Staff & Teachers

Administration

Amy Murphree

Principal

With a deep passion for teaching and a strong commitment to student growth, I’ve spent my career helping young people discover their potential and pursue excellence. After years in the classroom as a teacher/leader, I am honored to now step into the role of principal—continuing my mission to lead, serve, and inspire.

At the core of my work is my personal walk with God. My faith is the foundation that strengthens and sustains me.

As I step into this new chapter, I do so with humility, gratitude, and a heart full of hope—for what God will do through our school, our students, and our shared journey of growth and learning.

Con una profunda pasión por la enseñanza y un firme compromiso con el desarrollo estudiantil, he dedicado mi carrera a ayudar a los jóvenes a descubrir su potencial y alcanzar la excelencia. Tras años en el aula como docente y líder, me siento honrada de asumir ahora el cargo de directora, continuando mi misión de liderar, servir e inspirar.

En el centro de mi trabajo se encuentra mi relación personal con Dios. Mi fe es el fundamento que me fortalece y me sostiene.

Al comenzar este nuevo capítulo, lo hago con humildad, gratitud y un corazón lleno de esperanza por lo que Dios hará a través de nuestra escuela, nuestros estudiantes y nuestro viaje compartido de crecimiento y aprendizaje.

Teachers

Dim Lam Lun

Chimes Teacher

Certifications: MA in Elementary Education

llun@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

Growing up in a Seventh-day Adventist Church, I always had the opportunity of attending our church schools. And after finishing both Bachelor’s and Masters in the field of Education, it has always been my passion to teach in schools where I believe it is a way of serving Christ to prepare souls for His Kingdom. As an experienced SDA educator with more than 22 years of teaching experience, I have a well-grounded, Bible-based teaching philosophy, which is to nurture our young future leaders to grow with integrity in all aspects of life in their physical, mental, social, and spiritual development. For young learners to grow and become successful in life, I believe that educators must be well equipped to be good role models socially, mentally, and spiritually so that their students will have a personal relationship with Jesus as a friend, will be ready to meet Jesus at any time, and will be a true witness to others. I believe I can play an important role in this preparation by nurturing my students to be what their Creator wants them to be now and for the rest of their lives.

Amy Murphree

Teacher

Certifications: History, ESL

amurphree@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

At the core of my work is my personal walk with God. My faith is the foundation that strengthens and sustains me.

As I step into this new chapter, I do so with humility, gratitude, and a heart full of hope—for what God will do through our school, our students, and our shared journey of growth and learning.

En el centro de mi trabajo se encuentra mi relación personal con Dios. Mi fe es el fundamento que me fortalece y me sostiene.

Cindy Fisk

Handbells Teacher

Certifications: Elementary Ed., Music, Home Ec.

cfisk@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

I love teaching at Hoover Christian School! I bring a variety of teaching experiences to enrich my classroom, including sixteen years in public education, seven years of homeschooling my own children, two years of teaching at an SDA boarding school in the Amazon region of Brazil, and many years in children's Sabbath school and Pathfinders. My own education is a mix, as well. I was homeschooled most of my elementary years, attended SDA boarding academy for my high school years, graduated from Southern Adventist University with a Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics, and received a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama. Having spent most of my childhood in Brazil, I am fluent in Portuguese and can get by in Spanish.

I believe in active learning in every way possible. It is exciting to see children engrossed in discovering some aspect of their world, knee-deep in learning without even realizing it! In my classroom children can learn at their own pace, as we flex back and forth between grades and varying ability levels. They can move about and work in ways that suit their individual learning styles and personalities. We incorporate plenty of physical movement, fresh air, and free choice time, so that the children can develop naturally and in ways that promote soundness of body, mind, and spirit. The love of God is brought into every subject area, and character education is an ever-present thread woven into instruction.

Many of my personal interests are evident in our classroom. We grow plants indoors and veggies in the outside grow boxes. We feed the birds outside our windows and a pet bird and a tank full of fish in class. There is a daily trek to our weather station. We sing to worship and praise God, we sing to learn grammar and other academics, we sing in choir. We read, read, and read some more. Our classroom is a busy, buzzing place, filled with the laughter and chatter of happy children. And I couldn't be more pleased to be in the middle of it all!

Eli’sha Vargas

Teacher

Biography

Courtney Ray

Art Teacher

Biography

Angela Ronalds

Teacher

Certifications: Math and Science

aronalds@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

I started my teaching career in 1993 in a three room elementary, country school. In 1996 I entered training college and completed an associates degree in elementary education. I continued teaching for a total of 7 years before my husband and I immigrated to Rhinelander Wisconsin in 2001. I then focused my efforts as a full time, homeschool mom of our 4 sons until December 2014, when I returned to school and completed a Bachelors in Zoology with emphasis in the medical sciences. Apart from biology and animal science, my degree emphasized chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry. My degree also included Statistics and Calculus. I am passionate about Adventist Education because I believe our schools have the added advantage of integrating Jesus into our curriculum. I blend my teaching with compassion and earnest love for each student individually. I seek to empower my students through hard work and prayer to discover their full potential and to recognize that they can accomplish all things through Christ who gives them the strength. I am also determined to ensure that my students are prepared to match national standards and for college in the areas I teach.

Vivian Swaney

Teacher

Certifications: English and Bible

vswaney@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

Nelcy Amaya

Teacher

Certifications: Spanish

namaya@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

I am a Columbian by birth and Spanish is my first language. I am the PreK-8th grade Spanish instructor and facilitate the Spanish courses for high school at Hoover Christian School. Since I first started working at HCS in 2010, I have had a variety of jobs, however, helping students become bilingual is a passion for me.

Classroom Philosophy

Making sure my boys were bilingual--learning English at home and Spanish at school was important to me. I want to bring that same type of success to the students at HCS by teaching Spanish at school while they continue learning English at school and home. My principals for teaching are a second language to students are:

It has a positive effect on itellectual growth and enriches and enhances a child's mental development.
It leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening.
It improves a child's understanding of his/her native language.
It gives a child the ability to communicate with people s/he would otherwise not have the chance to know.
It opens the door to other cultures and helps a child understand and appreciate people from other countries.
It gives a student a head start in language requirements for college.
It increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset.

(Center for Applied Linguistics)

Staff

Charlotte Dismukes

Student Accounts Manager

Biography

Pat Germsheid

Aftercare Supervisor

Biography

Carolyn Petty

Office Manager / Registrar / Attendance

cpetty@hooverchristianschool.org

Biography

After beginning the pre-K and kindergarten program at Hoover Christian School (then called Brakeworth Junior Academy) and teaching in that classroom for a whirlwind two decades, watching dozens of beautiful children grow into amazing young men and women, I was blessed to be able to move into the office. I’m still able to interact with the students every day, while I do what I can to facilitate everyone else’s work. It’s also my pleasure to get to know most of the parents, and try to help them in any way possible. With a beautiful new website and online application and enrollment, the future is a challenge I welcome! God is good—all the time!

Arni Johnson

Lunchroom

Biography

Board Members

Jonathan Abrahams, Chair
Wendy Stumph
Celia Young
Tom and Charlotte Dyer
Lewis Majiwa
Fiona Lewis
Ekele Kamalu
Daniel McFall
Scott Bowes, GSC Superintendent
Carla Thrower, SU Superintendent
Carolyn Petty, HCS Registrar
Amy Murphree, HCS Principal

Ex oficio members

English/Bible Teacher
Angela Ronalds
Lam Lun
Cindy Fisk
Scott Johnson
Christian Ronalds, BFC Pastor
Amy Murphree