Volleyball Invitational August 22-23!
Mrs. Esther Lang - Principal
Mrs. Esther Lang has served as school principal and early childhood director at Faith Lutheran School for 12 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in educational leadership. Her previous teaching experience includes 10 years in the Vail School District and a short time at Cornerstone Christian Academy.
Mrs. Lang has vast experience in the areas of special and exceptional education. Her advanced knowledge of instruction, testing, and funding make a valuable resource to parents, students, and other private school leaders.
Mrs. Lang exemplifies positive professional leadership that makes a difference in the lives of students, parents, and staff. As a native to Tucson she is knowledgeable about education in Arizona and is an advocate for School Choice. Esther builds positive relationships with parents, students, and stakeholders.
Mrs. Lang is married to a wonderfully supportive husband and has three children, one of whom still attends Faith Lutheran School. She enjoys church and fellowship, time with family, house projects, scrapbooking and reading. She finds joy in serving the school children and families at Faith Lutheran School.
Mrs. Darla Gremel - Kindergarten
Mrs. Gremel has enjoyed being a Lutheran teacher! She began her journey by attending Concordia College Seward Nebraska, where she met her husband! They have two amazing children, Richard and Julie, and are also truly blessed with an amazing daughter-in-law, Amanda, and two grandchildren, Sawyer and Remington.
Her journey continued when upon graduation she received her first call to serve at Trinity Lutheran Church & School in Arenzville, IL , teaching first and second grade for six years. Her next call was to serve Fountain of Life Church & School here in Tucson, where she taught first and second grade some years and just first grade other years for a total of twenty-seven years. She and her husband are still members of Fountain of Life Lutheran Church. In 1994, with her best friend Mrs. Cathy Summerset, she received her Masters in Elementary Ed. from the University of Phoenix.
With the closing of Fountain of Life School, she and Mrs. Summerset were able to continue Lutheran teaching by coming to teach at Faith in 2013. She is the Kindergarten teacher, which she loves, and the music teacher. Her prayer is that God allows her to continue teaching His precious ones here at Faith for many years.
Mrs. Katie Brech - 1st and 2nd Grade
Mrs. Heidi Beckhart - 3rd and 4th Grade
Mrs. Heidi Beckhart is Faith's 3rd and 4th grade teacher. In the past she has worked in various roles at Faith, including 2nd and 3rd grade teacher and paraprofessional.
Prior to Faith Lutheran School, Mrs. Heidi was in cooperate banking and mortgage where she managed several portfolios, conducted trainings and managed different departments. She is continuing her education and working toward earning her teaching degree.
Outside of Faith Lutheran School, Mrs. Heidi enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She also enjoys trips to the White Mountains and Disneyland. Mrs. Heidi has been a member at Pantano Christian Church since she was in 6th grade. Her family enjoys worshiping together with her immediate and extended family.
Mrs. Cathy Summerset - Middle School Social Studies, Science, Religion
Mrs. Summerset brings 32 years of experience in Lutheran Education, having taught six grades as well as Language Arts for Faith Lutheran middle schoolers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Concordia University in Irvine, California, and also holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. As for her favorite classroom experience, Mrs. Summerset says, “I have many, but one would be the time my students, after a class trip to Sea World, turned our classroom into an underwater adventure to teach the rest of our school about what they learned. Groups of students were given sections of the classroom to change into different regions of the ocean such as the North Pole or a coral reef. When they were finished, my students gave tours to small groups of kids from other classes, explaining their particular habitat and the animals that lived there. We even turned a wagon into a mini-submarine and gave the toddlers and preschoolers a ride through the ocean.”
Mrs. Summerset’s favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11, “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." Mrs. Summerset enjoys reading, doing puzzles, watching movies, and cooking.
Mr. Jason Lueders - Middle School Math
After 20 years of working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mr. Lueders retired, and started teaching middle school math at Faith Lutheran School in January of 2021.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Dakota State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Computer Science from the University of South Dakota.
Mr. Lueders and his wife, Linda, have three children and three grandchildren. They have lived in Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, and made their way to Tucson in 2016. They are currently foster parents and are members of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church.
Mrs. Melissa Ruskay - Middle School Language Arts
Pastor Nick Wirtz - 7th and 8th Grade Religion
Faith Lutheran School Staff
Mrs. Heather Fiello - Office Manager
Mrs. Fiello is the office manager, and a former teacher at the school.
She is a wife and has two children, Gabrielle and Anthony. Her degree is from the University of Arizona. She began teaching in 2001 at Pusch Ridge Grammar Academy, formerly Cornerstone Christian Academy. Between 2001 and 2008, she taught 3rd grade, 1st grade, and kindergarten. When her daughter was born in 2008, she took a part-time position as a teacher mentor and curriculum specialist. When Anthony was born in 2011, she took three years off to stay at home at home with him and Gabrielle. In 2014, she came to tour Faith Lutheran School's preschool program. She was so impressed with the school that she decided to take a teaching job here. During her time at Faith, she has taught Early-Start Kindergarten, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, and 2nd grade.
Her personal interests include gardening, hiking, reading, playing board games, and spending time with her family. What she enjoys most about teaching is creating life-long learners. She loves seeing her students' faces light up when they've achieved a personal success or have learned something new. She says it really is the best part of her job.
Mr. Branden Cowdry - Assistant Administrator, Logic Class
Mr. Branden joined the Office Staff at Faith Lutheran in the Fall of 2022, and began teaching for the 2024-2025 School Year.
A Tucson native, Mr. Branden attend Salpointe Catholic High School and the University of Arizona, studying Classics and Law. He has had a passion for Latin since the 9th Grade, earning a Gold Medal on the National Latin Exam. Following Sra. Smith's retirement, he offered to take over Faith Lutheran's language program. He has developed a strong love of teaching, administration, and the Faith community!
Mrs. Margie Falkner - Librarian
Mrs. Lorena Hernandez - Director of Cafeteria Services
Mrs. Amy Brown - Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Brown is the school counselor at FLS. She has a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science. She has experience in early childhood development, has worked in two different group homes, and was a life coach for Family Life Crisis Center. Mrs. Brown and her husband were foster parents for children birth to 5 years old for five years, with 36 hours per year of special training for foster care. Mrs. Brown also has multiple hours of training in counseling.
Mrs. Brown has a heart for children and her goal is to be a sounding board for all the students enrolled at Faith. In today's society, it's difficult for children to emotionally and socially navigate the world, especially with the technology and the influences it has on our young children. It's important to Mrs. Brown to foster face-to-face communication with peers and adults.
Mrs. Brown has been married for 25 years to an amazing and loving husband, who is an electrical engineer. They have 2 adopted sons, 20 and 17. She has one granddaughter who just turned 1 years old and a foster grandchild in preschool who attends FLS. Mrs. Brown's unique family situation, with both boys being adopted within months of birth have leant to many life lessons. With her oldest son on an IEP and in counseling for many years, Mrs. Brown developed strong counseling techniques from others in the profession.
Mrs. Brown loves each student at Faith Lutheran School and enjoys getting to know all of them. She is appreciative of the trust that parents afford her in regards to their precious children.
