We are very proud of our staff and administration for their continued efforts in providing an exceptional education for your children.

Carden Academy is celebrating over a quarter century of teaching a solid aggressive academic program supported by the Carden Foundation, a 70-year-old non-profit institution. The Carden Staff provides a dynamic program focused on quality education, personal growth, well-mannered socialization, responsibility and achievement. The small class size creates an active atmosphere where personalized attention and recognition are keys to individual success. When personal confidence soars, academic success is achieved.

Debra Hashin
8th Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2006.
I have been a teacher since 2004 .

What I love about teaching: I love working with children and knowing that I am helping to shape lives by teaching them to think and experience life, not just accept what is written or said. I love teaching because each and every day is new and different with its own challenges and triumphs.  It is such a wonderful feeling to witness the “ah ha” moment when a student finally understands a new or difficult concept. I love teaching because it isn’t a job -- it is my joy. 

What I love about Carden Academy HB: I love the way the teachers, support staff, and parents here work as a cohesive unit to address the whole student.  The faculty understands that children only learn what they experience. The school strives to immerse the children in a variety of experiences through field trips and its hands-on curriculum. Carden HB is very committed to education, but the school is equally committed to character development.  The staff achieves this by helping the students learn and understand that all choices have a consequence, either good or bad. 

What makes it different from other schools? Its academic program is very different from other schools. It has an exceptional academic program in that all subject matter is interconnected and sequential from grade level to grade level.  This type of curriculum aids the children in realizing and achieving their full potential.  Students leave Carden HB with a comprehensive and cohesive education; they are prepared for the world of high school.

Teaching Credentials: I was a police dispatcher for the City of Huntington Beach for 14 years.  I retired and went back to school at California State University at Long Beach, where I earned by Baccalaureate Degree in Liberal Studies and graduated Cum Laude in June 2004.  I also earned my Teaching Credential in Elementary Education K-8 while earning my Baccalaureate Degree with a concentration in Global Studies.  I taught in the Long Beach School District for 2 1/2 years, and have been teaching at Carden Academy HB since March of 2006.  Two of my three daughters attended Carden Academy and they have both attained their Masters Degrees, which I attribute to their early education at Carden Academy.

Maryann Paco
7th Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 1999.
I have been a teacher since 1999.

About me: I have had the privilege of teaching at Carden Academy for ten years. I have spent two of the ten years teaching in middle school. I obtained my AA degree in General Studies with a concentration in Science from Cypress College. I received my BS degree from CSLB with concentrations in genetics, anatomy and physiology. I than continued my education and transferred to the University of California in Irvine where I earned a Masters degree. I presently continue to further my education at UCI. Education is the key to success in life!

What you love about teaching: I love teaching because I love learning. I am most gratified when students are able to bring together many concepts from my classes and apply this information to real world situations. I find new perspectives and ways of approaching old problems. No two lessons, even if the same resources used and the students are in the same year, are ever the same. I try to create an environment built on smart risk-taking, a place where students are not afraid of being ridiculed for thinking out loud. That environment consists of more than just the material - it’s an ecology that actually spreads beyond the four walls of the classroom. Teaching and learning are about interactions. Students are ‘diamonds in the rough,’ and they deserve to have their talents and abilities polished often. I love my job because I know I make a positive difference in the lives of my students.

What you love about Carden: What I love about Carden is that we are a family. I like the values that the children are being taught and the care and courtesy that surrounds the school.  It's a small school, with a community attitude. I’ve been really fortunate to work with some wonderful teachers. The parents are very supportive and work hand in hand with the teacher for the better of the student.

What makes Carden different from other schools? Carden is different from other schools because it seeks to create an environment which: encourages every child to work to his or her potential, builds basic skills, kindles and nourishes curiosity, teaches problem-solving and encourages children to love learning. Carden strive to prepare and motivate students to meet the challenges of a demanding and changing society. All students are treated equally, and they are gently encouraged to succeed academically (usually doing work that is 1 to 2 grades above) while also learning good citizenship. What sets this school apart is the classical education. Carden has the balance of academics and social well-being.

Colleen Hazard
6th Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2005.
I have been a teacher since 1995.

About me: I have been a teacher for 14 years – the last four at Carden Academy HB. I spent five years as an elementary school teacher in Santa Ana Unified School District and another five years in Downey Unified. While in Downey, I obtained my Masters Degree in Educational Administration. I was a summer school principal in Downey for two consecutive summers. I hired teachers, planned the curriculum, enrolled the students and was responsible for the entire summer program. I am starting my fifth year at Carden Academy HB.

