Middle School Faculty

BS Mathematics 
MA Mathematics
Education Specialist Curriculum and Instruction of mathematics

Mrs. Baron moved from Michigan to Illinois in June of 2022. She Taught mathematics for 24 years at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, MI. She joined the ACS team in 2022, teaching middle and high school math! 
 

B.S. Exercise Science - Olivet Nazarene University (2012)

Mr. Michael Cobb is a Michigan native and graduate of Olivet Nazarene University. He joined the ACS staff in 2016 as a Middle School and High School Physical Education Teacher. Prior to working at Aurora Christian, he worked for OAK Athletic Development in Bourbonnais, IL as an Athletic Development Personal Trainer working with everyone from middle schoolers and high schoolers to retirees on how to live a life of wellness. Michael finds joy in being able to build relationships with his students, and highly values the Christian environment that ACS provides both students and staff. Michael married fellow ONU grad Melissa Cobb, who is the ATC on staff at ACS. Michael stays busy coaching HS Cross Country and Junior Varsity Girls Basketball. Outside of school, the Cobbs enjoy building things, watching movies, and spending time with their two dogs, Kevin and Maggie.

B.A. Youth Ministry - Moody Bible institute (1995)
M.Div. Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (2001)
Ordained through the A.B.C 2002

 
Mr. Bob Edwards grew up in Chicago and the suburbs of Chicago.  He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior through a youth ministry in Schaumburg.  He graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a youth ministry degree and from Northern Baptist Theological seminary with a masters of divinity.  When he was a youth pastor in DeKalb he joined the staff at ACS Cornerstone as a Jr High and Highschool Bible teacher.  He finished his 17th year there and will be teaching Jr High Bible at ACS in the fall.  He has two children, Ainsley and Avery who attend Highschool at ACS. He feels blessed to teach and raise his children in a Christ-Centered school that teaches a Biblical world view. He feels that he has the best ministry in the world where he is  able to share about the Bible, and the Love of Jesus Christ every day.  For fun, he  enjoys watching his kids compete in Volleyball, playing in a sand volleyball league in the summer, working on old cars, and is a movie nerd!  He is also a Pastor in the small town of Manlius, IL and serves a great church.

B.A. Music Education - Augustana College (1997)
M.M. Music Education - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2003)

Mrs. Anne Hauser has been a member of the Aurora Christian School faculty since 2005.  Mrs. Hauser was born and raised in Menomonee Falls, WI.  She graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a degree in music education.  She taught 7-12 band in the Edgewood-Colesburg, IA school district for one year before heading home to teach.  Mrs. Hauser taught seven years for the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee in the elementary band program.  While teaching there, she completed her Master of Music in Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Mrs. Hauser is currently the 4-12 Instrumental Music Director at Aurora Christian.  While at Aurora Christian, she has coordinated the High School Band for the IL/WI ACSI Music Festival. She lives in Aurora with her husband, Jonathan, and daughters, Rachel and Rebekah.  She attends Immanuel Lutheran in Batavia.

B.S. Elementary Education, minor in Christian Education - Taylor University (1987)  

Mrs. Heidi Herbert has been a part of Aurora Christian School since 1987, taking two years off to live and work with abused and neglected children in Alabama. Throughout her years at ACS, she has served as a 3rd grade teacher, a 9th and 10th grade English teacher, a middle school Bible teacher, and an office assistant. Currently, she teaches 6th-8th grade language arts. Mrs. Herbert and her husband Mike, an ACS graduate, along with their two daughters, live in Aurora and attend Bethany Road Bible Church in Sycamore, IL.

B.S. Elementary Education - Aurora University

Mrs. Racheal Hertz joined ACS in 2020 as the 6th and 7th grade Math Teacher.  She also works with students in the Middle School Focus Program.  Mrs. Hertz graduated from Aurora University with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Mathematics.  She taught middle school for three years in a private school before teaching in St. Charles Public Schools in their Gifted Math Program. Mrs. Hertz and her husband Mark live in Batavia with their three children, Jackson, Matthew, and Emma. Mrs. Hertz enjoys reading good books, geocaching with her kids, and being with family. Mrs. Hertz attends Harvest Bible Chapel in Aurora where her husband serves as a deacon and where she leads a middle school girl’s small group.

