Staff
About Our Staff
The teachers and staff at Hidenwood Presbyterian School dedicate their time, patience, passion and knowledge to the developmental growth of each child. Teachers and staff are required to particulate in at least 16 hours of professional development each year as part of our participation in the Virginia Quality rating program. The teaching staff members have completed coursework in early childhood development while earning their Child Development Associate credential (CDA), have a degree in Elementary or Early Childhood Education or they have tremendous experience working with preschool aged children. Each staff member is certified in CPR and First Aid to ensure safety in the classroom and on the playground. All staff members are finger-printed and background checked by the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Social Services. The average years of service among the teaching staff is 16 years.
Meet Our Staff
Cathy Huemer
Director
A native of Newport News, Cathy joined our school in January of 2018. She holds a BA in elementary education from Roanoke College and a MA in curriculum development from George Washington University. She also has an endorsement as a reading specialist from Regent University. Cathy has dedicated her life to the education and growth of children. She spent 30 years with Newport News Public School System as a teacher, reading specialist and curriculum supervisor. Cathy has two children – Sophie and Max. In her spare time you can find Cathy and her husband Ingo at the beach or playing with their labradoodle, Winnie.
Julia Boberick
Lead Teacher Three year olds
Julia has been an invaluable fixture at HPP for 28 years. She loves spending time with the children, both teaching and learning from them. Julia holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Julia’s favorite subjects include science, math and literacy. She was born and raised in Newport News. She and her husband, Jeff, have two boys – Tim and Brian, both of whom attended HPP from two years old to four years old. When she is not at school, Julia loves to bike, kayak and spend time with her grandson going to the beach and museums.
Cynthia Nobles
Assistant Teacher, Three-year-olds
Cynthia has been with HPP for 16 years. She holds a B.S. in Education. She has 3 children, the youngest of whom attended HPP beginning in the 3 year old class. She loves reading, spending time with her family, and hiking.
Brenda Dent
Lead Teacher, Two-year-olds
Brenda has been with HPP for 21 years. She holds a CDA credential. She was born and raised in Newport News. Brenda has two children – Cassie and Ryan; and two grandchildren Addison and Andrew. Both of her grandchildren are HPP alums.
Diane Wood
Assistant Teacher, Two-year-olds
Diane Wood brought her love of children to HPP over 22 years ago. With the guidance and encouragement of HPP directors and staff, she earned a Childhood Development Associate Credential. She and her magician husband, Harold, share responsibility for his magical rabbit, Buster. Carrots may be Buster’s favorite snack, Mrs. Wood prefers chocolate!
Her dedication to HPP is a testament to the high standards of the school. She is content with her career choice and thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many children.
Elizabeth Klimczak
Lead Teacher, Three year olds (MWF/ TTH)
Elizabeth was born and raised in Newport News. She has 2 children – Morgan who is a sophomore at Clemson in the architecture program, and Seth, a junior at Warwick High School. Both of her children are alums of HPP. Elizabeth has been with HPP for 7 years. She holds a CDA credential and her favorite subjects include math and music. (She can play the clarinet!) Elizabeth is married to Gerald Klimczak. They have two dogs, Buster and Gizmo and two lizards, Trouble and Lucky. She also loves to country line dance, jet-ski and ride her motorcycle.
Jennifer New
Assistant Teacher, Three year olds (MWF/TTH)
Jennifer was very excited to join the HPP&K family in 2020. She was born and raised in Newport News. She has three teenage children and her youngest attended HPP&K. Jennifer is currently finishing her Early Childhood degree at TNCC. She loves teaching and seeing the smiles of the children every day. She especially loves teaching science. In her spare time Jennifer enjoys boating, fishing and spending time with family.
Amanda Wood
Lead Teacher, Four year olds (MWF)
Amanda grew up in the Newport News area. She has been with HPP for 16 years. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from ODU and both an M.S. and Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education from ODU. Her favorite subjects include science and literacy. Both Amanda and her son Parker attended HPP as children. HPP holds a special place in her heart. She loves working with preschool age children and watching them explore and grow. When she is not in school, Amanda loves to read, read, read!!
Rebecca (Becky) Slaydon
Assistant Teacher, Four year olds (MWF)
Becky was born and raised in Newport News. She has two adult children, Justin and Ashley. Becky has been a teacher’s assistant for 20 years. Her favorite subjects are History and Science. When she is not in the classroom, Becky enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Megan Christopher
Lead Teacher, Four year olds
Megan grew up in Ohio and went to college in South Carolina. She holds a BA from Coastal Carolina University. Her husband joined the military and that decision brought them here in 2010. Megan first became involved in HPP when her daughters attended –Ciearra with the 4s and Caelin with the 2s. A year later Megan joined our fabulous team of teachers. She has been here 10 years and is going strong. Her favorite subjects include science, STEAM and art. When she is not creating a beautiful classroom environment, you can find Megan spending time with her family, reading, exploring the outdoors and watching her children play sports.
Carol Burke
Assistant Teacher, Four-year-olds
Carol grew up in New Jersey and moved to Newport News in 1991 with her husband. Carol’s husband (Bill) and son (Connor) both attended preschool at HPP. Carol has been with HPP for 20 years and loves all the families she has met over the years. She still keeps in touch with many of them and enjoys seeing how they grow over the years. In her off time Carol loves to read, watch movies, visit with friends and visit Charlottesville to see her son.
Barbara Daniels
Lead Teacher, Four year olds
This is Barbara’s first year with HPP/K/1. Prior to coming to our school she taught 2nd grade at St. Andrew’s and was a Reading Interventionist for NNPS. The majority of her career, however, was spent in Kindergarten classrooms. She loves teaching reading and helping children explore new adventures through books. Barbara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from CNU and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from ODU. In her time off, she likes to spend time with family which includes, 3 children, 2 sons-in-law, 5 grandchildren, two dogs and a cat.
Martha Bott
Assistant Teacher, Four-year-olds
Martha has been with HPP for 16 years. She holds a CDA credential. Two of her three sons attended preschool here at HPP. Martha loves teaching and her favorite thing is to witness a child’s eyes light up when they finally understand a concept for the first time. Martha’s favorite subjects include math and reading. When she is not in the classroom. Martha loves to spend time with her family.
Marsha White
Lead Teacher, Kindergarten
Marsha is a native of Newport News, and she joined Hidenwood Presbyterian Preschool and Kindergarten in August 2019 to serve as the Kindergarten teacher. Marsha has both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from James Madison University. She taught Kindergarten and 1st Grade in Newport News Public Schools for 25 years. She then served as an instructor at Old Dominion University in the Early Childhood Department for 4 years, after which she taught full day 4 year old Preschool at Walsingham Academy for 10 years. Marsha has a son named Zachary and she loves to read, write and garden.
Makenzie Goodwin
Assistant Kindergarten and First Grade
Makenzie joins us this year as the Assistant in both the Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms. She grew up in Newport News and attended Menchville High School and Thomas Nelson Community College. Her favorite subject is English. She loves to travel and her goal is to visit all 50 states!
Martha Tereska
Lead Teacher, First Grade
Martha was a teacher with NNPS for 35 years. She was only retired for one year before she felt the calling to come back to teaching first grade. Martha was born and raised in Newport News. She graduated from Denbigh High School and Christopher Newport University. Her favorite subjects are reading and history. In her free time she loves to spend time with her four children, read, go to beaches, and visit museums. She is also an avid dog lover!
