Beacon Campus Pre-K

Betsay VanCleef teaches Pre-K on our Beacon Campus. She received her BS in Elementary and Secondary Education and her Master of Arts in Teaching Reading from Philippine Normal College. She received her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Gordon College. A seasoned educator of 26 years, Mrs. VanCleef loves to watch the youngest students on the campus learn through play. There are plenty of gentle words, smiles, and hugs in her classroom. She eagerly anticipates the International Luncheon in March, "I love seeing everybody in costumes from their country of origin or background, praying in different languages, and eating delicious international food!" What does she do during the summer vacation? Each summer she reads 200 children's books. No wonder she know so many good stories!

Lynn Campus Pre-K

Carol Alter is the Pre-K teacher at the Lynn Campus. This is her ninth year teaching at NSCS and fifteenth year of teaching Pre-K. Pre-K is a time for hands-on learning! Mrs. Alter incorporates the Handwriting Without Tears program that includes many sensory ways of learning to write letters and numbers. The children make discoveries about life cycles, for example, seeing God at work as they watch caterpillars turn into chrysalises and then emerge as butterflies! The children's backgrounds are very diverse, and many different languages are spoken by our Pre-K children. Mrs. Alter seeks to integrate those languages by using them to learn how to count and sing and say different phrases. Some of the languages that are used include; English, Spanish, French, Korean, Albanian, German, Greek, and Russian! Mrs. Alter received her BA in Modern Languages from Eastern Nazarene College and her M.Ed. from Gordon College. She enjoys gardening and loves to see things grow from tiny seeds to healthy plants (much as Pre-K children grow and blossom!). She would love to turn our Pre-K garden into a butterfly garden!

Marblehead Campus Pre-K

Dianne Kemmer has been teaching Pre-K for 10 years. She teaches on our Marblehead Campus. Mrs. Kemmer has certification in the Wilson Reading System, Levels 1 and II. She enjoys all aspects of teaching Pre-K and loves to hear a child exclaim "I did it!" It also warms her heart to hear them humming or singing Bible songs and verses put to music. Mrs. Kemmer's hobbies include knitting, reading, water sports, animals and the beach. When asked to tell us something that might surprise her students, she replies, "That I don't live here; that I'm a mom as well!"

Austin Square Campus Pre-K

Catherine Kenney teaches Pre-K on our Austin Square campus. She has been teaching for five years. Mrs. Kenney graduated from James Madison University where she received her undergraduate degree in Media Arts and Design as well as her Master's of Teaching in Early Childhood Education. She believes that she has the best job in the world. "I get to have fun and watch children grow and learn new things each day." In her free time Mrs. Kenney enjoys running, reading, sewing, cooking and international travel.

Beacon Campus Kindergarten

Kathy Ely, our Beacon Campus kindergarten teacher, has taught kindergarten for 15 of her 30 years as an educator. She received her BS in Elementary Education from Salem State College. Parents of her students claim that she is the best kindergarten teacher they have ever met. Her classroom is a warm, safe place where students are carefully nurtured. Mrs. Ely is known for songs about alligators riding elevators and poems about run-away Thanksgiving turkeys. She encourages her young students to memorize scripture and to apply it in the classroom. She also serves as the chaplain on the Beacon campus, challenging the whole student body to live out biblical teaching in their lives. She is not afraid of hard questions - in fact, one of the best loved parts of chapel is when she gives a teaching on an item from the "mystery box" - items are chosen by children beforehand and unknown to Mrs. Ely until she pulls them out during Chapel. She's never been stumped yet!

Lynn Campus Kindergarten

Terry Moore is the kindergarten teacher at our Lynn Campus. This is her second year at NSCS. Mrs. Moore moved here from Pennsylvania where she taught in a Christian school for 16 years. She graduated from Bryan College and has a Master's degree in elementary education from Philadelphia Biblical University. She loves reading, gardening, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Beacon Campus First Grade

Kathy Williams, a veteran teacher of fourteen years, teaches first grade at the Beacon campus. Mrs. Williams graduated from Gordon College with a BS in Early Childhood Education; she is currently pursuing graduate studies in reading at Gordon College. Mrs. Williams loves to get her students excited about reading. Each day they are assigned to read to someone or something - and the possible audiences are endless. Reading to younger siblings, stuffed animals, their own feet, or the turned off television makes homework always interesting! Mrs. Williams loves science and includes practical lessons on good nutrition and dental care along with lessons on animal habitats and famous inventors. She has taught students how to crochet after school. When students are asked about why they enjoy Mrs. Williams' class, they respond, "She likes to laugh!"

