Conservatory of the Arts
Staff & Instructors
Jane Turner - Head of School
Jane and her husband, Josh, are the founders of Heritage Academy. Jane graduated from Flathead High School in 1999 and from Covenant College in 2003 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in chemistry. While attending college, she worked with a homeschool supplement group in Chattanooga, TN. For several years, Jane tutored math and science and has now taught elementary and middle school lab science classes at Heritage for 11 years. She is a homeschool mom of nine children who loves all kinds of curriculum and research, hiking, camping, reading aloud, spending time with family, traveling, and a clean house. Most of all, Jane loves to see students and families grow to love God, love others, and love learning so that they can use their God-given gifts to shape culture.
Conservatory Administration
Lisa Thiessen - Conservatory Director
Lisa Thiessen is joining Heritage Academy staff this year as the Head of the Elementary (K-4) department and the Director of the Conservatory program. She has been married to Aaron, the love of her life, for over 21 years. They have four children: Wesley, 18; Annabelle, 16; Colette, 13; and Lincoln, 10.
She has been in education for over twenty years in California, working in public, homeschool, charter, and private Christian schools. She left public education and felt the calling to homeschool. Seeing a need for community, she started Freedom Christian Homeschooling 501c3. While working with homeschooling families, she was asked to join a homeschooling charter school as an Administrator/Coordinator, facilitating homeschool classes and supporting and supervising teachers in their K-12 academic program.
In 2018, the board of trustees for King's Corner Ministries asked her to develop a private Christian school for a large citrus grower in Central Valley, CA, employing over 800 employees. In the fall of 2020 (during the pandemic in California, which is a mighty God story), the school doors were opened on a temporary school site/church campus, and Lisa continued to work as the School Developer and Head of School. By June 2022, the school was accredited through WASC and ACSI, and in the Fall of 2023, the school moved into its beautiful brand-new school site and began to develop its High School program.
Lisa currently has the privilege of consulting and supporting newly developing Christian schools and homeschooling cooperatives all over the U.S. through her LLC and working alongside the Herzog Foundation. She is honored to be a part of God's kingdom-building through education.
Melanie Fritsch - Conservatory Program Director
(Bio coming soon)
Sandra Gardiner - Office Manager
Sandra, a homeschool mom for 26 years, has embraced various roles throughout her life. She has experience in nursing, foster care, homeschooling, ski patrol, and entrepreneurship with her cleaning business. Currently, she is an administrative assistant at Heritage. Sandra finds joy in serving others and prefers to work behind the scenes. She is a proud mother to five daughters and grandmother to eight grandchildren. Her passion lies in ranching on a former Christmas tree farm, where she tends to cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats. For the last decade, she has been active in 4H. Sandra's hobbies include skiing, hiking, horseback riding, and relaxing on the beach.
Conservatory Instructors
Sonja Applebaker - Classroom Assistant
Sonja was born and raised in southern Oregon, she grew up in a large, joyful family, cherishing summer road trips packed into a family car with a trailer in tow. She met her husband, Joe, in Oregon, and together they’ve embraced a life of adventure, living in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and now Alaska. Eagle River, Alaska, is their current home, where Joe works, and she travels to Montana during the school year to homeschool a granddaughter and teach preschoolers. Amid the natural beauty of Alaska, she finds peace and inspiration, especially in the southeast coast and mountains. A lover of crafting, gardening, scripture art, and spending time in nature, she treasures moments of camping, beach walks, and lattes. She and Joe are proud parents of three children—Ryan, Annika, and Tamara—and four cherished granddaughters, two of whom now reside in their heavenly home with Jesus.
Tara Bailey - 7th/8th Writing
Tara grew up in Southern California and graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara with a B.A. in elementary education. After teaching for a year she married her husband, Matt, and continued teaching 4th and 5th grade until the birth of their first of five children. They moved to Montana in 2002 right out of residency and Matt began his practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Whitefish. Tara homeschooled until her oldest reached high school, learned of Heritage, and enrolled her into its amazing program. Tara has three children in college and two still at Heritage. She enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, running, and reading as well as spending time with and taking care of her family.
Alaina Bobadilla - Kindergarten Program
(Bio coming soon!)
Anke Brooks - 6th-8th Grade Art
(Bio coming soon!)
Aleesha Cowan - First Grade Program
(Bio coming soon!)
