Staff
Andy Allen (Echo Hill and Wilkins K-5)
Welcome to LEO! I am Andy Allen and will be the LEO teacher for Echo Hill and Wilkins Elementary Schools. This is my first year teaching LEO and my 10th year overall in education. I have taught kindergarten, 1st, 5th and 6th grades. I am very excited to get started this year and looking forward to watching the students grow academically, socially and emotionally.
Please email me with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the school year.
Jennifer Brase (Oak Ridge Middle School: Grades 7 & 8)
My name is Jennifer Brase. This is my fifth year teaching TAG at Linn-Mar and my 10th year teaching overall. I want thank you for sharing your children with me. They are all hard working, fun and intuitive. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need something or have a question. If you need to reach me, you can call me at 730-3677 or email me. I do check my email often. I try to send out email updates to parents. If you are not getting that update for me please contact me and I will check that you are on my email list.
Jaime Mead (Excelsior Middle School: Grades 7 & 8)
Please feel free to email or call me, (319) 447-3186 with any questions.
Sara Steimel (Oak Ridge and Excelsior Middle Schools: Grade 6)
Hello! Welcome to my Linn-Mar page. I started teaching for the Linn-Mar School District in 2013. I am the 6th grade TAG Science teacher at both schools. Please visit my class website.
Natalee Havel (Westfield K-5 and Novak K-5)
My name is Natalee Havel (pronounced ha-vul) and I am very excited to be teaching LEO this year and working with your child. We have many great units planned for students this year that will challenge their thinking, help build upon their skills and that will continue to excite them about learning.
This is my 11th year in education and 2nd year as a LEO teacher. Before joining the LEO team, I taught 5th grade for 9 years, with 6 years being at Linn Grove. Before coming to the Linn-Mar district in 2009, I taught 5th grade for two years in Independence and for a year in Keokuk. I received my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a reading endorsement from Mount Mercy College and received my master’s degree from Morningside College in 2013. I completed my talented and gifted endorsement from Morningside College in December of 2015. I live in Urbana with my husband and our very spoiled 4 year old dog named Boston.
Please visit our new LEO website.
If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can email me or call and leave a message for me at Westfield (319) 447-3350 or at Novak (319) 447-3300 and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for your support and I look forward to a great year!
Vicki Freiburger (Bowman Woods K-5 and Linn Grove K-5)
Welcome to a new school year! LEO stands for Learning Enrichment Opportunities. This is the elementary gifted program at Linn-Mar. We will study 4 units this year, as well as learn new vocabulary, improve our presentation skills, and stretch our learners thinking through many fun challenges!
I’d like to share some things about me: I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Mount Mercy College, with endorsements in reading and language arts. I taught 6th grade and 4th grade out of state, then returned to Iowa and served as a preschool director/lead teacher before my career at Linn-Mar, beginning the 1999-2000 school year. I completed my gifted endorsement at the University of Northern Iowa and my masters degree at Graceland University. My husband and I have five wonderful sons and are enjoying the ’empty nest’. We also have two very spoiled dogs!
This year, I will be at Bowman Woods on all day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Friday mornings. I will be at Linn Grove all day on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If you need to reach me, send me an email or you may leave a voicemail for me at Bowman Woods at 447-3256, or Linn Grove at 892-4782 , and I will return your call at my earliest convenience.
As schools and families look for ways to save money and our beautiful planet, I will communicate with LEO learners and their families by email if possible. I encourage you to contact me with your questions and concerns throughout the year. The more we communicate, the more successful your child will be!
Thanks for your support of the LEO program-
Vicki Freiburger
Brenda Bauermeister (Indian Creek and K-5 Coordinator)
Hello LEO families!
My name is Brenda Bauermeister and I am so excited to be the LEO teacher at Indian Creek Elementary School! I am looking forward to exploring, discovering, and learning with your young scholars!
Prior to being the LEO teacher, I was the SAM (School Administration Manager) at Wilkins, a paraprofessional at Linn Grove, and the Administrative Assistant for the Linn-Mar Teaching and Learning Department. I have also taught first grade at schools in Iowa, California, and Florida, while my husband was in the Navy. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa and my Master’s Degree in Post-Secondary Education from San Diego State University. I completed my Talented and Gifted Endorsement through the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center.
Our family moved to Marion in 2008. My husband Mark and I have three children. Our oldest son is an architecture student at Iowa State University and was involved in the TAG program here at Linn-Mar. Our daughter attends Linn-Mar High School and our youngest son is here at Indian Creek. We love being part of the Linn-Mar community and the amazing opportunities it offers!
You can email me if you ever have questions!
Amanda Hajek (HS TAG teacher and 6-12 Coordinator)
I have been teaching in the Linn-Mar Talented and Gifted Program for the last five years, this year being my second as the high school TAG teacher. Prior to joining the Linn-Mar Community, I taught for three years in my hometown of Waterloo. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and School Library Studies. In 2014, I earned my PK-12 Talented and Gifted endorsement, and in 2016, I received my Master of Arts in Teaching from Morningside College.
My Hours: 7:35-3:35
Phone Number: (319) 447-3119
Email
Kim Ternes (TAG Secretary)
Phone Number: (319) 447-3117
Email