SLS School Staff

Principal:
 
 
 
Paul Baker is our school principal.  He was born and raised in Adrian, Michigan.  He attended a one room school for first to fourth grades and then transferred to St. John's Lutheran School in the city.  He skipped through Adrian High School and flew through two years at Concordia College in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  He finished his bachelor's degree in education at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.  Mr. Baker earned a master degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Southern Illinois University.

Mr. Baker has served children and their families in five different congregations, including Farmington Hills, Michigan, Staunton, Illinois, Belvidere, Illinois, and Palatine, Illinois, before moving to Springfield in 1998.  He has served as teacher, athletic director, youth director and full and part-time principal during those years.  Mr. Baker is married to Dr. Jennifer Baker who is a clinical psychologist and works for Forest Institute in Springfield.  Together they have two children, Andrew Baker in Austin, Texas and Miriam Greene in Springfield, Missouri.  They are blessed to have six grandchildren and love them all more than words can describe.

Mr. Baker loves to grow things in his garden and flower beds and build and repair things in his shop and at school.  He also love to blog at http://bakersinspringfield.blogspot.com/ and invites all interested people to come and visit and really see the inside story of Bakers' lives.
 
Secretary:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our SLS secretary is Mrs. Darlene Appelquist.  Mrs. Appelquist was raised in Verona MO and has loved living in southwest Missouri for most of her life.  She is married to James Appelquist and has three grown daughter, Stephanie, Gail and Katrina and five wonderful grandchildren.

Mrs. Appelquist has been the first and only school secretary for Springfield Lutheran.  She recently celebrated 25 years of ongoing ministry at the church and school.  She worked her first 14 years with school principal, Ron Merritt and since 1998 with Mr. Baker.

Mrs. Appelquist lives in the country lands of Battlefield, MO.  There she knits and crochets and enjoys all types of baking and craft activities.  The Appelquist family enjoys singing and has performed as the Appelquist Family Singers.  Darlene also serves as one of our Redeemer wedding coordinators, helping couples special day to go off with out a hitch.

 
Tech Director:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mr. Josh Wanner serves as the church and school technology director.  He cares for our computer networks and works to keep all employees on-line and updated with new trends in technology.

Mr. Wanner is married to Kari who serves as SLS fifth grade teacher and athletic director.  The Wanners have three terrific children, Emily, Madeline, and Olivia.  Soon the entire family will be working and growing in the Lord together at SLS/Redeemer.

Josh grew up in Missouri and he attended high school in Branson, MO.  He got his bachelors degree from Concordia - Chicago and his master's degree in technology from Missouri State University.  He loves all things related to computer and videos.  Mr. Wanner often uses these talents in technology to aid the ministry effort of Redeemer Lutheran and our school.
 
8th Grade:
 
  
 
 
 
 
Mr. Irwin grew up in Sikeston, MO (home of throwed rolls).  He and his wife Deborah are graduates of Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska (1971).  They have three children and three grandchildren.  Mr. Irwin has a masters degree from the University of Missouri, St. Louis in school administration and has served as principal in several Lutheran schools.  He is now semi-retired, but continues to teach part-time at Springfield Lutheran School.

 
7th Grade:
 

 
 
 
 
 
Mary Magnus has been at SLS since 1985, teaching 2nd grade through 8th grade.  She is a graduate of Concordia, Seward (1974), holds a master's degree in education from University of Missouri - Columbia and a master's in educational administration of Southwest Missouri State University.
 
Mary has been married to Dan Magnus since 1973.  They have two sons, Peter, in the U.S. Army; and Andrew, a high school student.
 
6th Grade:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Karen Schaller grew up in Mt. Prospect, IL.  She graduated from Indiana University with an Associates Degree in Optometric Technology.  From there she went to Ferris State University to get her Bachelors Degree in Allied Health Education.  After working 20 years in the field of ophthalmology, she was drawn to the teaching ministry.  Karen attended SMSU and received an Elementary Education Certificate in January 2004.
 
Karen has two daughters, Stephanie and Kimberly, who attended SLS from pre-school through 8th grade.  Stephanie is now attending University of Missouri Kansas City Medical School.  Kimberly is freshman at Morehead State University in Kentucky.  Karen's husband, Michael, is a pharmacist and works for Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company.
 
5th Grade:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mrs. Kari Wanner grew up in Peoria, IL where she attended Concordia Lutheran Grade School.  After completing high school, she continued in her Lutheran education at Concordia University in River Forest, IL.  She graduated in the spring of 1998 with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Elementary Education. In the fall of 1998, she began teaching at St. Paul Lutheran School in Rochelle, IL.  In the fall of 1999, she moved to Springfield to begin teaching at SLS.
 
Mrs. Wanner will be entering her 11th year of teaching in the fall.  In addition to teaching, she coaches the girls' basketball team and track team.  She is also in the process of earning her Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Missouri State University.

 
4th Grade:
 

 
 
 
 
 
The fourth grade teacher for Springfield Lutheran School is Mr. Jon Heilman.  He was born in Oklahoma, but spent most of his youth growing up in central Michigan.  He attended Lutheran elementary school, public high school, and undergraduate school at three Lutheran colleges.  The colleges included Concordia, Ann Arbor, MI, St. Paul's College, Concordia, MO, and Concordia University, Seward, NE.  He received a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from MSU in Springfield in 1974.
 
