Staff
Mrs. Shelly Allen
Mrs Shelly Allen teaches 1st and 2nd grade. She received her Bachelor's degree from BSU in '87 with an emphasis in Reading and in Early Childhood Education. Now in her fourteenth year at Heartland, Mrs. Allen says she enjoys "not only getting to know the students but working with their parents as a team." She and her husband Chris have been married 20 years and have three children, all of whom attended Heartland.
Mr. Dan Bera
We are pleased to welcome back Mr. Dan Bera to Heartland Christian Academy. Dan teaches 3rd and 4th grade. Now in his eleventh year, Mr. Bera's indefatigable enthusiasm for learning radiates to students and staff alike. His rich educational and work experience is an asset to Heartland. In addition to teaching at Heartland, he is a part-time Naturalist at Lake Bemidji State Park, Chief Maintenance Operator at Neilson Spearhead Center for Ecological Research and Education, operated by the Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society, and does special programs in Natural and Cultural History.
Mrs. Kelly Coffin
"All I really need to know about how to live...I learned in Kindergarten." Besides teaching students about dinosaurs, math, and turning simple lines into letters, Kelly Coffin is wonderful at helping students to learn about sharing, respecting each other, valuing their God-given talents, and letting others go first. Mrs. Coffin has been laying this foundation for the past 17 years at our 3-day-a-week Kindergarten class at Heartland. "I love the close family feeling we have at Heartland and the opportunity to share our faith freely." Mrs.
Mrs. Fawn Foss
Mrs.Fawn Foss (formerly Bakken) is a brand new teacher at HCA. She will be teaching music two days per week, and, although she is new at Heartland, she has taught for over eight years at the Headwaters School of Music & the Arts, primarily teaching private piano lessons. In 2006, she graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. She has played and performed in churches, schools, and theaters, and is an active accompanist for choirs, vocalists, and instrumentalists.
Mrs. Jane Gislason
Jane Gislason is our PE teacher. She has two daughters enrolled at the school.
Mrs. Leah Hicks
Leah was once a student at Heartland Christian Academy and is delighted to be back teaching 5th and 6th grade. She graduated from North Central University in 2010 with a degree in Elementary Education and a Language Arts concentration. She had the benefit of a 6th grade student teaching experience in the Minneapolis school district and loved working with that age group. After graduation, she spent several months teaching Kindergarten at an orphanage in Peru with her husband Harrison.
Mrs. Carolyn Johannsen
Mrs. Carolyn Johannsen, affectionately known as Mrs. J, likes to teach and play with her students in and out of the classroom- basketball, broomball, kickball, and 4-square. In her twelve years at HCA, she has taught 3rd/4th grade and is now in her tenth year of teaching the combined 7th/8th grade. She received her Bachelors of Science in Education from BSU ('93) with an emphasis in History. She and Norm, married for 32 years, have four children (12-26 years old) three of whom have attended Heartland. She likes gardening and watching her own children play sports.
Mrs. Kerry Kostomo
Mrs. Kostomo serves as HCA's librarian, and enjoys spending one day a week in the library. She loves watching excited kids come bounding in the library to read and explore. She looks forward to encouraging students to use the libary to learn more and read more. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Broadfield Science as well as a teaching certificate from Northland College in Ashland, WI.
Mrs. Beverly Labraaten
Mrs. Beverly Labraaten is the newest addition to the Heartland Staff. She serves as the office manger, and will be responsible for ensuring that the administrative tasks proceed smoothly and efficiently. Mrs. Labraaten is a retired teacher, with a BS in Elementary Education from St. Cloud State, and a MS in Elementary Education from Bemidji State University. She has a grand-daughter in the eighth grade at HCA.
Pastor David Myers
Pastor David Myers has recently joined the staff to serve as principal. Previously, he served as health para and as a substitute teacher. Pastor Myers(A.A.S., Northwest Technical College; B.S., University of the State of New York; M.R.S., M.A.B.S., Southern California Bible College & Seminary; , M.Div., Luther Rice Seminary; D.D., Mid West College of Biblical Studies; Currently working on D.Min.