Carisa den Hartog
Kindergarten
I grew up in Edgerton, Minnesota. I am the 10th child of eleven. My mother was a teacher and three of my older sisters are teachers. Since I was in 3rd grade I have wanted to be a teacher. After graduating high school I moved to California and had the opportunity to be a teacher aide at Hope Christian School. I then went to Crafton Hills College and earned a certificate in Accounting. In 2002 I was married and in 2003 God made me a mother. God has blessed me with five covenant children and my first calling is a mother. As my children grew I was able to help at HCS, especially teaching Physical Education. In 2021 I went back to school and am currently finishing my elementary and special education degrees at Western Governors University. In January of 2023 I started teaching Kindergarten at HCS. I am humbled that God has called me to be both a mother and a teacher. I depend on Him for wisdom to guide and direct His covenant children in the fear and love of His name.
Amy Gritters
Grades 1-2
I was born in New Jersey into a minister’s family who moved to Singapore for 7 years, then Wisconsin, and then Redlands. Teaching has always been a blessing to me since I was 17, starting with teaching Sunday School for several years and piano lessons to many of the children in the congregation. After graduating from the University of Redlands and marrying Darin, I taught fifth and sixth grade for one year and first, second, and third for a year and a half. I stopped teaching for twenty years when God blessed me with five children. When a need arose in our school for a first and second grade teacher, God called me to fill the need. Hope Christian School is a precious blessing. I hope to continue to serve in it and help fill its needs whenever I am able.
Emily Feenstra
Grades 3-4
I grew up in California, attending Hope Christian School in Redlands throughout my childhood. I attended Crafton Hills College for several years before transferring to Western Governors University to complete my BA in elementary education. While in college, I worked as a teacher’s aid at Hope Christian School and as a tutor, which gave me much valuable teaching experience. After graduating in April of 2018, I moved to Colorado, where I taught 3rd and 4th grades at Loveland Protestant Reformed School. After a year in Loveland, I was given the opportunity to return to Hope Christian School, this time as the 3rd and 4th grade teacher. Every day I thank God for the place He has given me here in this school and in the lives of my students.
Shaun Karsemeyer
Administrator
Grades 5-6
I was born in Grand Rapids, MI, but moved to California at an early age, where I attended Hope Christian School in Redlands, then went on to Yucaipa High School. Teaching is in my blood… I come from a family of teachers, having had 2 grandparents and my father to follow in the teaching arena. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from the University of Redlands in 2000. My teaching career at Hope Christian School began in 1999, where I have taught a variety of grades from 3rd through 6th. In 2012, I became administrator and continue to enjoy the various duties of my calling as teacher.
Luke Potjer
Grades 7-8
I have grown up in Redlands as a member of Hope PRC my whole life. It is a blessed privilege to be a part of this church body. I attended HCS from K-12th grade. I had the privilege of being the first class to go through high school. My mother was a part of the first class to go from K-9th grade. We have deep roots and love for this school in my family. It has been a blessing to be a part of this school and I am eager to give back to the school as a teacher now. I attended Western Governor’s University online after graduating HCS in 2020 and completed my online courses and student teaching just in time to graduate in January 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I love the place God has given me to serve these children of the covenant and point them to rejoice and hope in their Savior every day.
Sean Ferguson
High School
I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. I attended the Parkland Immanuel Christian from Kindergarten to Grade 12, graduating in 2014. I enrolled in the Education Transfer Program at Macewan University and after two years, successfully transferred to the University of Alberta. I graduated in the spring of 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, majoring in Social Studies and minoring in the Biological Sciences. I got married in the summer of 2018 and began work as the high-school teacher in Redlands shortly thereafter.
Rachel Buiter
High School
I grew up locally in Yucaipa, California. I attended Hope Christian School for kindergarten through 9th grade (all the grades available at the time), and was homeschooled for the remainder of high school. I then attended Crafton Hills College and California State University of San Bernardino, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in physics. I went on to earn my master’s in mathematics from the University of Southern California. During most of my college years, I worked as a tutor or a teacher’s assistant at a college level, which helped me realize how much I enjoyed helping students learn and succeed. After graduating, I taught at three of the local community colleges in the area, teaching statistics and a variety of calculus classes. In 2022, I started at Hope Christian School, teaching math and science classes, along with a smattering of other subjects. It has been a joy to be surrounded by fellow believers, working together for the academic and spiritual growth of the next generation.