We could not be more pleased with the talented group of passionate educators that God has provided Colorado Christian Academy for our inaugural year. We were blessed with a large pool of applicants, and feel that this really enabled us to select a group that loves Jesus, students, and families in a way that best fits our mission and vision. They can't wait to meet you.
Torrence Jackson - Spiritual Life
Torrence has been working in schools and churches for the last twenty years. He has spent that time as a Head of School, Dean of Students, Principal, Pastor, and Worship Leader. Colorado Christian Academy is honored to have Torrence working as Chaplain. In this role, Torrence will focus on speaking into the spiritual growth and development of our school. Specifically, he will oversee chapels and will speak into programs related to leadership, mentorship, and spiritual formation. Torrence has a B.A in psychology and a Masters in Theology from Southeastern University and Liberty University.
Grace Schroeder - Kindergarten
Grace graduated from Hillsdale College, where she received a B.A. in Economics. While at Hillsdale, she discovered and fell in love with the phonetic approach to spelling and reading. She was introduced to it by her professor and linguist, Dr. Dorothy Kardatzke. After graduating she moved to Colorado to teach this method. Since she has gained experience in formal classrooms, homeschooling, and one-on-one tutoring. Grace is excited to work at a school that values its content and culture equally. She’s looking forward to investing in each child academically, relationally, and spiritually. Her main goal is to ensure that her students become curious, confident, and motivated learners that are full of wonder and confidence that they a child of God.
Mary Lee - 1st and 2nd Grade
Mary taught students at all grade levels and spent several years as a teacher coach and mentor. Her years in education total more than twenty-five! She finds few things more inspiring than to watch the smile that brightens a child’s face as she reads her first full sentence or solves a difficult problem on his own. She considers it a privilege to help build the foundation of Biblical truth upon which students will base life’s decisions. Teaching them about the love God has for His children, and using daily teachable moments to help them understand how God’s Word provides guidance and encouragement that directly applies to personal struggles and problems, brings joy to her spirit. She accepted the Lord at sixteen and finished her high school years in a Christian school. She then went on to attend Bible College. Here is where the truths of Scripture came alive for Mary. She strives to do the same for her students.
Rachel Matyszczak - 3rd - 8th-grade Humanities
Rachel grew up in Littleton. She attended Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. While there she had the opportunity to go on two educational mission trips to a Christian school in the Philippines. This sparked her excitement to pursue teaching overseas. After graduating, she packed her bags and headed to the Dominican Republic to teach at a Christian International school. There she gained experience, grew spiritually and professionally, developed long-lasting relationships with staff and students, went on fun adventures, and met her husband, Matt, who is also teaching at Colorado Christian Academy. She loves teaching and being involved in students’ lives. Outside of school she enjoys spending time outdoors, playing sports, drawing, and spending time with friends and family.
Matthew Matyszczak - 3rd - 8th-grade Math and Science
Matthew studied Middle Childhood Education at Cedarville University. During his Junior year of college, he felt God tugging on his heart to teach internationally. He took advantage of an opportunity to student-teach overseas at Santiago Christian School located in the Dominican Republic and then had the pleasure of joining their team to teach 4th-grade for the past 4 years. Many blessings arose from this experience: working with Godly co-workers, building relationships with students, and meeting his wife Rachel - who will also be teaching at Colorado Christian Academy. He is passionate about Christian education and discipleship. Matt's hobbies include anything outdoors (but especially hiking, ultimate frisbee, and spikeball), playing games, and spending time with friends and family. Matt is following the Lord’s lead by heading back to Littleton to be closer to Rachel's family.
Chris Medearis - Art and Core Subject Educator
Chris is a professional artist and a certified elementary education teacher. She will be teaching art in the afternoons and working with students in small groups in the morning. Chris desires that each student excels in academics, creativity, and seeking a Christ-like behavior. She has been working in education in one form or another for the last 35 years. She also brings twelve years of international teaching experience. She aims to incorporate her creativity and love for the arts into everyday subjects. As most children are visual learners, she believes art plays a huge role in helping learning stick. She is excited to work alongside homeroom teachers to implement projects that align with their core subjects. She believes this will help bolster the students' learning and help retain knowledge. Also, Art makes learning fun!
Luci Howell - Core Subject Educator
Luci will be working with students in small groups on math, reading, and communication skills. Luci graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education, an endorsement in ESL, and a minor in Chinese. Her decision to minor in Chinese stemmed from her being adopted from China when she was just over a year old. In elementary school, she attended Chinese school every Saturday. Her hobbies include swimming, watching movies, and spending time with her family, husband, and corgi puppy. With the exception of college, she has always attended a Christian school and is passionate about the amazing blessings of Christian education. She is mission-aligned, as she strives to build relationships with people and show them Christ's love through words and actions.
The Leadership Team Are Educators Too!
Matt Cartier, John Tucker, Heidi Schroeder, and Kendalle Miller will be teaching classes as well. This provides more input into the student’s overall learning experience. It keeps the leadership team connected to the classroom which improves their ability to strategize, make decisions, and lead other educators. In the end, this will raise the overall value for each and every student in the school.
