Staff | Board

At Ambleside, we believe that the best way to help families flourish is to implement the method and philosophy of Charlotte Mason in the classroom.

Staff | Board

At Ambleside, we believe that the best way to help families flourish is to implement the method and philosophy of Charlotte Mason in the classroom.

Children’s lessons should provide material for their mental growth, should exercise the several powers of their minds, should furnish them with fruitful ideas, and should afford them knowledge, really valuable for its own sake, accurate, and interesting, of the kind that the child may recall as a man with profit and pleasure.

— CHARLOTTE M. MASON —

Children’s lessons should provide material for their mental growth, should exercise the several powers of their minds, should furnish them with fruitful ideas, and should afford them knowledge, really valuable for its own sake, accurate, and interesting, of the kind that the child may recall as a man with profit and pleasure.

CHARLOTTE M. MASON

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Learn More about the consistent philosophy of education at Ambleside Waco.

Board of Directors & Administration

Mr. Justin Perry

Founder

Board of Directors, Chair

Head of School

Justin has been in the Christian educational world for 17 years. During this time, he has been either a teacher or administrator in six Christian schools spanning four countries, mainly in positions of academic and curriculum leadership while teaching a variety of subjects from 6th to 12th grades.  After earning a BA in Social Science from Florida Gulf Coast University in his hometown of Fort Myers, Florida in 2006, he moved to Texas to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to pursue Masters degrees in Christian School Education and Missiology.  From 2010 to 2018, Justin served in Christian international schools in Japan, mainland China, and Hong Kong before returning stateside to North Carolina to teach at a classical Christian school there.  In 2019, he and his family moved to Waco, Texas to pursue an academic leadership position at a local classical Christian school.

 

Justin, his wife Amy, and their two children enjoy being outdoors, especially hiking and camping at national and state parks around the country, as well as reading, creating music, and traveling just about anywhere. 

Mrs. Leah Caldwell

Co-Founder

Board of Directors, Secretary

Director of Instruction

Leah has always loved children and families and has worked with children for over twenty years in various church and tutoring capacities. She has home educated her children using Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methods for thirteen years and is actively involved in Waco’s Charlotte Mason community. She co-leads a Charlotte Mason book study group and co-led a homeschooling co-op from 2022-2024 in which she taught citizenship, Shakespeare, brush drawing, and nature study. She is thrilled to serve Waco’s families in her role as Ambleside Waco’s co-founder and Director of Instruction/classroom teacher.  

 

Leah and her husband Joshua have four children, including a grown son and a daughter-in-love. She finds it difficult to name personal interests because she finds fascination in so many areas of life, but reading, writing, traveling, education, and old houses bring her special joy. She holds a writing certificate from the Institute of Children’s Literature, an AA in Elementary Education from Houston Community College, and a BA in Great Texts of the Western Tradition from Baylor University. 

Mrs. Lisa Osborn

 

Board of Directors, Treasurer

Lisa and her husband Bill have four grown children and 6 grandchildren under the age of 4, with one more on the way. Together they own and manage a long-term rental house business, among other business adventures.

Lisa is currently the deacon of Women’s discipleship at Grace Church Waco, implementing and overseeing the women’s ministry there.  She also serves the broader church community of Waco as a leader in Bible Study Fellowship (a global in-depth Bible study) and has served on the board of Mattaw Ministries, a Kenyan ministry that houses orphaned and neglected children, for the last 12 years.

 

Lisa and Bill’s two younger children attended an Ambleside school in southwest Texas, and she is very passionate about Ambleside School International’s mission, having witnessed the beautiful effects it has had in her own children’s lives.  Lisa is honored to be a part of bringing Ambleside to Waco and is committed to serving Ambleside Waco’s children and their families.

Mrs. Jimi Bernard

 

Board of Directors

Originally from South Louisiana, Jimi and her husband Neal love living in Texas. They moved with their six children twenty-eight years ago, with twenty of those years being here in Waco. They have experienced three realms of education with their children, including private Christian schools, homeschool, and public school. Jimi first learned of the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education through Leah Caldwell and has been intrigued ever since. While she no longer has school-aged children, she is excited to serve the families of Waco as a Board Director. 

 

Jimi has a TESOL Certificate from International TEFL and TESOL Training. She has taught and tutored the English language to ESL learners for the past 15+ years and is currently teaching through her church. The greatest joy for Jimi and Neal is spending time with their eleven grandchildren in Waco, Houston, and Louisiana. She also enjoys cooking and baking, sewing, needle work, calligraphy, and water aerobics.

