Faculty & Staff

I graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Secondary Teaching Credential. During the early years of my teaching career, when my children were young, I spent time as a substitute teacher for grades seven through twelve. During this time I also had the opportunity to volunteer at my children’s school, both in the classroom and as a librarian. As my children got older, I made the decision to go back to teaching full time and spent twenty-seven years teaching English at the high school level.

After retiring as a high school English teacher I wanted to do more in the field of education. As an educator in the public school system, I recognized the need for equipping children with a strong academic foundation, but more importantly, the need for equipping children with a strong spiritual foundation. For this reason, I was drawn to the work being done at Hillside Christian Academy where the needs of the whole child are met. I strongly believe that each child is special and a unique gift from God and as educators we have been called to help children develop the necessary skills needed to grow both academically and spiritually.

This is my fourth year teaching at Hillside Christian Academy. I began my education career in a private Christian School in the Bay Area, teaching a 3rd/4th grade combined classroom. I had been praying for an oppurtunity to work closer to home, and God answered my prayers by bringing me to Hillside Christian Academy in 2007.

I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring and stimulating atmosphere to grow and mature. It is my desire to help students meet their greatest potential in these areas by providing a safe, structured and exciting learning environment. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment: first, making God the center of every aspect of learning, second, allowing the child’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, and third, promoting respect for all of God’s creation.

Teaching provides me the opportunity for continual learning and growth. As I share my own passion for learning and my love for God, I hope to instill a love of learning in my students and a spiritual foundation that will draw the child closer to Christ.

Ms. Carrie Higuera, Kindergarten

This is my fifth year teaching Kindergarten and my first year at Hillside Christian Academy. I feel very blessed to be here and I know God led me to this wonderful school. I am reminded every day of how very blessed I am to teach in such a warm, caring, academically focused, diverse, and faith-based school.

I completed my Bachelor of Arts in English, with a Writing Emphasis at the University of San Francisco and I went on to finish my California Elementary Teaching Credential with honors, also at the University of San Francisco.

It is my goal to guide my students to be the very best that they can be, to strive to work hard, to embrace the Lord, and to work towards his/her potential. To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than to watch a child learn to read. I hope to generate a love of learning, a love of reading, and a strong sense of self-worth and responsibility.

Mrs. Helen Yoo-Lee, First Grade

This is my 15 year of teaching. It is such a blessing to be here at Hillside Christian Academy. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education, at Patten University in 1991. I received my Master of Divinity at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York. I believe that Christian education plays a large part for students to become a vessel for God’s use. Working in a Christian school allows us to teach students to look at their life and their world from the viewpoint of the Bible. I believe in nourishing the whole child: physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally. Every school year it is wonderful to see the students grow so much academically and spiritually

Mrs. Rebecca Smethurst, Second Grade

Teaching in a Christian School is such a blessing! I graduated from Cal State Northridge in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and Music. Believing God was leading me into the field of education, I went back to school more than 10 years later and earned a California Teaching Credential from Patton University in 1997. I believe in Christian character training, and love to read and sing, so I am able to apply the gifts God has given me in the classroom.

I began my teaching career in another Bay Area Christian school where I had a wonderful experience and received a strong foundation in the field of education. Working both there and here at Hillside Christian Academy have been answers to prayer. I am truly blessed to show the love of our Savior, Christ Jesus, to my students. It is my hope that my students will each come to know the love of Christ, and that it will carry them through life no matter what comes their way.

I feel so blessed to be working at Hillside Christian Academy, a school that believes in education children in Christ. For my undergraduate studies, I received my Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California San Diego. Since then, God led me into the field of education , and I attained my teaching credential and a Masters in Education at University of California Santa Barbara. It in my personal teaching philosophy that learning should be fun for all students, and it is my goal to help students enjoy learning while meeting their greatest potential. With this, I aim to foster intrinsic motivation in my students by developing lessons that are interesting, hands-on, and most importantly relevant to the students.

I graduated from Pensacola Christian College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. This is my sixteenth year of teaching, and my sixth year at Hillside Christian Academy.

My philosophy of education and purpose for teaching is to lead the student to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to equip them with the necessary tools to effectively serve Jesus in the world; these tools being a solid and applicable knowledge of Scripture, a solid academic foundation, and strong moral character.