JESSE ZUIDHOF
EC Vice Principal/Teacher – Grade 5/6
Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself and my family to the Vernon Christian Community. We are excited to get to know all of you and join in your passion for transformational Christian education! We (Shannon) have been married for 12 years and have been blessed with 4 children (Eli – 8, Brynn – 6, Skylar – 4, Danae – 2). We love activity, the outdoors and are very grateful that God has led us to Vernon to continue these adventures.
Christian education is an incredible calling! I was educated in Christian Schools from K-12 (Bulkley Valley & Duncan Christian). After graduation from TWU, I taught grade 6 in the Abbotsford District for a short time before being called to Langley Christian School. For the past 13 years, I have been serving at Langley Christian school. The excitement of inviting students, colleagues, and parents into God’s story brings so much joy to this profession. I am looking forward to partnering with all of you in preparing our students for work in God’s Kingdom. See you soon!
ASHLEY RELLING
EC Teacher – Grade 5/6
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself. I am joining the team at VCS as a homecoming of sorts. Once a middle schooler at VCS, I am excited to return as a teacher. I have been teaching in Kamloops for the last seven years, largely in intermediate classrooms. But I was eager to return to Vernon and to serve within a Christian community, so I am thrilled that God opened a door at VCS. I believe that education is formative and I look forward to teaching within a community that fosters a genuine and authentic faith in students and honors God’s word.
My family roots and connections are in the Vernon area, so I am enjoying being close to my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews again. I enjoy a good cup of coffee, singing, cooking, travelling, and spending time outdoors, especially the lake. I also love to read. One of my greatest joys in teaching and learning is sharing a good book with my students.
MIKE NELSON
SC Teacher – Humanities
Thank you for wanting to get to know myself and my family as we make the move into the Okanagan to join the Vernon Christian Community! My wife Carly and I have been married for 10 years and have been blessed with three additions to our family along our journey (Abigail- 5, Lillian- 3, Andrew- 1). We felt a strong calling to leave the Fraser Valley, even before the possibility of working at VCS came to fruition, and only now in the process do we understand God’s hand in that longing to relocate.
I had the fortune to receive secondary schooling in a Christian School (MEI) and understand what a transformative period in life high school can be, and how educational experiences built on Christ can lead to positive transformations in spirit, mind, and attitude. We look forward to acquainting ourselves with the Vernon and Armstrong area as well as enjoying the outdoors and all four seasons. I am looking forward to joining with the community in equipping our students with the tools to be successful citizens and representatives of Christ.
NICOLE MITTELSTAEDT
SC Teacher – French
I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself and become a part of the VCS family. My husband of 10 years is a BC native (Vancouver) and I am an East Coaster (Nova Scotia) who after visiting Vernon briefly, knew it was the community we wanted to make our home. Last year my daughter Kyla (5) joined VCS at the kindergarten level and as a parent; I was struck by the school as a whole and felt drawn to be a part of the community at the staff level. Grâce à my knowledge of the French language and God’s perfect timing, I am given that opportunity this year.
As someone who never had the opportunity to have Christian education, I am excited to engage in the ways the kingdom story can be interwoven throughout the curriculum. My children (Kyla 5, Ezra 3) will now get to benefit from all the hard work we as Teachers put into making our practice align with God’s story. I am excited to begin this new chapter and work with each staff member collaboratively. Thank-you for welcoming me to the team!