Instructors
Mrs. Jennifer Chandler
Geometry
Jennifer Chandler (RN, BSN) was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her BS in Nursing and worked as an oncology certified nurse at the UCLA Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, among others. A mother of five, this will be her 15th year homeschooling her own children and her 2nd year teaching Geometry within the homeschool community. She also works outside of the home as a substitute nurse and a substitute math and science teacher at a local Christian high school.
Mrs. Emily Costello
High School World History
Emily Costello has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Christendom College. Her love of history began in elementary school and was further cultivated by Mrs. Anne Carroll (founder of Seton High School) and Dr. Warren Carroll (founder of Christendom College) who shined the light of the Faith on the vast landscape of history, and the light of history on the rough terrain of our present time. In addition to raising and sometimes homeschooling her five children, Emily worked for several years as an editor in academic and trade book publishing. Parishioners of St. Francis, she and her husband, Greg, live in Hillsboro with their children, pets, and some longevous chickens.
Mr. Chris Dieken
Trades: Home Repair & Maintenance
I grew up on a farm in Southern Minnesota where mechanic work, metal work and other trades were critical to the success of the farm, and also serve as a secondary source of income. When I was 14, I bought a 1977 Ford short box pickup and restored it to near-new condition. The college years were spent as a mechanic at a local shop working on anything from lawn mowers to building race car engines. I also worked as a parts inspector near the University for a hydraulics parts company responsible for all incoming parts being to blueprint specification. I received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Minnesota State University, Mankato and moved to the east coast to try out a job in Internet technology. My career ended up being in Internet technology but I continue to have a passion for anything that runs.
I do all of the mechanic work on the family fleet of cars and lawnmowers on a small hobby farm outside of Purcellville, where I live with my wife and four daughters. Having grown up learning the trades, and now seeing how practical that knowledge is for day-to-day life, has inspired me to want to pass that invaluable knowledge on to the next generation. I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned with others.
Mr. Bret Ewin
Computer Science & Programming
Bret Ewin has a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and over the past twenty five years has gained an extensive amount of experience in a variety of software systems, in both the public and private sectors.
Bret has a passion for “STEM” and feels called to serve and prepare Christians—both students and parents—to be technically relevant in the professional world. Our country has a heritage of Christian innovators, and he hopes to encourage and equip our homeschoolers to follow in those footsteps.
Bret is a father to six and lives in rural Loudoun with his awesome wife, Karen, their three youngest kids, and an ever-changing host of animals. In his free time, you can find him working on some project or another, mostly having to do with electronics and fabrication, which, as it turns out, both overlap with software in many unexpected ways.
Mr. Michael Galdo
7th Grade Confirmation, Algebra II, Music Theory
Michael Galdo has been teaching music for over twenty years. His experience includes private piano and organ instruction and elementary, middle, and high school music classes, as well as choir leadership in church and school settings. Michael has degrees from the University of Virginia and Catholic University.
Mrs. Nan Gingras
8th Grade Confirmation
My name is Nan Gingras. I am a graduate from Towson State University with a degree in early childhood education. After graduation, I worked for two years in a day care for the 3- and 4-year-old classroom. I did not get into the school system since my husband was in the Air Force and we moved quite a bit. So my husband and I started our family, and I became a stay-at-home mom and have homeschooled our nine children to or through high school.
My two youngest children attend CHRSM. I have nine grandchildren, four of whom will be attending CHRSM next year.
Mrs. Elisabeth Grys
Kingdom Kids, Five-in-a-Row, Outdoor Nature Study
Elisabeth Grys attended University of Buffalo and attained dual diplomas in Government and History. After college, she taught four years of preschool at the Jewish Community Center. This taught her many of the customs which Jesus grew up practicing, which helped her dive deeper into the Catholic Faith. When Elisabeth moved to Virgina, she continued teaching preschool for another several years.
Elisabeth is a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales and has three children who attend CHRSM. She has been homeschooling for eight years and is excited to be teaching at CHRSM again this year!
