Who We Are
C3 educators are committed to providing a community in which each student is known, respected, and valued as an individual of great potential and promise. Students are encouraged to work hard and to strive to learn something new while having fun. All classes are non-sectarian.
C3 Founders and Educators
(left to right)
Laurie Weir (B.A. Ed.)
Adrienne Collins (B.A. Communications / M. Ed.)
Combined teaching experience of 30+ years in public school, private school, and homeschooling venues.
Laurie Weir (B.A. Ed.)
Adrienne Collins (B.A. Communications / M. Ed.)
Combined teaching experience of 30+ years in public school, private school, and homeschooling venues.
- Live Scan fingerprinted
Laurie Weir
Laurie Weir grew up around teachers and enjoyed helping her mother put up bulletin boards and get her classroom ready each year. It was a natural choice for her to major in education. After graduating from Jamestown University, she taught kindergarten at an international school before moving to Orange County to teach at a local private school. She has a wide range of teaching experiences including 10 years of full time classroom teaching in elementary education, subbing, tutoring, and homeschooling her daughter in middle school. The idea of offering classes to homeschoolers grew into C3 Classes.
Adrienne Collins
Adrienne Collins feels like everything she has done in her life has been leading up to the creation of C3 Classes. Teaching “school” in the Colorado basement of her best friend’s house somehow bled into an undergraduate degree in Communications, followed by a Master’s in Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The years since have been full to bursting with the life lessons of teaching public school, bookkeeping, and homeschooling her two children, all of which have somehow morphed their way into C3. She is absolutely thrilled with the gift that this has turned out to be.
Art: Vicki Frazier
Vicki Frazier has taught numerous drawing, painting, and design courses in the homeschool community for over 12 years, as well as homeschooled her own kids who are now adult creatives. She is also an author/illustrator and founder of Wandering Bear Books, a children’s book and educational platform. She loves teaching her students to think outside the box creatively and believes in teaching the skills of drawing in addition to enjoying the simple experience of just creating something.
Kindergarten: Laura Wong
Laura Wong has always been fascinated with science. From collecting snails as a preschooler to getting her BS in Biology at UC Davis to working for nine years in a clinical molecular genetic lab to working at the Ocean Institute, Laura expanded her knowledge in many areas of science. Along her path, Laura’s love of learning led her to acquire master’s degrees in business and in education. She also earned her multiple subject and science teaching credentials. As a teacher Laura is especially interested in creating engaging learning experiences for all learners in ways that develop the feeling that every person is a scientist. Laura enjoys crafts of all kinds and is currently learning to make soap. She is actively involved with Scouting for her two high school aged children and loves to go on family adventures with her husband and children.
1st/2nd Grade ELA, Math, and Social Studies : Karina Penkethman
Karina Penkethman comes from a family where travel, arts, and life-long learning were encouraged. Her childhood summers in Finland deepened her love for nature and instilled in her an interest in language, literature, and diverse cultures. She continues to spend her free time in nature and enjoys photography, painting, and writing. Karina has a masters in French and has taught French at universities and tutors it to children. Sparked by an interest in how children learn, Karina homeschooled her three sons through a hybrid charter. She loved the opportunity to read meaningful books together and enjoy outdoor adventures. Homeschooling taught her compassion for the unique way each person learns. Now she finds joy in helping students progress and express themselves, whether it is through writing, speaking, or visual arts.
1st & 2nd Grade Science - 3rd/5th Grade Math: Erik Elstad
Erik C. Elstad is a member of the Board of Directors at Share Science to support STEM education and has been a practicing classroom instructor of biology since 2009 in the Los Angeles basin of Southern California. Erik published a paper with the
Department of Defense in STEM education in 2017. His research interests are in innovative ways to radically alter the way science is taught at the secondary level. His master thesis and research addressed constructivism in science education. As
part of his out of the box thinking, Erik has developed a way of using conceptual building blocks to enable students to manipulate or to create their own models. To support his formal education, Erik has practical experience working for the Department of Fish and Wildlife and a Marine Biological Consulting firm. Erik Elstad is passionate about making positive contributions to the educational community. He received a BS in Biology and a Teaching Credential from California State University, Long Beach and an MEd from Concordia University, Irvine California.
Department of Defense in STEM education in 2017. His research interests are in innovative ways to radically alter the way science is taught at the secondary level. His master thesis and research addressed constructivism in science education. As
part of his out of the box thinking, Erik has developed a way of using conceptual building blocks to enable students to manipulate or to create their own models. To support his formal education, Erik has practical experience working for the Department of Fish and Wildlife and a Marine Biological Consulting firm. Erik Elstad is passionate about making positive contributions to the educational community. He received a BS in Biology and a Teaching Credential from California State University, Long Beach and an MEd from Concordia University, Irvine California.
1st & 2nd Grade Reading: Lisa Antonic
Over the past 15 years Lisa, a homeschooling mom of four, has grown to love teaching. After she left the corporate world in 1996 to pursue a career in Montessori teaching, Lisa became inspired to teach science with hands-on experiences and reading through great children’s literature. Lisa loves to use children’s literature to teach reading comprehension, vocabulary, story sequencing/story map, literary devices, making inferences, comparisons and much more. Later, she embarked on the adventure of homeschooling after four years of teaching preschool through first grade. Her desire to teach in a small group setting bloomed since teaching with a local homeschool co-op. Lisa is an avid collector of children’s books, enjoys cooking, tending her garden, and exploring the great outdoors with her family.
3rd/5th Grade Science: Jana Ixmay
Jana Ixmay has been an elementary school teacher for the past 22 years. She holds a multiple subject teaching credential as well as a masters degree in teaching and learning. Over the years she has taught Kindergarten-4th grade, as well as reading intervention, piano, science lab and art. In addition to teaching part time in public school, Jana homeschools her three boys and is involved in leadership with her boys’ scouting troop. When teaching, she is committed to make learning fun by providing engaging learning experiences for her students.
What We Do
We partner with you to achieve the results of your child's maximum learning potential.
We consistently create a learning environment that is:
interactive • engaging • collaborative • purposeful • challenging
We utilize the power of collaboration to bring varied skills and styles to our classes.
We provide high quality instruction at fair rates with a desirable student:teacher ratio.
We offer classes for 1st grade through high school students in the areas of:
Public Speaking • Speech and Debate • Geography
Literature • Writing • Study Skills • Social Studies • Math Writing • Art • Science
Click here for information on each course.
NOTE: Classes primarily support homeschool students with certain classes being offered
at convenient after school times for public and private school students.
We consistently create a learning environment that is:
interactive • engaging • collaborative • purposeful • challenging
We utilize the power of collaboration to bring varied skills and styles to our classes.
We provide high quality instruction at fair rates with a desirable student:teacher ratio.
We offer classes for 1st grade through high school students in the areas of:
Public Speaking • Speech and Debate • Geography
Literature • Writing • Study Skills • Social Studies • Math Writing • Art • Science
Click here for information on each course.
NOTE: Classes primarily support homeschool students with certain classes being offered
at convenient after school times for public and private school students.
Why We Do It
- We love learning and are committed to being lifelong learners!
- We desire to invest in future generations to instill this same love of learning.
- You've told us that what we teach greatly enriches your student's experience and provides valuable skills they will use for a lifetime.