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2013 - 2014Staff Directory

Webber Academy 2010 - 2011 Staff

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Janet AdamsonGrade V Homeroom

Mrs. Adamson earned both her Bachelor of Education and her Bachelor of Arts (English) degrees from the University of Lethbridge. She began her career teaching Grade Five in a small northern Alberta community and Grade Five/Six for the Calgary Public Board of Education. Both of these positions provided her with a wealth of knowledge and experience as she worked with students from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and abilities. Mrs. Adamson came to Webber Academy in 2004. In the years since, she has taught Grade Five Language Arts, Grade Five and Six Geography/History, Grade Five Math and Grade Five and Six Art. Now, in a half time position as a Grade Six Language Arts specialist, she spends her days at school striving to inspire her students to gain a life-long love of literature.

When she isn’t teaching, Mrs. Adamson spends her time pursuing her own love of reading (especially young adult fiction to recommend to her students) and her passions for painting, cooking and interior design, as well as, of course, spending quality time with her wonderful family.

WEBBER ACADEMY

Jason AshGrade VI Homeroom

Mr. Ash grew up here in Calgary and graduated from the University of Calgary in 1996. In university, he specialized in the Sciences as well as in Psychology. After university, Mr. Ash was hired at Rundle College where he spent nine years teaching primarily Grade Four and Five subjects. He has been teaching now for over 15 years and has taught various subjects and grades including French.   Mr. Ash is now in his seventh year at Webber Academy and is teaching a Grade Six homeroom. Currently, he is also the coach of the Grade Eight and Nine Girls Volleyball team. Mr. Ash hosts Science Olympics every year for Division Two students. Since the induction of the Olympics, Webber Academy has won Gold twice. He is also a member of the APEGGA Science Committee. Mr. Ash is an avid sports fan. He enjoys the outdoors and spending quality time with his family.

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Michael AsmusJH/SH Physical Education

Mr. Asmus is an enthusiastic and dedicated Physical Education teacher. He has a passion for health and physical education and he is a strong role model for his students as he practices what he preaches. He is a strong believer in developing a healthy body and mind in his students and encouraging each student to reach their full potential in the gym and in the classroom.

Mr. Asmus graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education. He began his basketball career at Red Deer College and finished playing at the University of Calgary. He has since focused his passion for athletics on coaching and educating young athletes. He has had the opportunity to coach several sports including basketball, golf, track and field, and badminton through his previous position at Iron Ridge Middle School. His passion for coaching basketball has taken him to expand his knowledge of the game through organizations such as Alberta Basketball, Red Deer College, University of Calgary, University of California Berkley and Stanford University. He continues to help the Calgary Red Jackets youth basketball organization. Mr. Asmus is happy to be a part of the Webber Academy faculty and is looking forward to meeting the students and parents of Webber Academy.

WEBBER ACADEMY

Chelsey BadgleySenior Kindergarten Assistant

Chelsey Badgley is a recent graduate from the University of Calgary. She received her Bachelor of Education degree this past June with a specialization in Elementary Science. Chelsey also received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary in June 2010. Chelsey’s passion for science led her to volunteer at the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI) in the fall of 2010 where she worked with a patient who had suffered a massive stroke. This individual had been a teacher prior to the stroke and inspired Chelsey to pursue a career in education.

Chelsey has volunteered as a teaching assistant for the past two years at both public and private schools. Upon graduation Chelsey was hired as a substitute teacher at the Calgary Girls’ School for the last two months of the 2012/2013 school year. Chelsey is passionate about living a healthy, balanced life and enjoys playing soccer, baseball and walking her dog.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Erin BeattieGrade III Homeroom

After graduating from the University of Calgary with her Bachelor of Education in French Immersion, Mrs. Beattie moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to pursue her teaching career. She began her first year of teaching with a Grade Four French Immersion class at Ecole King George School. The following year Mrs. Beattie moved to Grade Two where she fell in love with the energy and enthusiasm of Division I students. The following five years were spent at Ecole King George learning her profession, defining her teaching style, and gaining much valuable experience. Mrs. Beattie returned to Calgary in the fall of 1998 to join the staff at Webber Academy teaching Grade Two. Returning from her last maternity leave, Mrs. Beattie changed grades and moved to Grade Three.

Since joining the staff at Webber Academy, she has been involved in the development of the Grade Two programme, the start up of the soccer club, and also coached the Jr. High/Sr. High soccer teams in their early years. Following her love of the French language, Mrs. Beattie also began a French Club for the elementary students. She continues to run soccer club for the Division I students, as well as speed stacking for Division I.

Maryse BischoffJH French, Grade I Assistant

Maryse Bischoff joins us from the Conseil Scolaire Francophone du Sud de l’Alberta where she served as a substitute teacher for the past year. She will be teaching FSL this year to the Junior High students, as well as serving as an English Language Arts support to the grade one teachers. She joins the school with a Bachelor of Education from the Faculté-St-Jean (University of Alberta) and a college degree in Humanities from the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup. Mrs. Bischoff brings years of experience most of which was spent with the Edmonton Public School Board teaching French Immersion, and serving as a substitute teacher for the Municipality of Wood Buffalo while living in Fort McMurray. Her passion for humanitarian service sent her to Haiti in June of 2012 to deliver workshops to teachers, where her love of teaching resurfaced. She also volunteers regularly with service organizations that serve the less fortunate. Mrs. Bischoff is a passionate teacher who believes in setting high standards, achieving excellence and ensuring that her students achieve their highest potential.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Grant BoykoPerforming Arts Centre Manager & Advancement Administrator

A graduate of Fanshawe College’s Music Industry Arts (MIA) program, and the University of Windsor’s Sport and Recreation Management program (B.Hk.), Mr. Boyko is a specialist in the technical aspects of live theatre (audio, lighting, multimedia integration, special effects) as well as theatre facility management. He comes to Webber Academy after spending five years as the Technical Operator and Manager of Performing Arts Facilities at Seoul Foreign School in South Korea – a position that provided a wealth of experience working within an International Baccalaureate (IB) setting. While at Seoul Foreign School, Mr. Boyko acted as the Technical Director on countless theatrical performances, musicals, string orchestra and choir concerts, in addition to teaching the fundamentals of audio engineering, recording, video production, theater lighting and other relevant topics to middle school and high school students. He also managed the day-to-day operations of three theatre venues with the school’s performing arts facility.

Mr. Boyko also actively pursues his own passion for the performing arts. He has several years of experience in the field of music as a songwriter, recording engineer, producer, instructor and performer.

Maegan BishopSK & Div I Music

Maegan graduated with honours from Southern Virginia University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a minor in Theatre. She has received musical training throughout her life in violin, piano and voice and has a deep love of music. Growing up in a family of musicians, Maegan felt the call early in life to inspire others through music. After graduating with her music degree, Maegan was drawn specifically to teaching music to young children. It is her belief that all children should have the opportunity to positively experience music early in life, develop their own voices, and learn to be literate and sensitive musicians. Working to achieve this goal, she completed certification in the Kodály Concept at Intermuse Academy in Provo, Utah and received additional Kodály training at Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She has also completed training in Carl Orff Schulwerk with the Calgary Orff Chapter. In addition to her formal training, Maegan obtained valuable experience teaching with the Calgary Girls Choir, working under the direction of Artistic Director Elaine Quilichini, internationally recognized children’s choral conductor. Maegan is pleased to be teaching music to students in Junior and Senior Kindergarten as well as grades one through three at Webber Academy.

