Growing LIFELONG LEARNERS who will transform the WORLD for CHRIST
We aim to graduate students who think clearly, reason persuasively, and evaluate life in light of Scripture with joyful submission to God, growing in wisdom, humility, and love for Christ.
We desire our staff to embody these same qualities; professional, diligent, gifted in teaching, committed to classical education, and maturing in Christ while mentoring students and one another.
We encourage parents to share responsibility for the school, to grow in understanding of classical Christian education, and to model biblical principles in partnership with us.
In our community, we strive to act with integrity, support local endeavors, foster unity among churches, and honor Christ in all we do.
OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
- We believe the Bible to be the only inerrant, authoritative Word of God. (II Tim. 3:16)
- We believe that there is one God, creator of all things, who is eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deut. 5:4, Gen. 1:1, I John 5:7)
- We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His promised return in power and glory. (John 10:30, Matt. 1:18, Heb. 4:15, John 10:32, Rom.3:25, Matt. 28:6, Rom. 8:34, Luke 21:27)
- We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary. (John 3:3-8)
- We believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone. (Eph. 2:8)
- We believe that faith without works is dead. (Jam. 2:8)
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose power the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. (Gal. 5:16)
- We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of condemnation. (I Thes. 4:16-17, II Thes. 1:9)
- We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 17:20-23)
OUR LEADERSHIP
Mrs. Heather Baker
Head of School
Heather Baker began teaching first grade at HRCA in 2012. She has loved teaching for years and has now progressed through various classes and positions at HRCA, where she currently serves as the Head of School. Her three adult children and their families are all relatively local, and she is blessed to have three grandchildren who also attend this wonderful school.
Mrs. Tracy Carbone
Principal
Tracy Carbone serves as Principal at HRCA. She holds a Master’s degree in Exceptional Children and has dedicated her career to supporting students and staff with passion and care. Tracy has happily called Chatham County home for the past 20 years, where she lives with her husband and is the proud mother of two sons in college. She feels truly blessed to be part of a fantastic staff and knows the Lord faithfully led her to HRCA.
Dr. Janice Hansen
Dean of Academics
Janice Hansen is excited to serve as the Dean of Academics at HRCA, where she also teaches Senior Thesis and eleventh and twelfth grade literature. She holds a PhD from Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she spent time teaching prior to joining the HRCA team. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and five children and collecting books.
Our Board
Monthly board meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Tuesday of every month (6:00 p.m. in the main school building) or the 2nd Tuesday in the months of November, December, and May, unless announced otherwise. Members of the school are always welcome and encouraged to attend these meetings to glean regular information about financial, administrative, and visionary aspects of the school. Minutes are available to members of the school upon request.
HRCA’s Elected Board (7 seats) and Lifetime Members:
Penny Hull, President
Penny and her husband Eric have been part of the HRCA family since 2010. Their five children have experienced significant spiritual and intellectual growth through the blessings of classical, Christian education. Penny’s professional qualifications include secondary education, business intelligence, program management, and leadership, across various roles in start-ups and global organizations. She is fully dedicated to working to fulfill the vision that the Lord has given for this school, and is thankful every day for all who serve here helping impart truth, wisdom, and the tools for life-long learning.
Pete Deichler, Vice President
Pete is not a NC native but got here as soon as he could by attending NCSU in the early 1990s. Pete and his wife, Beth, have three children. Their youngest, Charity, is in 6th grade at HRCA. They were drawn to HRCA in 2019 after years of experience in public, private and homeschooling with their older two children. Pete sees the classical Christian education model as key to transmitting the Christian worldview to younger generations. His professional and volunteer work experience spans 35 years and includes 25 years in pharmaceutical R&D management, and he also has served in church leadership roles.
Tripp Crayton, Interim Member
Tripp and his wife, Ellen—a former educator—are parents to Hadley, a thriving student at Haw River Christian Academy, where the family has been active for two years. Recently retired from the State of North Carolina after 30 years in public education, Tripp now serves as Principal of a local K–12 charter school. His career highlights include serving as founding principal of Seaforth High School and being named Chatham County Schools’ Principal of the Year in 2020. A UNC School of Education graduate, Tripp is recognized as a servant leader committed to advancing student achievement and mentoring future leaders. He strongly supports the growth of classical Christian education at HRCA and beyond.
Kelly Jacoby, Secretary
Kelly Jacoby and her husband, Brian, enrolled their son at Haw River Christian Academy during the 2020-2021 school year. They saw the value of a classical, Chrstian education as a way to reinforce what was being taught at home and at church and appreciated the focus on a biblical worldview. Her family instantly knew this was a special place and they have all volunteered in various roles at HRCA. Kelly has supported staff, coaches and students and served as a House Leader for the Upper School. She has worked in Sales and Marketing for over 20 years and is a founding member of a successful non-profit. She hopes to use her work and volunteer experiences to help raise awareness and raise funds to help HRCA continue to spread the light and love of the Lord to more families.
Michael Travers, Member
Michael and his wife Brittany have three girls enrolled at HRCA, a rising 2nd grader, a rising 1st, and their third girl just joining Haw River in the JK program. Michael has been involved in a wide variety of positions, with the early part of his career focusing on software and technology, and then pivoting into hardware for his current position as President of a large manufacturer. Whether it is helping with summer camps, providing IT support, or almost being useful in the annual parent/student basketball game, Michael and Brittany have been happy to contribute to HRCA and everything that it stands for, since enrolling in 2019.
Matthew York, Interim Member
Matt and his wife, Jessica, both North Carolina natives, have been a part of HRCA for three years. They have two children currently enrolled in 8th and 5th grade with another starting kindergarten in 2029. Matt was drawn to Classical Christian Education for both its academic rigor and Christ-centeredness: establishing Jesus as the fixed reference point by which everything else is measured. Apart from HRCA, Matt works as a registered nurse for a local hospital system and along with his family, serves in a new church plant in Liberty, North Carolina.
Chris Pallen, Member
Chris and his wife Kristi, along with their rising 6th grade son and rising 10th grade daughter, joined Haw River Christian Academy three years ago. They have brought passion and commitment to classical Christian education in addition to helping build other programs through their volunteer efforts. Chris brings a wealth of global tax, finance, and non-profit specific experience to the Board. Chris holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, a Master’s degree in Taxation, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in both North Carolina and Ohio. Chris has worked for some of the largest fortune 500 companies and is currently the manager of Global Taxes for a large Health Care company here in N.C.
Sean Butler, Emeritus
Sean and his wife Kelly are founding members of HRCA. He served as president of the board for the school’s first 12 years (2007-2019). He and his wife’s commitment to classical Christian education is unwavering. They continually experience its blessings through their leadership roles and witness its fruit in their children’s lives. Kelly was principal for 9 years and served an additional 5 years as director of admissions and development. Their greatest joy with HRCA is to know that it is shaping souls and equipping minds for Christendom, in the present time and for future generations.PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILIES
We partner with families through open communication, shared values, and a commitment to
Christ-centered formation. Together we foster a community where children are nurtured to
love learning, pursue virtue, and grow in faith.
This partnership is a shared mission. With families and faculty united, students are equipped to think with clarity, live with integrity, and serve faithfully for the glory of God.