Barbara S. Helmkamp has a Ph.D. in physics from Louisiana State University (1995) and an engineering degree in physics from Colorado School of Mines (1986). Between undergraduate and graduate studies she worked in petroleum engineering (petrophysics) for the Shell Companies in New Orleans. This is where she met her husband, Bob. Barbara’s goal in obtaining her doctorate in physics was to teach at the college level, preferably at a Christian school, or to return to Shell Oil Company and work in a research capacity. However, being home with and for her children won out over working full-time, and she has since found much joy in secondary education. In 2007, having been asked to teach “Integrated Physics and Chemistry” at her daughters’ church school (St Mark, Houston), she also completed a course of study in theology through Concordia University Texas including studies in Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, and the Lutheran Confessions. Barbara especially enjoys speaking the gospel of Jesus Christ to students in a teaching context while bringing Scriptures and theology to bear on the subject matter. Now, for various reasons, she prefers teaching at a classical Christian high school or college via distance learning; that is, online. Barbara and Bob are members at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church (LC‒MS) in Elizabeth, Colorado. Now fully retired, Bob had done engineering consulting out of the home, having retired from Shell Oil Company in 2008 when the family moved from Houston to Denver. Their daughters were schooled from home for their secondary grades (8-12+) with their mother teaching them all of their mathematics (geometry through calculus and statistics) and physical sciences (physics and chemistry). Both now grown and flown, the older daughter (married with children) works parttime as an ICU rehab nurse, and the younger daughter (married) is a nuclear engineer. Most importantly, both are faithful Christians in their confession and life. Besides teaching physics/chemistry and mathematics, Barbara’s interests include creation science apologetics, classical and sacred music (as her church pianist/organist), and various sports (tennis, skiing, hiking). Notably, she has presented numerous lectures relating science and Scripture in Sunday Bible classes and other venues ranging from Vacation Bible School to talk-radio. Teaching Philosophy My philosophy of education is that content is of primary importance, being normed by the Scriptures as God’s word, the only infallible words of truth. For example, the books and articles that are read by students, including those used to teach reading, are of greater important than reading for the sake of being able to read. The same idea certainly carries over into the sciences (natural philosophy). Teaching that which is good, beautiful, and true, in all subject areas and at all academic levels (trivium, quadrivium), is unquestionably the goal of a classical Christian education. A faithful, confessing Christian teacher is of co-prime importance, being essential because education necessarily encompasses works (including textbooks) that fall short of these virtues to varying degrees and need norming. In fact, teaching that which is good, beautiful, and true must also include works depicting the opposite characteristics, by way of helping students distinguish good from evil, ugliness from beauty, and lies from truth in this fallen world where Satan, the father of lies, disguises himself as an angel of light (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:14), though such studies should generally wait until students are past the grammar stage in the literary sense as well as in age/maturity. Thus, the teacher himself must be normed by God’s word, having a worldview founded on the Triune God as Creator and Redeemer – which necessarily means he understands the Creation and Redemption accounts in Genesis and the Gospels to be truthful (factual, historical) – as he facilitates critical engagement in any given topic. That is, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Prov. 9:10) Importantly, this science teacher acknowledges the historicity of the Genesis account as does the Lord Himself (Matt. 24: 37-39; Mark 10:6; Luke 3:38, 11:50-1, 17:26-7) and his apostles (Acts 17:24-7; Rom. 1:18-20, 5:12, 8:19-20; I Cor. 15: 21-2; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5, 3:3-6), albeit implicitly. That is, Genesis chapter one is God’s own account (penned by Moses) of His Creation Ex Nihilo in six natural days some 6000 years ago (Gen. 5, 11; Luke 3) and Genesis chapters 6-9 describe a catastrophic global flood that profoundly impacted the earth's geology and in which all land animals and mankind perished save those on the ark. Statement of Faith Barbara and her husband Bob are members at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church (LC‒MS) in Elizabeth, Colorado (Rev. Geoffrey Wagner). I (Barbara) confess the Faith using the Apostles' Creed and related portions of Luther's Small Catechism, as follows: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason, and all my senses, and still takes care of them, he also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals and all that I have; He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and defends me from all evil; and all this he does out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all this it is my duty to thank, praise, serve and obey him. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