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Ramona BoyleSH English, SH G/H, CALM

After graduating from Trent University with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Political Science, Ms. Boyle moved to London, England to complete her Masters in International Relations and Diplomacy. After several years working for a non-profit agency and in the private sector as a graphic designer, magazine editor and educator, she undertook a 6,000 km bicycle tour, with her husband, through 14 countries in Europe to raise money for UNHCR while giving lectures and interviews in over 50 cities about the work of the United Nations.  In 1989 she moved to China, where for five years she worked in teachers' colleges in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, earning a national award as "Model Foreign Teacher." After returning to Canada to complete her Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria, she worked in international schools in China and South Korea for 9 years.  She is a published historian, and her research on the Hudson's Bay Company is being included in a history of Barkerville, B.C., which is scheduled for release in 2014.

Ms. Boyle joined Webber Academy in 2012, and has been active in promoting the school's Model United Nations program, as well as working with the Senior High Debate Team.  As a teacher of both English and Geography/History, her passion for language and history inspires her students to look at the world in new ways.

Mariaan CampTeacher - Librarian

Mariaan Camp started teaching at Webber Academy in 1998, where she has had the privilege to promote her love of reading, research and life-long learning through her ‘dream come true’ job – establishing and continually expanding the Chwyl Library. She believes that a love of reading and the skill building of in-depth competency in the many literacy’s are essential to reach success as a 21st century learner.

Mrs. Mariaan Camp was born in Zimbabwe, lived in South Africa and Botswana, and is now a citizen of Canada. She has a B.Ed. (specializing in Physical Education and English Language Arts) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa; a Post Graduate Honours in Education and a Diploma in School Information Science (a Masters in Library Science equivalency from the American Library Association) from the University of South Africa.

Since arriving at Webber Academy, Mrs. Camp has endeavoured to continue her passion for teaching and life-long learning through her involvement in the Alberta School Library Council, on a local and provincial level, as well as serving on the English Language Arts Council of Alberta. A highlight for her was when Mrs. Zinda FitzGerald, the then Head of School, nominated her for the Bev Anderson Certificate of Merit presented by the Alberta Teachers’ Association to recognize an outstanding contribution made by a Teacher-Librarian in a school. Mrs. Camp was honoured to receive this award on May 10th, 2005. At present Mrs. Camp is happily working in both her passions: teaching Grade 6 Language Arts/GH and being the Teacher-Librarian at Webber Academy.

WEBBER ACADEMY

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Eric CampbellJH Math

Eric Campbell was born in Vancouver and moved to Calgary when he was young. Eric is a graduate of Webber Academy and went on to receive his B.Sc. in Mathematics from Queen's University in Kingston, and his B.Ed. from the University of Calgary.

When not working in his ever-expanding garden, he enjoys many other outdoor pursuits, including hiking, sailing, and keeping his dog out of trouble.

Joël ChalifouxDirector of Athletics and Physical Education, SH Physical Education

Joёl Chalifoux was born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta where he developed a passion for athletics and coaching. In high school he was fortunate to be a member of the Camille J. Lerouge Cougars who won back to back 3A Basketball Provincials in 1991 and 1992. Joёl was also a two year member of Team Alberta Basketball where he competed in the Canada games against players like Steve Nash, Todd McCllough and Greg Newton. After playing two years for Red Deer College he was a member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears, who under the leadership of Don Horwood won the 1994/95 CIS National Championships.

Joёl graduated with his Education Degree from the University of Alberta in 1997 and was hired by Stathcona Tweedsmuir School where he later became curriculum leader for the Physical Education Department. After five successful years of teaching and coaching he accepted a position as the Athletic Director and Head of Physical Education at the newly founded Webber Academy. During his ten years at Webber Academy, Joёl has developed an athletics program that prides itself in developing athletes who have a strong sense of character. His passion for athletics and the skill development of young athletes are still evident in his teaching practices today. Joёl also organizes a major fundraising campaign at Webber Academy for the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research. This long standing event is one of Joёl’s greatest accomplishments as a teacher. To date Joёl his many wonderful physical education 30 students and Webber Academy have raised over $280,000.00 for the Terry Fox Foundation. He is the incredibly proud father of two amazing children Malia and Kai. Joёl’s greatest life achievement has been his marriage to his remarkable wife of twelve years, Corrie Chalifoux.

WEBBER ACADEMY

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Patricia ClattenburgGrade IV-VI Music

Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mrs. Clattenburg earned her Bachelor of Arts (Music) degree from the University of King’s College, winning the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Bach Prize inher graduating year. Following that she obtained a Certificate in Education from Dalhousie University and began her study of Orff-Schulwerk-Music for Children, completing her final level at the University of Alberta. 

Mrs. Clattenburg’s diverse professional experience includes teaching music and directing award winning choirs across Canada in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Alberta. Prior to coming to Webber Academy she taught for Edmonton Public Schools where she helped create a Performance Standards Document for Elementary Music Education. At the same time, she was a co-operating teacher with the University of Alberta for the Advanced Placement Teaching Experience of undergraduate students. Mrs. Clattenburg has attended international workshops and seminars including special studies in choral conducting at the Royal School of Church Music in London, England as well as Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey. She is committed to nurturing a love for music, as well as strong musicianship skills in children of all ages. 

Hannah ChurchillJH English

Originally from Canmore, Alberta, Hannah graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education with a major in Social Studies and a minor in English Language Arts. She was a Jason Lang Scholarship recipient throughout her post-secondary Education. Hannah is also proficient in the language of French. Hannah competed as an Alpine ski racer at the provincial and national levels for over eleven years and has attained a Level 1 Canadian Ski Coach certification. Hannah has been described as a high achiever who instills confidence in her students to reach their full potential. Hannah is excited to take on the challenges associated with delivering high quality English programs to Webber Academy students in grade 7,8 and 9.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Patricia ConwayJH/SH English, JH Drama

For two years following her graduation from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Education in 1989, Ms. Conway taught Junior and Senior High English in Saskatchewan and English as a second language in Tokyo, Japan. While teaching, Ms. Conway performed in annual Fringe Theatre Festivals. In 1991, she expanded on her theatre experience by co-writing a play sponsored by the Saskatchewan Women’s Secretary of State, performing on CFCR Community Radio, and acting in Saskatoon improvisational theatre events.

Ms. Conway moved to Victoria, BC in 1992 where she pursued studies in English and Drama at the University of Victoria and at Simon Fraser University. She taught Junior and Senior High Drama, Junior High ELA, and Women’s Studies in an all-girl setting for four years.

Ms. Conway moved to Calgary in 2000. She has directed many Junior High drama events including choral speech poetry, live plays, and video presentations. She is the director of the Webber Academy JH Cuts Club and the Grade Seven Film Festival. Her ELA 7 students have competed in various writing contests and have achieved publication in magazines.

Ms. Conway married Brent Dumonceaux in 2008 and celebrated her 13th year at Webber Academy in 2013.

