Leah McCarthy.

This is a 25th anniversary I filmed on May 29, 2021 at the Hilltop Inn in Elmira, NY.

Intro music from audiotrimmer.com

A piece made while working at Kaleidoscope Student Collective Pod.

Teacher Spotlight series coming to NCA in November, 2020.

April Parker graduated from New Covenant Academy before going on to Grove City College, earning her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education and becoming one of NCA’s math teachers. She’s been with NCA for a total of 6 years and expresses that the school is very different, yet also the same as when she attended. She now works alongside many of the teachers she had as a student herself. April also shared that her desire to become a teacher was somewhat inspired during her high school days, “I really enjoy math and explaining it to people to help them understand it better. I helped a lot of friends in high school with their math homework and knew I’d want to become a teacher after I graduated. Math can often be scary and not well liked so I enjoy explaining how it can be useful to others.” Her favorite part of the job is getting to know her students and when a struggling student grasps the concepts and has a moment of sudden revelation. When she’s not teaching, April enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children, and reading when she catches a free moment. Watch Mrs. Parker’s Teacher Spotlight below and stay tuned for next weeks #TeacherSpotlight feature! New Covenant Academy is a Christian School in Mansfield, PA and offers Pre-K - 12th grade courses. Our mission is to partner with families by providing Christ-centered academic excellence. To schedule a tour or learn more about the school you can call 507-662-2996 or visit our website at ncalions.org.

Josh O’Neil never had plans to become a teacher. Growing up he wanted to pursue a career in archeology. Having always found history fascinating and admitting to his anticipated thrill of digging up dead things, when the time came for O’Neil to find a college he was left uncertain when no Christian colleges offered an archeology program. After graduating high school and a few weeks before the upcoming academic semester would begin O’Neils family received a mailer from Faith Baptist School of Theology in Western PA and he decided to take a visit with his parents. After a tour of the school, speaking with admissions and praying about the opportunity he says, “I know it’s where God wants me to be.” O’Neil went on to be the first four year graduate at the school, earning his B.A. in Pastoral Theology. Post graduation O’Neil became an assistant pastor while also teaching at Faith Christian Academy for 3 years. Upon looking for a new job and seeing an opening for a Bible and History teaching position with New Covenant Academy, he applied and has now been with the school for 2 years, also holding the position of soccer coach. In his years of teaching O’Neil shared that the most fulfilling part of his work is when students come back to him and share the impact he’s had on their lives, often without him even knowing it. He says, “I believe God chose this career for me and when students come back to share how I’ve made a difference in their lives it makes me feel like I did exactly what God wanted me to do and am where He wants me to be. It’s very fulfilling.” When he is not teaching or leading his local church, O’Neil enjoys spending time outdoors with his four sons, drawing and exploring his newfound interest in photography. Watch Mr. O’Neil’s Teacher Spotlight below and stay tuned for next weeks #TeacherSpotlight feature! New Covenant Academy is Christian School in Mansfield, PA and offers Pre-K - 12th grade courses. Our mission is to partner with families by providing Christ-centered academic excellence. To schedule a tour or learn more about the school you can call 507-662-2996 or visit our website at ncalions.org.

Brenda Colegrove has served the entirety of her teaching career at New Covenant Academy since she began teaching in 1990, post graduation from Mansfield University with her Bachelors in Education including a concentration in special education. As NCA’s Kindergarten and Elementary Music Teacher, she admits to always having wanted to be a teacher, “When I was a girl my sisters and I often played school together and since then I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher.” Everyday Mrs. Colegrove’s classroom is bustling with hands-on learning activities and a great deal of fun. When describing what a day with the kindergarteners looks like she explained, “We do fun educational activities together and they’re having so much fun, they don’t even realize they’re learning.” Each day begins with creative time before transitioning into Bible and academics; this can include art, music, and physician education. After these lessons the students then move on to social studies and science. Depending on the course content for that week, Colegrove also incorporates special activities such as her well known pajama party or in-class applesauce making. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Colegrove also serves as an emergency medical technician and certified CPR instructor. When provided the opportunity to spend time with her grown children, serve her community or dive into a new book, it will not be wasted as these are a few of her favorite things to do. Watch Mrs. Colegrove’s Teacher Spotlight below and stay tuned for next weeks #TeacherSpotlight feature! New Covenant Academy is Christian School in Mansfield, PA and offers Pre-K - 12th grade courses. Our mission is to partner with families by providing Christ-centered academic excellence. To schedule a tour or learn more about the school you can call 507-662-2996 or visit our website at ncalions.org.

Merry Christmas from all of us at NCA!