Intro to the Second Grade Teaching Staff

Meadows

Rebekah – Lead Teacher

Hello, my name is Rebekah Lowe, and I am the Lead Teacher for the Meadows Class!  This is my third year teaching at Mustard Seed, and I could not be more excited to be here! I graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. Through my teaching program, I was able to teach in a variety of classrooms, both suburban and urban, giving me the chance to teach in different settings. After graduating, I taught English abroad in Suwon, South Korea, which allowed me to learn about new cultures and meet people from around the world.

I love to travel to new countries and try out new foods and restaurants! Living abroad gave me the chance to try some interesting dishes. I also love to read books and watch movies in my free time.

All of these experiences make me look forward to our Community Expo as well as learning about the unique stories people have.  This year, my hope is to get to know the students well and build a positive classroom community.

Forests

Melia McHugh – Lead Teacher 

My name is Melia McHugh and I am the Lead teacher in the Forest Class. I am a mother of 3 sons (2 of whom attend MSS) and an avid reader. I started my teaching career, after getting my bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Delaware and my Master’s degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from The College of New Jersey, as a high school teacher in South Brunswick, New Jersey. I made the choice to be a stay-at-home mom after my second son was born but started to substitute teach at MSS when my oldest son started Kindergarten. This gave me the opportunity to form relationships with teachers and students at all grade levels. I taught one year in the Nest before having my third son and returned to MSS this past Spring in the 4/5 class as a maternity leave replacement teacher.

This year I look forward to working with students to build a safe, loving community that loves to learn.

Chris Gasca – Assistant Teacher

Chris Gasca first learned about Mustard Seed School through his wife, Clarissa, who is an alumna. Impressed with the education and the community, they enrolled their three children. Mr. Gasca saw firsthand the love, Godly character, and incredible skill of MSS teachers. He joined the staff as a substitute teacher in 2016 and felt right at home. Today he’s an Assistant Teacher in the Forest and Meadows Class and works with second and third grade students.  He loves spending time with children in the park where he has been known to be a fierce competitor in foot races and team sports. He thoroughly enjoys building relationships with MSS students, especially learning beside them and helping them grow in character and self esteem. Whether through academics, extracurricular activities, or providing emotional support, Mr. Gasca always looks for the best way to invest in every single student.