Christina CloustonHead of Senior School, SH Physics

Christina holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a post graduate Certificate of Education in Secondary Science. Christina also earned her National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) while teaching in the United Kingdom. Christina has taught physics for fourteen years and was appointed as Head of Physics at two large European High Schools. She spent her final three years in the UK as a Vice Principal at a high achieving Secondary School with over 1,200 students. Christina eagerly embraces her position as Head of Senior School at Webber Academy. Christina and her husband are proud parents of two young boys and they are enjoying their new life in Canada, especially the opportunity to spend family time skiing in the Rockies.

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Kari CookGrade V Homeroom

Ms. Cook has joined Webber Academy this year from BC. She obtained both her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University. She started teaching in the Surrey School District and after a few short months joined Southpointe Academy in Delta, BC. At Southpointe, Ms. Cook taught Grade Two for one year and Grade Three for three years. Ms. Cook and her fiance decided to move to Calgary this summer for him to pursue studies at the University of Calgary.

When Ms. Cook is not teaching, she enjoys losing herself in a good book, baking homemade chocolate chip cookies, and spending time with her two dogs. She is excited to settle into Calgary and hopes to experience a little less rain this school year than she did in Vancouver.

WEBBER ACADEMY

Birgitt DendorferSenior Kindergarten

Ms. Dendorfer obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Alberta, and then completed a Masters of Education degree at the University of Calgary. She has been teaching elementary-aged children for fifteen years. She began her teaching career with the Edmonton Public School Board and then went on to teach at international schools in Germany and Thailand. Both international schools are independent International Baccalaureate schools that were implementing the Primary Years Programme, the elementary component of the IB. Ms. Dendorfer came to Webber Academy in 2005. She taught Grade One for five years and now teaches Senior Kindergarten. Ms. Dendorfer loves to learn and enjoys inspiring children to love learning as well. Outside of school Ms. Dendorfer has travelled extensively and has her advanced certificate in scuba diving. She enjoys cooking, gardening, renovating, and being in nature. She likes to hike in summer and snowshoe in winter.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Janette DiasAccounting Assistant

With a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Agra, India and a certificate in Financial Accounting from SAIT, Mrs. Dias joined Webber Academy in the year 2004 as an Administrative Assistant. She brings with her 14 years of accounting/administrative experience working at St. Patrick’s Junior College, one of the oldest convent schools in India. Mrs. Dias immigrated to Canada in October 2004 and is now a proud Canadian having received her Canadian Citizenship on February 27, 2009.

Mrs. Dias initially joined Webber academy as an Administrative Assistant and after about a year took on the role as an Accounting Assistant. She has ever since worked in that position, carrying out her responsibilities with due diligence.

Linda DudarAdministrative Assistant

Linda was born in Calgary, and graduated from Saint Francis Highschool.  She stayed at home to raise her 3 sons.  Her working experience ranges from Computer Graphic Designer, Special Education Assistant and Cargo Handler for Federal Express, before becoming a Secretary. 

Linda enjoys singing and is a member of an adult recreational choir, which perform throughout the city, at Senior homes and Churches.  She practices throughout the year and looks forward to her concerts at Christmas, with the  highlight being the 3 year end shows at the Martha Cohen Theatre.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Lindsay FearGrade VI Homeroom

Born and raised in Toronto, Ms. Fear graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She has had several years experience working in the education sector, specifically within independent schools. After graduating, she worked for 3 years at an International Baccalaureate girls school in Toronto, followed by an independent boys school. She earned her teaching qualification at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, where she had the opportunity to teach the Primary Years Programme at an internationally renowned IB school. She spent her first year teaching in a 4-form entry school in London, United Kingdom, followed by a year up north teaching in small village schools in rural England.      

Erin EdmundsonSH English

Erin Edmundson completed her B.A. in History and Politics with a Concentration in Middle East and Islamic Studies as well as a Certificate in Chinese Studies at Simon Fraser University in 1996. Through field work in Oaxaca, Mexico and Vancouver, Ms. Edmundson completed her BC Certification in 1999 and her B.Ed. in Curriculum in 2000. In 2007, Ms. Edmundson completed her M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching through Michigan State University.

From 1996-2011, Ms. Edmundson lived in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Oaxaca, Kuwait and Oman and travelled to more than forty countries, supporting student experiences abroad whenever possible. She and Ms. Boyle were extremely proud to accompany Webber Academy’s MUN students to BEIMUN in Beijing, China in March 2013. This year Ms. Edmundson will continue to support the Model United Nations Club and teach grade 10 and 11 AP English. She will also be co-teaching Creative Writing and Publishing with Ms. Leanne Shirtliffe.

Since returning to Calgary in 2011, Ms. Edmundson has enjoyed watching her daughters develop special relationships with their grandparents. She is extremely excited about her dual role this year as teacher and Webber Academy parent as her daughter joins us in Junior Kindergarten.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Beatriz Garcia-DiazScience Laboratory Assistant

Dr. Beatriz García-Díaz joined Webber Academy as a Science Lab Coordinator in February 2010. Beatriz finished her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Havana in 1992 and worked as an Instructor and Researcher at the Faculty of Biology, University of Havana until 1994. Awarded with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Agency DAAD, she moved to Munich to complete her PhD in Natural Sciences at the Technical University of Munich with a focus on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1999. Back in Havana, Beatriz became an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator focusing her teaching and research in the area of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

Dr. García-Díaz moved to Canada in 2001. She has worked as a Researcher and Teaching Assistant in the Biochemistry Department at Queen’s University and in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary for the past 10 years and has enjoyed supervising graduate and undergraduate students as well as divulging her research on protein structure by lecturing in a number of scientific conferences and publishing research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Bogusia GierusSH Science, Physics, Math

Bogusia Gierus has a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics (with Distinction) as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary.  After several years of teaching Math and Science at the high school level in Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal, she decided to continue her education, receiving a Masters of Arts in Educational Psychology from McGill University. 

Her passion lies in education, learning and teaching, and anything related to these topics - such as psychology, neuroscience, and creativity.  She is also passionate about games and puzzles, and she developed a math puzzle called Hexa-Trex.  This puzzle has been featured in several puzzle magazines, and a book was published full of these puzzles.  Bogusia also loves to hike, swim, play squash, and play with her four sons.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Vicki GrenierAdmissions Assistant

Mrs. Grenier began her post secondary education at the Alberta College of Art, majoring in Painting. However, her career aspirations led her to obtain a diploma in Office Administration from SAIT, and she joined Webber Academy in May, 2000. As the school grew, Vicki had the opportunity to fulfill a number of different roles within the administrative team, including Office Administrator, Office Manager, Accounting Assistant, and Student Services Coordinator.

After returning from a maternity leave in 2006, Vicki was given the opportunity to work within the school’s admissions department, where she presently works with the Director of Admissions. Each day, Vicki has the pleasure of meeting and working with prospective families and students.

Vicki is the proud mother of two children, one of whom currently attends Webber Academy. Though her schedule is a busy one, she still enjoys painting!

Jennifer HarrimanGrade V Homeroom

Ms. Harriman joined the teaching team at Webber Academy in 2004. Since that time, she has taught Grade Six Geography/History and Language Arts, with a particular focus on creative writing. Before teaching at Webber Academy, Ms. Harriman developed her teaching skills in a small private school in the Calgary area where she taught a myriad of grade levels and subject areas including Grades Two through Twelve, Science, Language Arts, World Religions and AP Human Geography. She also spent a short stint driving the school bus before and after the teaching day. Working with a diversity of learners and disciplines afforded Ms. Harriman the opportunity to cultivate a wide range of teaching strategies and skills.

