Meet Our US Teachers
Mrs. Leslie Kent, Director
Leslie Kent holds a Graduate Certificate from SMU and a B.S. from Kansas State University. She has homeschooled for twelve years, graduating her now 23yo son and 21yo daughter, and continuing to teach her 15yo youngest son. Her homeschooling journey began with reading “The Well-Trained Mind” (Wise & Bauer), and following generally in that classical direction for much of her curricula and content choices. Lately, she has been influenced by a point made in “A Thomas Jefferson Education” (DeMille): “people cannot be educated unless they choose to seek education.” Her desire is to meet the needs of children who are curious and ready to learn, by engaging them in valuable activities and challenging them with ideas.
Mrs. Melanie Lemley, Rhetoric Humanities
Melanie Lemley holds a B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Florida. She has taught middle school science and consumer math at a private Christian school, and anatomy and physiology at the community college level. But it is her international experience and love of reading and history that especially equips her to teach our Upper School humanities classes. She has homeschooled her four children while serving internationally with Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT). Living in Africa enhanced Melanie’s global perspective on our world history. She is currently a grant writer for The Seed Company, an affiliate of WBT. An avid reader, Melanie’s goal in teaching is to inspire students to develop curiosity, breadth, depth and civility in their approaches and responses to the world around them.
Mrs. Reese, Logic Writing
Jane Reese holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida and an M.Div. with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Born into a family of school teachers, university professors and published writers/authors, Jane has teaching and writing in her blood. She has enjoyed teaching her entire adult life, including positions as a missionary teacher overseas, an inner-city public educator, a teacher in a private Christian academy, a tutor, and currently as a homeschooler. With a strong desire for excellence in academics, especially in the homeschool community, she has trained in both the Institute for Excellence in Writing and the Spell to Write and Read programs. Her other hobbies and interests are missions, drama, dance, swimming, cooking, fitness and nutrition, journaling and reading.
Mrs. Joni Boyd, Rhetoric Biology
Joni holds a B.S. in Biology from Oklahoma State and a B.S. in Nursing from the Univ. of Central Oklahoma. She has taught in a variety of classes for parents and students since 1998, and works part-time as an RN at a surgical center. She returns to MGA for her second year of teaching Biology to our Rhetoric students. Joni’s Biology class combines a review of concepts, as well as numerous microscope and dissection labs and demonstrations.
Dr. Pam Kendall, Logic 1 Human Body
Dr. Kendall graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Human Anatomy and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. She and her husband, Dr. Jud Kendall, own Kendall Acupuncture & Chiropractic clinic in Southlake. Pam returns for her third year teaching at MGA, having taught Life Science, Anatomy and Physiology, and now Human Body for our Logic 1 students. Dr. Kendall believes a love of knowledge is vitally important to becoming a compassionate human being, and is excited to share her knowledge of the human body with the MGA students.
Mr. Luke Champlin, Logic Humanities
Mr. Champlin has 8 years of classroom experience. He holds a B.A. in English from Texas Wesleyan, where he also minored in math. He is certified to teach both English and Math. He also has earned his Masters in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University, and is a certified school counselor. He has taught in Montessori, Kumon, and charter school settings, and has tutored students in writing for more than 15 years. Mr. Champlin is eager to teach History, Literature and Geography using our literature-based approach.
Dr. Lynn Weeter, General Science, Physical Science, and Chemistry
Dr. Weeter began her teaching career while still an undergraduate in college, working as a teaching assistant and tutoring in Math, English and Chemistry. Since then, she has continued to help students with math and science, including homeschooling her own children since 2008. In addition to holding a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Dr. Weeter has a minor in Chemistry. She is also certified as a teacher of the self-defense system of Krav Maga.
Ms. Sharon Gray, Math
British by birth and education, Sharon has an M.A. in Mathematics and Engineering from the University of Cambridge and an M.A. in Biblical Studies, Greek and Hebrew from the University of Sheffield. She was a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators for almost 25 years, during which time she spent 10 years in a translation project in Mali, West Africa, before coming to Dallas to work in the International Translation Department as senior editor of a series of Bible commentaries. Since leaving Wycliffe in 2007, Sharon has been tutoring students between the ages of 7 and 50 (but mainly middle and high school) in math, French, chemistry and SAT/ACT/GED/GRE test prep. She is excited to have this opportunity to teach the Geometry, Math Course 1 and Math Course 3 students this year at MGA. She hopes to communicate her own love of learning and enthusiasm for math to her students and the knowledge that math can actually be fun!
Mrs. Cheryl Weiskircher, Math
Cheryl holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Information Science, a degree that includes coursework in Calculus 1, 2, 3, and Differential Equations. She spent five years employed with American Airlines developing decision support software, and the last nine years homeschooling her five children. Her math teaching experience includes five years’ tutoring AP Pre-Calc and Calculus students in Carroll ISD, and three years’ teaching high school math classes to area homeschooled students. Cheryl brings her extensive math background to MGA this year to teach our Pre-Calculus, Algebra, and Course 2 students. It is her hope that students will truly grasp and appreciate math, and experience success in their math work.