Preschool - Age 3

ABOUT THE TEACHER

3-Year-Old Preschool Teacher

Sara was born in Benton Harbor, MI and attended grade school at St. Matthew's Lutheran School in Benton Harbor from K-5, and Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Benton Harbor for grades 6-8. Sara graduated from Michigan Lutheran High School in 2000. She began piano lessons in 4th grade and accompanied choirs in grade school and high school. She decided to attend Martin Luther College to become a teacher after working as a camp counselor at Camp Lor-Ray in Michigan for multiple summers. She still returns every summer to work as the craft director for one week a year.

Sara graduated from MLC in 2004 with a B.S. in Elementary Education and emphasis in Music. While there, she met her husband, Joshua Makinen, who she married in 2004. Her first call was to St.John to teach grades 3-4. Sara became a stay at home mom for her two children, Annabelle and Emory. While she was a stay at home mom, she taught piano lessons, substitute taught in Lutheran and public schools, accompanied services as an organist, and took organ lessons from Aaron Christie in Waukesha, WI.

Sara taught extended learning at Faith Lutheran in Antioch from 2015 to 2018 and is excited to return to full-time teaching at St. John. She will obtain her Master's degree in Special Education in 2018 from Concordia University in Mequon, WI. She is passionate about early childhood development and early intervention of learning disabilities. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, backpacking/canoeing, reading fiction and non-fiction, campfires with friends, and learning violin.

"I find it a privilege to be able to teach God's Little Lambs and help them grow in their faith. I enjoy seeing the growth in each child by the end of the year. It is an honor to be working with the rest of the staff of St. John to share God's love with the children in our school and help them grow to serve Christ in all they may do."