New Covenant Christian School - a Christ-centered and Classical School in Harford County, Maryland (A ministry of New Covenant Presbyterian Church)
                                    Sharpening Minds.  Shepherding Hearts.  Shaping Lives.
 

Faculty & Administration

(Current Job Openings)

Administration

Headmaster: Mr. Jason Van Bemmel began serving as principal of NCCS in July of 2003. He also serves as an elder for New Covenant Presbyterian Church.  A graduate of the University of Maryland, Mr. Van Bemmel’s classroom teaching experience includes four years of teaching at a local Christian high school and several years of teaching classes to local home school students.  He also trained English teachers in China in the Summer of 1997 with English Language Institute, China (ELIC).  He is currently enrolled in the Master of Education program at Covenant College seeking a degree with an emphasis in Educational Leadership.  At the same time, he is finishing up his seminary studies toward a Master of Arts in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary.

Mr. Van Bemmel's passions include studying and teaching God’s Word, reading good books about history and theology, taking camping trips with his family, and playing with his two sons. He believes that education should lead young men and women to the ability to learn for themselves for the rest of their lives, as redeemed and obedient image-bearers. Each person should discover his or her own unique set of gifts and abilities to learn to use them to please God and build Christ's kingdom for the rest of their lives.  He is committed to building a strong community of families at New Covenant, focused on working together to train up the next generation to serve God effectively with their whole lives.

Grammar School Principal: Ms. Corrie March is our Lower School Principal. Corrie has over 30 years of teaching experience and 15 years of administrative experience. She has taught in four Christian schools throughout the years, home schooled her daughter through 12^th grade and her son through 8^th as well as taught Harford County students as a home/hospital teacher for the past 11 years. For the past five years she has been running a tutoring service called, Tailor Made Tutoring, where she teaches various subjects to students according to their learning styles. She has two children, Tiffany and Garrett.

After graduating from Washington Bible College with a BA in Religious Education, Corrie went on to the University of MD where she obtained her certification in Early Childhood Education. After several years of teaching, Corrie went to Bowie State University where she earned a Masters’ degree in Counseling and Psychology.

Corrie has helped to organize and lead a number of home school groups, including the one still operating here at New Covenant, as well as Truthseekers, a group of home schooled teenaged girls that were involved in community service projects and leadership activities.

Corrie’s love of children, her passion for Christian education, and her years of experience are a blessing to us at New Covenant Christian School.

Faculty

Preschool

Mrs. Denise Wysocki is in her eighth year teaching preschool for New Covenant.  She approaches her preschool calling with joy, enthusiasm and warmth.  All of our preschoolers and their parents really get to love "Miss Denise."  When she's not teaching preschool, Mrs. Wysocki enjoys sports, especially coaching volleyball, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Kindergarten

Mrs. Cindy Thompson taught preschool at New Covenant for several years before moving upstairs in the fall of 2005 to teach our Kindergarten class.  She has a wonderful spirit—patient, joyful, enthusiastic and loving. Her goal is to instill a love of learning in each child, surrounding them with a Christian environment by teaching them to follow and trust in Jesus always.

After accumulating many early education non-credit hours, Mrs. Thompson is now pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education through Towson University.

Her family includes her husband, Ken, who she has been married to for 25 years and two boys, David, who is a student at Loyola College, and Daniel, a 7^th grader at NCCS. They are members of St. Matthew Lutheran Church where they participate in various activities.

1^st Grade

Mrs. Pat Eldreth began teaching first grade for NCCS in 2004.  She is married and has two grown sons, ages 28 and 26. She has an MBA from the University of Baltimore and, after several years in the business world, returned to school. Mrs. Eldreth received her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Towson University in May, 2003, and is certified in Elementary Education.  Her students benefit from her love of learning, her thoroughness, her professionalism and her Godly character. She is an avid reader, an excellent student and a solid Christian woman.   

2^nd Grade

Miss Jill Kallmyer began teaching second grade during our fifth year, in 2003. Prior to that, she taught kindergarten at New Covenant Christian School starting our charter year. Miss Kallmyer received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson State University. She has experience as a teacher in the preschool setting and has served as the Administrator of New Covenant Presbyterian Co-op Preschool. Miss Kallmyer lives in Laurel Valley with her two daughters. Her teaching style includes a gentle and caring manner with consistent and firm discipline. It is a joy to watch her interact with her students as she encourages each one to do his or her best.

3^rd Grade

Mrs. Janet Barker joined the staff of NCCS in 2002 as our third grade teacher. She enthusiastically taught Art to grades 1 through 3 during the 2001-2002 school year. She is a godly woman who loves the Lord which shows through all her interactions with children and adults. Her teaching is marked by an infectious enthusiasm for the Lord, for her students, and for the material she teaches, especially in history and literature.

Mrs. Barker came to us with eight years of classroom experience (in Christian schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey) and ten years of home schooling her four boys. Janet has taught Sunday school for eight years (ranging from grades 1 through 12) and has directed VBS at Covenant Church (where her husband, David, was the pastor for 15 years). She graduated from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Science in Education and took graduate courses at Penn State.

