Jason Holstege – 8th Grade
Email: jaholstege@hchr.org
Classes Taught: Latin, Science, and Math
Bio: God, in His good providence, led me to become a teacher at Heritage Christian School where I have been teaching since September, 1999, after receiving my teaching certificate from Calvin College. My undergraduate work was completed at the University of Michigan (B.A., Latin) in 1997, and my master’s degree work was completed through the University of Florida (M.L., Latin) in 2009. In addition to my regular classes listed above, I’ve been teaching 1st- and 2nd-year college Latin independently since 2002 to a variety of students, most of whom were preparing for seminary. As for extracurriculars at school, I am a First Lego League coach for Heritage’s Lego Robotics teams, and I formerly coached the 6th/7th grade division of our Math Pentathlon program. In all of these roles, my goal is to help students understand that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10), and therefore my teaching is focused on Christ our King and the Word of God as our rule of faith, life, and learning.
Amazon Wish List link for Jason’s classroom: Jason Holstege
Details about ordering on Amazon:
- Feel free to select the Gift Registry Address to have item(s) shipped directly to Heritage or ship to more than one address if you are ordering items for multiple teachers.
- If you’d like to add a note so we know who made the donation, please select ‘Gift Options’ under Step 2 in the checkout process.
Denise Uittenbogaard – 8th Grade
Email: duittenbogaard@hchr.org
Classes Taught: 8th Bible, 8th Science, 8th Math
Bio: I graduated from Dordt College in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a minor in reading. I taught first grade at Heritage Christian for 3 years, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I finished teaching in 2008 when God blessed my husband Steve and I with children. We were blessed with 4 daughters and 1 son. While we raised our children, I spent those 16 years subbing at Heritage, in any grade from Kindergarten through 8th grade. This year I will return full time to teach 8th grade Earth Science, Math, Bible, and P.E. I am so thankful for the opportunity to continue teaching God’s children in the light of His Word and helping to guide them in their walk with Christ.
Elizabeth VanPutten – Eighth Grade
Email: evanputten@hchr.org
Classes Taught: English and Bible
Bio: I graduated from Hope College with a double major in English and Biology in 2017. Although I did not originally intend to go into education, I worked as a tutor and writing coach throughout college and found that I loved helping my fellow students learn. I then had an opportunity to spend a year in Hong Kong teaching English language learners. After moving back to Grand Rapids, I worked as a research technician studying Parkinson’s Disease at Van Andel Institute for three years. Along the way, God led me to see how my interests and experience could equip me to be a teacher, so I went back to school to obtain my teaching certificate and earned a Master’s degree in Secondary English Education from Western Governors University. As a teacher, I aim to cultivate wonder and to equip students to be effective communicators and life-long learners in the light of God’s Word. On the personal side, I love to read, write, and explore God’s creation with my husband, Austin.
Amazon Wish List link for Liz’s classroom: Elizabeth VanPutten
Details about ordering on Amazon:
- Feel free to select the Gift Registry Address to have item(s) shipped directly to Heritage or ship to more than one address if you are ordering items for multiple teachers.
- If you’d like to add a note so we know who made the donation, please select ‘Gift Options’ under Step 2 in the checkout process.