I have been teaching since graduating from the University of British Columbia in 2002 and have had the pleasure of working at Quilchena Elementary for the last 19 years. In that time, I took a year off for each of my beautiful daughters.
I have always enjoyed the outdoors and adventuring in nature. I have fond memories of building forts by the river with my brother in Kamloops, camping, hiking, fishing and skiing with my family and driving all across Canada and the United States in our blue camper van. These experiences inspired me to get outdoors, which is how I met my husband tree planting. We continued to enjoy nature by climbing together, mostly in Squamish and Whistler. Now we continue to spend time outside camping, hiking, canoeing, surfing and adventuring with our two lovely girls.
This year, I will be taking the class outdoors at least one afternoon a week for Outdoor Education. By being exposed to the beauty and wonders of the nature and by having a better understanding of ecosystems and our part in them, we will be better able to connect to the natural world. Once we learn that we are all connected, we can begin to understand that we have a responsibility to take action and to protect local and global environments.
I also enjoy sports and have played all kinds of sports, all my life. Most recently, I played Women's Rugby for 10 years before retiring and beginning Ice Hockey, 16 years ago. As a result of my passion for sports, I work hard to include both fun games and more structured sports instruction in our PE and Daily Physical Activity programs.
Overall, I believe that our children learn best in a safe and supportive learning environment. I hope to give the students in Division 3 many opportunities to ask questions, explore answers, discuss different opinions, and challenge themselves. I try my best to consistently model my expectations and to give the students clear instructions and criteria, but encourage the class to ask for help if they do not understand. I also work hard to give students descriptive feedback on assignments and urge them to hand assignments back in with improvements and additions. I enjoy learning and am always looking for ways to add to my knowledge and skills in teaching. I am looking forward to an inspiring and enriching year.