The Faculty of
New Hope Academy Elementary School
"Get to know the teachers"

Mrs. Beverly Berndt teaches core subjects for sixth grade. Her Bachelor's (high honors) and Master's study was at Northeastern University in Boston. She also completed an intensive 1-yr course in Montessori early elementary education in California.

Since 1996 she and her husband have developed programs in The Gambia, West Africa: educational forums, Christian-Muslim dialogue, service-based character education, and scholarship programs; some New Hope families have sponsored Gambia students who otherwise would not have been able to continue their education past elementary school.

She advises New Hope's Student Government and it's Service For Peace Club which mentors younger students weekly at a NE DC Boys & Girls Club. She has been a faculty representative on the school board since 1999.

She loves New Hope Academy and has tried to have as many of their 4 children as possible in the school in the years she has taught here (since 1990). "To me this is the greatest testimony to our school," she said, "that all the teachers want to have their own children here, because we know the quality of education they receive."

Mrs. Abby Grow teaches core subjects for second grade. She was born in Virginia and traveled during her adolescent years before residing in Maryland. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Ms. Grow has come full circle, teaching students where she was educated since third grade and became a proud high school graduate. During Mrs. Grow’s college education, she stayed involved with NHA, accompanying Mrs. Beverly Berndt (the sixth-grade teacher) and other Service for Peace participants to The Gambia, Africa, to complete service work with Gambian youth.

Mrs. Grow has always loved being around children and her experiences at NHA inspired her strong passion for teaching. “My goal is to develop resilient and self-determined learners, ones who feel confident in their own innate abilities to succeed in our rapidly changing society. I believe students learn best through a process of exploration and discovery. The more students can explore concepts through hands-on experiences, the more students can understand the world on a personal and meaningful level,” she said.

Ms. Tanganika L. Swann teaches core subjects for NHA’s first grade since 2009. This local native of Maryland graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language. Ms. Swann has 15 years of experience in education, including as an elementary school teacher, reading specialist, and assistant principal. She has conducted workshops teaching educators about effective teaching strategies and building a positive classroom community. She strongly believes that both components are crucial to student achievement, but above all, she knows that educators must genuinely care about children.

Ms. Swann loves working with children, and she possesses a passion for teaching and learning. She believes that all children can learn and that each child is entitled to a quality education. She believes that children can grow academically and spiritually in a warm learning environment, which is why her son is enrolled at NHA. “I feel most rewarded when my students understand how the information taught in class actually relates to their real life experiences; this is when they really learn,” she said.

Mrs. Karen Wilkening has taught kindergarten at NHA since 1992. She was born in Denver and spent most of her adolescent years in Kansas City, MO. Known to all as “Mrs. Karen,” she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She continued her education receiving a Master’s degree in Divinity with a focus on Education. Mrs. Karen is a founding member of NHA and has been on the Board of Directors since 1995. As a testament to NHA’s solid academic curriculum, both her children attended NHA, and they now attend top universities.

Mrs. Karen believes that Kindergarten is a foundational year and that NHA addresses the education of the whole child: emotional, academic, and social development needs are all considered in the design of the Kindergarten program. “I want each child to discover self-confidence, develop self-control, and a positive attitude toward learning and life,” she said. “Games and participatory activities make a child’s first academic year exciting and fun. We read and we have fun with math. We become a loving and supportive classroom family, developing important relationship and conflict-solving skills.”