CCS - Circle Christian School - Foundations Program: Foundations Program Instructors at CCS

Foundations Instructors

Ruth Bingham – WP and WS

K-1 Class

After graduating with a degree in Christian Education from The King's College, Ruth left the cold New York winters, settled in south Florida, and has called the Sunshine State home ever since. Having come from a family of teachers Ruth knew early on that teaching was her God-given calling. Over the years she has written curriculum, taught Sunday school classes, Bible studies, and Vacation Bible School classes for children and adults, led teacher training workshops, and has taught full time as a kindergarten teacher and third grade teacher in the private school classroom. This is her fourth year of teaching the K-1 Foundations class in Winter Springs, and she continues to count it a privilege to touch young lives with the truth of His Story through Circle Christian School. Ruth's strengths are Adaptability, Developer, Intellection, Empathy, and Relator.

Cathy Cox – WP and WS

Drama Appreciation

Cathy graduated from Rollins College with a degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in costume design. She has performed in plays at Rollins and professionally such as Follies, Candide, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Frankenstein, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Shadow Box. She has worked twenty years in film, television and stage, production as a costumer and costume designer. Her production career highlights include television series such as Disney's Sing Me a Story with Belle, Superboy, The Mickey Mouse Club and In Search Of. Clients include Walt Disney theme park and conventions, Snickers, Sony, Coke, SeaWorld, General Motors, Ab Lounge, and LIFE magazine. Cathy has used production values and skills along with the traditional literary and aesthetic elements in every drama class and production for Foundations for the past five years. She has taught Drama II and co directed The Canterbury Tales for Circle Theatre Company '08/09. She is married to Rev. John Cox and they have homeschooled their two children with Circle for twelve years. Cathy's strengths are Adaptability, Belief, Positivity, Connectedness and Includer.

John Cox – WP and WS

Survey of Church Histroy

John and his wife, Cathy, have two children who have been homeschooled with Circle from the beginning. He has also taught Bible/Church History with Foundations for six years. " I have always told the students...the history is the future... the glory, the persecutions, the heroes. You will be the leaders of your churches, so get ready!'" John is the pastor of The Porch, an urban mission community in Orlando. He has also been in private practice as a pastoral counselor specializing in family and addiction issues since 1990. John earned his Bachelors in Philosophy from Houghton College, NY. He earned his Master of Arts in Religion from Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. Always a pastor, he has also served as a seminary dean and instructor in Bible, Church History, and Historical Theology. His favorite job, however, is when his wife Cathy "hires" him as her "assistant" as she designs and costumes for film and television production. John's strengths are Activator, Adaptability, Connectedness, Input and Includer.

Melissa Moran - WP

Music Appreciation

Melissa (Missy) graduated with a Bachelor's from Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, FL, with proficiencies in Music and History and a minor in Bible. While in college, she taught music at a small Christian school. After graduation, she and her husband, Richard, spent three years working as boy's dorm parents at a home for troubled teenagers. Missy and Rich have been married for more than 12 years and have three elementary age children they have together homeschooled each since birth; the oldest is in 6th grade. Melissa is passionate about helping people meet their greatest potential. She draws on her developer and empathy strengths most often when teaching and sees each student as unique in his and her abilities and character traits. Her greatest pleasure in the classroom is witnessing growth in each student. If you can catch her after school each week, she can tell you at least one POSITIVE thing that she "caught" your child do that day. This marks Melissa's 3rd year of teaching for the Foundations program. This is also the year of "The Masters of Music" in our timeline. It promises to be a great year. Missy's strengths are Developer, Positivity, Arranger, Connectedness and Empathy.

Lydia Pace – WP and WS

Survey of Science

Lydia has taught all ages, from adults to toddlers, in her career. The subjects ranged from Bible studies, parenting, sports, dance (ballet, tap, & jazz), as well as all the traditional subjects involved with school. She has thoroughly enjoyed instructing the second through eighth graders in the Science classes at the Foundations programs. Other than a three year absence, she has lead this class for a total of five years.

Some of her primary goals through this program include presenting scientific concepts in such a way that the students will actually enjoy science, encouraging the habitual use of logical thinking, and highlighting the concept of diligence. This year is her first year that she no longer has her own children to teach at home. All four of them are now enrolled in college. Lydia's strengths are Developer, Connectedness, Context, Intellection and Learner.

Cynthia Pilling – WP and WS

Survey of History and Academic Team Leader

Cynthia Pilling and her husband, Steve, have graduated three children with Circle Christian School and will be homeschooling a senior and a second grader in the upcoming year! Their homeschooling journey has been a response to God's calling, with a conviction to focus on character training. During the last 17 years, striving for academic excellence has provided tremendous opportunities for character development! Cynthia's love of history comes from teaching her own children using hands-on unit study methods and lots of experiences to make learning fun and history relevant to the present and future. As a result of mentoring and the study of God's unique design and development of a child's brain, she delights in engaging her students emotionally to increase their learning potential and retention. Furthermore, Cynthia has a heart to pass on to parents her understanding of what science and God's Word reveals about learning and wisdom. Her experience and strengths of Responsibility, Context, Maximizer, Communication, and Achiever uniquely qualify her to serve as Academic Team Leader for the Foundations teaching team. 2010/11 will be her ninth year as part of the Foundations program staff.

Michelle Stewart - WS

Art Appreciation

Michelle was born and raised in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma where she received a Bachelors of Science in Secondary Education. She is married to Don Stewart and together they have been privileged to call "home" wherever the Army sent them. After 22 years of moving, they have landed and settled in Oviedo, Florida, which is now home to their family of three great kids. Michelle's teaching experience began when the Lord called her to homeschool almost 14 years ago. Michelle joined the teaching staff of Circle 5 years ago where she taught both the HOUSE program and the Foundations program. Participating in the homeschooling journey as a family as well as walking along side other families has been one of the most rewarding experiences the Lord has provided. Michelle's strengths are Belief, Intellection, Learner, Communication, and Responsibility.

To illustrate and demonstrate the big picture of God's love and plan for the children she instructs, Michelle has chosen Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 as the verse upon which to base her service this year: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up..."

Leigh Yeargin - WP

Art Appreciation

Leigh has been with Foundations since January 2010, teaching art at the Apopka campus. Leigh and her family have called Oviedo home since moving from South Florida four years ago. Leigh had the honor of homeschooling her daughters for ten years and was blessed to find Circle after moving to Central Florida. Leigh and her husband, Bill, have been married twenty-six years and their daughters, Erin and Amanda, attend Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. Leigh looks forward to this year in Foundations; she loves working with such an impressive staff of dedicated teachers. Leigh is especially excited to teach another year with such great students, and to share with them how much they are loved by God.