Meet the PHC Leadership Team and Areas of Responsibilities
Steering Committee Members: See Policies and Procedures for qualifications
Vicki Montgomery, Valerie Barr, Suzy Brice, Stephanie Forthofer, Wendy McFarland, Denise Stanton, and Melissa Zelaya
Advisory Team Member:
Joy Padgett
Vicki Montgomery
PHC Responsibilities: Membership Administrator, Leadership Preparation Administrator, Communications Administrator (Email & Facebook), Church Liaison, Monthly Meeting Coordinator, Homeschool Inquiries Administrator, Graduation and Promotion Night Coordinator, Budget Oversight, and Facebook Administrator
Vicki and Stuart have been married for 37 years and have been in South Florida since 1994. As “retired” homeschoolers, they are proud parents of Cullen and his beautiful wife, Sydney, and enamored grandparents of Raylan, Grant, Kalea and Patton and Arwen, and their youngest son, Carson and his beautiful wife, Emily have the baby of the crew, Asher. Both families work and live in the area which is a glorious blessing. Vicki has been in leadership of Parkridge Homeschool Community since its inception in August 2001. Learning and serving with homeschool families has been a ministry highlight and a catalyst for her personal and spiritual growth throughout the years. They have been serving at Parkridge since February of 1995. Life is busy with church activities, grandparenting, transitions for their parents, health education and work. Their family is active in leadership and worship ministry at Parkridge.
I could give one piece of advice to another homeschooler, it would be.… Through 19 years of homeschooling I learned many things about myself as well as my children. I learned that much of what I thought about education, homeschooling and parenting, for that matter, in general was a bit narrow minded or presumptuous. I have learned, sometimes painfully, that this whole journey was not about what I had planned and prepared but about what God had in store for our family. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility, and more flexibility are critical. Be open to new plans as God leads and daily turn your efforts over to Him. After all, except the Lord builds the house (or homeschool) they labor in vain that build it. (Psalms 127:1). Also, keeping the long-term goals in mind helped so much! III John 4 is a constant reminder that I kept framed in our home. I have no greater Joy than to hear my children walk in Truth.
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel I.… Joined with other moms to do in-home co-op classes with my boys. We met once a week and each mom took turns teaching. I learned so much from those moms and our families are “lifer” friends that I treasure. Being a part of that small group of brilliant, Jesus loving families carried me through some pretty dark times. Many times, I cried just knowing that I was ruining my children. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I did…but God had a grand plan, and He was merciful and faithful to mold Cullen and Carson and grow them in Him. He continues to grow them, and it is such a blessing to be moving into this season of life as grandparents, watching our sons honor God with their lives as adults. God was also faithful to carry me through those feelings of inadequacy and remind me that it was all about Him and not me and my fears and worries. I was also blessed with a husband who is intentional about keeping Christ our priority. That unity of purpose was such an important factor in our family even when I had that towel ready to launch! In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:6
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Valerie Barr
PHC Responsibilities: Website Administrator (Content/Calendar), Field Trip Administrator and Facebook Administrator
Valerie is a native Floridian, born and raised in Sarasota. She and her husband, Steve, have been married for 22 years. They have 2 children, Abbey (19 years old) and Aiden (17 years old). Abbey is a sophomore at the University of Central Florida and Aiden is a high school senior, so this will be their twelfth and final year homeschooling. Both kids are avid readers and black belts in karate. As a family, they love to play games, travel together and spend time outdoors. They are also very involved in church activities at Parkridge, where Valerie serves as a vocalist on the worship and works part time as a Financial Assistant for the church and Aiden serves extensively on the media team.
If I could give one piece of advice to a new homeschooler, it would be…. Don’t give up! Some days will be hard, and you will want to wave down that school bus as it drives by, but just know that days like this are normal and part of the growth process for all of you. Learn from those days and pray that God will show you how to navigate them with grace and diligence as they come. My other piece of advice would be to resist the temptation to OVERSCHEDULE! This trap is so easy to fall into with all the amazing opportunities afforded to homeschoolers here in South Florida, but this can lead to more of those “school bus” days as the entire family becomes frantic just trying to keep up. Select a few things to try and as you choose another, be sure to give one up. Do yourself a favor and ward off the “Beast of Busyness.”
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel, I.... try to remember that God called me to this (VERY clearly) and that He will equip those He calls. Oftentimes, in the busyness, we forget to keep our connection with God through prayer and His Word. When I take the time for those two things, I have far fewer “throw in the towel” moments because He reminds me and encourages me through the time I spend with Him. I am guilty of letting that time go far too often, but when I make it a priority, things definitely fall into place. (I am going to come back and read this every week so that I can heed my own advice)!
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Suzy Brice
PHC Responsibilities: Homeschool Calendar Administrator, FPEA Contact Administrator, and PHC Event Administrator
Suzy has served on the steering committee since 2007. She’s a fourth-generation native Floridian, born and raised in Miami. She and her husband Bob have been married for 32 years. He is retired from the construction industry and owns a small lock & security company. They have 3 adult children, George, Savannah, and Bobby. They homeschooled for 20 years. Suzy enjoys gardening, tea with girlfriends and family cookouts by the pool.
A Word of encouragement:
Time spent with our kids is precious and it goes by so fast! I finished my homeschool journey in 2016 and I can honestly say I never met a retired homeschool mother who said, “You know, I think we spent way too much time reading the Bible and working on character training…. we should’ve done more math.” Never! LOL
While all those subjects are certainly important, none compared to those that lay a foundation in our children’s hearts and minds.
