For the 2012-2013 academic school year, the Lord has blessed Sycamore Covenant Academy with the following teachers. We want to tell you not only about their academic qualifications but also let you know of their commitment to and fruit in home education.
 
Zachary Blackwood is a home school graduate and has a B.S. from Purdue in physics and one in mathematics in 2009. He also received a master’s degree in education from Purdue in 2011. He currently teaches Physics at Lewis Cass High School where he also heads up the science club. He is the loving husband of Flo Blackwood and father to Felicity.

Flo Blackwood is the wife of Zachary Blackwood and graduate of Geneva College. She comes from the David and Jerri Faris Family one of the pioneering home schooling families in the state of Indiana. Her mother Jerri Faris has taught Speech for SCA and KASH for many years.

Susan Dinkledine and her husband Tom have home educated their four children Aaron, Luke and Rachel (all graduates from SCA and now attending college) and current student Adam. Susan has a Master’s Degree in Speech Therapy from Purdue University and has helped many children with speech development. She also volunteers many hours in helping with SCA and the tutoring ministry.

Jerri Faris and her husband David have been pioneers in home education in Indiana; having begun in the 1970’s schooling their children at home. Jerri began her speech career debating Jane Pauley in high school, and has taught numerous speech and debate classes through the years for home school students including KASH. All of her eight children have since graduated from home school and are serving the Lord in various places around the world. David and Jerri also have twenty-one grandchildren and are enjoying watching them in the early stages of home education. She holds a Doctorate degree from Purdue University in Communications.

Suzanne Jones has a B.A. from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree at Indiana University and is a lifetime certified teacher. Her specialty is in writing and Latin. She and her husband Robert have home schooled their four children Joshua, Candace, Amy and Benjamin through all grade levels and joined efforts with other home schooling families in their home state of Texas in academies like SCA to supplement their children’s education.

Sharon McKissick received her B.S. in Biology and Secondary Education from Geneva College, and teaches science and math classes at SCA.   She and her husband, a physician, homeschooled their four children on the family farm in Kansas.  The children, now married and serving the Lord in various places around the country, are homeschooling their children as well. There were seventeen grandchildren at last count.

Denise Morrow received her Master of Education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2001 and has a B.S. in English Education from Northern Michigan University. Denise taught English literature and writing including Advanced Placement at Kokomo High School for 16 years. She and her husband Sam have a seven-year old daughter Brenna and a three-year old son, Devin.

Melissa Pike received her BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.  She and her husband, Lee, home school their three children Michael, Gracie and Jay. She has also taught science modules at elementary schools and has been a youth coach at YMCA and Eastern Middle School.

Raye Jean Swinehart received her B.S. in Music Education from Indiana State University and her M.S. in Elementary Education from Indiana University. She has been married to Ken for 29 years and home schooled her 3 children Kelley, Sarah and Andrew for 13 years, with Andrew being 2009 graduate of SCA. Raye Jean teaches music in the community and at Acacia Academy.

Barry York has been the church planter and pastor of Sycamore Reformed Presbyterian Church since 1991. He received degrees in mathematics at the University of Michigan and Purdue University, and following his call into ministry received his Masters of Divinity at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. He teaches Math, Greek and Bible classes as well as serving as the Administrator of SCA. Barry is married to Miriam and they have home schooled their six children Jamey, Lindsay, Trevor, Emory (all four who graduated from SCA), Spencer and Celia.