Whitefish Christian Academy

		Mr. Todd Kotila , Headmaster Mr. Todd Kotila is new to Whitefish Christian Academy as of 2009. Mr. Kotila was raised in Polson where he fell in love with his beautiful and brilliant wife Deanna in the sixth grade. They have two lovely daughters. He attended the University of Montana in Missoula and graduated with a BA in Classics (Classical Greek & Classical Latin). From there he traveled to Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and Seattle for graduate studies in Theology. Mr. Kotila has taught Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and numerous New Testament and theology classes. Mr. Kotila enjoys reading, spending time with his girls, working with his hands and trap shooting.
		Mrs. Rhonda Fisher, Office Manager Rhonda was raised in the Flathead Valley and graduated from Columbia Falls High School. She attended MSU in Bozeman and Flathead Valley Community College. Rhonda is married to Doug and they have two children who both attend Whitefish Christian Academy. They live in Whitefish and attend the Whitefish Nazarene Church. She enjoys spending time with her family going camping and traveling and also enjoys scrapbooking, reading, shopping, and leisure time with her friends. This is her fifteenth year working at the school.
		Mrs. Darlene Meehan, Secretary Darlene was born and raised in Whitefish. She attended Whitefish Christian Academy, formally known as Cross Currents. She is married to Scott and they have four boys, Bryce, Dyllon, Caleb and Hayden. Hayden is attending pre-school at WCA and the other three boys attend school in Whitefish. She attends Church at Whitefish Church of the Nazarene. She looks forward to working and being involved with WCA again! .
		Mrs. Laura Purcell, Business Manager My husband, Cliff, and I moved to Whitefish in 2001. I have an Accounting and Business Administration Degree from Mid-America Nazarene University. My three children attend WCA, and I am grateful for the excellent education their children are receiving. The academy has been a blessing to my family, and I feel honored to be a part of this wonderful institution.
		Mrs. Lynda Morrison, Preschool Teacher Lynda is the five day preschool and enrichment teacher. Lynda has been in involved in preschool and children’s ministry for more than 30 years. Her formal childcare training was completed at Diablo Valley College in Concord, CA. Lynda’s passion is to help children and parents make a smooth transition to the school environment while assisting the child to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Lynda’s love for the Lord, her students, and their families is evidenced in her caring and gentle manner in the classroom. As each preschool student begins their academic career, it is Lynda’s goal is to give them and their families a positive first step in education.
		Mrs. Linda Puchta, Kindergarten & Enrichment Linda grew up in St. Louis, MO. She had the privilege of attending Christian schools for her entire education, graduating from Concordia College in Seward, NE in 1979, with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She has taught since 1979. The Puchta family moved to Montana in 1997. Linda has been teaching at Whitefish Christian Academy since 2003. She and her husband Rick have two children. Emily is a 22-year-old college student at MSU Bozeman, and Bryce is a 16-year-old sophomore at Glacier High School. She and her family attend New Covenant Fellowship Church. In her “leisure” time, she enjoys reading, photography, kayaking, watching “old” movies, crafts and just being with her family!
		Mrs. Carrie Broughton, Teacher’s Aide My husband, James, and I moved to Montana this summer from the San Francisco Bay area. We have been married for 11 years and have two kids who attend Whitefish Christian Academy. Gillian is in 3rd grade and James is in Preschool. I am the teacher’s aide for Kindergarten and afternoon preschool. I absolutely love working with kids. I began my career at King’s Valley Christian School in Concord, CA, where I was a teacher’s aide and helped run the after school program. For the past 12 years I have worked for several families as their personal childcare provider. Being able to work and be with my kids at the same school has been an amazing blessing. As much as I enjoy working with kids and all of the wonderful people at WCA, I also have a passion for cooking and an obsession with recipes. I enjoy spending lots of time with my family, curling up with a good book, and creative writing.
		Mrs. Heidi Freeman, Preschool Teacher Mrs. Heidi Freeman is our three day preschool teacher. She was born and raised in Whitefish and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana. She taught Kindergarten for four years at WCA and preschool for two years. She and her husband Mike have 2 boys at home. She is excited to teach young children at WCA and provide them with a positive classroom where they can develop a love of learning!
		Mrs. Pennie Parrish, First Grade Pennie was raised in Las Vegas, NV. She attended UNLV taught in Vegas for fourteen years. She moved to Whitefish in 2001 with her husband, Paul, and son, Nathan. She has taught at Whitefish Christian Academy since the fall of 2003. She enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time at home with her family and three dogs.
		Mrs. Megan Clark, Second Grade Megan Clark is new to Whitefish Christian Academy as of 2009. She was raised in Suquamish, Washington and recently moved to Montana. Megan graduated from Northwest University in 2009, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. While attending Northwest she met and married her husband, Nick Clark. Together they attend Whitefish Assembly of God where Nick serves as the Worship and Creative Arts Director. Megan enjoys reading, photography, spending time with family, and traveling with her husband.
		Mr. Brendan Hosking, Third Grade Hi, my name is Brendan Hosking, I am a native to Queensland, Australia. I have been a part of Whitefish Christian Academy since 2004. I live in Whitefish with my wife, Tarah, who is currently a Chiropractic Assistant at Total Health Chiropractic. I take joy in leading a youth group with my wife at Headwaters Church and also being active in “Feeding the Flathead”, a local feeding program for the hungry. I am so thankful God has placed me at Whitefish Christian Academy to work with such talented people and also to witness so many amazing miracles through teaching.