Lynn Campus First Grade

Stephanie Starr is the first grade teacher at our Lynn campus. She recently relocated from Atlanta, Georgia, where she taught at Creekside Christian Academy. Mrs. Starr graduated from Georgia College and State University with a BA in Early Childhood Education is currently working towards her Masters in English Language Learners and Reading Specialist at Gordon College. In her free time she enjoys reading, yoga and Chick-fil-a! When asked what she likes best about teaching at North Shore she replies, "It is a privilege to teach students to love Jesus Christ and enjoy Him forever and to start that at a very young age."

Lynn Campus Second Grade

Barbara Delaney has been teaching second grade on the Lynn Campus since 1995. A graduate of Gordon College with a BS in Elementary Education, she has prior experience at the Gordon College Reading Clinic and Rockport Middle School. She is also certified in the Wilson Language Program. Mrs. Delaney has continued her education through workshops and graduate courses at Gordon College. She enjoys watching second grade students become readers and writers and shares their enthusiasm for learning. "I love to see them make connections in their learning and learn to think critically at a higher level." Mrs. Delaney and her husband, Bob, enjoy spending time along the New England coast and visiting their three grown children and grandsons in MA and Texas.

Beacon Campus Third Grade

Rachael Froehlich teaches second and third grade on our Beacon campus. She received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education at California State University and is working towards her Masters of Arts in Education and Moderate Disabilities at Gordon College. Mrs. Froehlich has a great love for theater, so expect the children in her class to be acting out a story doing readers' theater. "I love kids - they make me laugh. I love their imagination and passion for life." Mrs. Froehlich's own passions include historical fiction, the symphony, and art museums. She has lived in Seville, Spain and regularly travels to Uruguay to visit family. Her favorite food is sushi, and she thinks her students might be surprised to hear that once on a dare, she even ate a worm!

Lynn Campus Third Grade

Christine Johnson is the 3rd grade teacher at our Lynn campus. Mrs. Johnson graduated from Gordon College and has a degree in both Elementary Education and Spanish. She has spent time traveling and highly values learning about the many different cultures from which her students come. Along with multiplication, handwriting, and thinking critically, Mrs. Johnson also teaches her third graders about God's incredible love for them by studying and memorizing Psalm 139 with her class each year. She enjoys teaching her students new concepts and watching them get excited about what they are learning.

Beacon Campus Fourth/Fifth Grade

Brittany Schimpf teaches fourth and fifth grade at our Beacon Campus. She graduated from the University of Arkansas, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education and her Master of Arts in Teaching. In addition to subjects like math and language arts, her class learns practical lessons on eating nutritiously and managing money. When they enter her class in the fall, students become citizens of "Schimpfville" with the privilege and responsibility of running their community well. Mrs. Schimpf is energetic and full of creative ideas to build leadership in the school's upper class students. Originally from Arkansas, Mrs. Schimpf loves going to the beach in New England. When asked what she loves most about being a teacher, she answers, "Seeing a child genuinely excited to learn something new."

Lynn Campus Fourth Grade

Kimberlee Thorburn teaches fourth grade at the Lynn campus. Prior to her time at North Shore, she taught for four years in a first grade classroom in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Ms. Thorburn is happy to be back in a Christian learning environment. She enjoyed growing up attending Christian schools. Ms. Thorburn graduated from Gordon College with degrees in Early and Elementary Education as well as English. Currently she is taking courses at Gordon College towards her graduate degree as a math specialist.

Lynn Campus Fifth Grade

Jolie Welner has taught fifth grade on the Lynn Campus for the past five years. A seasoned educator, Mrs. Welner has taught for fourteen years at the third, sixth, and fifth grade levels. She graduated from Cedarville University with a degree in elementary education and has furthered her education through a variety of graduate level classes. She enjoys watching her fifth grade students develop their critical thinking skills and practice their independence in learning. When not teaching, she enjoys spending time with family, baking, and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes!