Grove City Christian Academy

Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten at GCCA is a time of new beginnings for our new academy friends.  Although learning the alphabet and its sounds as well as counting and memorizing scripture are a part of every day together, large doses of play and fun activities are a key component of Mrs. Smith's lesson plans.  Mrs. Smith has been guiding our academy's youngest students for more than two decade and continues to provide exciting thematic units that students recall for a life time.  Mrs. Smith is married to Pastor Boyd Smith and has three grown children and two grandsons. 

Pre-School & Pre-Kindergarten Aide:  Mrs. Jackie Thiry

Mrs. Jackie Thiry has been with Grove City Christian Academy since 2007.  She is currently earning a BA in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Political Science and Government.

Jackie enjoys interacting with the children in the classroom and reinforcing the lessons with various activities.  She also understands the importance of teaching even the youngest children of GCCA skills for the future including the social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual development of each child.

Jackie and her husband, David reside in Harrisville with their two daughters.  They are members of West Unity Community Church in Harrisville.

Kindergarten:  Mrs. Dawn Morgan

Kindergarten is the very important bridge between the preschool years and 1st grade, and Mrs. Dawn Morgan gives prayerful, patient and loving instruction along every step across.  A graduate of Liberty Baptist College, Mrs. Morgan has opened the door to reading for kindergarteners at GCCA since 1995. Mrs. Morgan is always ready with a smile and a calm word of encouragement as she helps to build a solid foundation in phonics, reading, math, Bible, cursive writing, and more. Her kindergarteners are more than ready for the challenge of first grade when they say good-bye!  Mrs. Morgan is married to Brad Morgan and has two grown children. They live in Grove City. 

First Grade:  Mrs. Sarah Hazlett

Mrs. Sarah Hazlett is new to GCCA, but not new to the classroom.  She spent two years teaching first and second graders in Massillon, Ohio.  A 2006 graduate of Slippery Rock University, Mrs. Hazlett majored in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.  While attending SRU, she also minored in Psychology and Literature.  Mrs. Hazlett has always loved working with young children and thrives on teaching her students concepts that will last a lifetime.  Mrs. Hazlett and her husband currently reside in Slippery Rock with their three dogs.  She and her husband attend Lifeway Baptist Church in Cranberry, PA. 

Second Grade:  Mrs. Bobbie Van Til

Bobbie Van Til has been involved at GCCA since 1988 when she came to teach the primary class (1st, 2nd, 3rd grades).  She graduated from Indiana Untiversity of Pennsylvania, having earned a bachelors degree in elementary education.  She is married to Seth, has three daughters, Madeline, Emma and Molly, and is a member at Covenant Church in Grove City.  Mrs. Van Til loves praising and thanking God with her 2nd graders as they consider His marvelous works!

Third Grade:  Mrs. Nancy Spears

This year's third graders will begin their new year with Mrs. Nancy Spears.  Mrs. Spears received a B.A. in Elementary Education and a Masters of Education from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA.   Mrs. Spears' love and expertise in reading instruction will be evident as she teaches students about God's hand in history in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation period.  While reading a variety of great literature, students will also participate in exciting activities that compliment these great stories.   Mrs. Spears also serves as the head teacher.  Nancy and her husband Todd have four children and live in Grove City, PA. 

Fourth Grade:  Mrs. Lisa Schulter

If the smell of paint is in the air, it must be Auction time, which means Mrs. Lisa Schulter, our artistic fourth grade teacher, is working on her annual contribution: a themed, beautifully hand-painted piece of furniture!  Mrs. Schulter came to GCCA in 2005 after serving as an administrator at another Christian school.  A secondary education graduate of Slippery Rock University, she spent several years teaching fourth grade at a Christian school in Maryland before returning to the area to marry her husband, Tim.  As the fourth graders learn about colonial American history and Pennsylvania history, they can count on Mrs. Schulter (a member of Phi Alpha Theta history honorary) to lead them on adventures to local historical sites such as the Old Stone House. 

Fifth & Sixth Grade:  Miss Megan Maley

GCCA fifth & sixth graders study 20th century American history in-depth with a history major as their guide: Miss Megan Maley.  A 2007 graduate of Grove City College, Miss Maley majored in history and minored in religion. She has great enthusiasm for integrating faith and life, as evidenced by her time with the Witherspoon Fellowship, where she studied faith and public life.  Miss Maley also spent a whole semester volunteering at GCCA so that she could further solidify her understanding of integrating faith and education.  She loves teaching geography and bringing song into the classroom.  At home she enjoys classical music, art, penning letters, scrapbooking, and aerobics. 

Seventh/Eighth Grades:  Mr. Joshua Swieringa

GCCA seventh and eighth graders study the classics with Mr. Josh Swieringa. Mr. Swieringa graduated with a major in history through the secondary education program from Calvin College in 2010.  He also graduated with a minor in religion.  He continues his love for technology into the classroom by integrating multimedia into the classroom.  He is recently married to his wife, Mrs. Lien Swieringa, and is in his second year of teaching.  He attends Gateway Community Church in Slippery Rock.

Fifth/Sixth Grade Math:  Mrs. Diana Fisher

Algebra 1/Life Science:  Mrs. Pamela Jenkins

Mrs. Pam Jenkins teaches Earth and Life Sciences in the 7th and 8th grades and Algebra I. Pam has a BS in Chemistry from Georgia Tech which she earned after transferring following three years at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, GA.  She discovered an interest and enjoyment in teaching while teaching her daughter home school for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, and has been helping out at GCCA part time since 2001. Her husband, Steve, an entomologist, is a professor of Biology at Grove City College. Both of their children are alumni of Grove City Christian Academy. Pam is currently also a tutor at GCCA's Trinitas Homeschool Study Center teaching Chemistry, Material Logic, and Algebra II. The Jenkins family has attended Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grove City for 20 years.

Music:  Mrs. Faith Fedor

Mrs. Fedor has been teaching music here at GCCA since 2007.  She brings to the school her background full of theatre productions (primarily musicals).  She has director, assistant director, costume, set design, and stage makeup experience as well as acting and dancing in various plays and musicals.  She has been active in many various choirs since 1966 and was director for her church choir for a short time.  She has written and directed dozens of Christmas pageants and worship services in her church since 1985 and has been associate director of their Vacation Bible School program since 2001.  She has also been director of her family's singing group, The Whalen Family Singers, since 1980.

Mrs. Fedor has a deep passion for teaching music here at GCCA and encourages her students to learn, achieve and excell to the best of their musical ability. 

Physical Education:  Mrs. Jodi Sloan

From the fundamentals of basketball to the techniques of Frisbee golf, Mrs. Sloan keeps one thing before her students, play hard!  Mrs. Sloan has served as our P.E. teacher for grades 1^st-8^th since 2005.  She is also an active participant in our Booster Club, organizing and leading our Funnel Cake booth during the summer months at various community events and is the coach of GCCA's Archery Team.  Mrs. Sloan’s youngest daughter is a part-time student at GCCA.

Fifth through Eighth Grade Art:  Mr. Glen Sanders

Mr Sanders along with his wife of 25 years, Denine, and their family have lived in Grove City for over 20 years.  They have five children that range in age from 6 to 25.  He and his wife worked as counselor parents at George Jr. Republic for 14 years and he is presently the Fine Arts Director there.  Mr. Sanders is currently working on his MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  He was adopted into a Christian home as an infant and has had a personal relationship with Christ from a very early age.  Mr. Sanders feels that God has given him his talents in art and he appreciates being able to share those gifts with the students at GCCA. His daughter Marayna attends GCCA in the first grade.

Elementary Art:  Mrs. Stacey Hogue