Mark Church
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
My name is Mark Church and I am the instructional dean for grades 6-12 at CHA. I grew up in St. Helen, Mi. I graduated from Alma college in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in English, and a minor in Social Science. After graduating, I accepted a position at Roscommon Middle School where I taught grades 5-8 over the course of 19 years. In 2012 I accepted a position at CHA as an instructional dean and Athletic Director. I received my master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in 2016. In my spare time I enjoy running, traveling and spending time with my two beautiful daughters.
Ashley Lawrence
As B.B. King once said “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
My name is Ashley Lawrence and I am the instructional dean of grades 3-5, as well as the Early Childhood Director at CHA. I grew up in Lincoln Park, MI and regularly visited St. Helen with my family. I graduated from Baker College in 2010 with a Bachelors in Elementary education with a major in math and a minor in early childhood. I then went on to teach as a title one teacher in Southgate Schools for two years. In 2012, I joined the CHA team as our founding Kindergarten teacher. I continued my educational career at CHA, teaching GSRP preschool and Kindergarten for four years before accepting a position as instructional dean. I completed my master’s degree in 2015 from CMU with a degree in Educational Leadership. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my three boys and husband.
Sabrina VandenHeuvel
In the words of John F. Kennedy, “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” My name is Sabrina VandenHeuvel and I am the instructional dean for grades K-2 at CHA. I grew up in Fowlerville, Michigan and regularly visited St. Helen with my family on the weekends. I graduated from GVSU with my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and an English Endorsement, with a minor in Psychology in 2016. I then went on to teach 1st grade in Grand Rapids for three years, before moving north to be closer to my family, in St. Helen. I also graduated from GVSU with my master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2020. Since then I have taught Kindergarten and virtual K-2 at CHA. I am enjoying my new role here at CHA, as it provides me the opportunity to develop strong relationships with our staff and students, while continuing to support their education on a daily basis. I have always been drawn towards helping people and love being able to live out this passion daily with our students while also incorporating my love for learning. In my spare time, I enjoy camping, hiking, and spending time with my family.