If you’ve spent any time around Mrs. Karma Scardino, you know the Lord has uniquely gifted her with a heart for children, a passion for sharing the Gospel in meaningful ways, and a true calling to teach.
Mrs. Scardino has been part of the SCA family for several years, bringing experience that extends far beyond her 4th grade classroom. From being a homeschool mom for 10 years to serving as a missionary teacher in Uzbekistan, her teaching journey is rich with special moments and memories.
She shared about her time on the mission field:
“The Lord fulfilled my second dream, to be a missionary teacher. My first years of teaching were at an international school in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I was able to travel throughout Central and Southern Asia as a regional education consultant for a year. What an adventure! Though I have been stateside for quite a while now, I consider my classroom my mission field. I pray that the Lord would use my students to share the gospel to the ends of the earth.”
We are incredibly grateful for Mrs. Scardino and the lasting impact she has on her students and our school community.
EDUCATION: Bachelors in in Psychology
Masters in Special Education from Longwood University in Farmville, VA
YEARS LEADING IN EDUCATION: I am in my eleventh year of classroom teaching. I have taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades as well as a brief stint in middle school. I also homeschooled my own children for 10 years.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT TEACHING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS: I love the wonder and wit of elementary students.
FAVORITE HOBBY: I love to cook and bake and experiment in the kitchen.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: I was in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. It was the coldest I have ever been. It even snowed! I remember walking the streets and thinking, “I wonder if this is where Mary and Joseph walked?”
FAVORITE BOOK: “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.” My 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, read it to me for the first time.
FAVORITE MOVIE: The old PBS telethon version of “Anne of Green Gables” is my favorite movie.
FAVORITE SNACK: Dark chocolate covered almonds (especially with sea salt and turbinado sugar!)
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? My first occupation dream was to be a veterinarian missionary, but when I was about 12, I got to watch my uncle (who was a veterinarian missionary) perform surgery on a dog. At the first cut I passed out! I decided that wasn’t for me so I changed my dream to a missionary teacher.
WHY DO YOU THINK CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL? As a teacher, I count it a privilege to teach the Bible all day long. Not only am I able to teach Bible as a subject, but I am also able to incorporate it in every other subject that I teach, and in the very culture of my classroom. I love talking about shapes in math and showing pictures of the little hexagons that make up a honeycomb or the huge pillars in Ireland that are called “Nature’s Polygons.” Our God made those shapes! Our God is amazing! In History, I am continually in awe of how God directs the hearts of men and kings and how He is able to take what men meant for evil and use it for His glory.
As a parent, I highly value Christian Education and the experience that my own children have had at SCA. It has given them a place to grow and thrive under the guidance of Christian teachers who have poured into them and challenged them and modeled before them what a man and woman of God looks like. The things we, as parents, are teaching are reinforced and rephrased so that by the time our kids leave for college, they are ready to stand firm in their faith.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY AT SCA? I really love the Passover Seder that we do with 4th and 5th graders each year. It is such a beautiful picture of Jesus’ love for us. Doing it two years in a row helps the meaning sink in, and it is exciting to see students making the connections. After my own children were able to experience the Seder when they were in 4th and 5th grade, our family has made it a part of our own celebration leading up to Easter.