God continues to be to good to Pella Christian and we have exciting news to share with you!
New Hires for 2026/2027 School Year
We thank God for His faithfulness through the hiring of the following individuals for the 25/26 school year. Here are teachers and staff members that we are celebrating! Welcome to Pella Christian Schools:
- Mrs. Lauren Foughty, Kindergarten
- Mrs. Amber Jaspering, Kindergarten
- Ms. Isabelle Olson, 2nd Grade
- Mr. Steven Overbergen, EE-4 Principal
- Mrs. Renae Sloan, 5-8 Principal
- Ms. Claire Bleeker, VoAg Teacher & FFA Advisor
- Ms. Marissa Vos, High School Science Teacher
- Ms. Ella Bandstra, Grade School Administrative Assistant/Health Lead
- Ms. Ana Demestri, High School World Languages Teacher
- Ms. Kaylee Prins, Middle School Support Services Teacher
- Mr. Aaron Stoltz, Grade School English Specific Skills Teacher
Please read a short bio of each new staff member below and join us in praising the Lord for bringing these individuals to Pella Christian! It is a joy to welcome them to the PC community and we look forward to living God’s story with them in 2026-2027.
We ask for your continued prayers throughout the ongoing hiring season. For a list of open positions, visit our website at: https://www.pceagles.org/about/employment/
Dr. Dan Zylstra
Pella Christian Head of Schools
Mrs. Lauren Foughty
Kindergarten
We are pleased to announce Mrs. Lauren Foughty as a Pella Christian Schools Kindergarten teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. Lauren obtained her teaching degree at Iowa State University. She comes to PC with four years of teaching experience in Algona and Oskaloosa. Currently Mrs. Foughty has been a long term sub in kindergarten since January.
Mrs. Foughty shared this about how she would apply Pella Christian Schools’ mission is to empower God’s children to join in His restorative work. “This mission deeply resonates with me, and I envision applying it in every aspect of my role as a teacher, specifically in how I instruct, disciple, and interact with both students and coworkers. I want to help students see themselves as beloved children of God who have a Kingdom purpose, even at a young age. I will strive to create a Christ-centered classroom where students not only thrive academically, but also learn to love others, show grace and forgiveness, and understand that they are called to bring glory to God in all they do. By teaching through a biblical lens, I will help students recognize how God is actively working throughout the world and their role in participating in His restorative work.”
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Foughty to the Pella Christian community, her email address is foughtyl@pceagles.org.
Mrs. Amber Jaspering
Kindergarten
We are pleased to announce Mrs. Amber Jaspering as a Pella Christian Schools Kindergarten teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. Amber obtained her teaching degree at Central College and completed her student teaching under Mrs. Rosie Terborg. She started her teaching career at Pella Christian. Mrs. Jaspering stepped away from teaching while she raised her young family. Her husband, Mr. J, is the 5-8 physical education teacher and assistant athletic director. Amber shared this about how she would apply Pella Christian Schools’ mission is to empower God’s children to join in His restorative work. “First of all, I would work to build relationships with students and parents to let them know they are valued and loved. Then, I would work with and empower my students to find their God given gifts so I could further help them discover ways to use those gifts to do His work in their everyday lives and live out what God has in store for them.”
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Jaspering to the Pella Christian community, her email address is jasperinga@pceagles.org.
Ms. Isabella Olson
Second Grade
We are pleased to announce Ms. Isabelle Olson as a Pella Christian Schools’ second-grade teacher starting with the 2026-2027 school year. Ms. Olson will be graduating in May from Northwestern College in Orange City. Her degree is in Elementary Education with endorsements in Reading and Special Education. She grew up in the Marcus, Iowa area. This summer, she is looking forward to getting married and moving to Pella.
Isabelle shared this about how she envisions applying the schools’ mission statement into her teaching. “I envision applying Pella Christian Schools’ mission of empowering God’s children to join in His restorative work by helping students see that their learning has a greater purpose. In the classroom, I would strive to connect academic content to a Christian worldview so students can understand how their knowledge and gifts can be used to serve God and others. I desire to create a classroom culture rooted in respect, encouragement, and service, where students care for one another and recognize the value of each person as someone created in God’s image. I would also challenge students to think about how they can use their abilities and passions to make a positive impact. By building strong relationships and modeling Christ-like character, I hope to guide students not only toward academic success, but also toward a deeper understanding of their role in God’s restorative work in the world.”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Olson to the Pella Christian community, her email address is olsoni@pceagles.org.
