Mr. Lance Machiela

Professional Biography

My name is Lance Machiela.  I hold a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Calvin College with a minor in math and English Language Arts.  I hold a Masters degree in Elementary Ed with a concentration in math and I am certified in K-8 education for math and English.  I have been teaching for 30 years in both private Christian schools, as well as a public charter school.

Personal Biography

I am married to my best friend, Jennifer, whom I met at Calvin and we have 4 children, as well as 4 grandchildren.  My oldest son is 29 and the lead tech at Oakridge Public Schools, my daughter is 19 years old and is working as an administrative assistant at our church for the youth.  My younger 2 sons, Luke (18 yrs.old) and Tyler (16 yrs.old) both work at Chik-Fil-A in Holland.  My wife has homeschooled all of our children, as well as greatly supported me in teaching and she cleans at our church.  My hobbies include taking walks, collecting beach glass, and I love mowing lawns!

Philosophical Biography

I teach because it gives me the opportunity to impress upon young people the glory of our Savior.  It also gives me the privilege of helping young people see God’s blessings in their lives and His creativity in designing our world.  I am excited to teach at HCS because I have the awesome opportunity to walk with and lead students as they grow and mature in living their lives for Christ and His glory.  As a Christian school teacher, I strive to put God on display in my interactions with my students, in my encouraging students to strive for excellence in all they do, and in guiding them to see that God never says “oops”!  I desire that the students I teach see that God is giving them opportunities in all they experience to be molded more into His image.

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to partner with parents in educating their children so that they grow in their reverence for, and worship of, their Savior.  I desire that my students truly see what my favorite verse states:  “As for God, His way is perfect.  The Word of the Lord is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”