An experienced and loving staff that assists parents in preparing children of Jesus for this life and the life to come.
Mr. Ryan Jaeger – Principal, Grades 7-8 Homeroom, Grades 3-8 Departmentalized
Mr. Jaeger is a graduate of Lakeside Lutheran High School. He graduated Martin Luther College in December of 2004, and taught for the remainder of school year at Lakeside Lutheran. In the Spring of 2005, Mr. Jaeger began teaching at St. Mark/Risen Savior Lutheran School in Mankato, MN where he served as the principal, athletic director and teacher of grades 5-8 until 2010. From 2010 to 2014, he taught at Pilgrim Lutheran School in Menomonee Falls, WI where he served as the athletic director and teacher of grades 7 and 8. In the summer of 2014, he moved to Two Rivers to serve as St. John’s Minister of Education and Music and teacher of grades 7 and 8. He currently teaches in a departmentalized setting in grades 3-8.
Ryan enjoys the cool weather of Two Rivers with his wife Laura, also a Martin Luther College graduate, and their 4 sons. He also enjoys time relaxing at home with his wife and boys, as well as fishing and hunting.
Mr. Kurt Callaway – Grades 5-6 Homeroom, Athletic Director, Grades 3-8 Departmentalized
Mr. Callaway grew up in the shadow of Lambeau Field and attended Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton. After graduating from FVL he went onto Dr. Martin Luther College and graduated in 1991. Mr. Callaway was first assigned to St. John’s Princeton, WI. There he taught 5-6 grades until 1996. In 1996, he took a call to St. Paul’s, Brownsville, WI. While in Brownsville, he served as the Principal, athletic director, and taught multiple grades that included 3rd-8th. He stayed in Brownsville until 2014. For the next two years he served as Administrator of Jesus Little Lambs Daycare at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Not loving the desk job and missing teaching he took a break from the ministry hoping for a return to teaching. Mr. Callaway’s prayers were answered when he received the call to teach grades 5 and 6 and serve as athletic director here at St. John’s.
Mr. Callaway and Mrs. Callaway, also a DMLC graduate, enjoy spending time together traveling and going to auctions and relaxing at home. He also likes to fish whenever he can. Mrs. Callaway will be teaching Kindergarten at St. Paul’s, Algoma. They have two children, Alexandria and Thomas. Alexandria lives in Grafton and is an RN. Thomas lives in Brillion and is a welder at Ariens.
Mrs. Messman is a graduate of Martin Luther Preparatory School. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1987, and in that same year began teaching second grade at St. John’s Lutheran in Two Rivers. After retiring from teaching to raise two children, she returned to the classroom in 2000 to teach preschool. A few years later, she began teaching third and fourth grades in the afternoons. Her current position is teaching in a departmentalized setting in grade 3-8.
Beth enjoys camping with her husband Todd and her children. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and serving as an organist.
Mrs. Amy McCargar – Grades 1 and 2
Mrs. McCargar is a graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1989. Upon graduation from DMLC, Mrs. McCargar and her husband Troy taught in a one room WELS school in a suburb of Seattle, WA. In 1999, she received her call to teach first grade at St. John’s, after taking some time off from teaching to raise her two sons. Her current position is teaching grades 1-2.
When not in the classroom, Mrs. McCargar enjoys being an organist, taking walks, reading, baking, and spending time with the family.
Mrs. Lorien Leonhard – Kindergarten
Mrs. Leonhard is a graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School. She then received her teaching degree from Martin Luther College in 2007. She began teaching kindergarten at St. John’s in Goodhue, MN. After returning to the lakeshore area to marry her husband in 2010, she spent a few years working and teaching at First German in Manitowoc, WI. From there Mrs. Leonhard spent six and a half years working part-time in a preschool room for Head Start in Two Rivers. She even spent a semester teaching at Magee Elementary. During the past few years she served deaf/hard of hearing families in Wisconsin as a Parent Mentor for WESP-DHH Outreach. St. John’s then extended the call to teach in 2022. Mrs.Leonhard’s current position is teaching kindergarten.
Mrs. Leonhard enjoys spending time with her husband and 5 children. She also enjoys reading, baking, and playing games.
Mrs. Jaeger has been a life-long student of WELS schools. Graduating high school from Lakeside Lutheran in Lake Mills, WI and going on to earn her teaching degree from Martin Luther College, Laura realized she had a special gift with teaching young children. With experience in teaching first grade as well as 3-5 year old preschool, she is excited to now be the director and teacher of preschool at St. John’s – Little Sprouts Preschool.
Laura and her husband, Ryan, keep busy with raising their 4 boys. She also likes gardening, cooking, and baking.
Mrs. Becca Kruschel – Principal Release Teacher
Mrs. Kruschel grew up in rural Wisconsin and attended Luther Preparatory School. After graduating from Martin Luther College in 2005, she was assigned to teach for one year at Nozomi Lutheran School in Tsuchiura, Japan. She then taught for two years at the Wisconsin Center for Gifted Learners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2009 she moved with her husband, Stephen, and their young daughter to Geneva, Nebraska, where Steve was assigned to serve as pastor. She served as curriculum coordinator for Little Lambs Preschool in Geneva for several years while their small family grew by four sons, and then served as the preschool teacher for two years. Mrs. Kruschel stepped back into elementary school teaching in 2019 as a substitute in the departmentalized 5th-8th grades at First German Lutheran in Manitowoc, and in 2020 as a substitute teacher here at St. John’s. Her current position is teaching in the departmentalized 3rd-8th grade classrooms.
Mrs. Kruschel enjoys reading, writing, baking, playing piano, and hiking or biking in God’s beautiful creation with her family.
Faculty
An experienced and loving staff that assists parents in preparing children of Jesus for this life and the life to come.
