Welcome to Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter School! I am honored to serve as principal of a school that has been such an important part of my family's story since 2010.
Harvest Ridge is more than where I work—it's home. I was one of the founding members who helped open our doors. Like so many families, I wanted a school where children would be known, challenged, encouraged, and genuinely excited to learn each day. Together with an incredible community of educators and parents, we built Harvest Ridge around those values, and they continue to guide everything we do today. Throughout my time here, I've had the privilege of serving our community in many different roles. I've taught third/fourth, fifth/sixth, and home study. I've also been the student council advisor for the last 16 years. I believe the best schools are built on strong partnerships with families. Every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and inspired to discover their unique strengths. My goal is to create a school where students love coming each day, teachers are empowered to do their best work, and families feel welcomed as essential partners in their children's education. As principal, I am committed to preserving the close-knit, family-centered culture that makes Harvest Ridge unique while continuing to innovate and provide meaningful learning experiences that prepare students for the future. I want every child who walks through our doors to know they belong, are capable of great things, and have a community cheering them on. When I'm not at school, you'll usually find me spending time with my family, tackling a new home improvement project, exploring the outdoors, or traveling. Being part of the Harvest Ridge community is both a privilege and a joy, and I look forward to partnering with your family for an incredible school year. |
Annette has had experience working with students and staff throughout all grade levels. She brings a wealth of knowledge and heart to her job here at Harvest Ridge.
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Cassie Hinton
Kindergarten Teacher |
Rebecca Feickert
Third/Fourth Grade Teacher |
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Hello, Harvest Ridge Families! I am so excited to be returning to Harvest Ridge as a teacher after once being a student here myself when the school first opened. Harvest Ridge is such a special place, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a school that has meant so much to me. I have four years of teaching experience and earned my Liberal Studies degree from William Jessup University, as well as a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University. I enjoy performing and singing, spending time with family and friends, trying new recipes, and organizing. Working with children is also an immense joy in my life, and I am excited to encourage, support, and celebrate their growth this year!
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My name is Rebecca Feickert, and I’m proud to call this community home. I grew up in Newcastle, attending Newcastle Elementary School and Del Oro High School before earning my bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Chico. I later completed my teaching credential at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village and eventually furthered my education and earned my Master's in Instructional Education.
For more than 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching students of all ages throughout our local area. Being able to give back to the community where I grew up has been one of the greatest joys of my career. When I’m not in the classroom, you'll usually find me spending time with family and friends, reading a good book, taking long walks, or enjoying my favorite season—fall. Now that our two daughters are grown and away at college, my husband and I love escaping to our cabin at Donner Lake, traveling with friends and family, and soaking up every opportunity we have to spend time with our girls. Teaching has always been my passion, and I truly can't imagine doing anything else. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of the Harvest Ridge family. The caring staff, supportive community, and amazing students make Harvest Ridge a truly special place. It’s an honor to be part of a school where relationships, learning, and joy are at the heart of everything we do. |
I was born in Quito Ecuador, South America where my dad was teaching in American schools. Growing up I also lived in Columbia, Alabama, Los Angeles, and King City. I moved to Chico to attend California State University, Chico and continued on to National University for my teaching credential.
I worked my way through college as an aide for special education and knew that being in the classroom was where I wanted to be. I found myself following a long line of educators and becoming a teacher. I worked for the Pleasant Ridge School District for twelve years and enjoyed every minute of it minus the drive. I chose to find a job closer to home, which brought me to Newcastle. I taught for two years at Newcastle Elementary School and moved to Harvest Ridge to open our wonderful school. I have found my home! My daughter attended Harvest Ridge, and has now moved on to high school. We love to travel in our spare time, and enjoy cruising, camping, and seeing places we have never been to before. I also enjoy reading, swimming, listening to music, and decorating. My passion is in the classroom and I look forward to every year I have with the students and families who forever touch my life! |
My name is Nate Nugen, I was born in Fairfield, California and lived in Rio Vista, California until about the age of 7 when I moved up to Citrus Heights, Sacramento where I currently live! I have 3 sisters, 2 chocolate labs and a bengal cat.
I graduated from Sacramento State where I played division 1 college soccer and got my degree in Kinesiology. I went on to play 3 years of semi-professional soccer until an injury had to bring my soccer career to an end. I still love the sport, on any given day you can probably find me in my office watching soccer games at lunch! It was in 2019 I decided to return to school to get my teaching credential and I received my credential in 2021 leading to me being hired here at Harvest Ridge later in the same year! Some hobbies of mine include fishing, playing pickleball, disc golf, ball golf, and most importantly: working out! I am a huge exercise and movement enthusiast and that’s what brought me to become a Physical Education Teacher. My desire is to impart my passion for leading a healthy, physically active lifestyle, supplemented by quality nutrition, to kids at all ages. |
I earned my BS Psychology degree from the University of South Carolina and completed my Master’s of Teaching and teaching credential work through the University of Southern California. I grew up going to a small school similar to Harvest Ridge and was raised on a farm. In my free time, I enjoy doing outside activities such as pickleball, hiking, and paddleboarding. I also love traveling to new places and learning about different cultures. I am so excited to meet, get to know, and teach your kids next school year!
