Teachers

Meet Mrs. Friesen:

Hi, my name is Leeann (Pauls) Friesen. I was born into a family of six with one younger sister and two older brothers.  My father is a farmer and so naturally my family spent a lot of time working with him on the farm in the Reedley area. I grew up attending Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church and going to Reedley Schools (Washington & Riverview). For high school, I had the privilege of attending Immanuel. During this time, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. After graduating high school, I continued my education at Reedley College and then Fresno Pacific University. I received my B.A. in liberal studies from FPU. I completed one more year of graduate studies and received my credentialing through FPU. Following my completion of the credential program, I was hired at Lincoln Elementary School in Reedley. I taught there for 11 years. Most of my experience is in Kindergarten and I love it! God opened a door for me to teach kindergarten at Immanuel Elementary. Step by step I followed his lead and I was hired to teach here in the fall of 2016. I feel so blessed to be a part of the IES staff. Immanuel is truly a special place. It is not just a school. It is a family, a strong community bound together by our faith in Jesus Christ. 

My husband, Scott, and I reside in Reedley. We have been blessed with two spirited boys, Peyton and Carson. I enjoy physical actives such as biking, swimming, and running. I also like drinking coffee and reading a good book. My family enjoys taking trips to Shaver Lake and camping in our travel trailer. 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 

Meet Mrs. Neal:

Welcome to kindergarten at Immanuel Elementary! My name is Becky Neal and I have been teaching kindergarten for many years. My husband and I live in Visalia where we raised our three children. We love to spend time together as a family. We love sports, musicals, traveling, and spending time at the beach.

I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Immanuel family. Your children are a precious gift and it brings me great joy to be their teacher!

In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Meet Mrs. Goetz:

The best part about my classroom is whom I share it with!

Greetings! I’m Karen Goetz and am so blessed to be a part of the wonderful Immanuel Schools family.

I am married to Daniel Goetz and we have 3 grown children: Stephen (with his dear wife, Melanie), Jonathan and Hannah. All three of our children attended Immanuel Schools.

I have taught First Grade for 19 years, 15 with Kings Canyon here in Reedley and the other four years in Texas. This is my third year teaching at Immanuel Schools and I absolutely LOVE it! The students, the supportive and caring families, our phenomenal staff AND being able to share and apply our Lord’s life and person into academics is so rewarding and refreshing. Together, and with the Lord’s shepherding, I pray this will be an eternally rewarding year for all of us. Thank you for entrusting your child to my care.

My classroom is a caring-laughing, exploring-discovering, brain-stretching, independence-building, Jesus honoring and loving kind of place where everyone matters!

“But Jesus said, allow the little children and do not prevent them from coming to Me, for of such is the kingdom of the heavens.”  Matthew 19:14

Meet Mrs. Martens:

Hello, I am Yvonne Martens, and I am so happy to be here at Immanuel. There is definitely something special about this campus and community! As an Immanuel Alumni, I am excited to teach here and also to have my child attending the school. Go Eagles!!

I was born and raised in Reedley. My husband and I have been married fourteen years, and we have been blessed with two little ones. They are precious and keep us on our toes. 

I have had the opportunity of teaching many different grade levels throughout my career in education. Each grade and age has its special characteristics; they are all unique and exciting in their own way. As a young student, I struggled with reading. It did not become something I loved until college. Because of my own experience, I have developed a passion for teaching young students to read and decode, so that they can become confident readers, as well as cultivate a love and desire for knowledge through the power of reading. I am excited to be a part of the first grade team, and look forward to getting to know these little first grade sweeties!

Special verse:

1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 
My prayer for myself and my students, is to be vessels that reflect the Glory of Our God, that we might overflow with sympathy, compassion, humility, and love. It is a beautiful thing to watch this unfold in the lives of six and seven year olds. I know it will be an absolute blessing for me to experience!

Meet Mrs. Angelo:

I am so blessed to be a part of the teaching staff at Immanuel Schools. I began teaching at Immanuel in 2010, and before moving into 2nd grade, I taught 3rd, 6th, and Technology to students from Kindergarten to 6th grade. I am excited to see what God will do in the lives of this group of second graders. Every year I look forward to learning new things and getting to know the students I see each day. I love teaching and I am thrilled that God chose me for his place! Over the years I have been blessed to work with students of all ages. Prior to teaching at Immanuel, I taught 5th and 3rd grade for 19 years at another Christian school.