B.A. Elementary Education - Judson University (1989)

Mrs. Kok graduated from Judson University with a BA in Elementary Education and an emphasis in art. After receiving certification, she turned her attention to art and began working at Crossway Publishers in the art and production department. Five years later, the first of her 4 boys was born and the next 12 years were spent focusing on her family and mothering her children. In 2009, she reentered the workforce, teaching preschool at Trinity Christian School for two years.  Following this, she worked at Prairie Point Elementary School in Oswego for 10 years;  4 years as a teaching aide with  deaf and hard of hearing children and 6 years as a reading and math interventionist. She has served at church in many capacities, including serving with the youth and planning summer mission trips. Mrs. Kok and her family live in Sugar Grove and attend Village Bible Church of Aurora. Mrs. Kok is grateful to be serving at Aurora Christian School, combining her love of teaching and art.

Miss Kelsey Palmquist has been teaching preschool and elementary music and middle school choir at ACS since the 2021-22 school year. She is a graduate of Music and Worship arts at Kuyper College and enjoys using her love of music to both teach and lead worship. She loves that at Aurora Christian, we can use every song we sing to worship God and declare His goodness. In her free time, she volunteers at a local Christian theater company, both on stage and behind the scenes. She recently moved back to the Aurora area and is excited to be a part of this community again! 

B.A. Political Science - Hampton University (1998)
M.ED. in Technology in Education - National Louis University (2018)
M.ED. in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment - National Louis University (2020)

Ms. Jacquie Sanders was raised in Aurora, Illinois, and is an alumna of Aurora Christian School, graduating in 1994. After graduation, she moved to Hampton, VA, earning a BS in Political Science from Hampton University in 1998. She completed her Masters in TIE (Technology in Education) from National Louis University in June 2018. She then finished her masters of Education in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in June 2020. She joined the staff at Aurora Christian School in 2011 as an extended care worker, and the Preschool staff as an aide in January 2012. She is currently serving as the Technology Teacher for middle and high school students. Ms. Sanders is a life-long member of Main Baptist Church in Aurora, IL.

A.A.S. - Restaurant and Hotel Management - College of DuPage (1978) B.A. - Elementary Education (grades K-8)- Concordia College (1982)

Mr. Dan Stone has been teaching at ACS since 1988.  He was born  in Aurora, but grew up in Naperville.  He received a Foodservice degree in 1978 where he managed restaurants until the Lord called him into education.  He went back to college in 1980 and taught in the Lutheran school system for 6 years; 3 years in Michigan and 3 years in Park Forest, IL, until he was hired in 1988 at ACS.  Although Mr. Stone has taught many subjects, and has coached many sports at many levels, he has mostly taught middle school History. Mr. Stone and his wife, Donna, live in Aurora where they raised their 3 daughters, Rachel, Mary and Andrea, all of whom have graduated from ACS.  Mr. Stone is also the proud grandpa of 8 beautiful grandchildren. The Stones attend Wheaton Bible Church where Donna is the Administrative Assistant for the Pastor.

B.S. Early Childhood Education – University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (1995)

Mrs. Wendy Waltmire joined the ACS staff in 2019 and is currently teaching middle school science. Her previous teaching experiences include preschool, kindergarten, first grade and 2nd grade in the public school systems of Crystal Lake and Naperville. She also taught at International Christian Academy in Brussels, Belgium and did missions work in western Europe for 2 years before getting married to her husband, Shane. While raising their three daughters, she worked part-time in senior high youth ministry, coordinating missions, directing children’s ministry and then teaching 5th grade at a Calvary Church/Christian School in Naperville. Mrs. Waltmire, her husband, their three daughters, dog, and cat live in Geneva.

Amanda Zgobica and her family live in Oswego, Illinois and attend Harvest New Beginnings church. She has been at Aurora Christian schools since the 2022-2023 school year. She graduated from Aurora University with her Education degree in 2016. Her previous teaching experience includes 6th-8th grade English and Math. She is ecstatic to be a part of a school that fosters her faith and allows her to share it with her students.