Faculty & Staff

Our teachers and staff are at the very heart of Sycamore Academy. Their dedication to the education of your child’s mind and heart is at the center of their lessons and at the forefront of their minds as they educate your child.

*Teacher profiles are in alphabetical order by last name.

This page is currently under construction. The target goal for its completion is September 15, 2024

Coni Bartholomew

Welcome to Sycamore Academy. I started my teaching career 33 years ago. I have worked with PreK to high school level students. This year I will teach 3rd -9th grade the following subjects: Reading, Bible, Social Studies, Keyboarding, Finance, and Science.

Here is a snippet about me: I have one daughter who just graduated with an A.S. at 17 years old. She started university this year and is expected to graduate in two years with a BS. She is my pride and joy.

I am very active at my church, I am involved with the finance committee, and S.S. assistant superintendent.

My husband and I enjoy traveling, the last few years we have traveled to Mexico, England, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. We are planning to take a trip to Alaska hopefully at the end of this year.

I like to sew, cook, crochet, embroidery, watch documentaries, and gardening. I am currently growing guavas from tiny seeds. They are about 4 feet tall, and I have to keep an eye on them because insects like to nibble on the leaves and pests like to take over but I use homemade remedies to eliminate them. Gardening is my new passion, I try to collect seeds wherever I go. If I see dead flowers, or plants that have seeds I will make sure to collect them so I can plant them the following year. I can also propagate plants. That is how I started my garden and now my plants are taking over my backyard. We have also raised chickens, rabbits, a heifer and a poodle, which is our main pet.

I am excited to start this new year with new faces and be able to connect with each one of you.

I enjoy teaching and hope to assist you in any way possible. See you soon.

Precious Fuller

What I love about teaching is connecting with students and building relationships. I enjoy watching them take in information and sharing what they interpret from it. I believe we all have a brilliance, and I love watching my students build theirs.

I enjoy reading, driving/riding, tasting good food, learning about other cultures, and spending time in the great outdoors. I enjoy walking. I also enjoy movies occasionally.

I’m passionate about healthy connections and positive exposures! The more we connect with others in positive ways, the more we can learn from them. As we become more comfortable in this space, our human family connections grow. Our family extends over the planet, and I just love having family members all over the world!

LaRayne Hall

Greetings!

My name is Ms. LaRayne Hall. My special loves are my family, my students, teaching, horses, dogs, and cats. My hobbies include anything that involves horses, hiking and nature, flower gardening, and music.

I live in TN on a small “mini farm”. We have a lovely black horse named Beauty, a German Shepherd named Lily, a sweet little dog named Scruffy, and a very relaxed cat named Target.

I’ve been teaching for many years and hope to continue for many more! I have taught all grades (PreK through 12) and have been a principal for 10 years. God blessed me with the best career I could ever have imagined, and I look forward to meeting new students and parents!

It is important to me that my students not only master the material we study but also grow to love learning and to see spiritual connections that can prepare them for their future. Learning is a joyful adventure that never ends! God’s hand is evident in this world and its history.

Renee Miranda

I am so glad you stopped by to get to know me a little.

I homeschooled both of my children through high school. In the last few years, I would homeschool them in the mornings and teach for Sycamore in the afternoons. Now that my youngest child has graduated from high school, I am leaning into my role at Sycamore as a teacher and one that handles special projects.

I enjoy meeting new people, learning about a myriad of subjects (mostly about the topics that I teach), and traveling.

At the very core of my educational goals is my desire to teach students how to think well and to view their worlds through the lens of a biblical worldview.

This is my seventh year working for Sycamore Academy. I teach high school classes. This year my classes will be:

World History
American Literature
US History
British Literature
Government/Economics
Bible
Homeroom (Tenth Grade)
Logic
Art History
Roaming with Renee
Asian Studies
Dating 101

Angela Norwood

Hello, I am Ms. Angela Norwood. I don't mind whether you call Ms. Angela or Ms. Norwood. I'm fine with either address.

I've been with Sycamore Academy for a year now, but I previously taught in the classroom for over 30 years in both Preschool and Elementary School.

I love getting to know personally my students and their families. I love watching their faces light up as they grasp a new skill or concept. I love showing realistic relics to emphasize a concept I'm teaching.

As you can see from my picture, I'm passionate about Cultural Heritage, especially Native American, Irish, and African, as those make up my family tree. I am a Cherokee, Ogahpah (Quapaw), and Chickasaw Native American, as well as Irish and Nigerian.

I'm also passionate about Bible stories. I love telling them, acting them out, and teaching them.

My hobbies are singing, storytelling, and reading Christian fiction stories, especially historical ones.

I look forward to meeting each of you in my various classes, especially my ASL classes this year.

Jasper Owens

I Graduated from a Master's degree program in Communication Systems Engineering. I also have a Bachelor's degree program in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Experience teaching: undergraduate electronic and communication systems engineering students and high school math (Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry & Precalculus)

I let the students know on the first day of class that I expect their very best participation, and I will give my very best as a teacher. We will engage in the course together. I inspire my students by commending them for doing well and encouraging them when they are shy or apprehensive. I instill confidence and assurance that if they participate and study they will learn and attain a high passing grade.

Many students have anxiety with math but my goal is to remove this anxiety by making math fun and relevant to our everyday lives.

I ask my students on the first day of class to rate how well they like math on a scale of 1-10. I then assure them after taking a math course with me they will like math on a scale of at least 8.

Griselle Vargas

¡Hola! I am Griselle Vargas, a Spanish teacher at Sycamore Academy. I am originally from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where I currently reside. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from Adelphi University, NY, and a Master's in Spanish from CUNY Queens College, NY.

My hobbies include playing the guitar, listening to music, reading literature, following the news, and participating in church activities. Spending time with my family is very important to me, and I also love watching the sky and taking pictures on sunny days and at sunset.

For the past 17 years, I have had the opportunity to teach Spanish to students from various backgrounds. This journey has deepened my appreciation for languages and their potential to bridge geographical and cultural gaps. In my classroom, I strive to establish a welcoming and supportive environment that fosters learning. I advocate the communicative approach to language instruction and emphasize cultural understanding and appreciation.

In my capacity as a Spanish teacher, the most rewarding aspect is witnessing students enhance their language skills and broaden their cultural understanding, empathy, and global outlook.

This year, I will be teaching Spanish I and Spanish II. ¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español!

Bonnie Velez

I worked as an Environmental Research Scientist for ten years until I gave my heart to the Lord at the age of 28. I then married, and stayed home with my children until they were both school- age. Then, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do for Him and He directed me to teach. I have been doing that ever since and TRULY loving it!!!! I believe that is what God created me to do, and know in my heart that when I am teaching, I am right in the middle of God’s will for me.

My personal enjoyments include serving as Adventurer and VBS Director for my church and teaching Sabbath School for the littlest ones. Pathfindering with my youngest son, gardening, walking/jogging/running, swimming and generally being outside (yes even in Michigan winters) are fun for me.

I have been a Seventh-day Adventist teacher now for twenty-seven years. This will be my fifth year with Sycamore Academy. I currently teach Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Integrated Physics and Chemistry and 8th Grade Science plus selected Math classes as needed to students in both the United States and China. My style is to use hands-on methods along with silly songs that makes difficult content much easier. We have laboratories with each of my Science classes. I am also passionate about integrating Christ into the Science curriculum through five minute worship thoughts and PowerPoint presentations. I look forward to serving you and your children this coming school year!