Faculty & Staff

Coach Arterberry teaches JH History, Health, Personal Finance and is the Head Football Coach. He is a graduate of Callaway High School. After graduation, he attended Hinds Community College and Belhaven University on a football scholarship where he earned a B.S. in Healthcare Administration and Applied Science.  Coach Arterberry has 4 children that attend school at Hillcrest.  He believes that success is not given but earned.

Ms. Beard is currently teaching K4. Her degree is in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Beard has been teaching for 7 years. She has 2 children that also attend Hillcrest. This is Ms. Beard's 3rd year at Hillcrest. She has an interest in photography, crafts, and gardening.

Mrs. Clark is currently teaching Pre-K, elementary and high school art. She graduated magna cum laude from Belhaven University with a BFA in Fine Art. She has taught art to all ages for 34 years. She started teaching at Hillcrest in 2018.  She was Teacher of the month for January 2020 at HCS. She enjoys running and hiking the “14ers” in Colorado.(14,000 feet peaks). She still has 3 to go! She loves creating things with her woodworking husband and scouring antique stores and flea markets with him. She also loves drawing, painting, reading and journaling. Her favorite thing to do, though, is spend time with her family.

Mrs. Coats teaches 3rd grade at Hillcrest.  She graduated from Delta State University, and she has been teaching since 2013. Her first year at Hillcrest was 2018.  She has been married for 34 years and has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. She and her husband like to travel, work on and show Classic Cars, spend time outdoors, and read.

Mr. Cook currently teaches Music Technology, Music Appreciation, Survey of Fine Arts, Beginner Band, Lower School Band, and Upper School Band as well as serving as the Upper School Librarian. He graduated from Hinds Community College with Associate of Arts and Mississippi College with Bachelor of Music Education. This is his 5th year teaching and 10th year as an instrumental instructor. He started his first year at HCS in 2019. Mr. Cook is married to Annie Cook, and they have one daughter, Charlie Cook. His hobbies include playing with bands across the state and being a part-time sound engineer.  

Libby Davis teaches second grade at Hillcrest.  She earned a BBA with a major in Marketing from Ole Miss in 1977 and her BS in Education from Mississippi College in 1995.  This is her 28th year to teach. She retired from public school in May 2018 and began teaching at Hillcrest in August 2018.  While in public school, she received her National Board Certification.  Mrs. Davis has one son. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, going out to eat, and going to movies.

Mr. Edwards teaches 7th and 8th grade Bible, American Literature, and Economics. He received a B.A. in history from Belhaven and M.Ed. from Delta State. This is his ninth year teaching. Mr. Edwards has been married for ten years and has two little boys, Rowan and Silas. He and his family enjoy camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, reading, visiting historical sites, and Avett Brothers concerts.
 

Mrs. England is currently the elementary librarian and elementary computer teacher.  She graduated from Mississippi College. She began teaching at Hillcrest in 1990 and has been teaching for 42 years! She has been named Teacher of the Year, Star Teacher, and nominated as MAIS Teacher of the Year. Mrs. England loves SEC sports, hunting and fishing, embroidery, and other craft activities.

Mr. "H" currently teaches 10th Grade- World History; 11th Grade- US History; 11th Grade- Bible; 12th Grade Bible; and 12th Grade Government. He graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelors of Christian Studies. He is currently attending Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Divinity. This is Mr. H's third year teaching and his second year at Hillcrest Christian School. He has been married to his wife Micah for five years this past August.  They have two dogs, Roxie and Marley.  His hobbies include reading and spending time outdoors camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, and kayaking.

Judy Head teaches first grade at Hillcrest. She has taught first grade at HCS for 31 years, and has been a teacher for 35 years. She attended Co-Lin and USM.  Mrs. Head was HCS Teacher of the Year in 2009-2010 and was Farm Bureau's Teacher of the Month in October 2019. She and her husband Steve live in Florence. 

Mr. Lang is currently teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry and General Mathematics.  He played tennis at MS Gulf Coast Community College where he attained his Process Operations and Drafting/Design degrees. Mr. Lang also attended MS State for his BS in education.  He enjoys playing soccer and tennis, traveling and spending time with his family.  Mr. Lang's wife is attending Law School, and they have two baby boys. 

