VALLEY LUTHERAN SCHOOL - Key Persons
Miss Kratz attended Concordia University of Wisconsin. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education in 2013, with a minor in Mathematics. She really enjoys watching the kids' faces light up when they have "Ah Ha!" moments and her favorite lesson to teach is the habitat unit in Science. Knowing the faculty and staff work together for the good of the kids brings her joy as well as the family feel at Valley.
Miss Kratz attends Immanuel Lutheran Church and says the best part about following Jesus is that He "is always there. No matter what the situation, I can feel confident in the fact that He is in control and has a plan for all situations. He is an ever present, always loving, continually forgiving God." Amanda VERY much enjoys crafting and reading in her spare time.
Mrs. L'Heureux serves as Valley's 1st grade teacher and is originally from the northern suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Concordia University, Chicago in 1999 with a major in Elementary Education and two minors in Psychology and Counseling. She has taught a range of grades from Kindergarten through 3rd grade in Ohio, Michigan, Nebraska, and Iowa. Mrs. L'Heureux says that it is hard to choose a specific favorite lesson but that her favorite subjects to teach are Bible, reading, and science.
She and her husband, Brian - Valley's K-8th grade principal, have one child, Ava, who are currently in high school at Valley. Their son, Ethan, is a 2023 graduate of Valley and is currently a freshman at Concordia - Nebraska. Their oldest, Kelsey, graduated from Valley in 2017 and lives in Cedar Falls. Mrs. L'Heureux enjoys spending time with family, watching sports, reading, and being outdoors. Their family attends Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls.
Mrs. L'Heureux states that the best thing about being a part of Valley is, "Sharing the love of our Savior with students, co-workers and families every day!"
Mr. Dubke is in his first year of teaching and Valley is blessed that he answered the Call to teach with us! He graduated in the spring of 2023 from Concordia University Wisconsin, with three BAs: Secondary Education, Mathematics, and Theology. His favorite lessons in math to teach are linear equations and probability. He states, "Studying math is a way to get a glimpse of the design in God's creation, and at Valley I get to share my passion for math with my students while connecting our learning to the eternal truth of God's Word."
Mr. Dubke's wife, Mary, serves as Valley's Music Teacher. They are attending College Hill Lutheran Church. He enjoys camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities. His favorite books to read are fantasy stories and he's also a big fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mr. L'Heureux is originally from Nebraska. He received his Bachelor's degree in 1997 and Master's degree in 2007, both from Concordia University of Nebraska at Seward. He has taught, coached, and has been an administrator in public and Lutheran schools in four different states. He joined the Valley Team in 2012 as Kindergarten - 8th grade Principal.
Mr. L'Heureux's wife, Amanda, serves as Valley's 1st Grade teacher. They have have three children: Kelsey, a 2017 Valley graduate, Ethan, a 2023 Valley graduate, and Ava, a high schooler at Valley. Their family attends Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls.
"The best part about following Jesus is that He already knows the future so I don't have to worry about it, as much. I know that death is not the end as there is a heaven and I am going to be there. That is what I should live toward. The reason I am in ministry is to tell others about Jesus."
Mr. Holtzman graduated in 1997 from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Studies. He began his teaching career at Immanuel Lutheran School and joined the Valley Team when the two schools merged in 2012. His favorite lessons to teach are social studies and Iowa History. He really enjoys taking his students to the Iowa Capitol and Science Center at the end of their Iowa History unit.
Mr. Holtzman and his wife, Marnie, have three grown children. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing and watching sports (GO HAWKEYES, CUBBIES, & COWBOYS), and working on home projects.
He states, "The best part about following Jesus is knowing that He is always here with me along the way. Whether I stumble or fall, He will be there to pick me up. I can go to Him in my good times and bad, or if I just want to talk to Him. At school, I have the opportunity to share Jesus with my students and tell them what He has done for us all."