Mr. Heilman spent almost 30 years in public schools until his retirement in 2000.  He has been at SLS since 2000. This past year he completed his 38th year in teaching.  He is excited about working with students this coming year and hopes to get students excited about learning.
 
3rd Grade:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mrs. Lynn was born in Pontiac, Michigan.  She graduated from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI with an AA degree in 1972.  Mrs. Lynn received her BA degree at Concordia University, River Forest, IL in 1974.  She received her Master's Degree in Education from MSU in 2004.
 
Mrs. Lynn's 1st teaching position was in Cape Girardeau, MO from 1974 - 1977, where she taught 4th grade at Trinity Lutheran School. It was at this school where Mrs. Lynn met her husband, Ron, and stepdaughter Suzette.
 
In 1977 the Lynn family moved north to Saginaw, Michigan. Mrs. Lynn accepted a teaching position at Peace Lutheran School, in Saginaw from 1978-2000. She taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 3-4 combination, 3-5 combination, and 4-5 combination classes.
 
The Lynn family moved to Springfield, MO after the sudden death of Mr. Lynn.

Working on improving Spelling has long been a personal goal.  In Michigan Mrs. Lynn was a judge at numerous spelling bees, both public and parochial.  Mrs. Lynn has also received trophies for playing table tennis, and for NRA marksmanship in silhouette target competition.

 
2nd Grade:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mrs. Jane Stouder has been with SLS for 25 years starting as the director of extended care, working as a Para-professional in the library, the preschool director for 5 years and finally 2nd grade teacher. She graduated in 1995 from MSU, received her colloquy from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, and her Masters in reading from MSU in 2004.
 
She has been married for nearly 35 years, has 4 children (all whom attended SLS) and 6 grandchildren.
 
1st Grade:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our 1st grade teacher is a man, but a boy at heart.  Gary Beckman graduated from Concordia High School is Seward, Ne in 1968.  He graduated from Concordia University Seward in 1972.  He taught at Christ Lutheran in Perry, Ok for 17 years.  He has been in Springfield Mo for 20 years.  He received his Masters in Education from Southwest Missouri State University in 1994.  He is married to Phyllis Aupperle and they have three daughters, Jamie, Robyn, and Erinn.
 
 
Kindergarten:
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
Mrs. Martha Swearingen is the Kindergarten teacher at SLS.  The best part of her job is working with terrific teachers, getting to know school families, and working (playing) with young children.
 
Mrs. Swearingen grew up in Edwardsville, IL, and ever since she was little, she knew she wanted to be a Lutheran school teacher.  She currently lives in Battlefield with husband Dave and daughter Holly.
 
Pre-K:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mrs. Joy Shaw grew up in Charleston, Illinois where she attended public grade school and high school.  She then went on to earn her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Special Education and a minor in music at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska in 1993.
 
Mrs. Shaw has a wide range of teaching experiences in both Lutheran and public schools.  In 2005, Mrs. Shaw joined the SLS staff as teacher assistant in Kindergarten, and a year later began teaching 2nd grade at SLS. Currently, she is serving as the Pre-Kindergarten teacher.  This will be her 15th year of teaching. 
 
Mrs. Shaw holds a Career CPC Missouri Teacher's Certificate in the following three areas: Mild/Mod Cross Categorical, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. 
 
Joy came to Springfield in 2004 when her husband received a call to pastor Faith Lutheran Church here in Springfield.  Pastor and Mrs. Shaw have 3 daughters who attend Springfield Lutheran School.

 
Preschool:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mr. Drew D. Gerdes was born and raised in southwestern Minnesota and has attended Lutheran schools his entire life.  He earned degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, along with an minors in Kindergarten Education and Confessional Lutheranism from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.  He also holds a Master of Science in Elementary Education degree from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.
 
Mr. Gerdes was named as the 2006 Distinguished Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher by the Lutheran Education Association.  Congratulations, Mr. Gerdes!
 
Mr. Gerdes serves on the Missouri District Early Childhood Conference Planning Committee, and he is on the Leadership Team for the Early Childhood Network of the National Lutheran Education Association.  He serves as an Early Childhood Consultant for the Missouri District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.  He also presents a variety of topics relating to literacy in early childhood education.
 
 
 
Pre - Nixa:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Miss Adams is very excited to be able to share her class and her love for children over the worldwide web.  She comes from a family of teachers.  Both of her parents are teachers and have been their whole lives.  She has numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins who are also teachers. 
Miss Adams attended and graduated college at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin.  She has had the pleasure of many unique experiences in her teaching career thus far.  Miss Adams student taught in Hungary.  She lived there for three months and taught English in grades 1-8.  Then after graduation she moved to Hawaii and taught 1st grade for two and a half years.  She then received the Call to Springfield to serve as the Pre-Kindergarten teacher.  After 5 years serving at the Springfield location she was honored with the oppurtunity to help start the Preschool program atRedeemer- Nixa.