Ms. Harriman completed her Bachelor of Education degree at Concordia University College in Edmonton. Before coming to Education as a career, Ms. Harriman completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Applied Ethics from the University of Calgary and a Masters degree in Philosophy of Religion from King’s College at the University of London.

Currently, Ms. Harriman greatly enjoys a fulfilling teaching career instructing Grade Five on a part-time basis. She finds great inspiration in her students and colleagues and hopes she sometimes provides inspiration for them. Outside of teaching, Ms. Harriman enjoys travelling, reading and film. She is married and has two beautiful young children.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Bridey HarrisJH Geography/History

Mrs. Harris has wanted to be a teacher ever since she taught her younger sister how to read when she twelve and her sister was five. She entered the University of Victoria with the intention of pursuing education. In 2010, Mrs Harris graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts in English and history and a Bachelor of Secondary Education. During her university career, Mrs. Harris was nominated for the Maxwell A. Cameron award for outstanding student teaching and also received the President's Scholarship and Entrance Scholarship for academic excellence. 

In her spare time Mrs. Harris enjoys cycling, hiking, reading, keeping up on current events and watching guilty pleasure TV shows. Having just moved to Calgary from Victoria, Mrs. Harris is looking forward to exploring the city and getting to know Webber Academy and the great staff and students.

Cheryl HarrisJunior Kindergarten

Mrs. Harris completed her schooling and teacher training in Cape Town, South Africa, where she obtained a Senior Primary Teachers’ Diploma. She has over twenty years of teaching experience, both in South Africa, the United States, and Canada, and has taught a range of subjects in the elementary division.

In August 2000, Mrs. Harris and her family relocated to the United States on a cultural teaching program in North Carolina. There she taught GRade Six Language Arts and Social Studies. In July 2006, she emigrated to Canada where she worked for Renfrew Educational Services. Since August 2009, she has been teaching in the Junior Kindergarten half day program at Webber Academy.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Johnathan HarrisJH Science

Mr. Harris completed his schooling and university training in South Africa. He attended Paarl Teachers’ College earning a Senior Primary Teachers’ Diploma, and the University of South Africa where he achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree. He has over twenty years of teaching experience, mainly in the lower Junior High section (Grades Six and Seven), including management positions as principal of a state and a private school. His subject expertise is of a generalist nature; having taught core and non-core subjects at various schools in South Africa.

In August 2000, Mr. Harris and his family departed to the United States on a cultural program and taught at a middle and elementary school in Catawba County, North Carolina until June 2006 when they emigrated to Canada. His initial teaching job in Calgary was at a junior high charter school in southeast Calgary. He has been at Webber since August 2007 and has taught mainly Junior High science and CALM.

Jane HaywardSH Geography/History; Academic & Career Counsellor

Ms. Hayward’s love for history and its invaluable lessons is only surpassed by her passion for her students to realize their extraordinary potential. A veteran teacher, specializing in European and Canadian history, political and economic theory and computer applications, Jane is also one of our Senior School career and academic counsellors.

Before joining Webber Academy, she was an experienced teacher and had also spent fifteen years in marketing at the Calgary Herald as the education specialist. It was here that she honed her lay-out and design skills, and produced a myriad of educational units and programs at both the elementary and secondary levels. Jane won provincial, national and international awards for several of these, including her Calgary Winter Olympics and Heart of Many Colours packages, a series of parent pamphlets, and EducationOnline, the first education-dedicated newspaper website in the world. During her newspaper years, she was also an educational guest speaker at many national and international newspaper conferences from New York City to San Francisco; from Chicago to cities in Australia.

At Webber Academy she has been involved with Voices, our student literary magazine, Senior School yearbook, coaching, school newsletters and other school communication pieces. Presently Ms. Hayward is involved with Senior School yearbook, the design and lay-out of Voices, and Reach for the Top.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Amy HesGrade VI Homeroom

Amy Hes joined Webber Academy as a part of the Grade Two team in 2012. She is moving up in the world, teaching Grade Six this year. She received her Bachelor of Education with distinction from the University of Victoria. While completing her education program at the University of Victoria, Miss Hes took the opportunity to complete an international practicum placement in Thailand. She taught for five weeks at International School Eastern Seaboard. Miss Hes taught for two years in northern British Columbia in the remote town of Telegraph Creek before joining the Webber Academy team.

Miss Hes is a passionate teacher who aspires to help each student at Webber Academy reach their highest potential and to become responsible, productive members of society. She has a love of learning and is dedicated to working together with her fellow colleagues, students, and parents.

Claire HuffakerSH Geography/History, SH Business

Ms.  Huffaker  graduated  from  Texas  A&M  University  and  spent  two  years  pursuing  graduate  work  in  history  at  the  University  of  Virginia  before  abandoning  academia  for  the  real  world  of  diplomacy.    She  spent  14  years  as  a  Cultural  and  Press  Attaché  with  the  U.S.  Foreign  Service.    Postings  included  South  Africa  and  India,  as  well  as  numerous  assignments  focusing  on  Soviet  and  Russian  affairs  in  Washington,  D.C.  and  Moscow.    Since  leaving  the  diplomatic  corps,  she  has  been  a  writer,  workshop  presenter  and  teacher.    In  2010,  Ms.  Huffaker  completed  an  education  degree  at  the  University  of  Calgary.    She  is  in  her  second  year  teaching  geography/history  at  Webber  Academy.  

Ms.  Huffaker  is  an  adopted  Calgarian  who  has  been  happily  married  for  24  years  and  is  the  proud  parent  of  two  Webber  students.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Joanne HuntGrade II Homeroom

Mrs. Joanne Hunt holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Saskatchewan. She lived and worked in Great Britain, where she taught school for 15 years. She has taught in every year group from grades three to nine. She is currently teaching Grade Two at Webber Academy.

Mrs. Hunt has worked as a volunteer at the Mustard Seed in Calgary, helping homeless people to get their Grade Twelve diploma, as well as tutoring students who were taking a first year university course. She also volunteered for many years at The Children’s Cottage, where she served on the Board of Directors for three years.

Mary HuynhAccounting Manager

Mary Huynh is our new Accounting Manager, covering for Director of Finance while she is on Maternity leave. She is currently pursuing her CGA designation. This is her first time working in a private school setting, having previously work in the field of housing construction. She is looking forward to the new school year.

Reagan JohnstonGrade I Homeroom

After completing her Bachelor of Education degree from the Master of Teaching program at the University of Calgary, Reagan Johnston joined Webber Academy. She has been teaching Grade One at the school for the past 8 years.

Reagan was born and raised in Calgary.  As a member of the Glencoe Club, she became a competitive figure skater at the age of nine and continued to pursue the sport through her high school years.  She coached young skaters and earned a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Lethbridge.   In line with her studies, Reagan pursued her athletic interests and gained further experience in the areas of personal training and healthy and active living. She has also held a number of jobs in the service industry including restaurant management; these have enhanced her organizational skills and leadership abilities, and have given her confidence when dealing with others. Reagan has returned to the Grade One classroom from maternity leave and has an 11-month-old son as well as a three-year-old daughter.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Michelle KennedySH English

Michelle comes to us from the east coast of Canada. She was born and raised in Nova Scotia. She has always had a passion for teaching and she knew from a very early age which career she wanted to pursue. Michelle graduated from Saint Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History. She then went to University of Maine at Fort Kent where she obtained a Bachelor of University Studies in Secondary Studies which is equivalent to a Bachelor of Education degree in Canada.

