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Academy Classes
HISTORY - Melissa Bird
Melissa Bird is a native of Columbia graduating from Irmo High School and then Covenant College with a BA in Bible Education in 1991. She is the wife of Rev. Brad Bird and mother to four lovely daughters: Caroline (14), Karis (12), Elizabeth (10) and Anna-Bradley (8). The Birds have homeschooled for ten years, during four of which they have attended Excelsior! Academy. In addition to homeschooling, Melissa joins her husband in ministry as a pastor’s wife and coordinator of equipping events at The Center for Biblical Discovery. Her love for teaching both Bible and history, especially to children, bring her enthusiastically to Excelsior! Academy.
ART - Sonia Neale
Mrs. Neale has had the pleasure of teaching children art for almost eight years. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture and ceramics from Winthrop University and is currently working on her Masters of Art in Teaching from the University of South Carolina. " I am blessed to have my talent and love of art as well as a love to teach. Thank you, Excelsior!, for allowing me to share myself."
MUSIC - Connie Hall
Connie Hall is a music graduate of Columbia International University. She has been a music director since 1996. She has been music director at her current church Northwood Baptist since 2000. She is a piano teacher also, teaching in East Columbia at her parents house and West Columbia in her own home. Connie is married to Heith Hall and has three children: Hayley, Emma Grace and Preston. She is excited about yet another interesting way God has allowed her to use her knowledge and skills through teaching at Excelsior!
LITERATURE - Deena Bouknight
Mrs. Bouknight was seized by the publishing bug at an early age. She wrote, illustrated, and fashioned many different books as a young child, but her professional writing career really began in 1982 at a community college in Panama City, Florida, where she was a staff writer for the college news magazine as well as a freelancer for the local newspaper. Deena is currently a freelance writer and editor. She now resides in Columbia with husband Gary, adopted daughter Madeline, and adopted son Justin. Deena has published one children's book "Our Wintry Day"(Trafford), was a contributor for "Portraits of Grace: North Carolina Churches" (Our State Books), and has just completed her first literary novel "Broken Shells."
DRAMA - Sarah Straney
Sarah is a professional entertainer who performs for adults and children. She has a love for and background in classics and theater and has formally studied theater, the classics, and ancient Greek at Rose Hill College and USC. She has been featured in public media throughout South Carolina, inculding SCETV. Her goal as a teacher and performer is to demonstrate the relevance of the classics and to awaken in her audience a love for the majesty and beauty in the ancient art forms. Sarah is married to Tobias, a bluegrass musician, and they have a son Darius.
8 YEAR OLD CLASS- Roxann Threatt
Roxann Threatt grew up in Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1988, with a degree in education. Soon after that, she was married to Erwin, and together, they joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. They have been on staff for over seventeen years serving in several locations. One of those locations was in Perm, Russia, where they ministered to college students. Roxann and Erwin have two children, and Roxann has home schooled them for six years. She feels privileged and excited to be teaching history and science from a Biblical world view this year at Excelsior!
7 YEAR OLDS - Tanya Crooks
Tanya and her husband James have 4 children and live in northeast Columbia. She is a former business owner and instructor for Redken. Tanya desired to homeschool before ever having children and has now been teaching her own children for over 5 years. She has been an assistant at Excelsior for several years and is very thankful to have an opportunity to teach from a Biblical perspective.
6-7 YEAR OLDS - Candace Sanders
5 YEAR OLDS - Melanie Letts
Melanie Letts grew up in Columbia and is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, with a degree in psychology. She and her husband Michael have two children Alex and Emily. She has home schooled her children for many years and has also taught Sunday school. She is very grateful for the opportunity to teach at Excelsior! and the opportunity to share God's love through history with the students at Excelsior!
4 - 5 YEAR OLDS - Petria Parrish
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Elective Classes
DON RUSSO - Don and his wife Hala have two children and live in Northeast Columbia. Don has been teaching and playing guitar at Excelsior! for many years. He is a professional guitarist and regularly performs locally. He teaches many students in the course of a week and uses his musical gifts to teach young people about making music to glorify God.
EMILY GREENWOOD - Emily and her husband Lawton are new parents to a beautiful baby girl. Emily was born and raised in Columbia,SC. She left pursuing a career in nursing to be a wife and a mother. Emily feels a particular calling on her life to encourage girls in their pursuit of biblical femininity.
KATHY POYNOR - This is Kathy's 7th year at Excelsior. She has a BA in Elementary Education, with a concentration in literature, from Wheaton College (Illinois) and taught her first two years at Covenant Christian School. Kathy is married to David, who is also a teacher, and they have two super sons Will (8) and Nathaniel (5). Kathy is happy to be back at Excelsior!
DIANNE PALMER-QUAY - Dianne Palmer-Quay grew up in NY state where she received her BS in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University. After working seven years as a nutrition educator with the Extension service, she and her husband, Rich moved to Columbia to attend CIU, where she completed a MA in Intercultural Studies. Dianne has four children, ranging in age from 18 to 8. She takes a practical approach to science, so her chemistry students should be prepared to learn the chemical realities behind chocolate pudding. soap, or the combining of vinegar and baking soda.
ABIGAIL LUNDELIUS - As a home-school student, several years ago now, my eagerness for books was fueled by weekly trips to the library and an hour of quiet reading time each day. It was in my senior year at Covenant College that I united my personal love of literature to a passionate desire to train a new generation of bibliophiles. Thus began my work on a Master of English degree from the University of Dallas; a task which I completed in May 2005. I have since transferred my studies to the University of South Carolina where I am a Ph.D. candidate with plans to finish my degree in May 2010. In the past, I have enjoyed teaching several English courses including: Middle Ages Literature (8th grade), Non-Western World Literature (11th grade), Ladies in Literature (high school girls), Composition: English 101 (college freshman), and Composition and Literature: English 102 (college freshman) - and am excited to be teaching this coming academic year at Excelsior! |
Teacher Assistantships are available. To request a position in assisting a teacher, please check the space provided on the registration form. These positions, which are limited in number, are paid positions.
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