Proverbs 8:32-36 tells us those who learn His ways, follow His commands and choose to listen to His instruction will be BLESSED, WISE, given LIFE and FAVOR by The Lord. And this is exactly why we homeschool. Ask God to show you how to pray specifically in a way that will make a difference in your child’s life. Submit to Him and ask Him to help you be the parent and intercessor He wants you to be. You’ve got this!! It’s going to be a great school year.
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Stephanie Forthofer
PHC Responsibilities: Website Administrator (Registrations) and Volunteer Members Coordinator
Stephanie is married to her high school sweetheart Stephen. They have 3 daughters and a son-in-law. Madison and Kaleb, Abigail, and Lily Grace (15). Parkridge has been her home church for over 20 years, and she has been homeschooling for 15 years so far. Stephanie and Stephen both serve at Parkridge Church with the Student/Youth ministry.
If I could give one piece of advice to another homeschooler, it would be.... Do not try to do everything. Do try and have a schedule. We started our homeschool journey full of events and groups, but when we finally heeded others’ advice and cut some things out, our days went smoother. Not perfect but better. "Commit your plans to the Lord, and they will succeed." Proverbs 16:3
Homeschool prayer--"Lord help me to prepare my girls for life, not only with academics, but also with a clear understanding of Your truths and will for their lives. Amen"
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel I.... Talk to other homeschool moms. Veteran homeschool moms give great advice.
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Wendy McFarland
PHC Responsibilities: Treasurer and Scribe
Wendy is a native Floridian, born and raised right here in Broward County. She has been married to Bill for 27 years, and together they have 4 children. Kayla and Abby are currently in college, William is in his senior year, and Kenneth is a freshman.
Parkridge has been the McFarland family’s church home since 2014, where they also became part of the homeschool group. Wendy joined the homeschool steering team in 2018. She also works for Parkridge as the youth and young adult coordinator.
If I could give one piece of advice to another homeschool parent, it would be… Enjoy your children. Give them plenty of hugs and encouragement along the way.
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel… I rely on Christ for strength and direction. I make it a priority to spend time in prayer and read His word.
- Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us that Jesus invites us to find rest in Him.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to trust in the Lord and lean not our own understanding.
- Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us to bring our requests to Christ with a thankful heart, so we may find peace.
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Denise Stanton
PHC Responsibilities: Hospitality Coordinator and HEF Administrator
Native south Floridians and Seminole fans Denise and Brian have been married for over 25 years. Their active family includes three girls, two boys, and two dogs, Bentley and Blue. Hiking and exploring in the North Georgia mountains or playing in the FL Keys are their favorite ways to spend vacation time. Morgan and her husband Christian live in Tennessee. She will graduate from Lee University with her master’s degree in December. Miranda lives and goes to school in northeast Georgia, where she is earning her degree in Special Education. Jackson is a junior and enjoys doing anything outside, especially playing all kinds of sports, including track & field, tennis, golf, and soccer. Rainaglory is a sophomore who loves playing sports outside and is especially happy when she's hanging out with friends.
If I could give one piece of advice to a new homeschooler it would be… Don't expect your child/children to learn in exactly the same way or at the same rate as their siblings or your friend's children. Do NOT compare them to others. They're each unique and learn in their own way and time. That is the beauty of homeschooling--you can tailor your teaching to each child individually.
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel... I consider that if I put them in school, they would spend the majority of their waking hours with people who don't love them, don't care about their uniqueness, and most likely have a very different worldview than I do.
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Melissa Zelaya
PHC Responsibilities: Meeting Setup, Cleanup, and Sign-in Volunteer Coordinator
Melissa was born in Honduras and moved with her family to Florida at the age of seven, where she has lived ever since. She met her husband, Darwin in college, and they now have been married for 19 years. Together, they have two children, Kaylie, age 14 and Dylan, age 12. Melissa has been homeschooling for seven years and finds joy in spending time at the beach, reading, and spending time with family.
If I could give one piece of advice to a new homeschooler, it would be…. To enjoy every season of each child’s journey. They each have their own. Each stage is unique, and it is such a sweet privilege to witness how they grow.
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel…. I lean on Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Life often feels busy and overwhelming. Sometimes, it is tempting to use that as an excuse to step back. But I remind myself that I have an obligation to God and foremost, who entrusted me with His children. They are His before they are ours.
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com
Joy Padgett
PHC Responsibilities: Yearbook Chief Editor, Class Photo Administrator, Website Administrator and Facebook Administrator
Joy was born on the beautiful island of Anguilla. She moved to the Bronx, New York at six years old with her parents and two siblings. Joy moved to Florida in 2004. She has been married to her husband, Larry, for 16 years. They have two boys, Lucas 15, and Evan 11. Joy has an older daughter as well. She has been homeschooling for 12 years. She loves cooking and photography.
If I could give one piece of advice to a new homeschooler, it would be…. To not compare yourself to another homeschool family. Each child is different, each Mom is different. Be happy in your homeschool journey as it is.
To keep myself from giving up and throwing in the towel…. I remember that God has put me in this position to teach my children. To teach them to love others and to love Him and Jesus. To teach my kids a biblical worldview. “A Christian worldview means all things begin with and end with His glory” – Leigh Bortins
Contact at: pbhschooling@gmail.com