Mrs. Tonianne Hall
Elementary/Middle School Social Studies Classes, Computer Solutions
Tonianne Hall is an early childhood educator and homeschooling mom who loves teaching through meaningful learning experiences. She received her Bachelor's degree in early childhood education with a minor in history from Stonehill College. Tonianne taught in Fairfax County Public Schools for six years prior to staying home to raise her two children. She has a passion for history, traveling, and spending time with her family.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
- Benjamin Franklin
Mrs. Tania Hersch
Upper Elementary/Middle School Writing and Literature Classes
Tania Hersch lives in Hamilton with her husband and five children, and they are parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University and has 13 years of classroom teaching experience. She has served as a mentor to new and pre-service teachers, and has tutored children ranging from kindergarten through high school. Tania has been homeschooling for eight years, and she greatly enjoys those early years, incorporating learning through play, nature, and joyful discovery of God’s creations. Her family has been a part of the wonderful community offered at CHRSM for the past four years. She is looking forward to teaching at CHRSM this year.
Mrs. Nicole James
High School Spanish 1 & 2
Nicole James graduated from Smith College in 1994 with a degree in elementary education and a concentration in Spanish. She became a licensed teacher at that time, and an elementary school administrator in 2000. She has taught in public, private, and homeschool classrooms, from preschool through middle school. Her love for the Spanish language began in high school, continued throughout college, and blossomed during her teaching career in a linguistically diverse school. She and her husband, Nigel, have homeschooled their four children for the last 11 years, the last three as part of the CHRSM community. Nicole attends the Citadel Church in Reston, Virginia with her family, and loves to garden, sew, play piano, and travel the world.
Mrs. Kathleen King
High School U.S. History & American Literature
Mrs. Kathleen King is a St. Francis de Sales parishioner. She holds a degree in Elementary Education K-8 and taught 4th grade for Fairfax County before becoming a mom. She has enjoyed teaching for a long time, especially homeschooling her own children for the past twelve years. During this time she was also blessed with teaching U.S. History and American Literature online to high school students around the country. She has since re-developed this course for CHRSM students at St. Francis de Sales for the greater glory of God in order to show students the founding of Christianity in our beloved country, the importance of Our Lady in this founding, and to inspire them to be strong in their faith, and to seek to uphold what is true, good, and beautiful. When she isn’t teaching, she enjoys spending time with her beloved husband, Brian, and their three children, Kyle, Ryan, and Andrew. She also enjoys photography and album making, reading, sewing, hiking, and planning adventures with her sisters, nieces, and nephews.
Dr. Nick Lebish
New Testament Studies
Dr. Nicholas Lebish was born and raised in sunny California where he developed a love for the great outdoors and their magnificent Creator. He studied History and Western Religions at San Diego State University where, after a conversion experience, he was received into full communion with the Catholic Church from Evangelical Protestantism. After graduation, Nicholas sold his possessions and moved to Rome for graduate studies in Philosophy and Theology in Italian. In addition to living in Italy, he had the good fortune to live and study in Ireland, England, and Germany and to travel throughout Europe and the Middle East. His greatest blessing was meeting his wife in Rome while they were both pursuing graduate studies, and now they are happily raising their three children.
Dr. Lebish holds a double doctorate in Ministry and Education and has been working in both fields his entire professional life. He most recently held the position of Director for the Lay Division of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in the Archdiocese of Denver, Colorado. Currently, he serves as the founding Director of the Catholic Biblical School in the stunning Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. His website is ScriptureAndTradition.com.
Mr. Chris McKenna
Pre-Algebra, Algebra I
Chris McKenna has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mathematics-Statistics from Penn State University and a Master's of Theological Studies in Pastoral Theology from the Institute of Pastoral Theology. Chris has worked as an actuary for the past 23 years, recently founding his own consulting firm, Three Lions, LLC. Prior to beginning his actuarial career, he worked as an academic counselor at Seton Home Study School, working with dozens of students on their coursework in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and calculus.
Chris and his wife Patricia met as pro-life missionaries and are approaching 25 years of marriage, with five children and two grandchildren (with another one on the way). They have been members of St. Francis since 2016, where he has taught religious education for three years and currently helps to lead the middle school youth group.
Miss Marina McLean
Physical Education
Marina McLean has grown up her whole life in Purcellville and will receive her Bachelor of Arts in Government Contracting and Acquisition this fall from American Military University. She started dancing when she was two years old and continued her dance career through her freshman year of college. Marina attended many regional dance competitions and received scholarships and awards for her dancing. She started teaching dance as a senior in high school at the Dance Academy of Loudoun and has been teaching there for the past five years. Marina values understanding proper nutrition and teaching young children how to fuel their God-given bodies. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, long walks, and cooking.