Michelle taught in Saskatchewan for the last three years and she is very excited to continue her career at Webber Academy. Throughout her life, Michelle was always involved with leadership programs, student council, and athletics. She will be coaching basketball and be a teacher advisor for the student council at Webber Academy.

Chloe KoshmanGrade IV Homeroom

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Miss Chloë Koshman graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Communication degree with a major in Anthropology. She then went on to attain her Masters of Teaching degree. She gained valuable experience with both the Public and Catholic School Boards during her practicum experiences at Acadia Elementary School, St. Sebastian Elementary and Monsignor J.J. O’Brian School where she worked with grades one, two, four, and kindergarten.

Chloë joined Webber Academy in May of 2010 and held the position of an Advancement and Marketing assistant. Her responsibilities included promoting Webber Academy through the creation of information packages, handbooks, and monthly newsletters. She also worked to create presentation boards to maintain positive interest in Webber Academy and to inform both parents and students of upcoming events through the use of photography and creativity. In May of this year, Miss Koshman took on the position of Senior Kindergarten Education Assistant in the Kindercentre where she worked to help a class of senior kindergarten students graduate to grade one. This past summer, she prepared for her new grade four classroom with dedication and excitement.

Chloë is an enthusiastic optimist that is dedicated to creating a wonderful learning environment for students. Her passion to teach can be seen in many forms. She is truly a teacher at heart.

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Michelle KowbelAdministrative Assistant

Michelle graduated from Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences (S.I.A.S.T.) as a Certified Combined Lab and X-Ray Technician and proceeded to work in Mannville, Alberta and Regina, Saskatchewan in this capacity. After marrying Tim Kowbel in 1989 they lived and worked in Carnduff and Estevan Saskatchewan. While in Estevan they were blessed with 2 children, Jason and Morgan. When Morgan was 3 months old the family moved to Lloydminster where they lived for the next 17 years. She stayed home with her children until Morgan entered grade one. While at home Michelle obtained her Teacher's Assistant Certificate and began teaching pre-school and eventually began working at an elementary school working with special needs students. In April of 2011 Tim accepted a job in Calgary and the family made the move to the big city! In April, 2013, Michelle earned her Administrative Assistant/Accounting certificate and was hired by Webber Academy in June of 2013.

In her free time Michelle loves to practice yoga, hike, sew, crochet and most of all read.

WEBBER ACADEMY

Janice LacroixGrade I Homeroom

Janice Lacroix was born in Hong Kong, and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1973. Growing up in Calgary, she attended the University of Calgary and graduated with a Bachelor of Education (With Distinction) degree in 1994. After teaching for two years at Christopher Robin School (a private, primary specialist school), Janice joined the Webber Academy staff in the spring of 1997, just as plans were underway for opening the school in the fall. She is very proud to be a founding teacher of the school.

After teaching Grades Three and Five at Webber Academy, Janice was appointed as Director of Admissions for the school in 2000. That year was exciting for both Janice and the school, as it experienced significant growth in population and the school community was preparing for their move to a new campus.

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Lynn LeeOffice Manager & Executive Assistant

Lynn Lee started at Webber Academy six years ago as an Administrative Assistant in the front office. Today she serves double duty as Executive Assistant to the Administration and as Office Manager. No stranger to the school environment, Lynn has served over 15 years in the Catholic system in Calgary. The majority of that time was spent at St. Francis High School which, at the time, had the distinction of being the biggest high school in Calgary. During this time she also worked with Canadian Mental Health Association assisting clients with daily life skills and challenges. Her winter months involved many volunteer hours with community hockey, AA hockey and the recruiting of volunteers for the annual MACS midget hockey tournament.

Proud to be a native Calgarian, Lynn is one of those very few people you meet who was actually born and raised in the city. She is a graduate of Mount Royal College and was a Recreational Therapist by training before being seconded by the education system. She has two children, a boy and a girl, who are fully grown and making their way in the young adult community. Her husband, Terry, is a building contractor and they make their home in Hounsfield Heights.

Roy LeeIT Manager

Mr. Lee was born in Taipei, Taiwan and moved to Calgary in 1999.  He graduated from Mount Royal University with a Bachelor of Applied Computer Information Systems and Business.  His last position was as a IT manager, developing mobile applications for Apple, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HTC, LG, and other major mobile device manufacturers.

Mr. Lee has been working in the IT industry for over ten years and has experience with a wide variety of systems and applications. He loves learning new technologies and is always upgrading his collection of gadgets.

WEBBER ACADEMY

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Brad LeMaistreSH Chemistry/Physics/Math

Mr. LeMaistre became a proud member of the Webber Academy science team in January 2011. Previously he taught Chemistry, Physics, & Math at St. Francis High School in Calgary and at Westmount Charter School for gifted learners. He graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Physics, and again two years later with a Bachelor of Education Degree majoring in Secondary Science.

Seeking a change of pace and a little adventure, Mr. LeMaistre and his wife moved to South Korea in 2003. He accepted a professor position in the Faculty of Business Administration at a university where he independently created the curriculum and instructed several courses: Business Communication at the MBA and undergraduate levels, and Parliamentary Debate in Business. Among his accolades, he authored the textbook for the Parliamentary Debate in Business course, and an academic research paper entitled “The Research on a Parliamentary Debate Teaching Methodology for Enhancing Business Communication Education” published in The Korean Association of Business Education Journal.

This past July he graduated with a Master of Educational Leadership from Gonzaga University. His Master’s capstone thesis was researching factors that contribute to inspiring women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

On a personal note, Mr. LeMaistre enthusiastically engages in a number of activities in his spare time. He is a PADI certified scuba Divemaster and has dived in such exotic locales as the Gulf of Thailand, the British Virgin Islands, and Sipadan Island off the coast of Borneo. He and his wife enjoy day roads trips around Alberta on their motorcycles. His active lifestyle includes jogging, weight training, and golf in the summertime.

Jennifer LeongJH Math

Mrs. Leong came to Webber Academy in the fall of 2005, after many years in Public Education. She is a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Upon the completion of her Education degree in 1984, she spent two years in a remote northern community in Manitoba followed by a move to Calgary where she taught on the Stoney Reserve in Morley, Alberta for the next four years. From 1990-2005 she worked for the Calgary Catholic School Board at three different schools teaching a variety of subjects including Junior High Math and Drama, until she discovered her passion for teaching students at the Grade Six level. She has been teaching this grade level for the past 15 years, and loves every moment she spends with these young adults.

Mrs. Leong has been married for over 18 years to her husband Kim, and together they parent their 3 sons, Davis, Bennett and Cooper. She loves to cook and travel, and is a huge sports fan, with figure skating being at the top of her list (much to the dismay of the men in her life!). Her life has had many highlights and she feels blessed to be able to come to school every day and work with such wonderful young people.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Dianne LeverDirector of Admissions

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Mrs. Lever graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Education degree with minors in Language Arts and Computer Studies. She gained valuable experience with both the Public and Catholic School Boards at St. Vincent De Paul, Brentwood Elementary and Colonel MacLeod schools, during her early teaching career. Dianne was also involved in setting up and running an Early Literacy program for emergent readers during this time.

