Faculty/Staff

Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing an environment where your student can thrive academically, socially, and spiritually. We do this through low student/teacher ratios, educational approaches that honor student strengths and individuality, and a commitment to Christian education. 

We are also of the belief that a collaborative relationship with our parents will lead to student success. We welcome conversations about your student on how we can help to provide the best learning opportunities and outcomes. 

Kathy Jefferson, kindergarten

Email: kjefferson@k8puce.org

Mrs. Jefferson has been involved in education for over 30 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Columbia Union College and a master’s degree in special education from Johns Hopkins University. She has taught various grades and subjects throughout her career including teaching college students to be teachers. She loves helping students grow as readers and learners as well as spending time with her family.  

Tania Duncan, first/second grades

Email: tduncan@k8puce.org

Mrs. Duncan has been involved in education since 1989, starting her career as a teaching principal. She is an experienced and perceptive teacher who excels in capitalizing on strengths and takes pride in identifying areas of challenge to help students overcome difficulties in their learning.  She finds that systematic, sequential, explicit instruction with practical and fun practice provides a strong foundation on which all students can build.  She has taught all grades 1-8 in many combinations in Michigan, Delaware, and both southern and northern California.  She has also worked in higher education at Pacific Union College.  Mrs. Duncan has a bachelor and master degree from Central Michigan University and an education specialist (Ed.S.) degree from La Sierra University. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Duncan also enjoys traveling, scuba diving, and helping with Pathfinders. She is an avid lover of animals and owns dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, chickens, and two miniature horses. 

"As a teacher, it is my goal to meet my students where they are and take each as far as he or she can go."

Vern Jeske, third/fourth grades

Email: vjeske@k8puce.org

Mr. Jeske has been teaching at PUC Elementary since 2003, with most of his focus on grades 3 and 4. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pacific Union College. Prior to teaching at PUC Elementary, Mr. Jeske worked as service staff at Pacific Union College for 12 years. Before then, he worked as a wrangler on ranches in Colorado and Texas for two years--perhaps the best preparation he could have had for teaching! Mr. Jeske loves history, baseball, painting, leathercraft, and spending time with his family.

"Teaching should make sense and it should be fun."

Kristy Kyle, principal, fifth/sixth grades

Email: kkyle@k8puce.org

After earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Pacific Union College, Mrs. Kyle began teaching grades 7 and 8 at Oceanside Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School in southern California. In 2012, Mrs. Kyle’s family moved to Angwin; the following year, she began teaching at PUC Elementary. Her hobbies include spending time with her family, reading, and doing puzzles.

"I strive to create a classroom that is a place where students feel safe and are valued, can be creative, learn about the world God has created, mature and grow in God, are surrounded by and immersed in books, can make mistakes and try again, and have fun."

Maleah Merrills, seventh/eighth grades

Email: mmungandi@k8puce.org

Mrs. Mungandi comes to us from Walla Walla University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Middle Level Science Endorsement. She spent the 2015-2016 school year in Saipan as a student missionary teaching Pre-K. Through that experience, as well as several coaching experiences, she developed an interest in teaching. Ms. Merrills is also a certified lifeguard and has taught swimming, wakeboarding, and gymnastics.

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