Mr. Steven Overbergen
EE-4th Grade Principal
We are pleased to announce Mr. Steven Overbergen as Pella Christian Schools’ Early Education-4th grade Principal starting with the 2026-2027 school year. Mr. Overbergen grew up in the Pella area and is a graduate of Central College with a degree in Elementary Education. He also has a masters degree in School Leadership from Dordt University. Mr. Overbergen is currently serving as K-5 Instructional Coach at Mitchellville Elementary, a part of the Southeast Polk school district.
Steven shared this about his leadership style and how he seeks to lead in a way that honors Christ. “Leading others isn’t about having a “greater power”, but understanding that it’s a greater responsibility. I have had nearly every experience that you could have in a school starting as an associate, subbing in all topic areas, six years in the general education classroom, and now four years as an instructional coach. Through all of those positions, servant leadership has always been my way of building and maintaining relationships with students, staff, families, and administrators. Coming from a farming family, we were taught the value of hard work with a humble approach. Whatever the task, big or small, I view it as an opportunity to serve to the best of my ability. In our building, I believe service to be transformative and transferable. If this will be a reality, students are required to have available opportunities. In my time, I have offered service based jobs within our leadership jobs at school. For the last eight years, I have created and partnered with students at Mitchellville Elementary to run a Rams Cafe where students run a small coffee shop with a limited and focused menu. Students are taught to value face-to-face interactions, learn how to build confidence in public speaking, take pride in their role as a team, and serve our school community to create a culture of service. All of our cafes are based on freewill donations. Quite simply he wants students to love coming to school, for teachers to love teaching, and for parents to feel like they made the best choice of where to send their children.”
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Overbergen to the Pella Christian community, his email address is overbergens@pceagles.org.
Mrs. Renae Sloan
5th-8th Grade Principal
We are pleased to announce Mrs. Renae Sloan as Pella Christian Schools’ 5th-8th grade Principal starting with the 2026-2027 school year. Mrs. Sloan is an alumna of Pella Christian. She received her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Trinity Christian College and holds a master’s degree in Music Education from Central Washington University. Mrs. Sloan has taught in Christian schools throughout Washington State since 2010. She was the assistant high school principal at Lynden Christian School until 2024. This last year she had the opportunity to be a stay at home mom to her young son. The Sloan family is thrilled to once again be a part of the Pella Christian community.
Renae shared this about her leadership style and how she seeks to lead in a way that honors Christ. “My leadership style is grounded in servant leadership, seeking to lead with humility, integrity, and a commitment to serving others well. This is the model Christ gives us. He stepped down from His throne, became fully human, took on our sin, and sacrificed Himself so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life. Practically, this means leading alongside teachers and staff rather than from behind a desk. I desire to be “in the trenches,” present in hallways and classrooms, listening to teachers as they interact with students and building relationships across the school community. I believe proximity allows me to understand personalities, teaching and learning styles, and classroom dynamics so I can encourage growth, remove barriers, and support both educators and students as they thrive.”
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Sloan to the Pella Christian community, her email address is sloanr@pceagles.org.
Ms. Claire Bleeker
VoAg Teacher & FFA Advisor
We are excited to announce that Ms. Claire Bleeker will be joining Pella Christian Schools as the VoAg teacher and FFA Advisor for the 2026–2027 school year. Claire will graduate from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education and a minor in Animal Science. She grew up in Hull, Iowa and is excited to become part of the Pella community.
Claire shared this about how she hopes to live out Pella Christian’s mission of empowering God’s children to join in His restorative work through her teaching: “My hope is to support each student in their walk with God while equipping them with the skills they need to be successful in the classroom and beyond. I believe learning should be hands-on, meaningful, and connected to real-world experiences so students can see the purpose behind what they are learning and recognize God’s presence in it. I want to foster a classroom culture of respect, encouragement, and service, helping students grow academically, personally, and spiritually.”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bleeker to the Pella Christian community, her email address is bleekerc@pceagles.org.
