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K-6 Faculty

Mrs. Anita Merkle	Kindergarten Teacher	BS, Elementary Ed, ISU, 1968. I began teaching at The Ambrose School in 1999. I have taught for 22 years. I began teaching at a classical Christian school after being impressed by some young adults I met who had been educated at a classical Christian school. As I learned more about it, I wanted to be a part of it. My philosophy of education in kindergarten is to provide an orderly and welcoming classroom where students are excited to learn new things. I am the mother of two children, Amy and Ben. Both my children are married and live in Moscow, Idaho. I have eight grandchildren who are all unbelievably smart and good looking.
Mrs. Barb Daniel	Kindergarten Teacher	I began at The Ambrose School as a substitute teacher and secretary in 1997. In 2001 I started teaching full-time. I previously taught at Maranatha Christian School. I choose to teach at a classical school because I believe that classical education is about equipping children for the future with what has been successful in the past. I enjoy being able to incorporate a Biblical worldview and use the classical method in all my teaching. I believe that it is my job to help students discover the joy of learning, and discover their God-given potential through the lens of a Biblical worldview. My husband Mike and I have two boys, James, age 25, and Ryan, age 21, who attended The Ambrose School. Ryan moved back to Boise to attend college after teaching English in China for two years. James is in the US Army on his third tour to the Middle East. We moved to Boise from Washington State 14 years ago and have grown to love the area.
Mrs. Lisa Irving	1st Grade Teacher	B.S., Psychology, minor in Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University. I began substituting for The Ambrose School full-time in February 2005. I taught all-day kindergarten in 2005-2006 and then first grade the following year. I home schooled my children prior to teaching here. I choose to teach here because I am passionate about the school’s vision. The environment of the school is nurturing yet challenging, and I can see the devotion of the teachers and administration. I was blessed to have an opportunity to substitute and I fell in love with teaching in the process. I believe that the classroom environment should be predictable, calm and nurturing at this age. I aim to model kindness and compassion to my students, and train them to respect each other and work together as members of the body of Christ. It is my hope that through Christ, I can help lay a foundation where students see God at work around them and are excited to learn and grow in their knowledge of Him throughout their lives. I have been married to Dave since 1983. We have three children – Matt is a senior at Malone University, Alison is a freshman at Idaho State University, and Keanna is in sixth grade at The Ambrose School.
Mrs. Debbie Shattuck	1st Grade Teacher	BS in Criminal Justice, minor in Psychology from Marshall University in 1986; JD from WVU College of Law in 1989. I began at The Ambrose School in 2007 as a Teacher's Aide in the All-day Kindergarten and First Grade and as a substitute teacher. I chose to change career paths into teaching because I saw the benefit of and believed in the mission of The Ambrose School. I am blessed to be able to work in such a supportive atmosphere where the teachers and administration are all working to provide the best Christian education to each student. I strive to provide a safe, loving learning environment where each child will not only enjoy learning but will grow in their love for the Lord. I have been married to my husband Dewy for 18 years. Our son has attended The Ambrose School since kindergarten and is now in fourth grade. We have lived in Boise for 14 years and love the outdoor activities such as trail running and camping.
Mrs. Terryl Liimakka	2nd Grade Teacher	B.S., Education, University of Idaho, 1988. GO VANDALS! I began teaching at Foundations in 2003. I taught at Logos School for one year, Seltice Elementary in the Post Falls School District for 4 years, and homeschooled for 5 years. I choose to teach at a classical Christian school for our four children's sake, as well as for the enjoyment of being able to actually TEACH and speak freely of the Lord. My philosophy of teaching -- Love the Lord, love His Word, love the children you teach, love the people you work with, love the content you teach--if not, make it interesting!--love learning! My husband and I have four children at The Ambrose School. We enjoy the school family community here. Boise is a great place to raise a family. It is a clean and family-friendly town with lots of opportunities and many churches doing the work of the Lord.
Mrs. Chris Householder	2nd Grade Teacher	I attended College of Southern Idaho & Idaho State University. I began teaching at The Ambrose School in 2006. I subbed in the public school system for 1 year and then at The Ambrose School for 3 years before going full-time. I choose to teach at a classical Christian school to help equip the children with a firm foundation in their belief in the Lord as well as to help them discover a love for learning. My philosophy of teaching is based on Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. I have been married for 21 years to my wonderful husband Kelly. Our 2 boys, Braxton (9th) and Brighton (7th), have attended The Ambrose since kindergarten. As a family we enjoy Boise’s many outdoor activities, such as camping, biking, hiking, and motorcycling, and spending time with family and friends.