What I love about teaching: I love my job as a teacher. It is my feeling that teachers have an incredible responsibility. In addition to teaching, we mold and shape the hearts and minds of students. Teachers continually plant seeds -- seeds that germinate and lead to advanced thinking. I love the challenge of planting the information that causes the synapses to start firing. I love watching the “ah ha” look come onto the face of children when something actually starts to make sense to them. Or the words “So, that’s what this is all about!” Everything they learn is all connected and interrelated. In 6th grade, it seems that all the bits and pieces that they have learned somehow start to come together. I love watching students who think they “can’t learn” but soon realize that through perseverance they can overcome barriers. I love watching their writing skills advance from simple sentences to detailed, flowery statements. I love seeing the smile on their face that comes when they are truly proud of themselves. And it does come. I make sure of that. Each child is different and individual accomplishments are very important to me. It is my job to find a student’s weakness and turn it into a strength.

What I love about Carden HB: Carden Academy HB is different in many ways. First, the class sizes are much smaller. I love that I can get to know each child as an individual. Not just their personality, but the names of their dogs, cats and their baby fish! I love that I get to know their parents too. With smaller class sizes, I am able to spend more time with each individual and communicate that to parents.

What makes it different from other schools? The Carden methodology promotes reading and comprehension at a very early age. It is that reason that I can teach classical literature books, study ancient history, and expect complex compositions from the students.

Each teacher here cares so much about his/her students. I love that we can actually get all the resources that we need. I love that it is a small school and I have had the opportunity to get to know everyone here.

Our students are not just a number. Each child is recognized with real strengths and real needs. For all our students, this is their second “home”.

As far as our staff goes, our teachers are professionals who are credentialed and fully trained in the Carden methodology. Our administration has continually been at Carden for over 30 years. They know what they are doing and can answer any and all questions. Our office staff is top notch! They are organized and get materials out to parents and teachers in a timely manner.

This is also a very safe, loving and caring environment and atmosphere.

Overall, Carden Academy HB is a very professional place. I have planted my roots as a teacher and am proud that my daughter is a student here.

Barbi DeLoa
5th Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2003.
I have been a teacher since 1996.

I began teaching 12 years ago, in the fall of 1997. I began teaching right after I earned my BA in Psychology from CSUDH. I also earned my MA in Multicultural Cultural Education in 2001 and my Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential in 2004. I will receive my Administrative Credential from CSULB in December of 2009.

What I love about teaching: I love teaching because I truly enjoy working so closely with the students and their families. Teaching is my passion and I cannot imagine having any other career. I love knowing that I am making a difference in a child’s life and preparing them for a successful future.

What I love about Carden HB: My favorite thing about Carden Academy HB is the students and the teachers I work with. We’re more than co-workers, we’re a family. I enjoy working with others who are just as passionate about teaching as I am. I love the administration as well. Mrs. Hanlon and Mrs. Van Asten are always there to give us the support we need. I love the curriculum here because it challenges the children and helps them to learn.

What makes it different from other schools? We’re different from other schools because we help prepare the children to be lifelong learners. We help children to become successful. If a child is struggling, we tutor the child and spend extra time with them. We don’t just let them continue to struggle and pass them off to the next teacher. I believe in Carden Academy HB so much that I have my own daughter going to school here. I think it speaks very highly of Carden Academy HB when a staff member sends their own child to go to school.

Annmarie Lambert
4th Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 1998.
I have been a teacher since 1993.

I have:
- Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies with a minor in Psychology
- California Teaching Credential
- Masters Degree in Education

What I love about teaching: I have always had a love for children, so from a very young age I knew that I wanted to teach. I believe each child has the ability and desire to learn, and as a teacher it is my responsibility to help bring out the best in each student. My favorite part of the day is when I see a child who has struggled with a concept begin to understand what is being taught. I enjoy being able to encourage a love for learning, and want all my students to be lifetime learners.

What I love about Carden: One of the things I love about Carden is the support I receive from the parents and the staff. There is always a smile and an encouraging word when I need it. I believe all the teachers here at Carden have the best interest of the student in mind at all times. I also like the small classroom size. This gives me the ability to really get to know my students’ strengths and weaknesses, and allows me to give individual attention to each child. The Carden Curriculum is unbeatable.

What makes Carden different? Our unique teaching techniques and the sequential learning of the Carden curriculum, along with small class instruction brings success to our students. Both the curriculum and the teachers encourage a love of learning in the students. We focus on educating the students academically, socially, and through life experiences.

Mikelyn Weber
3rd Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2006.
I have been a teacher since 2006.

