Marianne Raitz
1st-grade teacher - Spanish Immersion
Years at Zeeland Christian: 7
Years in Christian Education: 22
Education:
Bachelor's in Preschool Education, Universidad Panamericana, Costa Rica
Master in General Education, Framingham State University
Master in Administration of Education, Catholic University in Costa Rica
What do you love about Zeeland Christian?
I love that God is a part of everything that I teach and that not only is academics important but pointing my students to Jesus Christ daily is just as important.
Why are you passionate about Christian Education?
Children can learn to read and write and do school anywhere but in a Christian School they learn about who they are in Christ and they learn that God has a purpose and a plan for them. We build relationships with our students and that allows for true growth in all areas.
What do you want others to know about you?
I am the mother of three children (Becky 19, Hannah 14 and Alejandro 11) and the stepmom to two (Joshua 24 and Heather 27). I have the best husband in the whole world (Mark) and we've been married since April 2016. I was born and raised in Costa Rica to a Costa-Rican father and an American mother, so I grew up with the gift of two languages. I moved to the US because I had heard about ZCS from a co-worker who knew Bill VanDyk, so I visited for a week, fell in love with the school and asked if I could be considered for a teaching position. Six months later I was offered a job, quit my job and moved to Zeeland. It's been the best time of my life. God is at the center of everything I do, He is my strength and I can't do life without Him. I love baking, reading and working out.
One life lesson your students have taught you:
When you have a problem you solve it if you can and move on. If you can't, leave it to God and move on. Children don't worry constantly, they trust and enjoy every moment.