Mrs. Bessie Davis	3rd Grade Teacher	B.S., Education, Idaho State University. I started working at The Ambrose School in 1996. I love teaching at a classical Christian school because there is an order and purpose to everything we teach. It is a blessing to be able to teach at a school where prayer and the Bible are taught and practiced. My philosophy of teaching is to know your students so you can teach in the best possible way. Know how to have fun while helping your students learn how to be the best that they can be, not only academically, but in all of life. My husband Lloyd and I have been married for 30 years. Our daughter Monique and her husband Shaun have a little boy named Carsen. Our son Lloyd is in the Air National Guard and is presently serving in Kuwait. I like living in Boise because there are activities for all ages.
Mrs. Janet Tefft	3rd Grade Teacher	Degree from Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA; Major in Business Management and Organization; Minor in Bible I began teaching at The Ambrose School in 2010. I began my teaching career as a teacher's aide and substitute teacher in 1985. I homeschooled my two girls for four years. Started full-time teaching in 2003, after my daughters left home. I've taught kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. In total I've been teaching about 25 years. I believe in the Trivium. It truly reflects how a child learns and develops, thus making a classical education far more valuable than current educational philosophies. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Since "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," my chief goal is to make sure that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified in each area of knowledge and learning. True wisdom and education comes only from and through Him. My husband, Ron, and I moved to Idaho from California in '06. We enjoy the political and family climate of this state. Our oldest daughter and her husband moved here about a year before we did. Our youngest daughter and her husband moved here last fall. It's great having our family together, and we are thoroughly enjoying our grandchildren.
Mr. Mike Daniel	4th Grade Teacher	BA, Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, Central Washington University. Additional credits from U of I, BSU, and Antioch University. I have taught for 22 years (including a year in the Dominican Republic), and have been with The Ambrose School for 13 years, enjoying and contributing to the supportive atmosphere at the school.
Mr. Jonathan Greif	4th Grade Teacher	B.A., History, minor in Philosophy, Boise State University; B.S., Biology, Boise State University. I started teaching here in 2006. I taught English as Second Language for two years at Boise State. I really enjoy being able to start each day by singing a hymn with my students. I often think how special it is to be able to work at a school where we can begin our class time by praising God with our voices and then reading His word. I also enjoy studying the Medieval and Reformation periods with my students. There is a strong emphasis on God’s providential work throughout history at The Ambrose School, and our extensive use of literary classics from these time periods helps bring our study of history to life. In order to inspire learning, the teacher must be inspired to learn. Successful teachers have an innate internal curiosity and fascination with God’s creation. This is the primary job of the teacher - to be in a continual state of discovery. The teacher should also provide a structured and ordered environment in which his students feel safe to learn. I am married and have two children. We have lived in Boise since 2000.
Mrs. Jenny Rallens	5th Grade Teacher	BA, Liberal Arts and Cultures, New Saint Andrews. I began teaching at The Ambrose School in 2008. I love teaching at a classical Christian school because everything we teach is grounded in God's Word, and because we are teaching students about the great ideas, beliefs, cultures, and art from Western History that are critical for understanding our world today. I believe that a teacher is called not only to educate his students' minds by filling them with historical dates, math facts, and the ability to analyze Shakespeare, but (more importantly) to educate their hearts, souls, and whole persons as well. As a teacher, I am responsible to train my students to know and love their Lord, their neighbor, the world, and their work. My husband, Ty, is an engineer at HP and also teaches Rhetoric at The Ambrose School, and we don't have any kids yet. I love that in Boise we can snowboard, eat fantastic sushi, and go to a great concert all on the same day.
Mrs. Virginia Wing	5th Grade Teacher	BA in Philosophy from Furman University and a MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I began teaching at The Ambrose School in 2010. This is my first year teaching. I chose to teach at a classical Christian school because I strongly believe in the importance of integrating an understanding of Scripture into all that we learn and teach. My philosophy of teaching is to teach to the whole student, not merely their intellect: to seek to grow each of my students in a knowledge and understanding of God, in righteous character, in an understanding of God's world, and to develop the gifts that God has uniquely given to them. I desire to teach them to think about and to process their worlds in such a way that they are equipped to discern truth from falsehood and live lives characterized by love for God and neighbor, prudence, and wisdom. I am engaged to be married to Sky Johnston of Lancaster, California on June 10, 2011. Also, am am the proud aunt of Lilah Katherine, Henry James, and Olivia Noel.
Mrs. Carla Tracy	6th Grade Teacher	Attended the University of Idaho, and supplemented my education with graduate level history seminars in the summers. I desire to teach to promote enthusiasm and a love of learning in my students. I appreciate the small class sizes, the development of memorization skills, and the high emphasis on literature and history. My husband Darel and I helped found the school, and three of our children have graduated from The Ambrose School. We still have a 9th grade daughter at the school.