Mr. Hahn earned his BA degree in Elementary Education from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1990. He later earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas.
He accepted an offer to join the Prince of Peace Faculty as a Physical Education teacher and Athletic Director. Mr. Hahn remained in that position until 1999 when he was asked to serve as Interim School Administrator. From 2000 until 2003 he served as school Principal until he accepted the opportunity to serve as Headmaster in July, 2003.
Mr. Hahn desires to partner with and to serve the children, families, teachers and staff, of Prince of Peace. He is often quoted saying, “You take GREAT kids, from GREAT families, coupled with talented teachers, and you get EXCEPTIONAL results”.
Mr. Hahn is an active member of the National Elementary School Principal Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools, and the Lutheran Education Association.
He and his wife Tricia have three children, Whitney, born in 1998; Tyler, in 2000; and Brent, born in 2002. He and his family attend Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.
Craig William Swanson, High School Principal
Craig W. Swanson was born in New York. He graduated from Long Island Lutheran High School in 1971. After graduation he went to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on a full-ride basketball scholarship, but he graduated from Wheeling College (West Virginia) with a BA degree in Sociology in 1976. For six years after college he played professional basketball, living in Sweden, France and Uruguay.
Craig started his teaching career in 1982 at Orlando Luther High School, now Orlando Lutheran Academy, where he was mentored by two of God’s great servants, Rev. Ed Visscher and Mr. Rich Wallace. He spent nine years at OLHS teaching, coaching girls basketball (his team won a State Championship in 1986), and learning about Ministry. He later received his Colloquy degree from Concordia, Bronxville in 1987.
In 1992, Craig accepted a Call to teach Theology and to coach boys' basketball at Lutheran High School of Orange County. In 1997 he became Assistant Principal in charge of Discipline and developed the “Success Center” to benefit students, families and teachers. He earned his MA in School Administration from Azusa Pacific University in 2000. While at Orange Lutheran, Craig was blessed to be mentored by two great leaders, Dr. Ken Ellwein and Mr. Gregg Pinick.
After nine years of great ministry and personal growth at Orange Lutheran, Craig accepted a Call to become Principal/Executive Director at Salt Lake Lutheran High School. Led and equipped by God, he turned around the previous six-years' declining enrollment. He spent five years there turning a negative into a positive relational/outreach ministry, thus enhancing the school's community perception.
Most recently, in 2005 Craig accepted the Call to be the High School Principal at Prince of Peace Christian School. He continues to rely on God's continued blessings here in Carrollton, Texas. For the past three years Craig has served on the board of the Association of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS). Craig has always taken on life’s challenges with a great faith in and dependence on, God's promises.
Craig and his wife Carin have been happily married for 16 years and have one beautiful daughter, Tessa. Craig attributes any success he has had to God alone who he seen work work through many family members, friends and life situations!
Normally, when we think of middle school we let out a groan or sigh and remember our own experience. Our middle school years were key years to becoming the adults we are today. These three short years are full of spiritual, academic, emotional and social changes. It takes prayer, love, dedication and understanding to help these students and their families have positive middle school experiences.
Prince of Peace Christian School desires to make the middle school experience a great one. We have a strong Christian staff dedicated to the middle school students and their families. We understand that middle school is not only about getting a great education, but it’s also about learning life skills. We have created a program that allows a diverse group of students to come together in a Christian atmosphere to grow and learn.
Our first desire is to make sure that all of our students understand Christ’s love and forgiveness. That love and forgiveness resulted in His death and resurrection and gives us eternal life through our belief in Christ. That wonderful gift is the driving force for the words we use and the actions we show. Each teacher is passionate about helping students understand this gift and committed to teaching students how to share it.
In the classroom, students are held to high academic standards. We not only want our students to be ready for the following year of school, but also to learn the skills that will help make life easier. We incorporate study skills and organization into the core classes, and we stay current on changes and concepts in the world of education. Understanding the changes made to the SAT in 2006, we have not only maintained our strong emphasis on writing, but we have also aligned vocabulary and grammar in each middle school grade and have worked extensively with the high school teachers to create a seamless curriculum in each discipline. We offer honors classes in math, grammar and literature. These classes give students who excel an opportunity to use their gifts and further develop their skills.
Middle school is also about having fun. Middle school students learn how to make good choices and how to conduct themselves in various situations. Throughout the year, we have socials, special dress days, special lunch days and opportunities for our students to act like middle school students. We also bring in special speakers with presentations dealing with current topics like bullying and abstinence. Most importantly, we allow our students to learn in an atmosphere where they can begin learning responsibility and freedom to make choices within a Christian support network. It is often said that kids are kids. This is true; however, we desire to teach our students how to live positive Christian lives.
