Contact Us
For questions regarding a class’s topic, schedule, availability, or anything pertaining to a specific class:
Please contact that class’s teacher. The teacher’s contact information can be found at the bottom of the class’s description page.
For administrative questions regarding FEC as a whole:
Please contact Michelle Degerness at flatheadenrichmentclasses@gmail.com
Meet Our Team
Michelle Degerness
Administrator
Michelle Degerness is in her seventh year with Flathead Enrichment Classes as acting Administrator. Her responsibilities are part of what keeps FEC's educational and enrichment programs thriving each year. She is a veteran homeschooling mom as she has homeschooled her own children ages 16-31. Mrs. Degerness's ability to secure excellent teachers for FEC's program has brought many options to the families that are served. She has also served in the past as a paramedic and brings this training and knowledge to FEC families by providing medical attention when needed. Mrs. Degerness has helped lead Homeschooling Support Groups and facilitated several homeschool activities throughout the years. Contact Michelle at flatheadhomeschoolclasses@gmail.com.
Jerelyn Sandtner
Administrator
Jerelyn Sandtner is in her seventh year teaching with Flathead Enrichment Classes and has been a private tutor for six years with a background check. She has been working with children for 30+ years in teaching academics, fine arts, and life skills. Her two passions are - children and teaching. Ms. Sandtner has a Master's Degree in Education and continues to use her knowledge toward assisting many homeschool programs and families. Her goal is to teach kids in a way that is specialized to their learning styles, help them fulfill their passions, and to reach their full potential, while consistently instilling within them true confidence and a growing love for learning! Educationally, Ms. Sandtner’s life's purpose is to assist in the instruction of the next generation of doers and aid their parents through support, encouragement, and appropriate edification. Her teaching platform has grown to include Monday classes, Wednesday ONLINE classes and tutoring, and private tutoring by request to meet the growing needs in the homeschooling community. “I do everything with the Love of the Lord in my heart, and I hope to inspire and impact the future generations of our youth!” Contact Jerelyn at jwsandtner@gmail.com.
Misty Thompson
Assistant Administrator
Misty Thompson has been with FEC since 2018. She is married, has a teenage daughter, and a mini zoo at home. She homeschooled her daughter from 1st to 12th grade. Misty enjoys teaching hands-on classes, learning with her students, showing them animals, and being able to do projects that students might not be able to do at home. In her spare time she likes to read, go to Glacier Park, and hang out with her family. Contact Misty at misty.fec@gmail.com.
Martha Artyomenko
Martha Artyomenko is a mother of 4 (all of whom have graduated), grandmother of 1, older sister of 10, with over 25 years of homeschooling experience and is a homeschool graduate personally. She has learned many unique teaching styles to work with all levels of learners and abilities. She is passionate about writing, history and science. As a busy property management company owner and parent of adult children and a new grandma she has retired from full time teaching but still seeks to support other homeschool families. We are happy that she continues to function on the board at FEC. Contact Martha at martyomenko@yahoo.com.
