Noah’s Ark Preschool employs two staff–the Director/Teacher and the Assistant Teacher.
Shannon Jensen, Director/Teacher
My name is Shannon Jensen, and I am very excited to start my 8th year as Director/Teacher at Noah’s Ark Preschool! I love working with young children and feel blessed to be a part of their educational journeys! I genuinely enjoy the company of preschoolers and love to help them learn!
I was born and raised in Le Mars and graduated from Le Mars Community High School. I am a graduate of Morningside College, where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Reading Endorsement. In 2016, I attended Northwestern College and earned an endorsement for teaching PreK-Grade 3 regular education and special education. I have also taken several professional development courses in multiple areas of Early Childhood Education.
I worked with children of various ages at Le Mars Day Care, Inc., where I worked for five years. I spend my summers tutoring children in preschool through second grades. I also work at the Le Mars Public Library, where I teach toddlers’ and preschoolers’ storytimes and assist with the Summer Reading Program. You also may see me working at the library’s circulation desk on Fridays during the school year and on occasional weekends.
I volunteer at St. John’s Lutheran Church by caring for children in the nursery, by caring for children during Moms’ Timeout, and by greeting and lectoring for church services.
My husband, Seth, and I live in Le Mars and are enjoying being first-time homeowners. In my spare time, I enjoy scrapbooking, manicures, shopping, crafts, movies, and spending time with family and friends. I also love dogs, particularly our Miniature Australian Shepherd, Hazel. You may also hear me talk about Piper; she is my parents’ Mini Australian Shepherd.
Megan Dirksen, Assistant Teacher
My name is Megan Dirksen, and I am excited to start my 3rd year as Assistant Teacher at Noah’s Ark Preschool! All three of my kids are Noah’s Ark graduates, and I was a substitute teacher at Noah’s Ark before I became Assistant Teacher.
I was born and raised in Le Mars and graduated from Le Mars Community High School. I attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies/Public Relations.
In the past, I worked for the National Literacy Council in New York, where I worked in public relations. I worked specifically on the Books for Babies campaign. Then, I was a busy stay-at-home mom until 2017.
I spend most of my time running my kids to their many activities. Blake and Brenna are juniors, and Delaney is in 6th grade. I also enjoy reading and scrapbooking. My husband, Brad, our kids, and I live just outside of Le Mars. Brad farms and owns a trucking company.
We love working with preschoolers!
