Faculty

Welcome to the Grace Lutheran School Faculty Page. On this page you will find some brief biographies about our faculty members. These individuals are highly dedicated to teaching children about Jesus Christ and His love for them. We are pleased to have each of them on the staff and we are thankful to God for the countless hours they invest to help the children of Grace grow in faith and become better equipped to be well educated Christian citizens in our community.

	Mr. Jacob Hollatz has completed his second year as the Principal of Grace. He also teaches Math and Language Arts to 5th—8th grade. Mr. Hollatz has 9years experience teaching grades K-8 at various Lutheran Schools. He holds a B.A in Education with a minor in Church Music and Lutheran Theology from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota as well as holding a Masters Degree in Education from Hamline University in St. Paul. Mr. Hollatz grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota. He is single and enjoys working out. He also serves Grace Lutheran Church as its Music Director. He and his wife Brooke were recently married
	Mrs. Hilliary Poehlmann has finished her fifth year teaching at Grace. She grew up in Brenham and attended Grace from Kindergarten through Sixth grade. A graduate of Brenham High School, Mrs. Poehlmann was an active member of the National Honor Society, a student mentor, and a member of the volleyball team. She attended Blinn Jr. College in Brenham for three semesters and received a B.A. in Education from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. Prior to teaching at Grace, Mrs. Poehlmann taught 5th—6th grade and served as athletic director at St. Paul Lutheran School in Serbin for two years. She presently teaches Science and History for 5th— 8th grade as well as various other subjects at that level and handles the athletic director duties for Grace. Mrs. Poehlmann is a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church. She and her husband Derek have been married for four years. They have two boys, Carter and Dylan.
	Mrs. Judy Haevischer has been an Elementary School Teacher for 32 years, the last 26 of those teaching at Grace. During her tenure at Grace she has taught second, third, and fourth grades at various times. Presently she serves as Grace’s second and third Grade teacher. Mrs. Haevischer is a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church and a former student of Grace Lutheran School. She attended Blinn Jr. College and received a B.S. in Elementary Education from Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. She and her husband Ronnie have two grown sons: Darren and Ryan and Ryan’s wife, Jana. Mrs. Haevischer and her husband are anxiously awaiting the birth of their first grandchild.
	Miss Melissa Beisert will begin her first year on the faculty of Grace Lutheran School in the late summer of 2010. Miss Beisert is a recent graduate of Concordia University in Austin, Texas and will be teaching the 1/2 grade class combination. Miss Beisert gained experience in multi-grade classrooms during her student teaching year and she is very excited to come to Brenham and begin her teaching career at Grace.
	Mrs. Anita Moerbe has been teaching at Grace for 12 years. This is her third year as the Kindergarten teacher. Prior to teaching Kindergarten, Mrs. Moerbe taught Language Arts for 5th—8th grades. She holds a Bachelors of Music Education Degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinios and a Masters Degree in Music from the College Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1996, she completed the requirements to be certified as an Elementary Teacher in Texas. She and her husband, Mark, have three children: Matthew, Benjamin, and Tabitha. Prior to moving to Brenham to teach at Grace, Mrs. Moerbe taught Kindergarten at St. Paul Lutheran School in Bishop, Texas.
	Mrs. Kathy Faske has been teaching at Grace for 18 years and is the Pre-K Four teacher at Grace. She moved to teaching Pre-K Four 14 years ago after teaching Kindergarten at Grace for several years. Mrs. Faske is a life long member of Grace, being baptized, confirmed, and married at Grace. She also attended Grace Lutheran School from Kindergarten through the Sixth grade. Mrs. Faske enjoys seeing four and five year olds begin to learn their letters, be able to write their names, recite the days of the week, count to 30, and share toys. She especially enjoys the “hugs and the giggles”. Mrs. Faske and her husband, Morris, have two grown daughters, Melissa and Shannon, sons-in-law, Bart and Steven, and grandkids, Karli and Lane. Mrs. Faske especially enjoys having both of her grandchildren enrolled at Grace Lutheran.
	Mrs. Darlene Vierus is the Pre—K Three teacher at Grace. After 10 years of Teaching the Pre-K Two class, Mrs. Vierus is now in her third year of teaching the Pre-K Three class. She enjoys watching continual advancement and growth of the three year olds and telling them about Jesus. She is a long time member of Grace Lutheran and long time resident of Brenham. She and her husband, Jerry have two daughters, Nichole and Natalie, a son Nicholas, daughter–in-law, Erin, and son-in-law, Chad. Mrs. Vierus and her husband enjoy greatly their first grandchild, Braedon. Both Nichole and Natalie attended Grace Lutheran through the Eighth Grade.
	Mrs. Sheila Beckendorf is in her fifth year working in the Early Childhood Program at Grace and has completed her second year teaching the PK-2 class. She loves working with these little ones and considers herself blessed to be able to do so. A wife to Alan, she is mother of two girls, Brittany 18 and Hayley 15 and worked in the Early Childhood Program when her girls were little. Mrs. Beckendorf has lived in Brenham for 14 years and was a resident of Bellville prior to that time. Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:3-4.
	Mrs. Kathleen Riske is Grace Lutheran School’s Special Project Advisor. She has been with Grace Lutheran School for 27 years. Kathleen has serviced as Food Service Director, Art teacher, Cheerleader Coach, PE instructor, Yearbook Advisor after school Daycare Worker. She is a long time member of Grace Lutheran Church. She enjoys watching children achieve their goals and learn responsibility. Mrs. Riske and her husband, Melvin, have four children, Dwayne, Kayleen, Loreen and Melvin Carl, all whom graduated from Grace Lutheran School. They have one daughter-in-law, Jill and three grandsons, Kason, Kristopher, and Kaleb.