Dianne believes that teaching is about inspiring children to utilize their talents and guiding them toward achieving their best. She joined the teaching staff at Webber Academy in 1997 during the school’s first year of operation and held a variety of positions during the school’s formative years. First, as a Grade Five/Six teacher, then as a Grade Two homeroom teacher for several years followed by a 1 year term as a Senior Kindergarten teacher. Dianne then took on the administrative role of Director of Admissions in the 2007-2008 school year and held this position for 3 years. As the youngest daughter of Dr. Neil Webber, Dianne adopted her father’s vision and desire to teach with passion and create a learning environment where bright children are taught how to make the most of their gifts.

Joyce MaElementary/JH Mandarin

Mrs. Ma was born and raised in Beijing, China. After graduating from the Beijing Capital Normal University, she taught Chinese language and Math at an elementary school. During her nine years teaching in Beijing, she was awarded a Teaching Excellence Award by Haidian Education Board of Beijing. While she was teaching full time, Joyce continued to pursue her interest in Chinese language and literature.

To fulfill their dream of travelling around the world, Joyce and her husband moved to Australia in 1995. It was during those four years of teaching and studying in Australia that she developed a keen interest in teaching Chinese as a second language.

Mrs. Ma continued to teach Mandarin part-time in Calgary after moving here in 1999. She joined the staff at Webber Academy in 2001. During her time at Webber Academy, Joyce has served as a consultant to Alberta Education on the development and implementation of the Mandarin curriculum. At Webber Academy, she spearheads Chinese New Year celebrations and organizes successful school trips to China.

A mother of two daughters, Joyce enjoys her life in Calgary and continues to study for self improvement. She is enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking, and with her love of children and passion for teaching, Joyce looks forward to helping Webber Academy students to pursue their goals.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Lorna MacLachlanSH Music/Band

After 25 years in the music business, composer, arranger, pianist, vocalist and educator, Ms. MacLachlan has honed her skills in all of these areas and more. A sought after lecturer, clinician, teacher she brings a diversified approach to her music and her teaching.

After completing a Master’s degree in Composition, Lorna embarked on a career as a composer providing award winning original music for Theatre Companies; (Theatre Calgary, Lunchbox Theatre), Dance Companies;(Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Springboard Dance Collectives), National media companies;(CBC, Access Network) and a variety of commercial and artistic enterprises across the spectrum of musical genres. While Lorna continues to work on commissioned pieces for various groups (Water Centre music - written for the city of Calgary), her focus remains on writing and performing original compositions in her unique Jazz/Folk style and developing her voice as an artist. Lorna has always been passionate about music education and believes strongly that great talent exists in a variety of different groups.

Ms. MacLachlan has inspired students to gain admission into some of the most competitive and prestigious post secondary schools in North America including McGill, University of Toronto, North Texas State University, Berklee school of Music and Boston’s New England conservatory of Music.

Anna Marie MartinJH/SH French

After graduating from the University of Alberta, Anna Marie traveled to Fort McMurray, Alberta to start her first teaching job. While in Fort McMurray, Anna Marie gained experience while teaching in a lower economic school for three years. She taught junior French Immersion and FSL. This is also where she met her husband and they moved to Calgary where she taught with Foothills School Division for five years. She taught FSL 9-12, Social Studies 9-12, Science 9, the I.O.P program, the Green Program and various other courses. With this division, she was also nominated for the Teaching of Excellence Award. She then went to have two children; Marc and Eric who are now 12 and10 years old. After taking some time off to be raise her children, she returned to teaching part-time at Edison Private School to teach French for three years before coming to Webber Academy. Anna Marie has had lots of experience teaching various subjects for many schools boards. She has now been at Webber Academy for 10 years where she is currently teaching French from grades seven to twelve.

Anna Marie enjoys teaching and being with students. Her passions also include running, reading and spending time with her family. She has developed a keen interest in fitness and maintains a balanced life-style. Anna Marie looks forward to encouraging and working with the students at Webber Academy to help them achieve their dreams and goals.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Cindy MartinJH/SH Art

Cindy grew up in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge and now calls Calgary her home. She studied at the University of Lethbridge where she earned a BFA and a BEd in 1998. After graduating from university, Cindy started her teaching career at Okotoks Junior High School, teaching art to Grades 7 through 9. In 2004, she embarked on her biggest adventure and moved to Jakarta, Indonesia to teach Art at a small international school. There, she taught Grades 3 through 10 while soaking in the Indonesian culture and food.

After having spent four years on the equator, Cindy came back to Canada in 2008 and landed in Victoria, British Columbia with her four legged Indonesian family in tow. Once she realized that island life was not for her, she packed up her pets and her heavy Indonesian furniture and moved back to Alberta. In the most recent years, you will have found Cindy guest teaching out at Strathcona Tweedsuir School, playing Ultimate frisbee, working in the best restaurants Calgary has to offer, participating in art classes, Salsa Dance, Argentine Tango, and sorting through the journey of life.

Cindy is excited to join Webber Academy and to be working full time in a creative capacity with young learners.

Leeanne McLimJH/SH Drama

Mrs. McLim-Pozzo earned both her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Distinction) and her Bachelor of Education (Distinction) degrees from the University of Lethbridge. She also obtained her Diploma in Theatre Arts from Grant MacEwan University. Upon her graduation at Grant MacEwan University in 1998, Mrs. McLim-Pozzo spent several cherished years working as a performer in various Fringe Shows, professional shows throughout Canada and the US and television sitcoms. She kicked up her heels in large-scale musicals such as “Can-Can”, and “Crazy for You” and sung her heart out in places like Stage West, Jubilations, Fort Steele and Theatre Under the Stars. Mrs. McLim-Pozzo’s passion for teaching dance, drama and voice began 16 years ago when she taught at private studios throughout Canada. She has had many directing opportunities such as “Phantom of the Opera”, “Lucky Stiff”, and professional directing opportunities such as The Rossland Gold Fever Follies. Her teaching career began at Medicine Hat High School where she had the opportunity to teach both Drama and English to Grades Nine through Twelve. This past year she taught Fine Arts to Grades Kindergarten through Grade Five with Rocky View School District. Mrs. McLim-Pozzo is also a retired Muay Thai Kickboxing Champion-having won a total of 5 titles in her career.

When she isn’t teaching, Mrs. McLim-Pozzo works as a professional award winning choreographer and dance teacher in various studios in Alberta and British Columbia. She also performs at Stage West Calgary when the occasion arises. She takes every opportunity to spend time with her husband and beautiful baby girl Charleigh. Mrs. McLim-Pozzo looks forward to sharing her passion for Drama and Dance at Webber Academy.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Tracey MillsLibrary Assistant

Mrs Mills arrived in Calgary with her family in January 2006 as Expatriates. They chose Webber Academy based on its academic excellence for their eldest son. They have now made Canada and Calgary their permanent home, have 2 boys at Webber in Academy Grades Three and Eight, and last year Mrs Mills joined the Webber staff.

