Circle Christian School - Foundations Program Instructors at CCS

Foundations Instructor Bios

Ruth Bingham

Since graduating with a degree in Christian Education from The King's College, Ruth has taught Sunday School classes, Bible studies, and Vacation Bible School classes for children and adults. When she and her husband, George, lived in Miami, she taught kindergarten at Miami Christian School until their daughter, Jenna, was born. After the family moved to Orlando and their youngest daughter, Emily, was school age, she went back to the classroom, teaching four year-olds at Willow Creek Preschool. Then, in order to be close to her girls who were attending, she taught third grade at The Geneva School. Now, after years in the classroom, Ruth is thoroughly enjoying homeschooling and is very grateful to her Lord for giving her the opportunity to use her gifts at home and at Circle Christian School.

Peggy Bush

Peggy and her husband, Russell, have two children. They have been homeschooling for six years through Circle and have been involved in the Foundations program during that time. Peggy has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in the area of finance from the University of Central Florida. She worked in the legal industry for twelve years before leaving the full-time workforce to be home with her children. She has since worked part-time in ministry, worship, and party planning. Having volunteered many years in children's ministry, she was excited to begin teaching in the Foundations program. Her passion is to help students find creative ways to worship, honor, and glorify God, especially through art and music.

Cathy Cox

Cathy graduated from Rollins College with a degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in costume design. She has performed in numerous plays at Rollins and professionally such as Follies, Candide, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Frankenstein, and The Shadow Box. She has worked twenty years in stage, film, and television 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 Extreme Makeover - Wedding Edition; movies such as Rocketeer and Altered; Walt Disney theme park and production entertainment and conventions. Clients include Snickers, Sony, Coke, SeaWorld, General Motors and Chrysler, and LIFE magazine. Cathy includes production values and skills along with the traditional literary and aesthetic elements in every class and production for Foundations Drama. She is married to Rev. John Cox and they have homeschooled their two children with Circle for ten years.

John Cox

John and his wife, Cathy, have two children who have been homeschooled with Circle from the beginning of their schooling experience. John is the pastor at The Porch, an urban ministries church in downtown Orlando. He is also a state certified Addictions Professional and has been in private practice as a pastoral counselor specializing in family and addiction issues since 1990. John received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Houghton College, NY, and his Masters of Arts Degree in Religion from Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. Always a pastor, he has served for two years as a seminary dean and instructor in Bible, Church History, and Historical Theology. His favorite job, however, is when wife Cathy "hires" him as her "assistant" as she designs and costumes for film and television production.

Melissa Moran

Melissa and her husband, Richard, have three children and have been actively homeschooling for four years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education with History and Music Proficiencies from Trinity Baptist Bible College in Jacksonville, Florida, and traveled in the college's touring singing group for one year. Melissa has experience teaching music in both private schools and homeschool co-op settings. Before they had children of their own, Melissa and Rich worked at a home for troubled teenagers in North Florida. It was there that the decision to home educate their future children was decided. In addition to schooling their children, Melissa currently teaches beginner piano from her home. She and her husband faithfully serve in children's ministries at their church.

Lydia Pace

Nineteen years ago Lydia began homeschooling her four children. The three oldest attend UCF studying Civil Engineering, Aerospace, and English Literature. Her youngest is a sophomore with Circle. Lydia taught science for the Foundations program for three years beginning in 2002. She considers it an honor to come back again to share her goal of encouraging students' curiosity in the realm of exploring God's creation and how it works.

Cynthia Pilling

Cindy and her husband, Steve, have graduated two children, are homeschooling two high school students, and are trying to keep up with their young daughter, Hope. Cynthia held a successful management position in the hotel industry during which time she earned an Associates Degree in Business Management and Marketing from Valencia. Committed to traditional family values, she left the business marketplace when their first child was born. Their homeschooling journey began and continues as a response to God's calling with a conviction to focus on character training. During the last fifteen years, striving for academic excellence has provided a lot of opportunity 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 history relevant to the present and future.

Michelle Stewart

Michelle is from Oklahoma and is married to Don, an Army Major, and together they have traveled the world with their three children. Residing in Orlando for the past four years, it is safe to say that this is now home. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education Social Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Teaching HOUSE and Foundations for Circle over the past four years has been a privilege and wonderful growing experience both professionally and personally. Teaching has offered her the opportunity to inspire and influence children to know Christ which is the desire of her heart. From Germany to Georgia, she has discovered God's presence, His people, and His amazing provision in each new duty station. While stationed in Hawaii, she was privileged to serve as co-leader of Hawaiian Grace Homeschool Group, and in Georgia, she taught geography and art appreciation for a co-op group. The Lord has revealed Himself in wonderful ways during the years as she has homeschooled her children. She brings to the classroom environment a passion to influence children to view the world through God's eyes.

Joann Stroup

Joann (Jo) Stroup has been married to her husband, Mike, for twelve years. Their daughters, Jordynn and Tristynn, are CCS students. Joann is a graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and has a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Behavior. During the past nineteen years, Joann has been heavily involved in the area of administration in both the corporate and church arenas.