I have been married to my husband, Bruce, since 1970. We have two grown children and I love being Grandma to four adorable grandchildren, three of which live in the Seattle area. I miss them terribly, but am able to connect via social media, texts, e-mail, and our trips to the Pacific Northwest.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Meet Mrs. Gutierrez:

Hello! My name is Amber Gutierrez and I am so grateful to be a part of the Immanuel family! I grew up in Fowler and taught 1st grade there for ten years. After that, I decided to stay home with my own children.

My husband Adam and I now live in Kingsburg with our three children, Gavin, Olivia, and Colette. I spent the last three years as a substitute teacher for the Kingsburg Charter School District. I was also an AWANA leader and I teach Sunday School at our church, First Baptist, in Kingsburg.

It is a huge blessing not only for our kids to attend school at Immanuel, but for me to be able to teach here as well.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge” Psalm 91:4

Meet Mrs. Farinelli:

Hi, my name is Brittany Farinelli and I am so excited to be a part of Immanuel Schools! I was born in Fresno and have lived in the Central Valley my entire life. As a student, I attended Clovis schools and was very involved in athletics. In 2004, I graduated high school and began my college journey as a Fresno Pacific Sunbird. I was blessed to attend Fresno Pacific on a Cross Country and Track Scholarship for all four years and enter into the Multiple Subjects Credential program in 2008. In 2009, I took my first teaching position in 8th grade in Selma Unified and then in 2012 was able to return back to my hometown of Clovis. I spent 6 years teaching 7th/8th Grade Academic Block at Granite Ridge Intermediate, which is located within the Clovis North Educational Center. During my time in Clovis, I decided to further my education and returned to Fresno Pacific as a student in the Master in Arts of Teaching program.

I met my wonderful husband, Dominic Farinelli, at Fresno Pacific and we have been married since 2009. We have two beautiful girls: Giuliana and Capri. We moved to the Sanger area in 2015, and love living out in the country. We had been praying for guidance as to where the Lord wanted us to send our girls to school, and the Lord put Immanuel on our hearts. Immanuel is such a special place and we knew that this is where we wanted to connect as a family. We are so excited to be part of the Immanuel Family and we feel so blessed to be a part of this community.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“ Jeremiah 29:11

Meet Mrs. James:

My name is Pamela James. I am thrilled to be at Immanuel Schools as a teacher and as a parent. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I attended Nyack College in New York where I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.

For the first 11 years of my teaching career, I taught in public schools in New Jersey and New York. In 2001, God called my family into full-time ministry in Buffalo, New York. Following this move, I home schooled my children for 11 years. God then opened the door for me to teach in a private Christian school for 2 years.

In August of 2014, my husband had a job opportunity in Fresno, and we made the big move to California! I have been teaching at Immanuel since 2015, and I am so thankful for this school and its warm community. I love educating young minds and sharing the love of Jesus with them! My husband, Joel, and I have three awesome children: Eden, Hannah, and Josiah.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5

Meet Mrs. Roberts:

My name is Emily Roberts. I grew up in Reedley and attended local schools. It was when I was in 1st grade that I knew I wanted to become a teacher. After high school I went to Fresno State and earned my BA in Liberal Studies and my Multiple Subjects teaching credential. After a few years of teaching I continued my education and received an MA in Curriculum and Instruction. Currently, I am pursuing my Administrative Services credential.

I am teaching 4th grade again this year and loving it. The Immanuel community is such a special place to be a part of as a teacher and as a parent. It has been a wonderful experience the last few years and I am so thankful the Lord has brought me here.

The Lord has really been working in me these last few years more than ever and has provided more than I could have imagined by opening and closing opportunities for me to be here. It was the Lord who made this happen and not me and He deserves all the Glory for it. I am so thankful for the Lord's sweet, sweet love He has for me to give me this opportunity to teach and to teach about Him at Immanuel.

When I am not in school my family and I love traveling to new places seeing God’s wonderful creations.

Cast all of your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5: 7

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Meet Mrs. Schellenberg:

I am excited to be a part of what God is doing within the Immanuel community! The Lord has been faithful in leading me on this exciting adventure to Immanuel. I am originally from Hutchinson, Kansas, where my parents and younger sister still live. I attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. After three years of teaching in Kansas, God began to open up doors for me to teach at Immanuel. I felt Him calling me to serve in a place where the gospel is the core of education. I am currently living in Reedley with my husband Kelyn. I enjoy leading Immanuel’s elementary student council, in addition to staying active, spending time with friends, and traveling when I get the chance!