Mr. Ryan Jaeger – Principal, Grades 7-8 Homeroom, Grades 3-8 Departmentalized
Mr. Jaeger is a graduate of Lakeside Lutheran High School. He graduated Martin Luther College in December of 2004, and taught for the remainder of school year at Lakeside Lutheran. In the Spring of 2005, Mr. Jaeger began teaching at St. Mark/Risen Savior Lutheran School in Mankato, MN where he served as the principal, athletic director and teacher of grades 5-8 until 2010. From 2010 to 2014, he taught at Pilgrim Lutheran School in Menomonee Falls, WI where he served as the athletic director and teacher of grades 7 and 8. In the summer of 2014, he moved to Two Rivers to serve as St. John’s Minister of Education and Music and teacher of grades 7 and 8. He currently teaches in a departmentalized setting in grades 3-8.
Ryan enjoys the cool weather of Two Rivers with his wife Laura, also a Martin Luther College graduate, and their 4 sons. He also enjoys time relaxing at home with his wife and boys, as well as fishing and hunting.
Mr. Kurt Callaway – Grades 5-6 Homeroom, Athletic Director, Grades 3-8 Departmentalized
Mr. Callaway grew up in the shadow of Lambeau Field and attended Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton. After graduating from FVL he went onto Dr. Martin Luther College and graduated in 1991. Mr. Callaway was first assigned to St. John’s Princeton, WI. There he taught 5-6 grades until 1996. In 1996, he took a call to St. Paul’s, Brownsville, WI. While in Brownsville, he served as the Principal, athletic director, and taught multiple grades that included 3rd-8th. He stayed in Brownsville until 2014. For the next two years he served as Administrator of Jesus Little Lambs Daycare at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Not loving the desk job and missing teaching he took a break from the ministry hoping for a return to teaching. Mr. Callaway’s prayers were answered when he received the call to teach grades 5 and 6 and serve as athletic director here at St. John’s.
Mr. Callaway and Mrs. Callaway, also a DMLC graduate, enjoy spending time together traveling and going to auctions and relaxing at home. He also likes to fish whenever he can. Mrs. Callaway will be teaching Kindergarten at St. Paul’s, Algoma. They have two children, Alexandria and Thomas. Alexandria lives in Grafton and is an RN. Thomas lives in Brillion and is a welder at Ariens.
Mrs. Beth Messman – Grades 3-4 Homeroom, Grades 3-8 Departmentalized
Mrs. Messman is a graduate of Martin Luther Preparatory School. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1987, and in that same year began teaching second grade at St. John’s Lutheran in Two Rivers. After retiring from teaching to raise two children, she returned to the classroom in 2000 to teach preschool. A few years later, she began teaching third and fourth grades in the afternoons. Her current position is teaching in a departmentalized setting in grade 3-8.
Beth enjoys camping with her husband Todd and her children. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and serving as an organist.
Mrs. Amy McCargar – Grades 1 and 2
Mrs. McCargar is a graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School. She graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1989. Upon graduation from DMLC, Mrs. McCargar and her husband Troy taught in a one room WELS school in a suburb of Seattle, WA. In 1999, she received her call to teach first grade at St. John’s, after taking some time off from teaching to raise her two sons. Her current position is teaching grades 1-2.
When not in the classroom, Mrs. McCargar enjoys being an organist, taking walks, reading, baking, and spending time with the family.
Mrs. Lorien Leonhard – Kindergarten
Mrs. Leonhard is a graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School. She then received her teaching degree from Martin Luther College in 2007. She began teaching kindergarten at St. John’s in Goodhue, MN. After returning to the lakeshore area to marry her husband in 2010, she spent a few years working and teaching at First German in Manitowoc, WI. From there Mrs. Leonhard spent six and a half years working part-time in a preschool room for Head Start in Two Rivers. She even spent a semester teaching at Magee Elementary. During the past few years she served deaf/hard of hearing families in Wisconsin as a Parent Mentor for WESP-DHH Outreach. St. John’s then extended the call to teach in 2022. Mrs.Leonhard’s current position is teaching kindergarten.
Mrs. Leonhard enjoys spending time with her husband and 5 children. She also enjoys reading, baking, and playing games.
Mrs. Laura Jaeger – Little Sprouts PreK director and teacher
Mrs. Jaeger has been a life-long student of WELS schools. Graduating high school from Lakeside Lutheran in Lake Mills, WI and going on to earn her teaching degree from Martin Luther College, Laura realized she had a special gift with teaching young children. With experience in teaching first grade as well as 3-5 year old preschool, she is excited to now be the director and teacher of preschool at St. John’s – Little Sprouts Preschool.
Laura and her husband, Ryan, keep busy with raising their 4 boys. She also likes gardening, cooking, and baking.
Mrs. Becca Kruschel – Principal Release Teacher
Mrs. Kruschel grew up in rural Wisconsin and attended Luther Preparatory School. After graduating from Martin Luther College in 2005, she was assigned to teach for one year at Nozomi Lutheran School in Tsuchiura, Japan. She then taught for two years at the Wisconsin Center for Gifted Learners in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2009 she moved with her husband, Stephen, and their young daughter to Geneva, Nebraska, where Steve was assigned to serve as pastor. She served as curriculum coordinator for Little Lambs Preschool in Geneva for several years while their small family grew by four sons, and then served as the preschool teacher for two years. Mrs. Kruschel stepped back into elementary school teaching in 2019 as a substitute in the departmentalized 5th-8th grades at First German Lutheran in Manitowoc, and in 2020 as a substitute teacher here at St. John’s. Her current position is teaching in the departmentalized 3rd-8th grade classrooms.
Mrs. Kruschel enjoys reading, writing, baking, playing piano, and hiking or biking in God’s beautiful creation with her family.