Mrs. Neifer received her BA at Central College located in Pella, IA in 1995 with a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. She also holds a Master's from NW Missouri State University in K-8 Administration. She has served for 8 years in public school and the last 19 years she has taught at a private Christian school. Jen's favorite lessons are teaching verb conjugations in a way that helps students remember - whether it's puzzling out the first regular present tense verbs or having "snowball fights" with commands.
Mrs. Neifer and her husband, Michael, have been married for 27 years. They have two children. Megan is in her second year at Hawkeye Community College, and Jason is a Valley sophomore. Their family attends First Baptist Church in Waverly. Jen says that, "The best part of following Jesus is the hope and comfort we have in Him. I serve Him and bring honor and glory to Him. In turn, He promises to never leave His children and has prepared a place in heaven for us."
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family playing board games, cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, and reading. She loves crafts and creating.
Mrs. Wynstra served as Valley's art teacher from 2010-2015 before moving away from the Cedar Valley. During the years she was away, she taught at Unity Christian High School and Dordt University. Her and her husband returned to the Cedar Valley in 2021 and she is blessed to be back at Valley amongst a set of teachers "that care about the kids".
Mrs. Wynstra received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin in Art Education and ESL. Her masters was received from the University of the Cumberlands. She wants kids to know that God is the first and best artist and that we are His artwork. She has three sons who graduated from Valley and she loves traveling with her family.
Mrs. Stubberud joined the Valley Team in 2016 and serves as our custodian as well as our middle school JV volleyball coach and our middle school cheer and dance coach. Mrs. Stubberud's favorite part of her job is ensuring a clean environment for our students to learn and the rest of our staff to work comfortably.
Prior to joining the Valley Team, Jill earned her AAS at Hawkeye Community College. She has also worked as an optometric assistant for an eye doctor and as a gas station manager. Jill is married to Jamie, and they have two girls who are both Valley students: Hailey is a junior and Kloey in 6th. They are members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls.
When asked about her relationship with Jesus, Jill states, "I want everyone to know Jesus and what He has done. I love to be able to show that Jesus is with us all the time, in all things that we do, even if your just the custodian."
Job Titles:
- Librarian
- Member of the Valley
Mrs. Thiel has been a member of the Valley team as a faithful volunteer since 2012 when she began our elementary library after the closing of Immanuel Lutheran School. Mrs. Thiel attended Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) where she received a BA in Home Economics and Social Studies for grades sixth through twelfth. She had always dreamed of being a librarian so took the step to get her Library Sciences endorsement during the years she was a stay at home mom. 2023-2024 is her 66th year of teaching!
Mrs. Thiel is a widow but is a proud mom of three children. She has one grandson, two step grandchildren and six step great-grandchildren. Joy states, "I always knew my 'next life after retirement' would be as an avid volunteer. I have also had so many wonderful experiences that I would never have had sitting home watching TV!"
Mrs. Thiel has a jigsaw puzzle out every day of the year. She also enjoys reading, sewing, crocheting, working in/with her garden, flowers, and lawn. She caters to two rescue cats that "run her household". Valley is very grateful to Mrs. Thiel for the hours each week she gives so freely to the Valley students!
Ms. Behr graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in the spring of 2022 with a BA in teaching History at the secondary level. She appreciates being part of the team at Valley with it's small student teacher ratio. She loves seeing her students and their "light bulb" moments and always looks forward to the unit in US History on World War II.
Ms. Behr is originally from Clinton, Iowa and is attending Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls. She enjoys hanging out with friends especially when the weather is nice. She says the best part about following Jesus is "knowing someone is always watching over me."
Mrs. Lee has studied at Moody Bible Institute, Trinity College, and at UNI where she received a BA in English Communications and a Masters in English Studies. She is joined the team at Valley after acquiring her teaching certificate in 2021. Her favorite lesson to teach is direct and indirect characterization!
Mrs. Lee and her husband, Jim, a pastor in Waverly, have two grown children who live in the area. The couple lives on an acreage in Denver, Iowa, where they raise chickens and ducks for meat and eggs, and where they keep two pet horses, an English Shepherd dog, and several farm cats.
Mrs. Lee says the best part about following Jesus is "communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... it gives me joy to think that Jesus wants to fellowship with me."