Teachers

Mrs. Elizabeth James

 

Form I Teacher (K-3rd Grade)

Elizabeth James is excited to expand on her dream of being a teacher in a school offering a Charlotte Mason education. Twenty years ago she could not have imagined God’s providence in her growth from auditor, to CPA, to homemaker, homeschool mom, Sunday School teacher, substitute teacher, and now full-time teacher. Charlotte Mason’s methods first intrigued her six years ago, as she sought a better way of educating her own children to reduce anxiety and allow them to flourish. Seeing how a Charlotte Mason education fosters confidence and promotes lifelong learning encouraged her to begin teaching others as her kids grew older.
As an immigrant and mother of seven children, three adopted internationally, she is sensitive to the unique struggles of English language learners. Her experiences have predisposed her to building authentic relationships while remaining objective toward struggles and weaknesses. She is looking forward to building relationships with her students and providing them opportunities of developing relationships with the world around them.
Mrs. James enjoys spending time with her husband and children. She is a member of Fellowship Bible Church and regularly teaches in the K-4 Sunday school class. She holds a BS in Accounting from California State University Stanislaus.

Mrs. Leah Caldwell

 

Form II Teacher (4th-6th Grade)

Leah Caldwell has taught in homeschooling and tutoring capacities for the last fourteen years. From 2022-2024, she taught citizenship, Shakespeare, brush drawing, and nature study to 4th-8th grade students in one of Waco’s Charlotte Mason co-ops. She is looking forward to reading living books alongside her students and helping them grow in their academic, social, and emotional habits. 

 

Mrs. Caldwell and her family enjoy traveling, finding living films, and visiting the lake on hot summer days. She holds a writing certificate from the Institute of Children’s Literature, an AA in Elementary Education from Houston Community College, and a BA in Great Texts of the Western Tradition from Baylor University. 

Mr. Justin Perry

 

Form III Teacher (7th-8th Grade)

Justin Perry has taught a wide variety of subjects in his 16 years as an educator, teaching hundreds of 6th to 12th grade students in six Christian schools across four countries. He is especially passionate about teaching mathematics well, having both taught and tutored many students over the years towards an appreciation of the truth and beauty in mathematics. He especially enjoys helping students realize that they can not only be successful in math but can actually enjoy it. 

 

Mr. Perry and his family enjoy being outdoors, especially hiking and camping at national and state parks around the country, as well as reading, creating music, and traveling just about anywhere. He holds a BA in Social Science from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Master’s Degree in Christian School Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Mrs. Allie Osborn

 

Form III Teacher (7th-8th Grade)

Allie Osborn has taught for seven years and has two published liturgies in Every Moment Holy Vol III. Her interests are wide and varied, but she always circles back to her love of Aristotle, Milton, and the Romantic poets. There are few things she loves more than great ideas, great conversations, and her particular students. She came to love Charlotte Mason’s philosophy slowly, but was won over as she observed and experienced the fruit of putting it into practice. Mason quotes Benjamin Whichcote in Home Education, saying, “As soon as the soul spots truth, the soul recognizes it as her truest and oldest friend.” Mrs. Osborn has found that very friend in Mason’s philosophy.

Mrs. Osborn and her husband enjoy life with their two boys in their neighborhood by the creek. She holds degrees from Baylor University (BA in English) and The University of Dallas (Master of Humanities and Classical Education).

Mrs. Valerie Kocel

 

Music Teacher 

Valerie Kocel grew up in a musical family and learned to sing and play the piano at a young age.  After trying out different majors in college, she landed in music right where she belonged.  Throughout her almost twenty year career as a music therapist, she has worked with babies, children & adults in many different facilities, hospitals and schools across the country.  She has also taught voice and piano lessons, including adaptive lessons for students with autism.  Valerie has been a Music Together® Center Director since 2013 and taught music at a local classical Christian school for 5 years.  She has a passion for sharing her love of music with children and their families!

Mrs. Kocel and her husband Paul have a daughter who also loves music. They live on a few acres with 5 dogs, 8 chickens, 1 rooster, 2 ducks and 2 cats! When Mrs. Kocel isn’t singing and playing the piano, she loves the outdoors, baking sourdough, drinking coffee, and spending time with family. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in music therapy with a vocal concentration from West Texas A&M University.