Mrs. Annie Menuey
Upper Elementary/Middle School Music
A St. Francis parishioner, Mrs. Menuey is thankful to share the gift of music with children! She taught general music in Fairfax County after graduating from JMU in 2001 until having her first child in 2007. Her undergraduate degree in music education was followed by certification courses in the Orff and Kodaly approaches to music learning. She hopes to help children experience and enjoy beautiful music and see how they, by God's goodness, are music-makers.
Mrs. Erin Philogene
Hands-On Science, Middle School Writing & Grammar, Health & Nutrition, Cooking
My name is Erin Philogene, originally from North Carolina but I currently reside in Summit Point, WV with my husband Joe, who is the Boys' Varsity Basketball Coach at Evergreen Christian School (ECS), and our three children; Viera 4th grade, Eroe 2nd grade, and Bastien in Pre-K.
I attended two years at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary then transferred to Liberty University graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Education with a Special Education concentration. After working over seven years in Early Childhood Special Education and Developmental Therapy, I homeschooled my children before jumping back into teaching 2nd grade at Providence Academy for the past two years.
Tutoring and teaching is the passion God has placed on my life and I feel blessed to one of the incredible teachers at CHRSM this year.
Mrs. Rebecca Redman
Middle/High School Sciences and Geography
Becky received a B.S. in Political Science from West Virginia University before moving to the Washington, D.C. area and becoming gainfully employed by a well-known political analyst. Her first “gig” lasted a few short years before her true love of science won out and she returned to the University of Maryland, obtaining a Doctorate of Pharmacy. She enjoyed a variety of experiences in the field of pharmacy, including teaching at schools of pharmacy and working at the Food and Drug Administration, before her “retirement” in 2010 to homeschool her growing family. She has taught a wide variety of homeschool classes, focusing primarily on science but also on history and geography.
Becky and her husband, Red, are long-time members of Purcellville Baptist Church and active in ministry. Their favorite pastime is time with their four kids as well as with extended family and friends.
Mrs. Suzanne Robinson
High School Writing
Suzanne holds an MA in English with a concentration in writing pedagogy from Georgetown University and a BA in English from Potsdam College. She has taught college English composition and literature in both traditional and online settings and has worked as an instructor and administrator at Catholic International University (formerly CDU) and an instructor at Laurel Ridge Community College (formerly Lord Fairfax CC). Her professional career encompasses writing pedagogy, grant and proposal writing, as well as working and consulting in strategic planning, online higher education, project management, and marketing.
Currently, Suzanne is engaged in personal writing projects and grant writing. She is honored to serve as a parish cantor and choir member, participate in the homeless ministry, and serve on the Board of Directors for Arts for All Loudoun. Over the years, Suzanne has been involved in numerous church and community groups, all of which have brought her joy but none as much as spending time and hosting her immediate family, extended family, and friends. She has been a member of St. Francis de Sales since moving to Loudoun County in 2004.
Mrs. Monica Seeley
Physical Education
Monica Seeley has a BS in Recreational Therapy from St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York. After college, Monica worked with children and the elderly in New York State facilities before taking the opportunity to fly for United Airlines as a flight attendant. Monica started homeschooling in 2011 while living in Connecticut before moving to Virginia in 2014. She is a vegetable/flower garden enthusiast and recently became certified as a master farmer. When she is not working in her gardens, she is busy attending her children's sporting events. Monica and her husband, Tom, have been happily married for 20 years and have six children.
Mrs. Megan Silvestri
Five-in-a-Row Langauge Arts
Megan Silvestri graduated from Miami University of Ohio with her Bachelor’s degree in nursing, and was commissioned as a nurse corps officer in the U.S. Navy. Her teaching began during her military service, where she taught prenatal classes for new parents and labor and delivery classes for junior nurses. Megan served at hospitals in California, Naples, Italy, and Virginia, where she met her active duty navy husband. When their first child was born in Okinawa, Japan, Megan became a stay-at-home mom. Their family eventually settled in Waterford in 2016 after deciding they were ready to put down some roots. Megan began homeschooling seven years ago when her oldest started kindergarten. She is a Level 1 Catechist for the Joyful Child Atrium in Purcellville, taught previously at CHRSM, and is excited to be back in the classroom this year. Megan and her husband, Jason, have five children and are parishioners at St. Francis de Sales.
Mrs. Angela Stock
Middle School Spanish 1 & 2
Angela Stock graduated from Florida International University in Miami, FL with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy. She enjoyed working in Florida and California before graduating to her esteemed role as wife of John Stock, and homeschooling mom to two wonderful kids since 2013. She studied multiple years of Spanish in high school and college, but didn't fall in love with the language until she was able to use it with the many Spanish-speaking patients and staff and saw how fascinating it was to open doors of communication!