Through teaching fourth grade, my goal is to prepare students for success in their future academic careers. I desire for them to be caring, contributing members of God’s Kingdom. We will use the Common Core Standards as a guideline for our learning and employ technology, collaboration, lecture, discussion and exploration to achieve our goals in all subject areas. There will be opportunities to explore outside the classroom through field trips to the Sierra Endangered Cat Haven, Columbia Gold Rush town, and Moaning Caverns.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year in 4th grade and am continually reminded of 1 Timothy 4:12. It says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Meet Mr. Hoover:  

Meet Mrs Sorensen:

My name is Emily Sorensen and I am thrilled to be teaching 5th grade at Immanuel. I grew up in Kingsburg California and got my B.A. in Liberal Studies at Fresno Pacific University. I am married to my husband Cole who teaches at Immanuel High School. A few of my favorite things include chocolate, coffee, fall weather, and camping.

One of my all time favorite Bible verses is Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Meet Mrs. Bese:

Hello! I’m Ashley Bese, and I'm thrilled to be teaching sixth grade at Immanuel Elementary School. My educational experiences have solidified my calling to become a teacher, and I thank you advance for letting me share the joy of learning with your students. When I'm not in the classroom, I am most often reading, sketching, exploring, or eating ice cream.

The Immanuel family is a community of believers who hold each other up through all circumstances, and in my classroom, we learn to emulate that sense of community as we grow to be a family. I firmly believe that every new day is a chance for a fresh start, and that some of the most important lessons your children will learn at school have nothing to do with textbooks and worksheets. I plan to provide a challenging, exciting, and achievable academic year for your kids, and I am excited to partner with you as we step out in faith and place the year in the Lord’s hands. Feel free to contact me as the need arises, and know that I will do my best to stay in frequent communication with you throughout the school year.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Meet Mrs. Hillner:

As a literature enthusiast and writer, it is my joy to bring hidden writing abilities to the surface, to welcome children into the depths reading, and engage with their minds in the freshly abstract ways that sixth graders are capable of for the first time in their development. Students quickly realize that my favorite question is why, and we bring this level of intellectual tenacity to our exciting look at ancient cultures, to our fascination with the ways in which God has made our planet, to the elegant patterns in number systems, and even to our relationship with the Lord. It is a privilege, an honor, and a blessing for me to share my Jesus with students in Bible class; not only is devotions my favorite part of the day, but it is usually the most meaningful for students and myself. Our God calls us into depth and into a thousand whys; it is my prayer that, by the end of the year, every student finds Jehovah, the I AM, as the unique answer to every question and the source of his/her identity.

I grew up and studied in Boston, where my husband and I got married after meeting in Bible school in Southern California in 2014; God called us to Reedley and Immanuel in the summer of 2017. I taught at Christian schools in the Greater Boston Area for three years before moving to Immanuel, and I enjoy integrating my Expeditionary Learning training into my work here, as well as continuing to learn more about EL Education. In our spare time my husband and I enjoy reading a wide range of literature, working on various writing projects, and exploring the mountains.

John 21:17: “He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep".

Meet Mr. Bennett:

Hello, my name is Sean Bennett. I grew up on the East Coast and moved to the Central Coast of California my senior year of high school. It was there that I met and married my beautiful wife as well as graduated from Cuesta College. I then transferred and completed my studies at San Francisco State with the goal of becoming a physical education teacher. After obtaining my Bachelor’s I moved to Clovis and did my student teaching in Clovis while getting my teaching credential.

My desire to become a P.E teacher flows from the love for sports and the valuable lessons about life that God can teach us through sports and fitness. I participated in football for two years in high school, as well as track and field in high school and college. My passion and belief about physical education is that it is incredibly important in developing the skills and knowledge needed to build and maintain a healthy and active life at any age. I also believe physical education provides a wonderful opportunity to build respect, responsibility, and a excellent work ethic. I am so excited to be teaching at Immanuel Elementary School, and I feel so blessed that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be a light to so many children’s minds and hearts.

My wife, Savanah, and I currently live in Clovis but are hoping to relocate closer to Reedley. The Lord has gifted us with a wonderfully energetic and joyful boy named Parker. My favorite sports and activities are exercising and just about any sport or physical game. Our family enjoys spending time in with family and friends whether that is out in nature or in the city.

