Secondary
Our older students are divided into Middle School and High School groups. Each classroom has two teachers supporting about a dozen students.
Students receive individualized support in math and language arts, with one-on-one tutoring with our reading specialists as needed. Social studies and science curriculum is designed to stimulate curiosity and deep-dive into learning using a unit study approach.
Social-emotional skills training is incorporated into our curriculum both directly and indirectly. Students can also choose from a variety of art, tech, practical skills, and special interest topics available as electives each semester.
Middle School (7th-8th)
In Middle School, we strive to build independent learners who are developing their ability to be helpful and collaborative. Collaboration begins with respect for each other, and the ability to understand our role in the larger ecosystem of our class, school, and community. We encourage risk-taking and create space for students to learn from mistakes. We meet students where they are and celebrate the diversity of experiences our students bring.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER (she/her)
Julie Hogue grew up in Durham and has always called the Research Triangle home. She studied English and Anthropology with a concentration in Women’s Studies and UNC and received a special education degree from Appalachian State University. She has been a co-teacher in a TEACCH demonstration classroom. taught in Wake County Public Schools in a self-contained classroom for students with behavior and emotional disorders, later supported special education teachers, and worked as a Day Teacher Counselor for elementary and middle-school students. At that time, she earned her MSW from UNC and worked as a therapist providing outpatient services for adults and adolescents. She helped to design a day treatment program for Wake County School and served as the clinician for the program. She then lead the Intensive Intervention Team, supervising a group of social workers, reading specialists, and special education teachers serving the highest-need students in Wake County. Julie left public education to stay home with her two sons, and then returned to the Wright School as a Liaison Teacher Counselor, helping students to transition into Wright School and then back home and then moved to to Chapel Hill Public Schools as an elementary & middle school resource teacher. Julie joined the team at Hope Creek Academy in the fall of 2021. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and scuba diving.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER (she/her)
Courtney is originally from Maryland and made her way to North Carolina to attend Elon University, where she studied Middle Grades and Special Education. After graduating in 2016, she spent seven years as a Special Education Teacher in Wake County Public Schools. In 2023, she received her Master’s in Reading and Literacy from East Carolina University. In her free time, Courtney enjoys traveling, going to concerts, various arts and crafts, and spending time with family and friends. She is looking forward to a great year at Hope Creek!
High School (9th-12th)
Our mission in the High School is to help students become their best selves while learning how to be positive members of a large group. We accomplish this by focusing on academic responsibility, emotional self-regulation, and social acuity. Other key pillars of our program emphasize independent thinking coupled with perspective-taking, decision-making, and personal accountability.
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HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER (he/him)
Rob Hirtz earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in English and psychology, and his MA in Liberal Studies from Duke. After a brief career in advertising, Rob became involved with political campaigns as a campaign manager and consultant with several non-profit organizations, including the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as a consultant on mental health issues with the Pennsylvania state government. During this time, Rob also worked as a political reporter and columnist for Philadelphia City Paper, and as a political commentator on Morning Edition for Philadelphia’s public radio station, WHYY. He then moved to Durham, where, after he and his wife Jenny authored a travel guide to North Carolina (The North Carolina Handbook), he became an editor with Duke University. After almost 20 years with Duke, Rob moved on to become a special education teacher with the Durham public school district, before joining Hope Creek Academy in 2019.
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HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER (he/him)
Jim is a North Carolina native. He attended Western Carolina University with a major in Psychology and Sociology. He brings a variety of work experience including twenty-plus years in retail management, eight years with Wake County Area Mental Health as a Teacher Parent Supervisor working with behaviorally disordered youth, two years as a Substance Abuse Counselor in the adolescent unit at Charter Northridge Hospital, and 15 years as a professional photographer. After working as a substitute at HCA, he joined the teaching staff full-time.