Job Titles:
- HS Lead Teacher, Teacher of Theology & Coach of HS Track and Cross Country
Mr. Tanney joined the Valley Team in the fall of 2009. He serves Valley in a variety of ways including as HS Lead Teacher with many principal-type duties, as Theology teacher, and as coach for the HS Cross Country and HS Track and Field teams. He graduated from Concordia, Nebraska in 2008. Since then he has also taught and coached at St. Paul Lutheran High School in Concordia, Missouri. Mr. Tanney's favorite class to teach is Old Testament because he loves all of the connections to Jesus that are found. He also has a passion for coaching.
Mr. Tanney and his wife, Leah, were married in June of 2012. They have a super busy house with three children: Hazel (a 2nd grader at Valley), Titus (a 1st grader at Valley), and Olive (currently in her last year of preschool). Mr. Tanney enjoys reading, running, and playing with his children. Their family attends Faith Lutheran Church in Waterloo.
Mr. Tanney says, "The best part about following Jesus is knowing that no matter what happens, He is in control and He has a plan."
Mrs. Stone serves as Valley's High School Science and Computer Science teacher. She graduated from Luther College in Decorah, IA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. After college, Mrs. Stone worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Chicago and Champaign, IL area, in Iowa City, and in Kansas City, MO. She joined the Valley team in 2009 and in 2016, Mrs. Stone completed her Master's in Science Education from UNI. She states, "I love to teach about the nervous system and the brain in Anatomy and Physiology class."
Mrs. Stone and her husband, Doug, have two sons. John graduated from Valley in 2013 and David graduated in 2016. Mrs. Stone is an outdoor enthusiast and really enjoys walking, running, biking, and cross country skiing. She and her husband attend Ascension Lutheran Church in Waterloo.
Mrs. Stone states, "Following Jesus is what gives my life joy and wonderful sense of adventure. Knowing that Jesus loves me and is taking care of me, in the good times and the bad, is what gives me peace."
Job Titles:
- Crusader Care Coordinator
Miss Neifer joined the Valley team in January of 2024. She is currently working towards an associates degree in early childhood development from Hawkeye Community College. She previously worked for Hawkeye Community College Childcare Center, Community United Child Care, and NRG Media.
Her favorite part of her job is watching children learn new things and helping them to grow in their relationship with Christ. Miss Neifer states, "The best part of following Christ is knowing that He's there right beside me through every hardship that I've ever faced and I know I can always turn to Him when I need His help." When she's not busy planning her wedding, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Mrs. Beam joined the team at Valley in the fall of 2022 after teaching for five years in a local school district. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a teaching degree and an All-Social-Studies endorsement. She has also completed her English/Language Arts endorsement through Upper Iowa in Waterloo.
Mrs. Beam is married to her husband, Tyler, and they are expecting their first child in November. Mrs. Beam enjoys crafting in her spare time. Elevation Church in Cedar Falls is their home church, where her father-in-law is the pastor. She says the best thing about following Jesus is that it "allows me to see the best in the world, understand His grace, and know how to reach out to Him when things look bleak."
Mrs. Schriever graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2001 with a secondary social studies teaching degree. God had other plans than her using her degree as she was called into ministry early in her college career. Mrs. Schriever has served as a ministry assistant at two different churches. In 2017, she transitioned to become the School Administrative Manager of Lifegate Christian School in Omaha, NE. She joined the Valley Team in 2020.
Mrs. Schriever and her husband, Dan, have been married for 22 years. Their son, Marcus, graduated from Valley in 2023 and is currently a freshman at UNI perusing a degree in Physics. The couple's daughter, Kaitlynn, is a sophomore at Valley. During her spare time, Mrs. Schriever enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading as well as vacationing in the mountains and chasing waterfalls. Her family attends church virtually in Maryland.
Mrs. Schriever is passionate about helping parents discover the eternal benefits of a Christian education for their children!