		Mrs. Heather Stiver, Fourth Grade Hi, my name is Heather Stiver. I am very excited to be the 4th grade teacher! I earned my elementary teaching degree from Western Governors University in 2007 and am currently completing a master’s degree in elementary mathematics. I have been a substitute teacher for the past 2 years in Montana and Minnesota. I have been married to my husband, Jeff, for 18 years and we have 3 children, Emily, Erik and Rachael. We will be staying in Bigfork until our house in Minnesota sells and then we will look for another home. We are attending First Baptist of Bigfork. I am overjoyed to be a part of Whitefish Christian Academy and cannot wait to meet my students and their families!
		Mrs. Pam Penrod, History, Bible, 6th Grade Math, Art Mrs. Pam Penrod has joined Whitefish Christian Academy after working for the past eight years at a local residential boarding school, serving in both teaching and administrative roles. She has a degree from Northwest Nazarene University in Social Work, and a 2nd major in Elementary Education. Although Mrs. Penrod have spent 20 of the past 30 years outside of the Flathead Valley, Whitefish is “home” to her. Mrs. Penrod’s wonderful family consists of her husband, Geno, who is a teacher in Evergreen and two grown children, Brian and Kari. She looks forward to teaching history, Bible and 6th grade math with the middle school students and working with all of the WCA students in art this year.
		Mrs. Heather Giles, Teacher’s Aide Heather was born and raised in Whitefish. She graduated from Whitefish High School and continued her education at MSU and FVCC. Heather is married to Bob and they have three children: Colter, Austin, and Hailey. They live in Whitefish and attend Easthaven Baptist Church. She enjoys reading, scrap booking, hiking, hunting, and spending time with friends. The thing she enjoys the most is spending time with her family. This is her second year being the preschool aide.
		Mrs. Judy Cooper, Fifth-Eighth grade English, Literature, and Technology In 2005, Judy and her husband Chris moved to Whitefish two years ago from Vernon Hills. In 1972, Judy began her teaching career in Dallas, TX. During her tenure as a teacher, she has taught in Texas, Illinois, and now the great state of Montana. The opportunity to write curriculum for numerous school districts, present several workshops for teachers, and teach sessions at the Illinois Reading Conference are all part of her teaching history. She has taught a variety of courses and grade levels. However at Whitefish Christian Academy, she teaches Bible, literature and language arts. Though she has loved each educational experience, teaching at Whitefish Christian Academy has brought her great joy. Being able to share her love for the Lord with young people is the highlight of her career in education.
		Mrs. Claudia Anderson teaches Logic, 8th grade Math, and Pre-Algebra, and Technology Mrs. Anderson has earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Life Science and a California Teaching Credential in Secondary Education. Mrs. Anderson graduated from Azusa Pacific University. Her Montana Teaching Certificate includes endorsements in biology and chemistry. She has earned a Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition and Development Credential from the University of California Santa Barbara Extension. Mrs. Anderson has sixteen years of teaching experience in Colorado, California and Montana. Mrs. Anderson has primarily taught 7th – 12th grade classes including biology, life science, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology. She has taught junior high reading, geography, and math. Additionally, Mrs. Anderson has provided instruction to gifted students in drama, genetics, and forensic science. Mrs. Anderson has served on curriculum and assessment committees during her tenure as a teacher. She has served as a representative for the Colorado Math Science CONNECT program and has directed an after school tutoring program. She was club advisor for Bible Believers Club at Lompoc High School in California.
		Mrs. Jessie Pappenfus, Music and Latin Jessie moved to Whitefish in 2004 and quickly fell in love with this beautiful area. Together with her husband, Jeremy, she enjoys skiing on Big Mountain and pursuing other outdoor activities such as mountain biking and rock climbing. Jessie graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, MA with a Bachelor of Music degree. She believes that music is a powerful way to worship God and seeks to help her students “sing joyfully to the Lord”. Psalm 33:1. This is Jessie’s fourth year at WCA and her 3rd year teaching Latin.
		Mrs. Elizabeth Seymour, School Nurse Liz has been a nurse for 20 years and a Family Nurse Practitioner for 10 years. She and her family moved to the Flathead Valley several years ago so their kids could grow up "wild in the mountains of the Northwest" like their dad. She is married to Tim and they have four children, all who attend Whitefish Christian Academy. They live Whitefish and attend Whitefish Church of the Nazarene.
		Miss. Dani Jenkins, PE Teacher In January of 2001 I moved from a small town in Oregon to Great Falls, Montana. I completed a double major of Elementary Education and Health/Physical Education at the University of Great Falls in the spring of 2003. My teaching career started at Great Falls Public Schools as an elementary health enhancement teacher, where I taught for 4 years. I also coached high school and middle school volleyball. The kids presented many challenges and multiple opportunities to learn, as well as, teach. In May of 2004 I started working towards my Masters in Education. Integrating Art into the Curriculum not only helped me enhance my teaching, but also allowed me to delve farther into a few of my hobbies. When I moved from Great Falls to the Flathead Valley in the summer of 2007 I worked as a Paraeducator at Whitefish Middle School. During my time working in a special education classroom I decided to go back to school for my special education endorsement. I am excited to be back in PE and working at Whitefish Christian Academy.
		Mrs. Tana Voeller, Enhancement Tana Marie Voeller is new to Whitefish Christian Academy in 2009. Tana is a native of Montana who graduated from the University of Montana with an elementary education and physical education degree. Her first teaching job brought her to the Flathead Valley over 10 years ago where she has enjoyed teaching many subjects and grade levels of elementary education. She was drawn to the Flathead Valley because of all the opportunities for outdoor adventure. Here is where she met her husband Jim, and had two children Carson and Josie. As a family they take advantage of everything this valley has to offer for outdoor activities. Tana’s family is blessed to be a part of The Whitefish Nazarene Church. Tana and her children are also fortunate and excited to join Whitefish Christian Academy.