Dori Beltz

Principal

The Holy Spirit laid out a crazy clear call to me in the spring of 2020 to embrace Tree of Life as part of my family. I consider my role as principal a divine appointment! The leadership, staff, students and families are a true blessing to me and I pray daily that God uses me to bless them.

Moving into the Edison neighborhood this fall was an orchestration of God. I am falling in love with this community and I’m all in! I have 5 amazing kids of my own- Emma, Caleb, Isaac, Lydia & Mae and they have my whole heart.

My past experiences in education include being an elementary teacher, camp director and family pastor. These callings have laid a terrific foundation for rocking the role of principal at TOL.

When I’m not at school I’m hiking with my dog (Grei), at the beach, hanging with my kids, playing volleyball, adopting stray animals or eating something involving peanut butter and chocolate. I love to garden, play sports, travel, write stories & plan parties. I’m also helping lead a small neighborhood church called Edison Chapel that meets at TOL.

If I haven’t met you yet, I’d love to. I’m incredibly blessed to be a part of TOL!

Becky Smith

Middle School Teacher

Through a series of divine Holy Spirit lead events, I started my teaching career at Tree of Life six years ago as the 3rd -5th grade teacher. Prior, I taught through a government preschool program. I honestly had no clue why I was at Tree of Life, but, I knew that God wanted me there, that it was God ordained, and that it would be good. Wow, was I right! Last year I finally found my God given life calling and that is in teaching middle school. I was created to teach middle school at Tree of Life and I adore everything about it! The relationships with my students and families, the excitement that comes with learning and teaching, and the daily awe inspiring revelations that I get to witness as students dig deeper both academically and spiritually! Tree of Life is a life changing adventure for students, families and teachers alike!

Nathan Runyon

3rd and 4th grade Teacher

After being prompted by the Holy Spirit to work at Tree of Life School, I started serving here in 2017 as the third and fourth grade teacher. I am still serving as the third and fourth grade teacher and privileged to be a part of a staff that puts God and our precious students at the top of every agenda. I am humbled and excited to be in a place where God is on the move and being honored while working alongside our amazing staff, students, and families. I praise God that He has allowed me to be a part of His miraculous plan for everyone involved with Tree of Life, and I cannot wait to see how God is going to bless and surprise all of us in the future.

Patricia Austin

Special Services Coordinator

Jerry DeBoer

Physical Education & Athletics

Sara Stuart

Kindergarten Teacher

We all know those ‘creepy, crazy God moments in our life: Some may call them coincidences, but as a Christ-follower, I know them to be far more than that. A series of those moments worked together to humble me and affirm God’s leading in my life when I was uprooted from my comfort zone and taken down the wildest, most awesome, unimaginable path to…TREE OF LIFE SCHOOL. From a Christian school in one of the roughest, most violent neighborhoods of Chicago to a middle/upper-class private school with just one non-Caucasian student who was adopted, plus two other diverse schools in between, I truthfully thought I had experienced it all. As it turns out, after day one at Tree of Life School as a kindergarten/1st grade teacher, I was the one who got ‘SCHOOLED!’ Literally every single day I have been at TOL has brought me from BELIEVING what the Holy Spirit is capable of, to EXPERIENCING what the Holy Spirit is capable of. I know for sure that I have grown as much, and likely more, than any of those I have taught and worked with since being here. I never truly experienced the Holy Spirit guiding, leading, and nurturing like I do both in my classroom and in the community of our school. It is for this reason, and hundreds more, that five years later my ‘go-to’ answer when asked why I work here remains the same: “While I don’t get paid enough to stay, you couldn’t pay me to leave.

Lisa Knisley

Lunchroom Manager

Elisha Penning

Art Teacher

Bill Schumacher

High School Director

Elsa Halifax

treeK & Music Meacher

Amy Sterenberg

Title 1 Coordinator & Special Education

I am blessed and humbled to have been on the Tree of LIfe adventure from day one. To see God take a vision, make it a reality, and change so many lives along the way has been simply amazing. When we opened in 2010 we knew we were partnering with God to make the school a reality, but we had no idea the multitude of ways we would see Him move in the lives of our students, teachers, families, friends, and community. I am honored to get a front row seat to watch Him work! Through the Title I program, I get the opportunity to help God’s children discover their gifts and help them grow through their struggles on a daily basis. I praise God for this amazing opportunity!

Ann Dillard

Office Manager

Adam Sterenberg

Head of School

Sheri Lynne 

Special ED Aid

What a blessing to be a part of TOL!  After volunteering during the school year last year, God has opened a door for me to be on staff part-time and assist individual students.  Although I am helping students to grow spiritually and achieve their academic goals, I believe they teach me as much as I teach them, by their acts of kindness and awesome prayers.  Mark 10:14 “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Talanja Steele

Administrative Assistant

I am at TOL because God called me here. He wouldn’t let me sleep until I took my first step in obedience. God has an assignment for me. He moved mountains on my behalf, NO, on behalf of OUR children and for his glory. My first year here I volunteered 3 days a week- that was a miracle in itself. What mother do you know has the time and money to do that? I have always had a heart for kids- especially elementary age. At this age, they have not accepted the lies and tricks of the enemy like, “I can’t spell”, “I can’t read”, “I’ll never be able to do ______.” I am here to uproot them lies before they get a chance to mature and take over their minds. My job is to plant good seeds- seeds of life. I tell and show kids- you can read, you are smart, you do have self-control and you are loved. God has plans for our children. Plans to prosper them to give them hope and a future. Thank God His plan included me!

Sara Frye

Paraprofessional