Laureen McDonald is the elementary music and P.E. teacher. She graduated from Mississippi College with a Music Education degree. She has been teaching for 30 years and has been at HCS since 1997.  Mrs. McDonald was Teacher of the Year in 2013-2014.  She and her husband have 2 children and 2 grandchildren. She loves to read and work in the yard in her spare time. 

Kandice McNamee is currently teaching 5th and 6th grade Math, Science, and History. She attended Hinds Community College, and graduated from the University of Southern MS with a degree in K-8 Education. She has an add-on for high school biology and history. She has been teaching 27 years, with 13 of those years at Hillcrest Christian School. Mrs. McNamee graduated with honors from USM, was President of the Science Club at USM, and was awarded on six occasions for 100% of her class becoming proficient or advanced in Hinds County Schools on their standardized tests. She was fireman of the year in Rankin County twice. Mrs. McNamee was named Hillcrest Christian Teacher of the Year in 2016 and MAIS Teacher of the Year 2017.  She and her husband Scott have two children, Connor and Caitlyn, who is a senior, honor student at Hillcrest. In her spare time, she enjoys woodworking, reading, and crocheting. 

Mrs. Noble currently teaches sophomore, junior, and senior English.  She attended the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated from Mississippi College.  She has been teaching for twenty-six years, and she came to Hillcrest in August of 1999.  Mrs. Noble has been named Star Teacher eight times. She has three children, eight grandchildren, and another one due to arrive in July. Some of her hobbies include cooking, gardening, and scrapbooking.

Mr. Ryan currently teaches College Algebra, Trigonometry, Algebra 3, Algebra 2, and Transitional Algebra. He received his B.S. at Mississippi State University, and M.Ed. at Alcorn State University. Mr. Ryan began Teaching at HCS 2015. However, he has taught for more than 25 years. His hobbies include tutoring kids, watching HCS sports, hiking, camping, chilling at Barnes and Noble on Saturdays, and anything Mississippi State. 

Patsy Stegall currently teaches 4th grade at Hillcrest.  She attended Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN. She has been teaching for 35 years. She began teaching at Hillcrest in 2007. Mrs. Stegall was awarded Teacher of the Year for Lower Elementary in 2014-2015. When not at school, she enjoys spending time with her husband Garry. They enjoy working in their yard, doing household projects, and just hanging out with each other. Visiting with their children in North Mississippi is also a favorite pastime. 

Dr. Thoma currently teaches Chemistry, Biology II, and Human Anatomy and Physiology as well as the associated labs for those courses; additionally, she is HCS's Faculty Advisor for the National Honor Society. She earned her PhD from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette focused on understanding the morphological and molecular diversity found in deep-sea corals. Dr. Thoma also holds a BS in Chemistry and Biology from Berry College in Rome, GA and a MSc in Coastal Sciences from The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Over the past 10 years, she has had the pleasure of teaching students ranging from kindergartners to college undergraduate and graduate students; this is her first year teaching at Hillcrest Christian School. Dr. Thoma loves talking "science" and sharing her passion for the natural world with others in the hopes they more clearly see His work proclaimed in the world around us. She also loves spending time with her family whether it be inside watching TV and playing board games, or outside in the yard. She and her husband have two children who attend Hillcrest Christian Lower School.

Mrs. Watts is currently teaching 5th and 6th elementary Language Arts.  She attended Hinds Community College where she received her Associate Degree in Nursing and Mississippi College where she received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  Mrs. Watts has been teaching for 33 years. She has been at Hillcrest since 2009. Her honors/teaching awards include the following: Graduating with honors from Mississippi College; Member of Phi Theta Kappa at MC; Member of the Laguna Social Tribe at MC; HCS Teacher of the Month (January 2020).  She is married to Walter (Bubba) Watts; they haveone daughter, Ashlyn Watts (a 2016 HCS graduate). They are member of Hillcrest Baptist Church. Her hobbies include cooking and painting.