New Fine Arts Faculty and Staff

At Woodlands Christian, we provide opportunities for our students to develop their gifts and talents to glorify God. In line with our school's mission to challenge students to reach their highest potential – intellectually, creatively, physically and socially, we continue to grow our fine arts programs. Students can now take electives in photography and graphic design, dance, and drumline, in addition to band, art and choir. With this growth comes new faculty and staff with a range of experience and expertise. We are so excited for the ways God will use our new faculty members to take our fine arts programs to new heights!

 

Mrs. Beth Chrétien (cray-tee-on) — Photography & Graphic Design Teacher

What did you do before coming here? Any notable or interesting past jobs? I have taught digital art, media productions, photography, graphic design and traditional art classes. I was the Art Director for a medical equipment company that provided scar-reducing compression garments and skin care products to veterans, burn victims and reconstructive surgeons.

How long have you worked in education? 5 years

What is your mission as a teacher? In other words, what do you hope students will learn while in your class?

I hope students learn how to take an idea/concept and be able to bring it into a tangible product or 2D design, to see what’s in their imagination and bring it to life. A lot of times students don’t know how to do that, or they don’t know which tools to use. That’s one of my favorite things to do as a teacher, to see their eyes light up when they realize they can do that - bring a concept to life. 

Why is Fine Arts valuable? There are so many reasons. It’s valuable for you to learn problem solving and the creative process. It will spread to all aspects of your life. You can use fine arts however you want to use it. It could open up thinking outside the box. It develops an appreciation for the arts. It’s the best job in the world to be an art teacher. 

What attracted you to TWCA and what’s been the best part so far? The people! I feel so blessed to have found an environment so warm and caring. I have been here for a short time, and it already feels like family! I look forward to getting to know my coworkers, the students and this new city!

How do you see God working in you, your students and/or at TWCA? God gives me the strength and inspiration to teach what I love in a positive and meaningful way. He gives myself and my students the creativity to glorify Him in our work.

What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy being surrounded by nature. I especially love hiking and canoeing.

Tell us something interesting about you/fun fact – I enjoy learning about new places. I have lived in 3 countries and 3 states.

 

Mrs. Kirstin Stewart - Dance Instructor

What did you do before coming here? Any notable or interesting past jobs? Before coming to TWCA, I worked at one other private high school in Houston. However, before moving to Houston in 2018, I was a professional performer for 10 years.  I lived in NYC and was a Broadway performer.  Some of my shows include “A Chorus Line,” “West Side Story,” “Cinderella,” and “A Bronx Tale.”

How long have you worked in education? This is my 4th year. 

What is your mission as a teacher? What do you hope students will learn while in your class? I want them to learn to dance and love to move, and I want them to try something new and have fun with it. But I also want my students to be able to trust me, and to feel like they have that safe space and try something they haven’t tried before. I’ve had so much more joy as a teacher than performing on Broadway, because I get to see my students succeed. I get to support them as a person and on their journey. 

Why is Fine Arts valuable? The arts allow a different outlet for people to express themselves. With dance specifically, there are so many different styles of dance - ballet, jazz, hip hop, there’s something for everyone. It gives kids a way to be creative and express themselves. Art is beneficial; it’s a safe space where it’s okay to fail. In the performing arts, you’re allowed to fail, mess up and try again. It gives them a place they can be creative, explore different types of art, or play different parts. Learning you can make mistakes in life, just to have that in a school setting will help them grow as a person. Dance is so beneficial because it helps gets kids up and moving during the day. It will keep them healthy, improve their memorization skills, which then helps them in every other class. 

What do you look forward to most about this school year?  I am looking forward to watching my students grow and learn.  It’s so exciting to be starting a new dance program and to see the excitement that the students have for it.  I can’t wait to see their improvement throughout the year.  

What attracted you to TWCA?  The opportunity to create a dance program from scratch is really exciting. I love that I get the chance to pass on my passion to my students, and that we get to do it all for God’s glory. This school felt so warm and welcoming from the second I stepped foot on campus, and I knew it was where I was supposed to be.  

What’s been the best part of life at TWCA so far?  Everyone is so kind!  My students are awesome!

How do you see God working in you, your students and/or at TWCA? God is present on this campus!  It is really cool to have students that jump at the opportunity to pray in class each day.  Being here has made me want to dive even further into my relationship with Christ and to really focus on giving God all the glory.

What do you like to do for fun?  I enjoy spending time with my husband and family. I also love to take dance classes, sing, play guitar, and do craft projects. 

Tell us something interesting about you/fun fact:  I spent a month in Tokyo, Japan performing West Side Story. We opened a brand new theater there in the center of Tokyo.

 

Mr. Josh Wilkinson - Percussion Director

What did you do before coming here? Any notable or interesting past jobs? I taught at Grand Oaks High School and their surrounding feeder schools.

How long have you worked in education? This will be my third year teaching.

What do you look forward to most about this school year? The first home football game/pep rally. The band and drumline will be performing, so it’s going to be off the chain! Seeing the growth of the band from the first day to the last will also be awesome.

What attracted you to TWCA? It’s a place where teachers can freely engage students in conversations about Jesus. Not only that, but also students here are hungry to know more about God.

What’s been the best part of life at TWCA so far? I think this school has the best teachers and administrators in the area. I’ve experienced amazing support and teamwork from everyone I’ve met while they also individually seek to grow and improve as educators.

How do you see God working in you, your students and/or at TWCA? Getting to work here was an answered prayer, so I know I’m not here by accident. I think this school is uniquely positioned to positively impact students with the revelation of God’s love and desire to have relationship with us. I’m so excited to see the fullness of what God wants to do at TWCA! There’s always more.

What do you like to do for fun? I like to play drum set, guitar, and whatever instrument I can get my hands on. I play, coach, and watch soccer. I’ve recently been learning to two-step, but since I’m British, it hasn’t been coming very naturally.

Tell us something interesting about you/fun fact - I originally moved to Texas to help plant a church when I was growing up. Unrelated, but my dream job when I was growing up was to be “singing in the rain” because I loved the movie ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’

 

Lisa Wilkinson

What did you do before coming here? Any notable or interesting past jobs? I was Fine Arts administrator for 8 years at a Christian high school before coming to TWCA.

Do you have children? Married and have two boys that are grown.

What do you look forward to most about this school year? I am excited to be at TWCA to help grow the Fine Arts programs.