Pastor and Mrs. Barker accepted the call to the Pastorate at New Covenant in August of 2001. Mrs. Barker is a wonderful addition to our staff. Her philosophy includes the belief that, "a Christian education should be an excellent education. We are called to expose students to great teaching in all areas so that they can develop their God-given talents."

4^th Grade

Mrs. Evelyn Armstrong began teaching first grade at New Covenant Christian School in our charter year.  She made the transition from the first to the fourth grade classroom in the 2004-2005 school year.  Mrs. Armstrong graduated from Towson State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and taught fourth grade in the Baltimore County Public Schools. 

In 1990, Mrs. Armstrong helped to open and develop the New Covenant Co-op Preschool.  She taught there from September, 1990, through June, 1994, at which time she left to home school her own son and daughter.  During the years that she was at home with her children, Mrs. Armstrong tutored privately and enrolled in education courses.  Her studies have included Children's Literature, Reading and Writing Language Connection, Teaching Children with Special Needs, and Sign Language.

Mrs. Armstrong taught third grade at Redeemer Classical Christian School for three years during the developmental stages of New Covenant Christian School.  Mrs. Armstrong has an obvious love for children, which permeates her interactions with them.  She is an encourager and uses her creative energy to stimulate tremendous academic growth in her students.

5^th Grade

Mrs. Jean Armstrong began teaching fourth grade during the fourth year of our school.  She made the transition from the fourth to the fifth grade classroom in the 2004-2005 school year.  Prior to teaching at New Covenant Christian School, she served as our charter principal.  She graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology.  She taught in the Baltimore City Schools for 11 years.  During that time she pursued a Master's Degree in Administration and Supervision.  She received her Advanced Professional Certificate from the Maryland State Board of Education. 

Before coming to NCCS, Mrs. Armstrong also worked as a "Curriculum Integration Specialist" for Computer Curriculum Corporation where she wrote implementation plans and trained classroom teachers and administrators in the use of educational software as part of their instructional program.  Her love for teaching has lured her back into the classroom where she believes in firm, gentle discipline and in enjoying the unique personalities of each student.

6^th Grade

Mrs. Wendy Lankford joined the staff of New Covenant in 2000 as our second grade teacher. She moved to fifth grade (her particular favorite) in the 2003-2004 school year. Wendy is a graduate of Grove City College and has taught at Open Bible Day School in Baltimore and in the Baltimore County Public Schools. Mrs. Lankford loves the Lord, as evidenced by her strong testimony. She is a gifted singer and brings her love of music into the classroom.

Mrs. Lankford is a voracious reader and shares that love of books with her students. She believes in firm but loving discipline and encourages her students to work quickly and efficiently. She moves effortlessly from one subject to the next fostering independence among her students.

Upper School Teachers

(Grades 7-9)

Mrs. Grace McManus joined New Covenant in the 2005-2006 school year. Having earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from The Pennsylvania State University, Mrs. McManus joined faculty of NCCS to teach science, mathematics and logic in the Logic Stage of the classical school model. Mrs. McManus brings prior experience teaching logic and computer applications courses at Redeemer Classical Christian School. She also brings a number of years of experience in teaching a variety of subjects, which she gained from home schooling her four children. Mrs. McManus is an active member of her church and has significant experience as a leader in her church's children's worship program. When she is not teaching, she enjoys cheering for her children, who are all active in a variety of sports.

Mr. Ryan Muir relocated from Santa Fe, NM, to teach in our Upper School.  He has a Master’s Degree in Western Classics from St. John’s College in Santa Fe and teaches seventh and eighth history, eighth grade English and Algebra 1/2.  Mr. Muir's passion is military history, especially the military history of the Cold War.  He has a strong love for the Lord and for middle school students.   

Mr. Eric Vowles has joined our staff teaching 9^th grade Humanities, Christian Worldview, and 7^th and 9^th grade Bible.  He graduated this May with honors from the Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, with a Master's of Divinity. He is expected to be ordained to the Gospel ministry latter this fall as a Deacon in the Reformed Episcopal Church and presently serves as the assistant to the Rector of Grace Reformed Episcopal Church in Havre de Grace, Maryland.   He is married to his wife Sarah. He has a passion for history and literature and looks forward to passing that passion on to the next generation.

Miss Lisa Vowles studied British and American Literature and Chemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park.  She started her teaching career in Baltimore City at a Catholic school called Archbishop Borders School in Highlandtown.  She is currently working on her Masters in Education at the College of Notre Dame.  Her passions are the Lord, above all else, youth, good books and sports.

For More Information Contact:

New Covenant Christian School
128 St. Mary's Church Rd. Abingdon, MD 21009
Tel: 443-512-0771
FAX: 410-569-3846
Internet: nccs@ncpres.org

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Last modified: 06/16/08