Staff & Teachers
Katharine Savage
Head of School
“In Philadelphia, PCS stands out as a unique, intentional community. However, it is one among many classical Christian schools in the nation who are rediscovering and reapplying an old tradition in a fresh way for modern students. The results are young adults like I have never seen elsewhere. It is such a delight to lead a cohesive, energized team that supports this transformative journey from kindergarten through twelfth grade in our special city.”
Katharine also writes for the BLOG.
M.A. Leadership (concentration in Classical Christian Education), Gordon College
B.A. Belhaven University
Jody Martin
Business Director and Systems Manager
“I appreciate the intentional people, curriculum, and culture that make this community so special. It is even more satisfying that the same intentionality is put towards the business side of the organization so that all of the parts of the organization work together in harmony for the same vision of excellence and beauty.”
B.S. Information Systems, Drexel University
Ray Cwiertniewicz
Director of Advancement
“PCS is a refreshing oasis of Christ-centered Classical education in Philadelphia. After a decade of building public school choice systems and crafting district strategies in cities like New Orleans and Houston, I am in awe of PCS’s unique, eternally oriented approach to education. I am grateful to support PCS’s mission and help it grow so that more students can drink from the deep wells of learning this school draws from.”
M.Div. Westminster Theological Seminary
B.S. System Engineering & Economics, University of Virginia
Beth Lansner
Lower School Head
“Even though I planned a career in education and trained for it, working at PCS has shown me how deep and rich a K-12 education can truly be. I have had the blessing to be at PCS from day one helping to build the school as a teacher and now leading teachers and shepherding students as the lower school principal.”
Beth also writes for the BLOG.
M.A. Education, Cairn University
B.S. Bible, Cairn University
Luke Trouwborst
Upper School Head
“PCS is a remarkable community of learners. This starts with a tight-knit faculty of friends who deeply love and understand both their students and their subject matter. It ends with students who have been shaped by reading and wrestling with the sorts of great texts and questions which are rare even at the college level.”
MAT in Classical Education, The Templeton Honors College at Eastern University
BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, The King’s College
Francesca DiGiacomo
Administrative Assistant/Front Desk
“The PCS goal is not to merely to push students academically. Instead it is to nurture them both spiritually and mentally, and foster in them a love of learning, a respect for those around them, and ultimately a desire to know God better. It is a blessing to be a part of a community that cares for their students so holistically, making time for what is deep and below the surface, whether in kindergarten or at the end of their high school career.”
Hannah Bibb
Events
Coming soon…
Rachel Becham
Events
“At PCS I have found a place that prioritizes the cultivation of wonder and beauty in each child’s heart while integrating discipleship across every rigorous subject. To walk the halls of PCS is to be surrounded by daring literary adventure, the epic rises and falls of historical heroes, and the wonder of mathematical discovery. ”
B.A. English, Georgia State University
Jonathan Schimpf
College Counseling and Advancement
“There is a deeply developed culture here where students and staff support each other to do our best in everything, inside and outside of the classroom. As eternal students of Christ, we know that learning to love our neighbors is just as important as learning to read challenging texts and to solve elaborate equations. Our prayer is that the fruits of our academics ultimately help us to love our neighbors well.”
BA Sociology, Covenant College
Martha Glick
HR
“I appreciate how intentionality and excellence are central to everything we do at PCS. Every role, from staff to student, contributes something both beautiful and meaningful, with lasting value. It is a privilege to support such a thoughtful, dedicated team of educators.”
B.S. Business Administration, Capella University
Julia Kurtz
Kindergarten Teacher
“I have fallen in love with PCS because it is a place where the goodness, truth and beauty of the gospel is sought out and prioritized everyday. As we encourage students to build deep friendships, wrestle with difficult math problems or marvel at stories from ancient times to the modern era, we do so knowing that we are all humans in need of a Savior, called to love and forgive one another. PCS is a place rich with warmth and love, providing students and staff space to grow and explore the wonder of God.”
B.A. Anthropology, Wheaton College
Amanda Corbett
First Grade Teacher
“I chose PCS because I believe that it takes the help of wise and faithful communities for us to become the people that God is calling us to be, and this school has become such a community for me. I am grateful that each person in our school, from students to parents to staff, is encouraged by PCS to engage in life’s humbling journey of transformation.”