If I may be of assistance to your family by answering questions about our program, please contact me at 972-447-0532 or by email at patrick.carlove@princeofpeace.org.
I look forward to meeting all parents and being a part of your child’s journey through Middle School.
In His Service,
Patrick Carlove
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Biography
Patrick Carlove began his ministry in Lutheran education in 1991 teaching social studies and religion at Lutheran High School of Dallas.
In 1994, Carlove attained the position of Peer Minister,a position where he focused on individual and group conflict resolution. While in Dallas, he also enjoyed a variety of successful experiences including coaching varsity baseball, starting a baseball camp that grew to over 230 campers in three years and leading the Lutheran Lions to their first Baseball State Championship.
In 1995, he became a District Representative for Lutheran Brotherhood in the Dallas area and received training in insurance sales, estate planning, and matching gift programs.
In 1996, he accepted a Call to be the Assistant Principal at Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas. While at Tomball, he demonstrated leadership by setting higher standards in areas of enrollment and campus behavior and by encouraging a positive school climate. He initiated parent-dialog programs for students and their families and implemented advising-groups that were active during the school day. He received recognition for developing student leadership programs, including retreats and peer mentoring. During his employment at Tomball, he was nominated and selected into the Who's Who Among High School Teachers and Administrators and served on the Accreditation Committee for Concordia Lutheran High School in San Antonio.
In 1999, he accepted a Call to Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Assistant Principal at Concordia Lutheran High School, the country's largest Lutheran high school. While in Ft. Wayne, he led the way in minority awareness and uniting the area Lutheran elementary schools in a common program using funding from the National Safe and Drug Free Schools organization.
In 2000, he accepted the Call to be Executive Director of Concordia Academy in Austin, Texas. He oversaw all operations of this new school from the start-up phase through the accreditation process. Under his leadership the first graduating class of Concordia Academy in 2006 established a positive reputation for the school in the greater Austin area.
Carlove graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin with a degree in Secondary Education. Later, he earned a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Sam Houston State University. He and his wife Kara were married in 1992 and have three daughters, Hayley, born in 1995, Kayla, born in 1998 and Olivia, born in 2001.
At Prince of Peace our mission has always been to provide a solid foundation of academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment. This process of uniting home, school, and church prepares young people socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually. The result is a community of students, faculty, and parents with a true passion for learning and serving.
It is the expectation that all members of the community treat one another with respect and kindness. This is essential to ensure an orderly, safe, and caring learning environment. As school members seek to grow in their ability to show respect to others, they focus on the following areas:
R – Respect Christ, your Redeemer through your thoughts, words, and actions.
E – Respect your learning Environment.
S – Respect your Self and recognize your own worth in God’s eyes.
P – Respect yourself by presenting your Personal best.
E – Respect the Educational Process
C – Respect your Classmates by treating them in a kind and fair manner.
T – Respect Teachers and others in authority.
In our lower school, the core curriculum emphasizes hands-on, inquiry-based learning so that students not only learn facts but also understand why. Enrichment classes in music, art, computer, Spanish, and physical education allow our students to test their abilities and discover their true potential. We also offer resource and enrichment programs to meet the needs of students who struggle and students who excel.
The success of each student is enhanced when teachers, parents, and students work together. We encourage parents to be active in their child’s learning experience by providing many volunteer opportunities both inside and outside of the classrooms. Teachers regularly communicate with parents, facilitated through classroom web sites and Edline. Parents are also encouraged to e-mail or call teachers at any time.
As you seek a school home for your family I hope you will consider Prince of Peace. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to call me (972) 447-9887, ext. 454.
Blessings in Christ,
Laura P. Cleland,
Lower School Principal
While majoring in Elementary Education at Purdue University, Mrs. Cleland was awarded a National Science Foundation Scholarship to participate in UPSTEP (Undergraduate Pre-service Science Teachers Education Program), an ongoing study aimed at instructing teachers how to teach Science through inquiry.
In addition to obtaining certification in Elementary Education and Science Education, Mrs. Cleland also received certification in Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbance, and Educable Mentally Handicapped while studying at Eastern Illinois University and a Masters in Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. She received her Colloquy degree from Concordia, Austin in 2007. Mrs. Cleland began teaching in 1977 and has been at Prince of Peace since 1983. She has taught Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Sixth Grade, Seventh Grade, Eighth Grade, and Special Education in grades K-12.
She and her husband have four children. The Cleland's are members of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church where Mrs. Cleland is involved with the Special Needs Ministry.
Lynn Keckonen has thirty years of experience in early childhood education. Prior to working at Prince of Peace, she was the Eastern United States Senior Director of Mini Skool Inc., responsible for overseeing the operation of more than fifty schools within a ten-state region. Currently she is in charge of developing and directing Prince of Peace Christian School’s Early Learning Center.