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I was born and raised in Southern California. After high school I worked at Disneyland while attending the University of California Irvine, where I eventually graduated from. After that I got married, moved to the Bay Area, and worked for a number of years designing subdivisions for a planning and engineering firm. I left that field to stay at home with my 3 children.
In 2015 we moved from San Jose to Newcastle to be further from crowds and closer to family. I began substitute teaching at Harvest Ridge in 2016 and became the PTO President for 3 years. After that, I proudly served as a Harvest Ridge board member for 5 years. During that time, I subbed for Loomis Union and decided to go back to school for my teaching credential. I had found my passion. I began an online program through UMass Global in the fall of 2022. Working through the credential and masters program while working full time and juggling 3 kids was the hardest thing I’ve ever accomplished, but I did it, and am so proud. All of that has led me back here to Harvest Ridge where two of my 3 children still attend. My eldest is now at Del Oro being an amazing sophomore. In the free time I don’t have, I enjoy “old lady things” like puzzles and sewing. I also enjoy cooking and baking in an attempt to satisfy my sweet tooth. I love playing soccer with my youngest and attending my daughters theater and choir productions. We have a passion for traveling and love spending time in Europe. I like a wide range of music and love a good karaoke night! I am thrilled to be part of this unique and amazing place that has served my children so beautifully and now gets to be a second home for me as well. |
I was born in Southern California and moved to Auburn when I was nine years old. That move was tough, but I have been lucky enough to meet lots of wonderful people in Auburn over the years, including my wife! We have two kids in high school and we also have a dog, Milo Zeppy Dexter III. He’s kind of adorable!
I graduated and earned my teaching credential from Sacramento State University in 2005. I have been teaching ever since the fall of that year. My first six years of teaching were in Lincoln, California (5th grade) before I took my first job here at Harvest Ridge teaching the ⅚ combo class in the years between 2011and 2017. Over those six years, I mostly taught ⅚ combo before moving into the math teacher role. I left Harvest Ridge for three years and met amazing teachers and staff at E.V. Cain (one of them is Mr. Ornelas!) where I taught math and science in 6th grade. I am happy and thankful to be back. When I have finished my work and done my chores around the house, I enjoy golfing, fly fishing (thanks Mr. Wallgren!), playing drums, looking at art, and visiting with friends. We are lucky to have lots of family near us too. A quick “hello” to family members does not take much time (as a matter of fact, I can visit a family member in our very own office!) Go Hawks! |
I was born and raised in Auburn, California where I attended St. Joseph’s and Placer High School. I grew up playing basketball and baseball. After attending Sacramento City College, I played professional baseball for the Minnesota Twins. I was also inducted into the Placer High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. In my spare time, I enjoy music, fly fishing, friends, travel, 30 countries, and counting.
After taking almost two years off for world travel, I attended Humboldt State University where I studied Fisheries Biology, and later attended Seoul National University in Korea where my academic path led to a degree in ESL Education and Cultural Geography. I lived in Seoul, Korea for almost 15 years where I owned a private tutoring business attended by students ages 5 to 65. I taught English literature, reading comprehension, writing, history, science, and math. It was a great life experience that I will never forget. I came home to put down roots in the place where my heart lies. I started at Harvest Ridge in 2015. A new journey led me to Brandman University and Special Education. I obtained my special education credential through the Placer County Office of Education. Like many educators, I am a lifelong learner, and I hope to bring my background knowledge, experience, and coursework to my teaching practice for the benefit of my students. I look forward to every day on campus with our learners. I feel very proud and fortunate to be a part of the Harvest Ridge community which is a rare and unique learning environment. |
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Trista Snay
Intervention Teacher |
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I am incredibly excited to be joining the Harvest Ridge family and am eager to meet everyone. My background in education extends from reading curriculum and instruction to classroom teacher and mentor. I have had the amazing opportunity to train and learn from many professionals I hold in high regard.
My higher education began at CSU, Chico where I earned my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies and Multicultural Education. After developing a passion for teaching reading, I earned my graduate degree in language and literacy, as well as my reading credential from UC, Davis. My biggest joy as an educator comes from igniting a passion for reading and helping to cultivate joyful lifelong learners. I am inspired by faith, my family, travel, writing, meeting new people, and fun adventures. A fun fact about me is that I would love to be a published author one day! |
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Our Support Staff
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