Background: I am very excited to be starting my fourth year here at Carden Academy. I have a Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies with a minor in American Studies. I am grateful and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with your children.

Philosophy of Education: My goal as an educator is to help students perform more competitively, think creatively, and reason critically. All children can learn, and they have the right to learn with the best education that can be provided. All educators, regardless of their position, play an important role and are charged with assisting each and every child in raising their achievement, finding success, helping them to become contributing citizens, as well as making each one feel connected. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to provide a safe and nurturing atmosphere that encourages learning, acceptance of diversity, and promotes moral values. Parents should be actively encouraged to be participative partners in the education of their children. Classroom curriculum should be diverse and presented in challenging and relevant ways. It should provide an enriching experience that supports success, as well as reinforcing tolerance. Never should an educator not be able to demonstrate the relevance of what it is he or she is teaching to our children.

What I Love About Carden: Carden’s highly distinctive educational curriculum and small class sizes allows the teachers to present students with a more intellectually stimulating and challenging learning environment. Children are encouraged to experience education, not just through classroom instruction but through field trips, fine arts and music programs, as well as computer literacy and foreign language courses.

Dale Vardeman
2nd Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2001.
I have been a teacher since 1988.

About me: I grew up in Cypress California. I was especially interested in Science, Drama and Literature. Luckily, my parents encouraged those interests. That encouragement drove me to excel.

I graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. I went on to obtain a State Cosmetology License, entered marriage and raised a family and later earning my certificate in Early Education. I taught many years in early education classes and earned the title of Director at Carden Los Alisos in Mission Viejo. Later I moved to Carden Fountain Valley and continued on at Carden Huntington Beach where I have been 2002. I hold a Bachelor degree and Master’s in Education with California Teaching Credentials.

What I love about teaching: As Sarah Bernhardt put it so well: "Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)

I'd definitely do it again. It's been hard work, and always a challenge to do it right. But the rewards come at the end of each day when I'm driving home and feeling good about what I've done to help my students grow.

As a teacher I dedicate my life to giving. The reward is lodged in the minds and hearts of the children whose futures I have touched. The sure knowledge of this brings a joy that surpasses any richness.

What I love about Carden HB: Carden Academy focuses on a safe, fun and intimate campus. As a result, students willingly and enthusiastically attend and parents feel secure and comfortable. It encompasses small classes that foster an environment in which every student can grow. It includes a visionary administration that sets and maintains high academic standards for all students, and encourages continued professional growth of all staff members. Central to this vision is a faculty that loves children, enjoys teaching, and is committed to helping their students master the Carden, State, and National Curriculum Standards, as well as their own continued professional growth.

What makes Carden different from other schools? I believe that the CARDEN philosophy has proven teaching techniques that apply to a curriculum with the development of the whole child.

Carden meets each student’s particular needs. Children receive the well-rounded education they need to realize their full potential in life. The Carden philosophy is that life is a joy, and so should be learning. This attitude promotes a life-long love of learning among our students.

Catherine Wilson-Smith
1st Grade Teacher

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2009.
I have been a teacher since 2007.

I was born in Newport, Rhode Island in August of 1958. I recall that from an early age, I was very attracted to the performing arts. I loved to sing and act and was always making up little plays. When I entered school, I loved it also. I especially loved reading and I am to this day an avid reader.

In my teens, I started singing professionally and have been doing so ever since. I first attended Rhode Island College as a Music Performance major. I did not graduate, choosing instead to move to California to sing full time in 1984. Six months after arriving, I met my future husband, Peter Smith, who is a native of Brighton-le-Sands, New South Wales, Australia. We married in 1986. We had our first son, Harry, in 1995, and our second, Riley, in 1998. Harry is a graduate of Carden HB and Riley is in 5th grade here. Having the boys is what inspired me to return to school to become a teacher.

I graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2007 with a degree in Music Education. I specialize in teaching elementary and middle-school grades. I feel that being a music teacher makes me uniquely qualified to teach in general because every kind of method you can think of to apply in teaching is used in teaching music. Music teaching requires that because music is so inclusive – you need reading, math, movement, and knowledge of science and history.

I love teaching children. It is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Peggy Metz
Kindergarten

I have taught at Carden Academy since 1993.
I have been a teacher since 1991.

What I love about teaching: Building a foundation for future learning and helping a child develop into a good citizen is a wonderful process to watch unfold before my eyes. This is why I chose education as my profession. Besides reading and math lessons, my students learn about the world around them. We study animals, weather, American History, landforms, how things grow, folk tales, seasons, geography, Native Americans, the Solar System, oceans, sea life and special cultural events to name some of our areas of study.