Mrs Mills is from Scotland and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Arts (Honours) in Geography in 1992. She then graduated from Moray House College of Education with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in 1994. Mrs Mills began her teaching career as a nursery teacher in a small rural school in the Shetland Islands (where her family reside) with responsibility for the Early Years Curriculum. Next, followed a move to Clackmannanshire in Scotland where Mrs Mills taught a Primary Six class (Grade 5) and then moved on to spend two years as an Early Years Development Worker specialising in Literacy and Numeracy. In 2000 she moved to Surrey, England where she taught the Reception (Kindergarten) Class of 32 students in a single form entry Primary School. She was responsible for the Foundation Stage Curriculum and was School Coordinator for Geography.

Her family moved to Naperville, Illinois, USA in 2004 where Mrs Mills took on the role as full-time Mum to their two boys until their move to Canada in 2006. She became involved in Webber Academy as a parent volunteer and last year decided to rejoin the world of teaching as a substitute teacher in the Elementary. This year she has taken on the role as part-time library assistant, pursuing her love of books and working with classes in the Kindercentre and Grades One and Two. She also continues to be a substitute teacher.

Geri MeisingerGrade II Homeroom

Ms. Geri Meisinger is a proud member of the Grade Two Teaching Team! Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree (English/Classics Major) from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Education Degree (with Distinction), from the University of Calgary.

Prior to coming to Webber Academy, Ms. Meisinger was with Calgary Catholic School District for 13 years, teaching Grade One and Kindergarten. She also taught Senior Kindergarten at Webber Academy for one year, before moving to her current position. This year will be her 8th year teaching Grade Two!

During her time at Webber Academy, Ms. Meisinger has been involved in various student clubs, including the Jump Rope Team, Fall Baseball Club, and the Webber Academy Spelling Bee Team.

Ms. Meisinger loves reading, spelling and penguins! She loves to challenge her students to do their very best work, and to always remember that, “A try is never wrong!”

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Cecilia MondacaStudent Services Coordinator

Mrs. Mondaca moved to Canada in her Junior High years. She has lived in Calgary ever since moving from her hometown in Chile. She attended St. Mary’s High School, and later enrolled in Business Administration at SAIT. She began her administrative work in education when she worked at the International School Nido de Aguilas, where she was the administrative assistant to the Head of the Elementary School.

Cecilia is an avid dancer and is part of the Manantial Latin American Dance ensemble. She has performed with her dance group across Canada and has competed at the international level. She enjoys all type of dancing, reading a good book, and partaking in all of the activities her two children are involved in. Cecilia has been working at Webber Academy since March 2005. She is presently the Student Services Coordinator for the Junior and Senior High School.

Cindy Martin

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Daniel MondacaGrade VI Homeroom

Mr. Mondaca moved from Santiago, Chile to Canada when he was five years old. He grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan but did most of his schooling in Calgary as well as his post-secondary education. He received his Bachelor of Arts. in Psychology prior to going into Education where he completed his Bachelor of Education and received his teaching degree in 1994.

His teaching career began overseas at the Grange British School and later at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Chile. Before coming to Webber Academy in 2001, Mr. Mondaca was the head of the Gifted and Talented Program at the International School where he introduced the acclaimed international programme, Future Problem Solvers. Under his direction, a young group of students qualified consecutively for two years to the finals of the International FPS Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Mondaca’s goal has been to develop teaching techniques that will help students be motivated to learn and to make them feel that they can succeed at anything. Challenging academically able students is also a passion for Mr. Mondaca and that is why in 1999 he attended Confratute ‘99 at the University of Connecticut where he did graduate work on Gifted and Talented program development.

Mr. Mondaca hopes to instill his passion of learning in the students at Webber Academy. In 2006 he was nominated for the APEGGA Teaching Award for his work with the Grade Five Science curriculum. He also received the Coach of the Year award in 2008 for his contributions to the school’s athletic programme. Whether you see him on the court coaching a basketball team, dancing professionally with his partner, Mrs. Mondaca, or working with young players to develop future chess masters, Mr. Mondaca’s enthusiasm will certainly motivate you to do the same.

Jay NivenSH Math

Jay Niven illuminates mathematics to senior high school students with a particular focus on Advanced Placement. In his fifteenth year of teaching, he continues to cherish the classroom experience – demystifying mathematics while challenging students to achieve their personal best.

After earning his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary, his professional experiences have been Calgary based and include public and private settings. Mr. Niven is a recipient and four-time nominee of a variety of teaching awards. He is currently completing a Master’s degree in mathematics through the University of Waterloo.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Kasia Noworyta-FridmanJH/SH Spanish

When Mrs. Noworyta-Fridman was leaving her native Poland for a medical internship in Italy, she did not expect to discover in the far-away Canada new passions: languages and teaching. After traveling and living abroad, and completing four years of university biochemistry courses, she decided to change her career path, and she completed her Bachelor of Arts (with Distinction) in Spanish and Italian, receiving many prestigious awards and scholarships, including one for studying in Spain. In 1996, Mrs. Noworyta-Fridman successfully defended her Master of Art thesis in Spanish literature, and then she continued her studies and received a Diploma for Teaching Spanish as a Second Language from the University of Mexico. She taught credit courses at the University of Calgary for more than 10 years, where she was nominated for a Teaching Excellence Award. Mrs. Noworyta-Fridman speaks Spanish, English, Polish, Italian and Russian, and she has a good knowledge of French and Latin. In her teaching, she focuses on all aspects of the language, including its application in a cultural context.

During her thirteen years at Webber Academy, “Señora N.” has built a strong Spanish program offering enriched curriculum as well as immersion trips (Costa Rica, Spain, Argentina) and cultural events (Hispanic Encounters, Cervantes Festival, Spanish Fiesta, Hispanic Speech Competitions). She is also actively involved in many aspects of the Senior High Webber Academy community, as a volleyball coach, judge in speech, and an advisor for new students, to name a few. It gives her great pleasure to have the opportunity to work with our talented young men and women, and she continues to develop meaningful and positive relationships with her students.

In her private life, Mrs. Noworyta-Fridman is a mother of two girls (one alumna of Webber Academy and one junior high Webber Academy student) and she enjoys training martial arts (she has a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo), practicing yoga and volleyball, performing with the Savridi’s Premier Women’s Choir, traveling and, most importantly, she always continues to learn.

Christina O’NeillSenior Kindergarten

Christina O’Neill first came to the Webber Academy in 2004 as a Grade Three teacher. She has over 10 years teaching experience in Ontario and Alberta. Christina attended the University of Guelph where she earned an honours degree in Sociology and Family Studies (1995). She then attended a two year course of specialized study at The Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto (1997). Christina has previously taught junior kindergarten, Grade two and Grade three.

Christina’s has lived in Ontario and Nova Scotia and moved to Alberta in 2003. She loves going to the mountains and enjoying the great outdoors with her family. Christina is a mom to a seven year old boy and three year old girl.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Gail ParkJunior Kindergarten

Mrs. Park has been the Director and teacher for the Full Day Junior Kindergarten class for the past thirteen years. She obtained her Teacher's Certificate from London Teacher's College. Gail also possesses her Primary Specialist Certificate, and has obtained a Level 3 in Early Childhood Education from Alberta Social Services. She moved to Alberta from Ontario in 1981 with her husband and two children. She has worked in a variety of settings which include Senior Kindergarten teacher, Special Needs teacher and the Mobile Team from the Children's Hospital. Gail and her husband have been actively involved in the Terry Fox Run for numerous years. She believes strongly in the rights of children and promotes these rights though volunteering her time with various groups that support and help children and their families. These groups include the Foster Parents Plan of Canada, the Children's Wish Foundation and Ronald MacDonald House.