Tracey Leary is a seasoned educator with more than 20 years of experience teaching in public, private, and homeschool settings. She was born and raised in Panama City, FL, and has lived in Alabama for 30 years, where she attended Huntingdon College on a piano scholarship and graduated with a degree in both Music and English before pursuing a Masters degree in Education at the Auburn campus in Montgomery. She taught at a classical school for four years before homeschooling her three boys. For most of her homeschool years, she was heavily involved in a classical co-op which grew to well over 100 moms and kids, in which she taught, served on the board of directors, and wrote and compiled the humanities curriculum for the secondary grades. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and baking, and her family enjoys traveling, cheering on the Auburn Tigers, and debating everything from Dante to Star Wars. Teaching Philosophy To paraphrase Charlotte Mason, I believe that what a student knows is not as important as how much a student cares about what he or she knows. To that end, I believe that a quality education for students consists both of reading works that inspire and challenge them and providing a format for them to discuss those works in a group setting with a teacher who is herself inspired and challenged by them. As an educator, my desire is that no student feel intimidated by the Great Books. Rather, I want to help students to see first and foremost, that the reason these books have endured for centuries and are still being read today is not because they are lofty and worthy of being contemplated by the wisest thinkers of our day, although they are that, but because they are at heart Great Stories, which can be read and enjoyed by people of all ages. I provide reading guides for student support as they tackle their focal weekly assignments to help them identify major points and themes in their reading and to formulate questions and ideas they can bring to class discussion. I also pair each literature selection with a selection from history in order to allow the student to simultaneously hear more than one voice from the time period being studied as well as a “living book” which provides a more recent but still valuable exploration of the periods or themes under discussion, all of which are read simultaneously at a moderate pace over several weeks in order to facilitate the student’s ability to ponder the books and make connections among two or three related streams of thought. I also provide an optional assignment drawn from movies, music, and other media that students are encouraged to complete, and which I will use in class discussion, as we explore how the Great Conversation is still taking place all around us. In class, I incorporate a Book of Centuries for chronological understanding as well as other tactile challenges and activities such as map work which dialectic students enjoy, in addition to the discussion that is the heart of our weekly meetings. Statement of Faith I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, was resurrected and lives at the right hand of God. I believe this was necessary because mankind’s sin in a historical Garden of Eden irreparably separated him from God, and that from that time we have all been born with a sin nature. Only Christ, who is fully human and fully divine, was born sinless and lived a perfect life, which enabled Him to become the satisfactory sacrifice for sin that God’s justice required. I am a member of an Anglican (ACNA) church in Montgomery and teach with an ecumenical perspective in mind. Testimonials >Mrs. Tracy Leary was a wonderful teacher. She was very helpful when we had questions, very kind in her evaluations, and encouraging to my son. He thrived in this class! *- Cassie Minter, Kepler parent*

Dr. Karla Memmott is a long-time resident of the Sacramento, California area where she lives with her husband, Kyle and dog, Kona. She home-schooled her children. She continues to support homeschooling parents by teaching online and in-person courses which include history, literature, writing, public speaking, and German. Additionally, she and her husband have coached high school mock trial. Teaching Philosophy My teaching philosophy intentionally focuses on the development of a student’s mind and soul as a human being. My responsibility as a teacher is to interactively guide the student to through literary works which encourage the student toward mature and reasonable thought. Teaching and learning are established based on a relationship mutual respect whereupon the student and I actively work together toward a common goal of student success. I believe that students gain ownership of their respective educational experience by reading participating in interpretive discussions about original source material. Learning