Cora Crumley - 6-8 Choir
Cora joined the Heritage Academy team in 2022 and is now in her second, nonconsecutive year of teaching Geometry and Pre-Algebra. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Music, along with a master's in teaching, and brings eight years of diverse educational experience to the classroom. Her journey has included teaching overseas, leading math and music programs in Christian schools, instructing pre-algebra in a traditional public middle school, and guiding students in Earth Science and Algebra at an alternative high school.
Cora met her husband, Travis, while singing in a touring college choir, and together they’ve built a joyful life rooted in faith, friendship, family, and a shared love of learning. Their home is filled with the laughter and energy of three young children who keep life lively and full.
Outside the classroom, Cora enjoys traveling, snowboarding, knitting, cooking, and soaking up sunshine at the beach—whether it’s lakeside or oceanfront. She finds deep fulfillment in helping students uncover the logic and beauty within mathematics, revealing how its structure reflects the order and consistency of God’s creation.
Emma Cunningham - 1st through 4th Grade Science
(Bio coming soon!)
Phil Cunningham- Physical Education K - 5th grade
Phil Cunningham is the husband of Amy and father of three beautiful daughters, a dog, two cats and way too many chickens. He has been a follower of Jesus for 40 years and a full time missionary with Youth With A Mission and Steps of Justice for many of those. He is passionate about Justice, specifically about bringing awareness of the poor and oppressed and advocating for them. Phil
is a lover of coffee and 80’s rock music. He has been privileged to travel and work in 23 different countries, including N. Ireland where he was born. Phil was raised in Canada and now lives with his family in Kalispell.
Joyce Davies - 5th & 6th Science, Earth Science
Joyce was born in Hawaii and lived all across the nation with her multitude of animals, thanks to her adventurous parents. This love of adventure continued throughout her life. She received her BS in Environmental Science and Wildlife Biology from Ohio State University and completed her master’s work at Idaho State. Her first professional career was as a wildlife biologist in S.E. Alaska, and for 20 years she worked in various states and countries completing wildlife habitat restoration, evaluations and wildlife species research. After having her son, Soren and daughter Tove’, Joyce hung up her biology work to homeschool her children and share adventures with them. Joyce has worked as a science and math teacher at various facilities and loves to encourage students’ enthusiasm for all things Created!
Trina Karow - Kindergarten-3rd Grade Art
Trina has been immersed in art for her whole life. She began painting in adult oil classes at age 10 and went to work at an art gallery at age 13. There she learned matting, framing, and art restoration. In high school, she studied under nationally recognized NWS/AWS watercolor artist Judy Morris, was art editor of the Student Literary Magazine, first place winner of the Harry & David Bear Crk Corp card design/scholarship, and her artwork was featured in the Best of the Best art shows at the Rogue Gallery. Trina went to college to become an art teacher at the University of Oregon and Southern Oregon State University and graduated from Blimes School of Art in 1993. She taught art before having children and has spent the last several years as full time, homeschool mom of three boys: Caleb, Nate, and Elijah. She has continued to use her talents for the Lord through some mural work at schools, churches and private homes, VBS stage and classroom designs, and occasional art workshops for home school students in both Wyoming and Montana. Trina has been in the classroom at Heritage for many years, and her talent speaks for itself.
Jessica Milligan - K - 3 Choir
Jessica was born and raised in the PNW where she met her husband and had two children. She has been homeschooling her daughter and son from the beginning of their education and has enjoyed being a part of their journey. God also put it on her heart to help point little children to Jesus and has responded to that call by serving with babies and toddlers for many years at her church. She has been blessed to respond to that call even further by serving in the preschool and nursery program at Heritage Academy. Jessica is passionate about her relationship with Jesus, her family, living in community with others, music, and finding joy in the everyday moments.
Amy Peterson - 5th grade Bible, Lit, English; Logic I & II
Amy, a Nebraska native, holds a degree in Elementary Education from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, after attending the University of Nebraska for a year. She has experience teaching 3rd to 5th grades in private Christian schools across Arizona and California. Additionally, Amy homeschooled her three daughters until high school graduation and instructed writing at their homeschool academy in California. Once her youngest daughter graduated, she resumed classroom teaching. Married to a pastor for 33 years, Amy has dedicated 15 years to youth ministry and 18 years to a church plant, leading both children's and women's ministries. Her family, originally from Coeur d'Alene, relocated to Kalispell to be near her daughter and grandson, enjoying a return to the Pacific Northwest. Amy's passions include reading, fellowship, e-biking, church activities, and above all, family time.
Teri Ramsay - 4th/5th Grade Art
(Bio coming soon!)