Ms. Marissa Vos
High School Science Teacher
We are pleased to announce Ms. Marissa Vos as Pella Christian School’s high school science teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. Marissa is a graduate of Dordt University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and minor in Middle School Math and English and recently added her Science endorsement. Ms. Vos grew up in the Reasnor area and is currently teaching at an international Christian School in Nairobi, Kenya.
Marissa shared this about applying Pella Christian’s mission to empower God’s children to join in His restorative work in her teaching. “The hand of God is visibly on display in the world around us. I am constantly amazed at the intricacy of His design from large scale to small scale. The more I learn about science in the world around me, the more I am amazed at His handiwork. I am passionate about teaching science in a way that points students to taste and see for themselves the design prevalent throughout creation. Additionally my mission as an educator is to serve, teach, and lead in a manner that glorifies God with my words and actions.”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Vos to the Pella Christian community, her email address is vosm@pceagles.org.
Ms. Ella Bandstra
Grade School Administrative Assistant/Health Lead
We are pleased to announce Ms. Ella Bandstra as Pella Christian School’s Administrative Assistant and Health Lead at the grade school building for the 2026-2027 school year. Ella will be transitioning from Kindergarten Paraeducator to this new role. She graduated from Dordt University with an Associates of Art degree in General Business. Ella brings a wealth of knowledge about Pella Christian to this position. Melissa Zula and Lindsay De Vries will be continuing with Ella for the first semester of the year to assist with transition.
Ella shared this about applying for this position. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the Pella Christian students, staff, and families! During my time in the Kindergarten classroom at PCGS, I have developed a deep appreciation for the school community and opportunities to support students and teachers in a meaningful way. I am excited to take on a role that combines my two of my passions: Being a part of a Christ-centered school environment while also engaging in structured, organizational work that I enjoy. I feel blessed to use my gifts and contribute to Pella Christian in many different ways!”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bandstra to the Pella Christian community, her email address is bandstrae@pceagles.org.
Ms. Ana Demestri
High School World Languages Teacher
We are pleased to announce Ms. Ana Demestri as Pella Christian School’s high school World Languages teacher for the start of the 2026-2027 school year. We are thankful for Ana’s willingness to temporarily return to Pella Christian as a high school Spanish teacher. Her return allows us to continue providing strong instruction for our students while we actively pursue a full-time teacher who can serve in this role for the long term.
Ana shared this about her return to the Pella Christian community, “I desire to model a Christ-centered character showing compassion, integrity, patience, and respect in my daily interactions with students, families, and colleagues.”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Demestri back to the Pella Christian community, her email address is demestria@pceagles.org.
Ms. Kaylee Prins
Middle School Support Services Teacher
We are pleased to announce Ms. Kaylee Prins as Pella Christian School’s middle school Support Services teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. Kaylee is a graduate of Dordt University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.
Kaylee shared this about applying Pella Christian’s mission to empower God’s children to join in His restorative work in her teaching. “All students are made in the image of God, and it is my desire to help them discover the unique gifts and talents He has placed within them. I will encourage students to grow in their abilities and recognize the value they bring to the classroom community. Through meaningful learning opportunities and Christ-centered relationships, I will empower students to use their strengths to serve those around them and bring honor and glory to the Father. I hope to cultivate a classroom community where students experience God’s goodness and build an understanding of how their gifts, actions, and learning participate in His restorative work and redemptive story.”
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Prins to the Pella Christian community, her email address is prinsk@pceagles.org.
Mr. Aaron Stoltz
Grade School English Specific Skills Teacher
We are pleased to announce Mr. Aaron Stoltz as Pella Christian School’s English Specific Skills (ESS) teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. Aaron brings 19 years of teaching experience to this position. Aaron and wife Tracy have four sons. Currently Myles is enrolled at the grade school and Griffin is at the high school. Aaron is combining this part time position while continuing to work with Pella Real Estate Services.
Aaron shared this about applying Pella Christian’s mission “to empower God’s children to join in His restorative work” into his teaching. “I envision using this mission statement to help students continue to discover who it is that God made them to be. I want students to know that they were created uniquely in the image of God. He knows them. He loves them. I will help students identify their talents and skills, and I will work with students to apply their God-given gifts to glorify His kingdom.”
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Stoltz to the Pella Christian community, his email address is stoltza@pceagles.org.