becomes a community event within the venue of active Socratic discussion. Statement of Faith I believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, who came to earth to interact with and redeem His creation. This act of redemption was necessary due to the fallen, sinful nature of humanity which is the result of the disobedience of our original parents - Adam and Eve. Through the death, burial and resurrection Jesus demonstrates that God is a just, but loving God who seeks restoration and relationship with His people. The invitation is extended to all people. The Church has the privilege and responsibility of introducing people to Jesus by sharing the Gospel with grace, love, and truth. Whereas the Church has the duty to share the invitation of the Gospel, only the Holy Spirit can convict any person. I believe that the triune nature of God is a beautiful mystery that is not fully comprehensible to humankind but is nonetheless experienced by one who walks with God in truth and wisdom. I believe in the unity but diversity of the Church. The unity is based on the core essentials of the Gospel which transcends culture and race. Subsequently the Church unity provides strong testimony in a very divided modern culture. I believe that humans are called to worship the Lord with body, mind, and soul. When the body, mind and soul actively seek and participate in truth, beauty, and goodness genuine worship takes place. I believe that a challenged and engaged mind is a necessary part of worship. I belong to a local church where I teach and participate in adult Bible study courses. Video Introduction [object Object]

Dr. Christy Anne Vaughan holds an Ed.D. from Liberty University in Educational Leadership. Her doctoral dissertation, published in February of 2020 through the Journal of Research on Christian Education, is titled: DIFFERENCES OF MEAN SCORES ON THE PRELIMINARY SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (PSAT) FOR CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS COMPARED TO NON-CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. She holds an M.A. Ed. with a concentration in special education from Georgetown College and a B.A. from the University of Baltimore in English, concentration in business and professional writing. She recently completed a 40-hour certificate in Orton-Gillingham method literacy instruction. Dr. Vaughan serves as Secretary and Educational Consultant for Classical Christian Education International, Inc. (www.2CEI.ORG); tutor for students with special needs and private instructor for Schole Academy, Classical Academic Press, and homeschools two of her grandchildren in Ohio. Teaching Philosophy The Classical Christian method encompasses the seven liberal arts of grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music; liberal from the Latin liber meaning “free” meaning the virtuous, wise, and self-controlled man is free toward self- governance. As the Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 5:23, against such there is no law. Our Founding Fathers understood this, as John Jay, First Supreme Court Justice, stated, our system of liberty and self-governance was designed for a Christian nation with elected Christian rulers. Or, as John Adams, the second President of the U.S., stated, our system of liberty and self-governance with the Bible as its basis would be wholly unsuitable for any group other than a virtuous, Christian people. And to that end, a couple of working definitions: The Christian educator believes we are called to teach Truth, Goodness (Godliness), and Beauty. Teaching is a calling to parents first and the church (Ephesians 6:4 and Deuteronomy 6:4-7). Teaching as a profession is a calling (Ephesians 4:11-16). There is Truth, and God’s Word reveals it (John 17:17). Virtue is to be co-taught with knowledge (2 Peter 1:5-8). We are commanded to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). The Classical educator teaches a man to fish by providing the tools of learning and inculcating the joy of learning. The Classical Christian educator accomplishes both--molding the heart toward God and inculcating discernment of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty through tried and true methods of teaching. If we are to recover our nation’s moral compass, we must reignite educational excellence through a rediscovery of the centrality of Truth. There is Truth, and we are called to teach it to the next generation (Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6). Statement of Faith I was baptized in public testimony of my accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord of my life in a Southern Baptist Church. I have been discipled by the local church, Koinonia House, and Liberty University Bible studies. My husband and I are missionaries through Ministers of Victory (Port Saint Lucie, Florida) and currently serve through Classical Christian Education International, Inc. We are members of Victory Baptist Church in Ohio, as well as maintaining membership and distance learning/Bible conferences through Kurt Owen Ministries. My medical expense sharing program, which also is a mission to others, is through Samaritan Ministries.