Job Titles:
- Executive Director & HS Principal
- Valley 's Executive Director
Mr. Pahlkotter is a graduate of Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan where he graduated with his Bachelor's in Elementary Education. He then received his Master's in Educational Leadership (Administration) from Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, with his certificate in Special Ministries Pastor (SMP) in June of 2023. He was ordained in December of 2021 and is currently pursuing Greek and General Pastor Certification/Masters of Practical Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.
He has a wealth of experience in the areas of Lutheran Christian education, school and congregational administration, and has served children, youth, and adults in a wide range of ministries. He has served as a teacher and administrator in both Lutheran ministries (church and school) and public schools. His last call was as Principal and then Executive Pastor at Peace Lutheran Ministries, Saginaw, Michigan.
As a As a Christian educational administrator, he enjoys leading and supporting students, parents, families, and staff as all work together in partnership for the sake of building up God's Kingdom through the means of quality, Christ-centered education. When asked what the best part of following Jesus is, he answered, "I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who will listen. I love that God has Called me to share His love, forgiveness and promise of life everlasting with students, families, friends, and staff so that they too can know the saving grace of Christ. I love sharing the hope I have in Christ with others."
Mr. Pahlkotter's wife, Debbie, is serving as Valley's 4th grade teacher for the 2023-2024 school year. Together they have three adult children: Henry Garet (Chicago); Olivia (Cedar Falls); and Gavin lives with them. They are all graduates of Lutheran Christian schools. He enjoys spending time with family, gardening, learning, creating art, traveling, and spending time with friends. He is especially enjoying going to seminary and learning more about his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Mrs. Pahlkotter has served in both private and public schools for the past 26 years in both Minnesota and Michigan. She is a graduate of Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI with an Elementary Education Major, English and Music Minors as well as a Lutheran Teacher Diploma. She received her Master's in the Art of Teaching from Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI.
Mrs. Pahlkotter loves to teach all subject areas. "Hands-on activities and when kids are really engaged brings me joy. Those ah-ha moments are exciting. Connecting Jesus to everyday lessons is rewarding."
Mrs. Pahlkotter and her husband, Henry - Valley's Executive Director, moved to Cedar Falls in the summer of 2023. They have three children: Garet who is 26 and lives in Chicago; Olivia- 23 and Gavin- 22 live in Cedar Falls. She loves spending time with her family, baking, making cards, traveling, drinking coffee, enjoying sandy beaches and sunsets.
When asked what the best part of following Jesus is, Mrs. Pahlkotter said, "Jesus helps me feel Joy when I feel joyless. He comforts me when I feel alone. Brings me peace in the middle of chaos and sustains me when I feel empty. Knowing He is walking beside me every second of every day gives me a hope and a future."
Mrs. Clement came to the school as a volunteer in 2006 when her daughter, Lindsey, started attending here as a freshman. She started in the kitchen cooking meals and cleaning up afterwards. Her son, Jacob, came in 2007 as a freshman while she was still volunteering in the kitchen and cleaning bathrooms, with one day a week in the office. Mrs. Clement was a volunteer up until 2010 when she was asked to work in the school office.
She's proud to say that both her children are Valley Lutheran graduates, and they have a true love for their school. They both have told her that they are thankful that their parents made the decision for them to attend Valley. She has been married to her husband Dana since 1988. They welcomed a granddaughter, Charlee Rae, in August of 2022. They both have been members of Ascension Lutheran Church in Waterloo since 1988. She enjoys spending time with her immediate and extended family.
When asked what the best part of following Jesus is, Mrs. Clement replied, "Not having to fear for my future or my families future. I know where we are going and that is because of Him!"
Mrs. Thompson is joining the staff at Valley for the fall of the 2023-2024 school year after teaching in the Peoria District 150 and Dubuque Community School District for six years followed by homeschooling her three children for eleven years. She holds an Elementary Education and Social Studies degrees from Iowa State University.
Mrs. Thompson states that the best part of following Jesus is that, "It is a daily reminder that I was created with a plan and a purpose by a Father who loves me!" Her favorite things to do outside of school is go on vacation with her husband, Todd, and their three children, Gavin, Alana, and Liam.