Valuable Topics to start new things

Grace Christian School Staff Directory

6

No matter if they teach math, history, language arts, or another topic altogether – our teachers love Jesus! Read on to gain more insight into them and what makes Grace unique.

Mrs. Estes takes great pleasure in helping teens navigate the complex teen years. Teaching at GCA allows her to share her Christian faith freely.

Ms. Estrada

Ms. Estrada has been teaching at GCA since 2012 and finds great pleasure in watching students develop into mature believers as they discover God’s word. She particularly values small class sizes, which allow her to build meaningful relationships with her students. Outside of school hours, she spends time with her husband and two children, as well as hiking and running.

Ms. Estes graduated with honors from William & Mary with degrees in education and history. She has taught various levels, such as preschool and homeschool classes. Ms. Estes finds joy in sharing Jesus Christ with children and seeing their lives changed through Him. When not teaching, Ms. Estes enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, baking, or spending time outdoors.

Mrs. Giannotta has been part of Grace Christian Academy for over 20 years, teaching kindergarten and extended care classes at both campuses. Her favorite part about teaching kindergarten and comprehensive care students at Grace is watching them discover something new; outside the classroom, Mrs. Giannotta enjoys working out, spending time with family, coaching volleyball and cheerleading at her church, and working out!

Ms. Segal

Mrs. Segal earned both an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s of teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to coming to GBCS in 2017, Mrs. Segal spent 15 years in the Chesterfield County Public School system as part of its Anti-Bullying focus team and served on their i-Tech focus team as well. When not teaching, Mrs. Segal enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her family.

She is deeply committed to teen ministry and relishes being alongside students during those transitional years. Her passion lies in encouraging students to dig deeper, trust God more fervently, and strive harder toward God’s will for their lives. When not at school, she enjoys wakeboarding and competing in OCR (obstacle course races).

She is delighted to join GBCS this year as a middle school teacher! She looks forward to helping students discover their strengths, develop self-confidence, and learn teamwork. Outside of school, she loves spending time with family, working out, and cooking new recipes; hiking and traveling are among her favorite pastimes as well. GBCS’ friendly environment and small class sizes make her incredibly excited!

Ms. Olson

Our directory includes contact details of our students, teachers, and staff members and should only be used within our school community for internal use only, not for mailing lists or solicitation.

She has been teaching at GBCS since 2006 and enjoys seeing the joy on student’s faces when they discover something new. Additionally, she delights in watching them mature into young adults – she hopes they take their knowledge with them into adulthood!

Mrs. G enjoys Grace School because of its freedom in teaching about God’s creation and His great love for all people while challenging students to go deeper in their trust in Him. Outside the classroom, she enjoys wakeboarding and competing in OCR (obstacle course races).

Mr. Hansa has been teaching at GBCS for 16 years, starting as an instructor of 5/6 for three years and 7/8 for four. Before becoming principal, he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Concordia University River Forest, and his favorite part of his job is making students and families feel welcome within our GBCS family. Outside the classroom, he loves spending time with his wife and two children, exercising regularly, and trying anything new that arises!

Ms. Bowles

Jada Harris has been teaching for more than 30 years and joined GBCS in 2008. Her goal is to create an academically excellent Christian environment in which her students may flourish as ambassadors of Christ in their community, becoming influential leaders. She hopes that students leave Clinton Grace with both an appreciation for learning and a solid Christian base, which will enable them to succeed no matter where their journey leads them.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Middle School Education and General Science from Wesleyan College, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Regent University, and certification as a Special Education teacher for grades K-6. She loves working closely with her students and witnessing their growth; at GBCS, she especially relishes helping them explore their unique gifts, talents, and life purpose through various teaching/learning modalities available – while allowing her own discover hers!

Outside of school, she enjoys reading, writing, hiking, swimming, and spending time with family. Additionally, she has an intense love of fitness that she hopes to instill in her students as well. She has experience with various disciplines like martial arts, cross-training, snowboarding, and OCR (obstacle course races). Furthermore, she holds a special place in her heart for military first responders.

Ms. Hogue

Hogue hails from D’Iberville and graduated with both a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Education degree from William Carey University. Additionally, she was an all-conference college softball player at William Carey and won both the Holbrook Award and Academic All-America status while coaching teams for both Carey University and the University of Southern Mississippi – winning three MAC championships along the way! As a member of Summit Church, she serves on their ministry advisory committee as a Bible drill instructor as well as Sunday School Teacher duties.

Grace Elementary’s small class sizes provide students with an atmosphere that encourages positive and safe learning environments, and she thoroughly enjoys spending time with her family outside of school. One of her favorite parts of teaching at Grace is seeing students’ joy when they accomplish goals!

GCA’s Principal, Giannotta, hails from Hanover and has been teaching at GCA for 23 years – 3 in 5/6 classes, 4 in 3/4 categories before becoming principal in 2007. She earned both a Master of Science from Concordia University River Forest and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. GCA provides Christian teachings, moral values, an exceptional education experience to its community, an inclusive atmosphere among staff members, as well as opportunities to be engaged with community service activities and sports participation.

Ms. Giannotta

Ms. Giannotta has been teaching and providing Title 1 tutoring at Grace Christian Academy for over 20 years. Married with two sons, she takes great pleasure in teaching younger children how to learn – she finds nothing more fulfilling than seeing their faces light up when they finally grasp something! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and helping those in need.

For her, one of the most significant aspects of GBCS is the family environment, great students, and excellent teachers. Her favorite part of the school year is seeing students grow academically, socially, and in their faith walk! Outside of work, she enjoys reading and watching her sons compete in sports.

Mrs. Hansa has taught 7th and 8th grades at GCA since graduating with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She appreciates that GBCS continues to provide Christian education while remaining small and friendly. Outside of school, Mrs. Hansa enjoys home improvement projects, spending time with family, traveling and serving at church, and occasionally finding time to surf Facebook and Pinterest, too! Living in Virginia gives her plenty of beach access.

Ms. Lohmeyer

Originating from Massachusetts, Mrs. Lohmeyer has over two decades of experience working in education. She has taught students from kindergarten through high school at both public and private schools, served as a medical assistant, owned her own transcription business, and assisted home-schooled children. Mrs. Lohmeyer finds great satisfaction in finding new ways to help her students understand and learn while seeing the joy in their eyes when discovering something new! She finds great fulfillment in seeing smiles on students’ faces when something clicks for them!

She feels immensely privileged to be part of the GBCS family, especially as both of her daughters attend as students here. Her favorite aspect of teaching at GBCS is being able to share Christ’s love with students while making learning fun and helping them feel confident about who they are as individuals. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and working out.

She graduated with a BS in English from Washington Bible College and completed her student teaching experience here at GBCS. Currently, she teaches English, American Literature, and Composition classes while also contributing to Drama productions and Elementary Yearbooks. Outside the classroom, she enjoys working out, hiking with her dogs, playing beach volleyball, and participating in youth ministry at her church.