five more. All of Mrs. Glumm’s teaching experience has been in the Lutheran School setting. Mrs. Glumm’s favorite teaching strategy is laughter; school and learning should be fun!
Mrs. Glumm has been a mom for a bit longer, raising three boys and their families; AJ, Charles, and Dan.
Mrs. Glumm, her husband, ‘Mr. Tony’ and their daschund Maggie, spend their afterwork time and summers as new grandparents, fishing, gardening, camping, and exploring new adventures in Michigan.
Brendan Krueger
6th Grade Teacher
bkrueger@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Class Website
Mr. Krueger graduated from Concordia University Chicago in December of 2022 with his degree in Music Education. He followed his greatest passion of music to become the teacher he is today, but that is not all he is passionate for. Mr. Krueger
has a love for pursuing the Lord and all that He has revealed to us.
Mr. Krueger voraciously consumes media of any kind to learn something new about a variety of topics. Those topics can range from astrophysics, to carving, to history. He also loves well crafted stories; stories in the form of books, movies, serials, or even games. Mr. Krueger equally loves asking questions and crafting well thought answers to those questions, not settling until the question has been answered to its fullest potential from every perspective, including Biblical.
Many of these loves he shares with his wife, Bethany Krueger (formerly Daenzer), whom he married in the summer of 2022. Above all other loves and passions, Mr.
Krueger loves to serve those around him in the name of Jesus Christ and share what he has come to know about the Lord through his actions.
Shelley Biver
7th / 8th Grade Teacher
sbiver@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Class Website
Mrs. Biver earned her elementary teaching degree from Central Michigan University with a reading major and a math minor. Upon graduation she started teaching at a charter school here in Saginaw until God called her to join Bethlehem’s staff. Mrs. Biver has taught 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades prior to joining Bethlehem. She has a love for teaching math and science and watching God’s children grow and learn each day.
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Mrs. Biver has been an active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Saginaw for over 3 decades. She attended Good Shepherd Lutheran School and graduated from Valley Lutheran High School.
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Mrs. Biver and her husband live in Saginaw Township. She has a daughter, who graduated from Valley Lutheran, has an associate degree from Delta and currently works at Good Shepherd Lutheran ECC, a step-son and daughter-in-law, and a grandson who live in Taylor, MI.
When not teaching, Mrs. Biver enjoys bike riding, going on trips with her husband, and reading quietly in her backyard.
Kara Brown
Art Teacher
karaharrisbrown@aol.com
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Mrs. Kara Brown has had a wide variety of artistic and teaching experiences including serving as the Curator of Education at the Saginaw Art Museum, creating Art Across the Curriculum, and working for the ArtSmart Youth Program of Saginaw and Bay Counties. Formerly the visual arts teacher at CAC Headstart in Saginaw, Mrs. Brown has fostered the artistic growth and education of thousands of youth through numerous collaborations.
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Mrs. Brown focuses on art appreciation and gaining self-awareness and confidence in the classroom. She incorporates cross-curriculum strategies, techniques, media, and art history into many of her lessons. She looks forward to continuing at Bethlehem for many years to come!
Lisa Duclos
Physical Education Teacher
lduclos@bethlehemsaginaw.org
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Saginaw native and lifelong Bethlehem member, Mrs. Lisa Duclos has been serving as the Physical Education since 2005!
Mrs. Duclos is married to her husband, John, and has three sons, Hayden, Will and Colten. All 3 of her sons attend Bethlehem and Valley Lutheran!
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Mrs. Duclos especially loves getting to know Bethlehem students and the family atmosphere of the school. In her free time she enjoys doing anything active - water-skiing, snow-skiing to name a few.
Lily Reyes
Band Teacher
lreyes@bethlehemsaginaw.org
989-755-1144x
Mrs. Lily Reyes is the 5th-8th grade band director for Bethlehem Lutheran. She graduated from SVSU in 2021 with a degree in Music Education and a minor in psychology. She has performed on a plethora of different instruments as well as in many unique types of ensembles. These ensembles range from big band jazz ensembles and steel drum bands to full orchestras and brass quartets. Her primary instrument, the French horn, will always stay close to her heart.
Being a Saginaw native, Mrs. Reyes graduated from Carrollton High School before attending SVSU where she met her husband, Nick. Together they have two boys, Julius and August. In her free time, she enjoys practicing guitar or ukulele, hiking, cooking, building Lego sets, and playing video games with her son.
Diane Gallegos
Teacher's Aide
Mrs. Gallegos has been working at Bethlehem since 2000. She serves as a paraprofessional for grades K-3 and assists in many other capacities around the school. Mrs. Gallegos earned her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Delta College.
Mrs. Gallegos is a former Bethlehem student and a lifelong member of the church. She is married to her husband, Ricardo, and they have three daughters who also attended Bethlehem and Valley Lutheran.
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Ginny Sowatsky
3 Year Old Preschool Teacher's Aide
A busy mom of four, Mrs. Ginny is excited to help teach little ones. She graduated from Michigan State with a degree in kinesiology and worked as an exercise physiologist in the Detroit area before moving back home. She has led various groups including Mothers of Preschooler’s, Community Bible Study’s preschool program, and coached at Bethlehem for many years.
Being a mom has taught her many lessons and has grown her faith in so many ways. She has learned to see and trust God through the eyes of childlike faith. She loves to encourage and remind kids of all ages that God lavishly loves each of them.
Mrs. Ginny is married to Eric who has been a lifelong member at Bethlehem. His mom was a former preschool teacher. Their four kids have attended Bethlehem and are growing up too fast! She is so thankful for the foundation of faith that the teachers have helped to form in her family’s
life.
Marena Weiler
GSRP Associate Teacher
This will be Miss Marena's first year teaching at Bethlehem, but she has been a part of the Bethlehem family since 2022! Miss Marena has two daughters, Annalynn and Leticia, who attend Bethlehem.
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She currently resides in Saginaw where she was born and raised.
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She has been involved in church throughout her life, and now God has led her to serve in the GSRP classroom at Bethlehem. She will begin working to obtain her CDA this year.
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In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, volunteering at the school, and traveling.
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She is excited to see what this school year will bring!
Debi Hahn
4 Year Old Preschool Aide
Katie Birchmeier
4 Year Old Preschool Aide
Debi has been a member of Bethlehem for forty years. She is the mother of three grown children and has seven grandchildren. Working with the preschoolers has brought so much joy to her. Walking into seeing their wonderful smiles, would brighten anyone’s day.
Debi’s enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, doing word puzzles, scrapbooking and NASCAR.
Miss Katie and her husband have been members at Bethlehem for 15+ years. She enjoys helping out at school in whichever classroom needs it. She has two boys that attend Bethlehem and they stay busy playing sports and doing Boy Scouts.
In her free time she enjoys camping, reading, doing crafts and drinking coffee.
Annelise Holcomb
Choir Teacher
Mrs. Annelise Holcomb is the elementary music teacher (1st - 4th) and 5th-8th choir director. She has been teaching at Bethlehem since graduating from Calvin College in 2017 with a degree in elementary education. She has endorsements in integrated science and math, and she also has a music minor.
Mrs. Holcomb enjoys being outdoors and playing musical instruments. She and her husband Alex welcomed their baby girl, Iris Evelyn, in October of 2023. They love getting to be her parents!
At the beginning of each school year, she looks forward to building relationships with her students, helping them grow in their love for Jesus, and giving them many musical opportunities.
Katie Wilson
4 Year Old Preschool Aide
Skyler Cox
Preschool Aide - Valley Lutheran Co-Op
A lifetime member of the Church and school community, Miss Katie attended Bethlehem from Kindergarten through 8th grade and is proud to now give back to the place that helped shape her. She loves working with preschoolers and lending a hand wherever needed throughout the school.
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She is a graduate of Michigan State University and plans to attend law school in the future. In her free time, she enjoys reading, golfing, and shopping.
Miss Skyler is a Valley Lutheran High School co-op student and proud member of the Class of 2025. A Bethlehem Lutheran graduate, Skyler has been part of our school family since first grade. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys bowling, creating art, and playing video games. We’re excited to have Skyler sharing her time and talents with our preschoolers!