Mr. De Groot
Where Are You From?
I was raised in Nigeria, West Africa as a missionary kid. I attended Hillcrest (a boarding school) from 2nd through 5th grade as well as Mt. Vernon Christian while on furlough. Since my dad was a CRC pastor, once we got back to the states in 1970 we lived in both Iowa and South Dakota. I attended Dordt College and then moved to Louisiana and Florida and finally landed up here in Sunnyside. The final move was the best move I ever made!
My Family
Julie (Van Klompenberg) and I got married in 1983. Julie is originally from Rehoboth, New Mexico. God blessed us with Megan, Mike, and Matt from 1988 to 1994. All three attended SCS from K-12 and all three graduated from Dordt College. Megan and Sam live in Sioux Center, IA. Megan is a piano teacher and mom to our only grandson, Simon, while Sam is an electrical engineer. Mike and Denise live in Salem, OR where Denise teaches high school AP classes and Mike is a CPA. Matt now lives in Mt. Vernon, WA, and is a civil engineer. I have two brothers and two sisters but only my mom is still living, also in Mt. Vernon, WA. As you can see I am blessed!
School Growing Up
Boarding school was very difficult mostly because we were away from home for 4 1/2 months at a time. While living in Iowa, I attended Western Christian High which included a commute of 130 miles a day. I started driving school bus @ 16 (crazy huh?). Dordt College was a real blessing, especially since that's where I met Julie. My world life view has been shaped by Christian education my entire life, including teaching here at SCS!
Why Do I Love Teaching?
My dad always said, "Find a job you love and you won't work a day in your life"! After 32 years of teaching here at SCS, I am still waiting for that first day. I really appreciate the administration, staff, parents, and students here at SCS. The kids I get to spend time with on a daily basis make teaching so worth it.
Free Time Away From School
When I am not teaching, I love hanging out with my wife, Julie. We enjoy our Costco and WinCo runs to Tri-Cities and heading to Salem and Mt. Vernon to visit family. I also love to read and work in the yard with Julie.
Favorite Bible Verse
Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. If we can live the Christian life until Jesus comes back, the victory will be ours forever. Our enemy, Satan, will be defeated once and for all. Then I get to go to Heaven and see my dad again!
Favorite Snacks
My favorite snack is any kind of peanuts or cashews and I love Diet Coke.