What I love about Carden Academy HB: I love the way reading, vocabulary and literature are strongly emphasized in our curriculum. From pre-kindergarten through third grade, reading is taught in small groups. The teacher sits at a table with four or five students at a time, teaching the reading lesson for the day. All the students have their turn at the reading table during the morning. It’s a remarkable – and proven – way to teach children to read successfully.

Additionally, Carden Academy HB encourages good citizenship for all our students. Character development is part of the curriculum for the entire school. My own son graduated from Carden Academy HB in 2001. The school was -- and continues to be -- a very positive part of his life.

What makes Carden Academy HB different from other schools? Carden HB teaches the children to read at an early age. It begins the reading program, using the Carden Reading Method, which is a phonetic approach to reading in the pre-kindergarten classroom. The 4-year-old students are taught to recognize all the letters of the alphabet, and sound out the consonant letters and long vowel sounds. Students begin sounding out words with two vowels such as pail and boat as early as the Pre-K Program. By the end of kindergarten, students are able to read stories like the one below. By the end of kindergarten students are able to read sentences. The children are able to read stories fluently while being guided through the Carden Curriculum.

Steve’s Train

Steve likes trains.
He tries to make a train.
He has a wheel.
He needs three more wheels.
He says, “James saves wheels.”
Steve goes to James.
He sees nine wheels near the table.
He says he needs three more wheels.
James says, “Take three wheels.”
Steve takes them.
He thanks James.

At the end of first grade, our students are reading Charlotte’s Web.

Carden HB teaches to the State Standards set by the Department of Education in Sacramento and more. Example: The Department of Education requires kindergarten children to learn to count to 30. Our Carden kindergarten students learn to count from 0 to 100 and count by fives to 100 and by tens to 100.

Our school has educational assemblies for all of our students. An actor portrayed Abraham Lincoln last February. Our students spent time learning about President Lincoln’s life before the assembly, thus giving them the opportunity to relate more closely to the facts and stories told about Lincoln.

Field trips provide wonderful enrichment for the world outside of the school. Last year, the kindergarten class visited the Butterfly House at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach. My students went with an understanding of the life cycle of the butterfly. Visiting the Butterfly House let us experience what we had learned in class.

I have taught at Carden Academy since 2003.
I have been a teacher since 2003.

What I love about teaching: Since I have the same students for several years, I am able to see how much they grow and progress through the grades. I enjoy sharing the French language and culture with the children. Learning another language gives students a window into another culture and promotes better understanding. It is especially rewarding when graduates return to tell me that they are planning to continue French in college or even study abroad in a francophone country.

What I love about Carden HB and what makes it different from other schools? Both of my own children attended this Carden school from pre-school through eighth grade. The Carden method works! It prepares students for success in high school and beyond. Carden HB is a small school and students are more protected from outside influences than at a public school. Students learn in a caring atmosphere and the academics are challenging.

Teaching Credentials: BA degree in French

Petro Drummond
Computers K-8

I have taught at Carden Academy since 1995.
I have been a teacher since 1990.

What you love about teaching: Teaching for me is not a job but a calling. Where most may wait their whole lives for their calling, I know mine. I am a teacher. For those who devote themselves to the needs of children, opportunities are endless. Every time I set foot in a classroom, I can only imagine how every word I say or every heart I move touches the future. I am humbled by the responsibility, and eager to the task.

What you love about Carden Academy HB: At Carden Academy HB , teaching is not only about moving the minds and hearts of our children, but a willingness to move ourselves. What I love most about Carden Academy HB is the way students and teachers alike share in the opportunity for new experiences everyday.

What makes Carden different from other schools? What separates Carden from other schools is our willingness to promote and embrace the passion of teaching/learning. From the moment you set foot in this place, you feel that you are a part of something greater than yourself, and it’s wonderful!

Credentials: Carden allows us to use our talents and abilities. In my early years at Carden Academy HB, I taught French and Spanish. More recently I teach the skills necessary in the computer lab. Through my extensive travel experiences I’ve developed a great love for art, music, and literature. I travel on my own and annual with the Junior High on their foreign travels. In preparation I teach about the countries and cities we visit. I teach the history, geography, art and culture. Students are so much more ready to understand a new country when they have spent time in preparation. I have a master’s in Psychology and a BA in literature. I read at home daily. I read for inspiration, enjoyment and preparation of the next trip. Very simple, “A day without reading is not a complete day.”

I am very thankful to Carden Academy HB for all the opportunities to serve, to share, to give and to receive. That’s how we grow, learn, and prosper.