Illume Pursuits Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Head of Curriculum Instruction

Daniel Hernandez

In 2019, Daniel earned his Masters Degree in Education from the University of Notre Dame. As part of his courses, he held full-time teaching responsibilities as a fourth grade teacher in Tucson, Arizona for two years. He is excited to lead the implementation of every course offered and to meet the individual needs of every student based on best practice. Daniel is CPR certified. 

Fun Fact: In my 8th grade school play “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”, I played Merlin. 

Head of Technology and Innovation

Chris Hernandez

In 2019, Chris completed his undergraduate courses at the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. During all of his four years, he interned with CDW learning about the integration of technology in higher education. Here at Illume Pursuits, he is excited to help integrate our Coding course on our iPads, oversee our management software Brightwheel, and manage our website. Additionally, he will be assisting with teaching all of our courses and supervision of the students. He is also our lead designer of our Discipleship curriculum. Chris is CPR certified.

Fun Fact: When I was younger, I wanted to be an archaeologist because of the Indiana Jones movies.

Founder & Director

Peter Hernandez

For over 27 years, Peter has walked in covenant faith in ministry, marriage and family. Privileged to believe and work with kindergartener children for over 23 years as a public school teacher, Peter has field tested and established the creation of Symphony Reader and cMath, the most effective, innovative, and fun-filled learning programs that ensures academic success, confidence and a love for learning. These programs are patented and exclusive to Illume Pursuits Preschool. Peter administers academic learning at Illume Pursuits while working as a credentialed public school teacher in Santa Ana, CA. Peter has a bachelors from NYU, and a Masters from USC. 

​Fun Fact: Every year at my school, I love participating in retirement skits and playing Santa Claus.  

Head of Operations

Lupe Hernandez

With over 30 years of community advocacy and senior management experience, Lupe champions quality and excellence in all aspects of service to learning, children and their families. Lupe is also Chief Operating Officer at Homeownership Council of America where she oversees the organization’s financial management, human resources, and organization efficiency. She brings the same skills to Illume Pursuits. Lupe is happily married to Peter, loves teaching children, and nurtured her sons, Daniel and Chris to be outstanding men of faith.

Fun Fact: I am 1 of 11 siblings. 

Testimonials

“We love Illume Pursuits Wonderschool. I [am] grateful to them for everything; especially their special attitude both in the field of education and upbringing.” - Heghine Y.

Philosophy

Our mission is to build and nurture children through academic and social learning experiences that inspire faith, hope, and love. Children are inherent learners as they engage and play with the world around them. Mindful of their inner genius and playful spirit, our curricula incorporate movement, hands-on fun activities, and developmentally appropriate practices based on research from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

As a Christian program, our staff is passionate to meet and guide every student on their journey to becoming a life-long learner and light for others. Thus, we’ve decided to use our home as a Family Child Care Home licensed by the state of California operating as a Christian preschool in Irvine, CA. Our license number is 304311557. Click below to learn more about our staff’s background and role in Illume Pursuits Preschool.

Location

Illume Pursuits Wonderschool is located in a warm, welcoming single family home in Irvine’s Westpark 1 neighborhood. Here is our location on Google Maps.

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About our program

Along with believing that young children learn through play, we also believe that they can learn academic concepts through playful experiences. Using technology, we have designed multisensory activities that engage students in ways that are natural to them (through movement, song, guided visuals, and hands-on opportunities). Through our approach, our children enjoy learning because it is interesting and builds confidence. When they enjoy their learning, we’ve found that they truly excel.

Admissions

Join the Illume Pursuits Wonderschool community in four easy steps:

1. Explore our website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family.

2. Tour our program

Come see what makes Illume Pursuits Wonderschool unique. Please schedule a tour or attend an Open House event.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application at www.wonderschool.com/illume-pursuits-wonderschool-4444/apply – Please note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not visited the program.

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation you’ll pay your enrollment fee, fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.