M.A. Theology, University of Notre Dame
B.A. English, University of Dallas
Denae Hornbaker
Second Grade/ Lead Teacher
“PCS is what I always hoped school could be (for the students and teachers)! It is a place where the gospel is lived, good stories are told, and joy in learning is found. I love the depth and richness that comes with a Christian classical education and the ways it teaches us more about who God is and how he is calling his people to live. I am forever changed for the better because of PCS.”
B.A. Biblical Studies, B.S. Early Childhood Education, Lancaster Bible College
Jennifer Faheem
Third Grade Teacher
“I love teaching here because, in contrast with merely pursuing knowledge and skills, PCS seeks to develop the whole student with special emphasis on character. Our cohesiveness across grades cultivates habits of heart, body, and mind as we sing songs rich in meaning, memorize catechisms, and explore virtues in content areas year after year. And at the core of everything at PCS is the desire to encourage each student to grow in awe of the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of Christ as seen in every domain of His creation.”
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Grace College
B.A. Multi-Age Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Cedarville University
Grace Koncsics
Fourth Grade Teacher
I love PCS because the staff nurtures the values and virtues of each student as we strive to guide them towards love of integrity, knowledge and, ultimately, Christ. This to me is the good, the true, and the beautiful not only of education, but of life. PCS embodies this goal.
B.A. Elementary Education, Eastern University
Zachary Johnson
Fifth Grade Teacher
Coming Soon. . .
Summer Rosario
Sixth Grade/ Lead Teacher
“I grew up in the Christian classical tradition and experienced first-hand the way it sparks a lifelong love of learning and a deep appreciation for the True, Good, and Beautiful. It is such a joy to get to pass that along to my students! I love PCS’s focus on addressing the fullness of students’ humanity – not only cultivating their minds, but also shepherding their hearts.”
Summer also writes for the BLOG.
M. Ed. University of Pennsylvania
B.A. in History, B.A. in Communications, Temple University
Sarah Reardon
Grammar School Teacher
Coming soon…
Claire Lawrence
Primary School Teaching Assistant
“I am at PCS because it emphasizes Christ-centered character development and soul nurturing in its students. Combining that feature with rich academics, leads to a rare find in our current society.”
B.A. Journalism, Messiah College
Allison Yun
Grammar School Teaching Assistant
Coming Soon. . .
Lisa Blattenberger
Student Support
“I love the culture of pleasant rigor that is an integral aspect of the PCS culture. We work hard, but we use methods that are adapted to the way the students learn. This results in a peaceful, calm and encouraging community in my classroom.”
B.S. Elementary Education, University of Oklahoma
Anne Smith
Grammar School Latin
“I am here because of the beauty of this place. Every day walking through our school building, I am surrounded by music, art, poems, great books, stories and encouragement from Scripture, essential truths chanted in rhymes by little voices, and older voices discussing who we are and how to serve our God. The life we live in our school days at PCS lifts my gaze heavenward and helps me to be a better teacher, friend, mother, and wife.”
M.A.T. Early Childhood Education, James Madison University
B.A. in Classics and French, University of Virginia
Will Goodwin
Upper School Humanities/Lead Teacher
“PCS is a place that elevates Christ and what he calls us to be above all else. More than simply giving information to students, PCS is a school that seeks to give formation to the human person, helping students (and teachers) learn what it means to imitate God in thought, word, and deed. The seriousness, humility, and excellence that is pursued at PCS is unlike any other school I have been a part of and I cannot even begin to articulate how much they have blessed me, the staff, the parents, and the students that pass through their doors.”
Will also writes for the BLOG.
M.S. Religious Studies, Cairn University
B.S. Biblical Studies, Cairn University
Neil Roberts
Upper School Rhetoric and Humanities
“I joined PCS because it provides an arena in which the most prominent and influential ideas of human history may be engaged in the light of the revelation of Scripture, that Paul’s injunction that we bring ‘every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’ may be put into practice.”
M.A. Classical Christian Education, University of Dallas (in progress)
B.S. Financial Management, Grove City College
Colin Hartwick
Upper School Math
“Though I grew up in the public school district, my parents constantly supplemented with rich books, thoughtful music, and thorough study of God’s word. Now working here, I see that PCS is the fullness of the beautiful, wonder-filled education that my parents wanted for me, and more.”
B.S. Secondary Mathematics Education
B.S. Bible
B.Mus. Cello Performance, Cairn University
Thomas Johnson
Upper School Math
“I came to PCS as a parent looking for a school that would help form my children to be servants of Christ in the world. What I found was a community that helps form me as much as it does my children–one that motivates and challenges me to be a better friend, a better father, a better husband, and a better Christian. I joined the staff to engage more fully in this formation, not only as one who helps form the students, but also as one who walks alongside them in the formation process.”
