Position: 5th Grade

Sarah Slade

5th Grade Mrs. Slade has been teaching for Benzie Schools since 1999.  She taught sixth grade at Platte River Elementary for many years, and has recently settled into 5th grade at Lake Ann Elementary.  Prior to her teaching career, Mrs. Slade worked as a social worker, counselor, and outdoor/environmental educator in Colorado and in the … Continued

Wakako Wynkoop

Kindergarten   Ms. Wynkoop spent her first summer in Benzie County in 1979.  After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2001, she found little satisfaction in the work-a-day office world.  In pursuit of greater, more meaningful work, she enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Iowa, Iowa … Continued

Dave Grimes

5th Grade   Mr. Grimes grew up in southeast Michigan and attended Michigan State University where he earned a degree in Geology.  After that, he worked at jobs ranging from presenting programs in a planetarium to being a national park ranger to teaching at outdoor education centers.   Along the way, he earned a masters … Continued

Mark Wassa

Mark Wassa 5th Grade Mr. Wassa joined the Betsie Valley Elementary staff as a 5th grade teacher in 1998 and has inhabited the last classroom in the hallway ever since.  He studied Political Science and English at Alma College before earning a Masters Degree in Education from Aquinas College. Coach Wassa has also been a … Continued

Jamie Vanderlinde

5th Grade   Hello, my name is Jamie Vanderlinde, and I am the 5th grade teacher at Lake Ann Elementary.  I have been teaching for about 15 years for Benzie County Central Schools. I was born and raised in Muskegon Michigan.  I met and married my husband – Justin – and we moved to Benzie … Continued
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