Nathan Brown
Nathan Brown is in his 5th year of teaching with Flathead Enrichment Classes. He teaches Robotics, Photography and CAD. With his enthusiasm for learning his classes are designed to nurture creativity and ingenuity with the use of kinesthetic learning styles. He believes in the success of each student given the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination for learning. Mr. Brown spent 9 years as a bomb technician in the Army which helped inspire his love for robotics. After a life changing car accident in 2015, he took a photography class for combat veterans called Light Benders in which he found a passion for photography. He has used photography as a business and as an art form creating images with steel wool sparks and long exposure. In 2016, Mr. Brown was given the opportunity to teach robotics in local public schools for 3 years before being asked to bring his knowledge and love for teaching to the homeschool community. Contact Nathan at ftrllc19@gmail.com
Jodi Clark
Jodi Clark has been with FEC since 2020 and has had a life-long passion for teaching children of all ages. She has been homeschooling her two children (ages 14 & 16) for 11 years and has an 18-year background working as a counselor to at-risk teenagers in long-term and short-term intervention programs. Jodi has passionately studied Charlotte Mason's principles, methods, and philosophy of education, and her teaching style is heavily influenced by this. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix online and an Associate of Arts degree from North Idaho College. She is a Montana native but has also lived in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho before settling in the Flathead Valley in 2000. Jodi is a serious bibliophile, and she likes to read, hike, ski, travel, and spend time with her family. Contact Jodi at jodiclarkmt@gmail.com
Carrie Dahlke
This is Carrie Dahlke second year teaching at FEC. She is a mother to 5 kids ages 29-7, and a grandmother to 2 amazing kiddos. She has always been involved in her children's activities from running a Cub Scout pack to being on the Board of Directors for Kalispell Headstart. She has her degree in Accounting and spent almost 20 years in the corporate world before deciding that being a full time Stay At Home Mom was her passion. She spends her days helping with her husband's business, crafting, baking and building her small homestead, and paddling on a dragon boat team. Her love of numbers and kids work together to help your children feel accomplished and successful in her classes. Contact Carrie at Carriedahlke@gmail.com
Jennifer Secrease
Susan Brant
Susan Brant has grandchildren involved in FEC. She has always loved arts and crafts. She has been painting for 18 years and enjoys teaching children to express themselves through art. She has marketed her art in many venues locally and online and currently has it commissioned at Sassafras. In the past, she worked in caregiving with children and elderly. As a grandma, watching children develop and become the next generation of leaders brings her pleasure. Contact Susan at WildAboutNatureArt@hotmail.com.
Leah Farnes
This will be Leah Farnes' first year teaching at FEC. She is a homeschool Mom to 2 boys that have both graduated in the last few years. Leah has been teaching private fiddle, guitar and mandolin lessons for over 20 years and used to teach music in public schools until she decided to homeschool. She has a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in music education K-12th grade and a minor in Library K-12th grade. Her goal in music education is to teach music with movement, singing, dancing and instruments to enrich students' lives and hopefully give them a lifelong love of music.
Mark Jacobs
Mark Jacobs was born in Blue Earth, Minnesota. He entered the Army National Guard in January 1981. He served in a variety of Army National Guard units as welder, fire fighter, and chaplain assistant. In November 1994 he took a commission as a Chaplain Candidate while in seminary. He served in South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Texas, Colorado, and North Dakota before coming on active duty as Chaplain in February 2000. He has served in diverse units to include Engineers, Armor, Special Troops Battalion, Aviation Regiment, Corp Support Battalion, Military Intelligence, Installation Family Life and retired out of Surface Deployment and Distribution Command in October 2015. He has many Awards and Decorations from his career. His education includes: Eastern Wyoming College (A.A.S. in Farm and Ranch Management), University of Idaho (B.S. in General Agriculture), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M. DIV. in Theology), and Texas A and M, Central Texas (M.S. in Counseling Psychology) as well as many military schools. Mark has a broad base of knowledge and loves to place “Common Sense” alongside book learning. His passions are the Lord and his family. He and his wife homeschooled their four children and have had opportunities to teach in other homeschool groups. He has been happily married to Becky for over 33 years who is from Cut Bank, MT. Together they have four Children, Justin and his wife Sara, Shirley Anne, JayCee and her husband Johnathan and Sara and her husband Robert. They have 4 grandchildren. Contact Mark at markjacobs63@gmail.com.
Raina Sandtner
Raina Sandtner has completed an Associate of Science and an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science at Flathead Valley Community College. Raina has worked with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office since January of 2023. She began with the Sheriff’s Posse and, after completing their academy, achieved the title of a sworn Reserve Deputy with field experience. She regularly provides security at events around the county and supports full-time deputies as a cover officer. Her heart is in the work she does as she will be pursuing higher education, including law school, to advance in the law enforcement and military career fields. Outside of academics, Raina enjoys knitting, sewing, and martial arts. She has competed nationally multiple times and has earned the title of National Champion in Taekwondo; she is currently training for her black belt through Big Sky Martial Arts. Raina is now serving on FEC's Security Team. Contact Raina at rainamcsandtner@gmail.com.
Evette Smith
Evette Smith is teaching Spanish for grades 3-6 this year.Contact Evette at evette.smithssl64@gmail.com