6th - 8th
Classroom diversity: Heartland has a great junior high. Because of the age of the students, parents often find this to be a more challenging time. That’s where we come in. Heartland offers a new set of caring adults to team up with you to guide your child through the learning process. Heartland junior high students are assigned to a homeroom instructor who overseers the overall education process, as well as scheduled classes with instructors for English and Math. We have an excellent P.E. class, coached by a world champion athlete. Special units of study are given in the afternoon, such as Shakespeare plays, art projects, and how to do a research paper step by step. Each year we offer SAT testing to assist you in tracking the progress of your student.
Field trips and activities: Heartland junior high begins the year with a trip to the beach so that everyone can get to know each other right away. Four fun fields trips can be earned by completing each quarter’s required work. Other after school activities may include basketball, flag football, talent show, crafts, music, or drama. Heartland junior high puts on a Fall Festival for the rest of the school with the proceeds benefiting the junior high class. Teaching students creativity and responsibility, this annual activity has became a tradition of fun.
Spiritual and relational: The spiritual and relational side of Heartland middle school has a high priority. Our number one goal is for each student to come to know God for himself or herself. When they fall in love with their Savior, the hard things of life seem to fall into place. We have daily Bible studies and discussions as well as separate small group settings for the boys and girls. We place a strong emphasis on being the body of Christ, and endeavor to live together in harmony. We work very hard to create an atmosphere of family unity. We have a Moms-In-Touch group on campus that faithfully prays for our school. Our middle school students freely pray for one another, as well as for their families and the staff. All of our staff has a growing relationship with Jesus. We seek God for insight. It is our desire to cooperate with Him in loving your children, and to help them grow into the mature people of God they are destined to be.
Karen Epperson - 6th and 7th Grade
Experience: Karen has received her bachelor's of science in Education from Liberty University. She was head teacher at Kindercare in the pre-kindergarten classroom until having children of her own. Once her children became of age, she dedicated all her efforts, time, and talents to homeschooling them. She home schooled for six years before finding Heartland Christian Homeschool where she thoroughly enjoyed having the best of both private Christian education and the flexibility and atmosphere of being schooled at home. Four of her six children currently attend Heartland. After volunteering as a yard duty and monitor, it became very clear that Karen's training and love for God, His children, and education could be put to use as such a time as this at Heartland. She is so excited to be teaching fifth and sixth grade.
Interests: Baking, party planning and decorating, working out (REFIT), big family dinners, reading and have deep theological discussions about the Lord and His word.
Personal comment: "Each school year, I go to the Lord and ask what it is He wants to do for my kids. In the beginning, that was to homeschool my children solely on my own, no charter school or co-op. As you can imagine, resources became lower while expenses grew higher. That, coupled with the growing number of children in our family left me depleted and in need for a change. While my heart was still very much for homeschooling, I needed an option that could provide for my kids what I was physically incapable of doing. My husband and I prayed and prayed. Heartland was the answer. We've been at Heartland for going on four years and couldn't fathom sending our kids anywhere else. I am beyond blessed to have the opportunity to be apart of school that puts the Lord first; that sees each child individually and as a unique creation of God, and that trains them up in the way they should go."
Bethany Gaut - 7th and 8th Grades
Experience: Bethany is a busy mom of 5 as well as a club and high school volleyball coach. She grew up here in San Diego, even spent her 8th grade year at the original Heartland Christian School. In ’99, Bethany moved to Kansas City with her husband Rob where they started their family. As well as being homeschooled herself off and on throughout her school aged years, Bethany and Rob schooled their children at home in Kansas until 2014 when they moved back to California.
Bethany has served in multiple rolls here at HCHC, she was the PE for several years and even spent time at the front office and as along term sub in the 7th and 8th grade class. Bethany loves the vision from FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) "to engage, equip and empower" young people as they seek after Jesus. She is a confident lover of Jesus who has a passion for helping children and young adults better themselves through sports and in the classroom. She is looking forward to her new class this year!
Fran McKnight - Jr. High Math
Experience: Fran is a preacher's wife, which has given her much opportunity to teach. She has taught Bible classes and women's Bible study groups for the past 15 years. Having homeschooled her own children for 4 years and worked at Heartland for 3 years, Fran found herself settling into the place that excites her most, the junior high and high school math classes. Having always excelled in math, schooled in honors and advance math courses, competing and winning math competitions, tutoring students in math from 1st grade through high school, Fran looks forward to helping others understand and love math.
Interests: First and foremost God and my family. I love hanging at the beach, parks and amusement parks. I also enjoy games!! I love figuring out strategy games, word games and of course numbers :).
Personal comment: I believe in math! I believe math is in our daily lives. I enjoy it and it has always been an interest to me. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to explain math to the students in a way they can understand it and carry it forward with them. I like to say, “If you understand it, you will use it."
Jamie Martin - PE
Experience: Jamie Martin joins Heartland with a missionary upbringing and a renaissance education. Jamie graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College with a Theology degree in '99 and a B.A. in art from SDSU in '04. She has homeschooled her own children for 9 years, which has given her insight into teaching children with processing issues and dyslexia. Jamie will be teaching PE 1st-8th. She uses her love of travel and her enthusiasm for music to make a lasting impact on her students as they broaden their view of a world in need of a savior.
Interests: Piano/song writing, photography, diy projects.
Personal comment: "I feel completely humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to be around and teach these awesome kids about God and the world around them. I know that God has called me to this mission and I do not take it lightly! I am so excited to see what God does this year!"