Mrs. Stock and family are long time members of Leesburg Community Church, and are thrilled to be part of God's family with you! She enjoys spending time with family and animals, and this will be her sixth year teaching Middle School Spanish classes.
Mrs. Katie Swerda
SAT Prep
Katie Swerda received BA's in History and Art History with minors in Chemistry and German from the University of Maryland and an MS in Art Conservation Science from the University of Delaware. She conserved paintings in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Parentignat, France, and Vienna, Austria before marrying her first love. (Frank and Katie met at the age of six.) They live in Jefferson County, WV, where they attend Saint James Catholic Church and the Priory of the Annunciation with their six children. Katie is a member of the Third Order at the Priory and takes classes in pottery, taekwondo, and Latin. She has been homeschooling since their oldest child was in kindergarten in 2007.
Katie started offering SAT-prep to help her own children receive large scholarships for college. She soon became excited to see that the SAT is a game that we can train to win. She enjoys seeing her students significantly improve their scores while having fun learning to master it.
Mrs. Stacey Tuman
Hands-On Science, Humanities, Culinary Arts & Nutrition
A native of Northern Virginia, Stacey Tuman studied at Messiah College, George Mason University, and Oxford, receiving her Bachelor's in Educational Psychology with an emphasis on curriculum development. She and her husband Dan have six children and live on a small hobby farm in Hillsboro, where they raise grass-fed beef cattle. Whether on foot, on a bike, or in a canoe, she loves exploring the outdoors and experiencing God in His creation. She is a perpetual student and loves learning alongside her own children as well as those she is fortunate enough to have in her classroom. She is looking forward to returning to teach Hands-On Science this year, after having enjoyed this past year's class so thoroughly!
As one of the original founders of CHRSM, Mrs. Tuman has had the great pleasure of watching this community grow into the beautiful family that it is.
Ms. Sydney Vaughn
Humanities
Ms. Sydney Vaughn is a classically trained Violinist and a Fiddler with over ten years of playing and performing experience and three years of teaching experience. She loves to worship the Lord through music and has always had a passion for music education. Some of her credits include: Suzuki Teacher Certification (Greater Washington Suzuki Institute), Paul Roland String Technique Endorsement (University of Illinois), Director of the Maranatha Children's Music Academy Beginner Strings, Maranatha Youth Music Academy Alumnus (Concertmaster).
Sydney's goal through teaching is to share the joy and beauty of music with others, to inspire and assist each child in reaching their goals, to encourage Christlike character and discipline, and to support each child as they learn to express their own unique creativity through music!
Outside of her music studio, Sydney calls dances for Rapid Felicities and teaches Youth Acting with Jupiter Theater Company.
Mrs. Wendy Webb
Middle/High School Literature Classes
Wendy Webb graduated Magna Cum Laude from BIOLA with a BS in Christian Education, a minor in Bible, and a specialty in Curriculum Writing. She has successfully launched her three children into adulthood after homeschooling for 17 years. Wendy has put her degree to good use writing curriculum and teaching the elementary aged worship hour at her church for 18 years. While homeschooling, she organized and taught Lively Literature, a precursor to her work with RAH teaching Literature to middle and high school homeschooling students. After 18 years with RAH, she has enjoyed being part of the CHRSM family. In secular circles, Wendy has tutored students for the writing portion of the SAT. She is currently in her 22nd year as a substitute teacher for LCPS, teaching all subjects at the middle and high school levels.
Ms. Agnes Wingate
Art
Agnes has a broad background in art, specifically the skill of classical, naturalistic drawing as well as watercolor and oil painting. Growing up in the home of an artist, she attended many drawing and painting classes throughout her middle school and highschool years taught by her father, local artist Henry Wingate. After attending Christendom College for two and a half years, during which she studied history with a special interest in art history, Agnes transferred to a small atelier called Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy to study oil portraiture, where she studied for several semesters over a two year span. Her primary study focus of late has been drawing in charcoal and red chalk and painting in oil. Agnes has extensive experience both working on projects and commissions as well as teaching children. She has taught private and group art lessons to children of various ages for the last three years, including week long classes, four week long classes, and school year long classes. Most recently, for the 2024-2025 school year, she taught middle school and high school classes at the Classical Cottage Consortium in Winchester VA, as well as multiple homeschool classes.