ANGELO K.

Angelo Kontos is enjoying a long and rewarding career in education. Angelo has worked in a variety of roles for over twenty years, including being a Global Studies and English teacher, and curricular head. After gaining several years of experience teaching and developing courses, Angelo realized how important it was to a school to have passionate and caring vice-principals and principals, so he made a rewarding transition into administration and works as a secondary school principal with the Peel District School Board. He thrives on the daily challenges of leading a busy high school and the energy of his students. Angelo is a passionate learner, and often says the best school leaders always think of themselves as teachers first. Before completing his teaching certification, Angelo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree with York University. Over the years Angelo has added several qualifications to his professional practice, including specialists in Writing and Contemporary Studies. Angelo loves writing and he recently self-published a novel called The Tournament. In his spare time, when he is not writing, Angelo is reading, exercising, or taking his adorable but highly sensitive dog for walks.

Kelly M.

Hello! Meet Kelly Marcella, an energetic teacher who values education and making the learning process victorious and something to enjoy! Kel remembers learning how to read in second grade. How magical that experience was, so magical she marched right off to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and earned a double major in Elementary and Special Education- she decided to add some razzle dazzle of English as a Second language, Specific Learning disabilities, Intellectual disabilities, and Emotional Behavioral Disorder concentration minors. She couldn’t wait to practice this incredible art and began her journey where she taught elementary education for six years. Within those years, she was fortunate enough to earn her Wilson Reading System (Level 1) certificate and earned a Masters’s degree in Educational Psychology; she is currently working on her Master’s specialist degree in School Psychology and couldn’t be more thrilled to understand how our scholars learn. This year, Kel will emerge in a year-long School Psychology internship where she will continue learning how to impact the educational experience for students and school staff positively.

HEIDI S.

Heidi Seibert is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she completed a BA from Dalhousie University, majoring in Russian and Spanish. Between University and beginning her career as a teacher, Heidi lived and travelled in Japan where she taught English to students of various ages. After living overseas, Heidi spent some time in Central America furthering her love of languages. Heidi then returned to Canada and completed a BEd from Mount Saint Vincent University before moving to Toronto where she has been a teacher for over 20 years. Heidi has worked predominantly in grades 2-6 where she has gained a wealth of experience in both literacy and numeracy. For the last few years of her career, she has been an English as a Second Language teacher as well as a Special Education teacher. This role has been particularly rewarding and Heidi has gained a lot of knowledge in how children learn to read. In her free time, Heidi enjoys long walks, baking, photography and of course reading. Heidi contributes to her school environment by initiating new learning opportunities for her students, organizes clubs and also volunteers with the CNIB. Heidi continues to have a passion for travel and learning from others.

Mikayla P.

Mikayla grew up and studied in Prince Edward Island, Canada. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English. During this degree she took an Introduction to Education course as an elective; this is where her passion for education and teaching was born. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Education degree, specializing in Elementary, Indigenous, and International Education, also with UPEI. As a part of her Bachelor of Education degree she had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand to complete her practicum. This opened her eyes to new teaching methodologies and incorporating cultural awareness in the classroom. It also fostered a deep love of travel and openness to new experiences. Since 2018, Mikayla has taught in classrooms from K-9. She has experience with all subjects in the elementary curriculum, but her passion lies with literacy. This past year, Mikayla worked with students both in school and also after school as a tutor, with students who needed extra support in literacy. It was the favorite part of her day to meet with these students and build their confidence and skills in both reading and writing. Her approach is student centered, focusing on students strengths and interests. Her belief is that learning should be engaging, positive, and approachable. Mikayla loves teaching so much that she is constantly practicing at home teaching her dog, Gunner, lots of new tricks.

CASEY S.

Hey there!
My name is Casey, I graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 2016 and I am currently in my 7th year teaching professionally. I started my career in Northern Manitoba, eventually settling down in the Southwest, teaching Literacy and English Language Arts. I am positive and energetic, and have taught students from Elementary to Senior High School. I am very passionate about education and always seek meaningful connections and creative ways to engage my students.
A little about me: I grew up in a small town, and I love the outdoors; including fishing, boating and camping. I also love animals, reading, and listening to podcasts.

I look forward to meeting you!

AQSA N.

I am Aqsa Naseer. I am a certified teacher in Manitoba and have more than 5 years of teaching experience. I have taught the University of Manitoba’s undergraduate students too. I have experience teaching k-8 students Maths. I am innovative in tailoring instructions to meet the needs of students. I am passionate about advancing academic progress and helping students develop critical thinking skills.

BETH C.

Beth is an Ontario Certified Teacher within the Primary/Junior division. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Anthropology and Philosophy. Beth then traveled to Asia, where she discovered her passion for teaching. She taught English in Taiwan for over eight years before returning to Canada in 2012 to become a certified teacher. Beth received a Bachelor of Education from York University in the Urban Diversity program at Regent Park in 2013. She has since volunteered as a classroom teacher in Regent Park, worked as a childcare provider for two pre-school aged children, and most recently returned to Taiwan last year to complete a one year contract teaching grade one using the Ontario curriculum.

Beth is an experienced teacher with a strong commitment to students and their learning. Having worked with children of all ages, she believes in creating an atmosphere where students participate actively in their learning. She feels students should see themselves reflected within the curriculum in order to enrich their learning experience. As a teacher, Beth also strives to provide a variety of differentiated instruction and positive reinforcement to support student achievement and learning.

In her spare time, she loves listening to music and enjoying the outdoors. She is also passionate about the arts and is an avid storyteller.

REBECCA D.

Rebecca Michaella is a third-year student at the University of Winnipeg. She aspires to receive a combined degree in Bachelor of Arts and Education, majoring in English Writing and minoring in Sociology. Ideally, she wishes to teach at the high school level. She believes that education is about personal growth and self-development. A few of her favourites include gardening, baking, making mixed art and writing poems.

AMANDA C.

CAROL ANN C.

Carol Ann is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She has focused her more than 25 year career on two distinct curriculum areas: Special Education (Grades 6,7,8, all subjects) and English as a Second Language (Grade 7 through University). She has also been a School Librarian for grades K-5. Teaching in these areas has taken Carol Ann to many parts of the world. Her classroom in the Bahamas sometimes had goats walking through. In Greece, the siesta meant she started work at 4:00 pm and finished at 10. In New Zealand, kea birds pulled the rubber windshield wipers off her car in school parking lots. Along the way, she earned a Masters of Education degree (in Toronto) lectured at several universities (Monash and University of Sydney in Australia). She earned her PhD. while traveling regularly between Rhodes and the University of Toronto. Her students were her very best teachers. Everywhere she went students, despite differences in culture and language, responded positively to to her belief in them as capable learners.