Faculty
The Covenant Keepers Faculty page is currently being updated for the 2010/2011 school year.
Check back soon to learn more about our current faculty.
Nicholas Nesler - 6th Grade Math
Nicholas Nesler is happy to return to Covenant Keepers for a third year. He has a BS in Journalism from Arkansas State University and is currently pursuing his Masters of Arts in Teaching at the University of Central Arkansas. He is a life-long resident of Arkansas and was an award winning journalist before going to graduate school in order to begin teaching and helping children. He is married with three children.
Laurette Whipps - 6th Grade Language Arts
I am a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with degrees in English and Secondary Education. My hometown is Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Most recently, I taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grade English at Huda Academy here in Little Rock. I am currently in my 5th year of teaching and couldn’t see myself in any other profession. My goal is to help students reach their highest potential. Middle School Language Arts is the forum for students to explore and understand the past, present, and future through literature and writing. I hope through encouragement, support, and fun, Language Arts will successfully educate and hopefully inspire our young writers and readers to become authors.
Champ Watson – PE/Health
Watson is the Health/PE instructor, as well as, the head boys basketball coach for 6-10 grades at Covenant Keepers. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication and is currently pursuing his Masters Degree from Henderson State University.
Coach Watson has been blessed with a unique approach to helping and mentoring young people. A native of Crossett, Arkansas, Watson previously taught at Franklin Elementary and Brady Elementary in the LRSD. He’s currently an assistant basketball coach at LR Parkview High School as well.
Before coming to Covenant Keepers, Watson had served as an assistant coach for the University of Arkansas-Monticello Men’s basketball program and Head Coach of Men’s Basketball at Texas College, an NAIA Division I institution located in Tyler, Texas. He conducts basketball camps across the country and implements life lessons through his personal camps.
Watson looks forward to teaching life skills and lessons to the students at Covenant Keepers. He uses basketball as a stage for strong lessons to kids of all ages. Watson believes that kids must have a dream. “If you don’t have a dream – you don’t have a vision…if you don’t have a vision – you can’t find your way.”
Jessica Pitts – 8th/9th/10th English
I have a BA in English that I received from the University of Central Arkansas. I am also currently enrolled in the Masters of Arts and Teaching program at UCA. This will be my first year of teaching and I am very excited to get started!
I grew up in Arkansas but have lived in Texas and California as well. I love all types of literature and music. I love going to concerts and reading as many books as I can get my hands on. I currently live in Conway and am enjoying spending time with my friends and family.
I hope to incorporate many forms of literature in my classroom and encourage students to have fun reading and writing. I plan to use literature as a way to prepare students to be comfortable in their own skin and to be prepared to take on college and whichever career field they choose for themselves.
Tiffany Brandt – 8th grade Pre-Algebra; Algebra I; Geometry; Algebra II
I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher; I just didn’t know what I wanted to teach until high school. I fell in love with the beauty of mathematics and decided that I wanted to share that beauty with the generations to come. I recently graduated with honors from Henderson State University with a BS in Mathematics and a minor in Philosophy. This is my first year teaching, and I hope to inspire the student body at Covenant Keepers to embrace learning and reach their potential. I hold high expectations for my students, and I’m excited to be able to see them exceed all of my expectations!
Serena Moore – Keyboarding, Career Education, Desktop Publishing
Christopher Watkins – Music
Christopher L .Watkins, a native of Little Rock, AR is the new music instructor for the 2010-2011 school year. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from Philander Smith College in 2004. Christopher continued his studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH, pursuing a Masters in Music Composition. He was a member of the world-reknown Philander Smith Collegiate Choir, and a featured soloist for the BGSU Men’s Chorus. Christopher was the music instructor at Sound Factory Music Studio, and taught a semester while in college at Dayspring Christian academy (now Second Baptist Christian Academy).He is a member of Little Rock’s own, the Throwback Choir, and the founder of the Psalm 150 singing group. Christopher is the Minister of Music at Beebe Chapel CME church in Wrightsville, AR. He is affiliated with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, Inc. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), NANM, and the MENC.
Digna Wilkie – Spanish
I am excited about the opportunity to teach Spanish at Covenant Keepers Charter School. I have a Master’s degree in secondary education from Liberty University. I have almost six years of teaching experience. I have had the opportunities of teaching at the elementary level, as well as distance education Spanish for the University of Arkansas to surrounding public schools.
I am a native Spanish speaker born in Honduras, C.A. I grew up in Chicago and moved to Hot Springs, AR about ten years ago. I have been happily married for sixteen years. My husband and I have three amazing daughters, which are blessing to us. I love teaching and making a difference in the lives of young people. For me, teaching is a not a “job”, but rather a calling.
Clifton Lewis – Science 8th/9th/10 grades
I graduated from UAPB in May 2009. I have a B.S. in Biology and a Minor in Chemistry. I taught one year at St. Josephs Catholic High School. I am currently working on my Masters in the Art of Teaching and Science Education from UAPB. My goals for this year is to have the student be open minded when it comes to learning science because It is the way of learning through inquiry and observation, so we should enjoy it.
