We are Excited to Introduce Our New Teachers!
Drop in to meet these talented, engaging teachers on August 16 and 17, 2018, 9:00am to 3:00pm
Libby Bingham (Kindergarten) has an Elementary Education degree from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN. Along with being a student at St. Cloud, she was also a student-athlete playing on the Huskies softball team. Libby led her team as captain in her last season. Go Huskies! A native Minnesotan, Libby grew up in a south suburb of the Twin Cities. She is most excited about sharing her passion for the outdoors, while also incorporating technology into the classroom. Outside of the classroom, Libby loves spending time with friends and family. She also enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and traveling. She can’t wait to start her journey at River Grove!
We are proud to add Mandy Lindemann to our team as our third-grade teacher! An exceptional applicant for the position, Mandy already knows the school and its students, having worked in most of our classes and one-on-one with many students in her role in the special education department. River Grove is lucky to have such a dedicated team player who puts the needs of her students first!
Mandy graduated from Bemidji State University with an Elementary Education degree. She has taught as a kindergarten specialist, a special education paraprofessional, and, this past summer, had the opportunity to teach preschool special education. She has eight years of experience working with school-aged children and has guest taught in multiple school districts in multiple grades.
Mandy enjoys living in the small town of Lindstrom with husband Carl, son Damien, and nephew Gavin. She loves to spend time with family and friends on the lake, hiking, playing games, going for walks, and reading. She is excited to step up her role at River Grove as the third-grade teacher and looks forward to incorporating the school’s beautiful surroundings and technology into the classroom. She wrote, “I cannot wait to see how much all the students have grown over the summer and meeting all the wonderful families.”
Janel Koenig (Fifth Grade) graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a degree in Communications and obtained her Elementary Education degree from Hamline University. She has nine years of experience working with early childhood and school-age children while managing her own child care business. In this position, she was also co-coordinator for Washington County Licensed Family Child Care Association and helped provide training to licensed child care providers in the Forest Lake and Hugo area. In addition, Janel has been a reserve teacher for the Forest Lake and White Bear Lake Area Schools.
Janel grew up in Minnesota and has lived in Forest Lake for the past 11 years with her husband and two children. She enjoys exploring Minnesota with her family, skiing, and reading. Janel is excited to be joining the River Grove community. She looks forward to sharing her passion for lifelong learning by creating a curriculum that encourages children to participate in their learning through inquiry, questioning, making decisions, and doing!
RobinJo Walcheski, Special Education
RobinJo Walcheski (Special Education) is excited to be teaching at River Grove this coming year as a resource room special education teacher! She brings seven years of special education teaching experience from a variety of charter and public schools in Minnesota, from elementary to high school level, traditional to project-based learning. RobinJo holds a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus, as well as four teaching licenses in K-6 Elementary Education, 5-8 Mathematics, K-12 Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities and K-12 Learning Disabilities. RobinJo has had a variety of experiences over the years, including helping lead a group of high school girls through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, BWCA, exploring Washington D.C. and dog sledding in Northern Minnesota.
RobinJo enjoys spending time in and around the Stillwater area where she grew up and now owns a home where she lives with her husband, Joshua, and three dogs, P, Q, and Lady. In her spare time RobinJo enjoys exploring dog parks, playing games and watching cooking shows. This coming year at River Grove she is excited to explore the outdoors with her students, make connections and build relationships with the students and families of the area, as well as learning and exploring more of what the Marine on Saint Croix River Valley has to offer.