B.A. in Mathematics, University of Scranton MAT, Secondary Mathematics, Seattle University
Brenda Davis
Upper School Science
“I cherish my role here at PCS because everyday I get to take part in laying a strong academic foundation for our students while fostering a deeper wonder, awe, and understanding of God’s world through science instruction. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead my students on a journey of embracing scientific concepts, grappling with calculations and making connections between various subjects in a loving, encouraging, supportive, and Christ-centered environment.”
M.Ed. Secondary Education with Secondary Science Concentration, Arcadia University
B.A. Biology, Temple University
Megan Cochrum
Senior Thesis
“When I first walked into a PCS classroom, I was immediately struck by the joy that overflowed from the students as they learned, which was dramatically different from what I had seen in other school settings. I came to realize that this was the fruit of an incredibly intentional school that focuses on wisdom, virtue, and Christian faith in teaching the students.”
M.A. in Teaching, Trinity International University, IL
B.A. in Rhetoric Communication, Minor in Spanish, Wheaton College
Bethany Serridge
Upper School Latin
“I love working at PCS because of the students. PCS students are intellectually curious, hard working and fully invested in their education.”
B.A. Latin, Mount Holyoke College
Ryan Klein
Upper School Humane Letters/Logic
PCS is a classical school, not only in name, but in substance. This is a school that looks to the past for wisdom, taking seriously the words of our ancestors that have lasted, teaching the truths of the faith in the full light of the Western tradition.
Isaac Jorgensen
Upper School Humane Letters/Bible
Coming soon. . .
Michael Weaver
Music, Theater, and Media
“At PCS we believe in the ability of students to use their God-given talents to create excellent, beautiful works of art in all its forms. I love that in my position I get to support our students as they try tough things and expand their comfort zones. We value the virtue of trying, and failing, and trying again, not that we might achieve perfection, but that we can bring glory to God in all we do.”
Michael also writes for the BLOG.
B.M. Music Theory and Composition, West Chester University
Stephanie Nicholson
5th-12th Art
“PCS is an intentional school. From kindergarten up through 12th grade, the teachers are unified in the goal of forming a student’s Christian character, imagination, and tastes towards St. Paul’s admonition to seek out “the true, excellent and praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8). The students’ joy in both the Lord and in learning is palpable when you walk through the hallways.”
MA in Art Education, Moore College of Art and Design
BFA in Painting, Syracuse University
Timothy Gramling
K-4th Art/Primary School Gym
“While in college, I realized the depth of knowledge I had been missing without a strong liberal arts education. I soon immersed myself in the works of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other great thinkers of the Western tradition. The riches of wisdom found in their writings, when grounded in Christ and the scriptures, are invaluable. To then discover a school like PCS, which is committed to honoring God, educating the whole student, and exploring the richness of human history and the arts, is a blessing for which I’m truly thankful.”
B.A in Graphic Design and Education, Cairn University
Eric Jones
Strings Instructor and Ensemble
“I first came to PCS as a parent seeking an excellent school for my children. It has been a delight to see the PCS vision grow over the years and I know my two sons are indeed receiving a world-class education. After a career in the Philadelphia School District, I joined the PCS music faculty in 2018 to share my expertise and love of string instruments with the PCS community.”
M.Mus. in Music Performance, Temple University
B.Mus. in Music Performance, Stetson University
Anna Rebmann
Upper School Theater
“PCS prioritizes the spiritual and character growth of the students alongside their academic success. It is rare to find an institution that isn’t afraid to challenge their students, but honors effort and perseverance over easy success. As a theatre teacher, it’s also a delight to work with students who have been prepared to love good stories. The lower school teachers do a fantastic job of introducing literary giants–such as Shakespeare–in winning and imaginative ways. By the time they reach Upper School. students are excited to participate in performances–they already know that theatre is a rewarding craft!”
BA in Theater, Balhaven University, Jackson MA in Acting, Bristol Old Vic Acting School, Bristol, UK Certificate of Classical Acting, LAMDA, London
Anthony Glick
Physical Education and Administration/Upper School Choir
“I came to PCS wanting to be part of a vibrant learning community and curious about classical education. I found, as I expected, a school that valued academic excellence, but I also discovered an uncommon thoughtfulness about character formation. These twin values create a solid foundation for teaching while also challenging me to continue learning and growing.”
B.A. Music, Eastern University
Anthony Spicer
Facilities Manager
Coming Soon…