Special verse:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Meet Mr. Garcia:

Hello my name is Frank Garcia. I want to first begin by saying how humbled and honored I am to be a part of the amazing family here at Immanuel. Working with the staff, parents, and most importantly these students has been such a joy. Music has always been a passion of mine and being a teacher at Immanuel has allowed me to fulfill my dream of teaching children about music within a Godly setting.

Prior to teaching at Immanuel, I was a worship pastor for 15 years and had the pleasure of discipling many worship teams locally and internationally. Before coming to Immanuel I taught K-8 music/choir at Valley Preparatory in Fresno for 8 years. During the summertime, I continue living my dream of teaching private lessons to musicians and vocalists throughout the valley. I play multiple instruments including the drums, piano, guitar, bass, and percussion. I am grateful to be able to impart my gifts and love for music to the students in the Elementary School this year.

My prayer is that God will use me to ignite a passion for Jesus, and a desire to exalt His name through the gift of music.This year my lovely wife Patricia and I along with my son Caleb were also blessed to be able to plant Revitalize Church in the heart of Downtown Fresno. Thank you for the opportunity to impart the gift of music into your child. I’m looking forward to meeting you, and to a wonderful school year.

Meet Mrs. Horton:

Hi my name is Brenda (Pauls) Horton and I am so grateful to be part of the Immanuel family. I grew up in Dinuba and attended Dinuba Mennonite Brethren Church and graduated from Immanuel High School. I completed my teaching credential at Fresno Pacific and have worked in various ways in education; as a Kindergarten teacher, tutor, and research analyst at an educational research company. During that time I also pursued a degree in Theology at the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. God has given me a passion to know Him more through his Word and I’m excited to share that passion with the children I work with. I’m also excited to help students know their value in the Lord, and help them find joy and confidence in learning.

My husband, Brian, and I live in Clovis and have a beautiful girl named Abby. As a family we love to camp and hang out at the beach. Our favorite week of the year is spent up at Hume Lake Christian Camp during the summer, enjoying all that Hume is.

Special verse:
It is because of (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Meet Mrs. Regier:

Hello my name is Stella Regier. I have the pleasure of teaching Technology at Immanuel Elementary, and it truly is a joy to work here. I feel very blessed to be a part of the lives of our students and staff. Volunteering my time as a parent and having the privilege to substitute teach at Immanuel Elementary, has given me the opportunity to build relationships with students. Teaching kids has always been my heart and this opportunity to teach Technology skills is an honor to me. Being able to share my love for Jesus freely with students is the greatest bonus possible. I LOVE my job!

Teaching technology skills has proven to me that technology is the language of this generation. Instructing students to understand how to use, navigate, and manipulate technology safely is of the upmost importance. My job is to equip them with technology skills that they will carry for a lifetime. 

My husband Brian and I have two children that attended Immanuel Elementary since they were in Kindergarten. We are committed to Immanuel Schools and feel blessed to be a part of the incredible community here!

Meet Mrs. Renney:

My name is Amanda Renney.  I was born and raised in Orosi, California.  As an Immanuel student I was active in the Immanuel Community, sports, and music. 

After graduating from Immanuel High School,  I attended Fresno Pacific University where I received my BA and my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.  My first teaching job was at Immanuel Elementary School as the 4th grade teacher.  I have experience teaching a variety of grades in both private and public school. 

My husband and I live in Reedley with our three girls, Ella, Adeline, and Marjorie.  I love being outdoors, working in my rose garden, sports, coffee, and spending time with family.  I am so excited that the Lord directed me back to Immanuel in 2020.  Being a part of the Immanuel staff and community has been such a blessing to me and to my family.  
 

Philippians 3:14 is a favorite bible verse:  "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

Meet Mr. Woods:

Hi my name is Chris Woods I was born and raised in Kingsburg. I graduated from Kingsburg High and then went on to graduate from Reedley College and Fresno State University. I earned my Master of Arts degree from Fresno Pacific University. I am the boys basketball coach and feel very blessed to be a part of the Immanuel Basketball tradition and family. My wife Carly and I live in Kingsburg and are very thankful to be a part of the Immanuel family. We are blessed with 2 amazing children - a daughter and a son. Outside of teaching and coaching I am a big sports fan. My wife and I enjoy traveling and going to baseball and basketball games.