Jennifer ParkerSH Biology, Academic & Career Counsellor

Ms. Parker is a Biochemistry graduate from McMaster University. During her summers she worked at Atomic Energy of Canada – Chalk River Nuclear Labs as a research assistant and tutor. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she was presented with the opportunity to work on her Masters in Biochemistry or attend Teachers College at the University of Toronto. She chose teaching, and has never regretted the choice.

She has taught Junior and Senior High School Math and Science courses, including Grade 12 Calculus, Physics and Biology. She considers her current assignment of Grade 11/12/AP Biology and Science 10, a perfect match. Her university background and research work allow her to pull from a wealth of knowledge and experience for the Biology course and she enjoys Science 10, with its integration of the three sciences.

Ms. Parker has been involved in developing an advanced Math and Science option course for students in Grades Seven through Nine. These students participated in their school’s first Science Fair and some attended the Regional Fair. Ms. Parker was also a supervisor of students to the National Science Fair.

She is a winner of the Alberta Excellence In Education Award and has been involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities at the school including coaching, refereeing, and running clubs. Her personal interests include competitive swimming, and she attended the World Masters Finals in Sweden this past summer.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Tara PatrickJH/SH Physical Education

Ms. Patrick was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The youngest of seven children, she was fortunate to have had many positive influences and experiences while growing up. She was recruited to play volleyball at the University of Winnipeg, and played there for her five years of eligibility. Ms. Patrick was named Rookie of the Year in her first season, and her team won the National Championship in 1993. As a student athlete, she was an Academic All Canadian for 3 years. Ms. Patrick obtained a Bachelor of Arts., as well as a Bachelor of Education and began teaching Physical Education in 2000. She moved to Calgary in 2001 and began teaching at Webber Academy in 2005. She is passionate about teaching, coaching and motivating her students, and she is honored to carry this out in such a prestigious school.

Ms. Patrick enjoys the outdoors and takes great pleasure in spending time in the mountains and at the cabin with family and close friends. She leads a very active lifestyle by engaging in several sports and outdoor activities, and has a passion for music.

Tannis PeturssonJunior Kindergarten

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mrs. Petursson holds a Bachelor of Home Economics from the University of Manitoba and has her Early Childhood Education Level lll designation.  She has experience teaching in both Manitoba and Alberta.  Her experience has also branched out to Early Intervention Programmes as a Child Development Facilitator and a Family Liaison Coordinator.

Mrs. Petursson is married with two children and enjoys an active lifestyle which includes hiking, camping, running full and half marathons and traveling.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Brent PierceJH Music (Band)

Mr. Pierce, a native Albertan, graduated from the University of Alberta in 1982 with a Bachelor Degree in Education, with a major in Secondary Music. He taught in Camrose and Lloydminster for seven years, directing successful band programs in both cities.

Mr. Pierce returned to university in 1989, at the University of Lethbridge, to pursue his interests in vocal/choral music and composition. During this degree, he became a published composer and upon graduation, was awarded the Gold Medal for the Faculty of Fine Arts for having the highest academic standing amongst its graduates. Following his graduation from Lethbridge, he then entered a masters programme at the University of Alberta, studying composition. During this graduate programme, he studied with several renowned Canadian composers, including Malcolm Forsyth and Violet Archer, and was twice awarded the Violet Archer Graduate Studies Composition Scholarship at the University of Alberta. Further, he was commissioned to compose for the Concordia College Choir and various other choral groups.

Mr. Pierce returned to teaching in Okotoks, where he co-taught one of the largest and most successful band programs in the province. As well, he began a junior high choral program that grew to over 100 participants in a two year span and was repeatedly recommended to the provincial festival. He also served as director of the Mount Royal Youth Choir from 2001 to 2003 and is currently the Director of Music at Webber Academy. He established the Webber Academy Band Programme in 2001, which has quickly grown into a tremendously successful band programme and has received numerous awards at the local, provincial and national levels. He enjoys working with the Webber Academy students because of their strong commitment to excellence in music.

Amy PfaffJH Art & Drama

Amy Pfaff started her educational career at the University of Waterloo where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honors) with a specialization in Art History. The program at Waterloo provided multiple opportunities to study abroad in England and Italy. In one of her Europe bound trips Ms. Pfaff sometime had class on a bus with 35 other students while the “school” moved to various locations around England. Her favorite place to study is still Florence, Italy, where are comes to life rather than living in the pages of a textbook. After her undergraduate, Ms. Pfaff moved to Calgary to complete a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary. In the winter of 2012, Ms. Pfaff spent a term teaching English pedagogy and culture at the Catholic University del Maule in Chile. She later returned to Calgary where she was employed by the Calgary Board of Education where she subbed and later took on a junior high art contact.

Ms. Pfaff has a passion for creative ideas and enjoys facilitating others find their own creative skills. If you can’t find her in the classroom working on a new piece of art, look to the mountains where she often enjoys hiking, climbing, and snowboarding.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Vicki PolsonJunior Kindergarten

Mrs. Polson was born and raised in Western Quebec. She completed her Early Childhood Education Diploma at Algonquin College in 1992. She worked as a preschool teacher until she had her first child in 1995. Mrs. Polson stayed at home with her daughter and then had a second daughter. During this time she operated a Day Home until moving to Calgary in 2000. In September 2001 she joined the staff at Webber Academy and considers herself very fortunate to be a part of such a professional, dedicated team.

Mrs. Polson enjoys being with her family, traveling, camping, hiking and simply being together. She am a proud soccer mom and thoroughly enjoys this fast paced time in her girl’s lives.

Alexis PrendergastElementary PE

Mrs. Prendergast was born and raised in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. Here she took her Bachelor of Kinesiology Degree at Acadia University, followed by her Bachelor of Education Degree in secondary education at Saint Francis Xavier University. She has been involved in athletics in her school community by coaching cross country running, senior varsity girls basketball and junior and senior high badminton. She enjoys her full time teaching physical education here at Webber Academy in both the Junior and Senior High levels.

During her spare time, you can always find Alexis on a new running route, as she is always training for an upcoming half or full marathon. However, in the b ball season she works hard to improve her game, and keep her team motivated on and off the court. She loves anything in the outdoors, and her passion is anything new and innovative in the health and wellness industry. Teaching Physical Education is a wonderful place to be, as she can always inspire her students to become well rounded both mentally and physically. Alexis has been with Webber Academy since 2006 and is in her fifth year in the physical education program.

Cindy Martin

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Season PrevostGrade IV Homeroom

Season Prevost was born and raised in Calgary. Her earliest ambition was to be a teacher. Season was so determined that her Grade Three teacher finally broke down and let her be the ‘teacher’ for a day!

Season earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Canadian Studies from the University of Calgary. After university she began a career in Event Planning, but decided that teaching was what she truly wanted to do. So, it was off to New Zealand to study at the Christchurch College of Education. Season earned her Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning in Primary Education with a focus in Early Literacy and Numeracy. Season believes in providing a safe, stimulating learning environment where her students have the confidence to take academic risks and the opportunity to achieve success. She has taught throughout the Elementary Division in her years at Webber Academy.

Outside of the classroom, Season enjoys spending time with her two children and husband, cooking, yoga, skiing, snowshoeing and attempting to be a runner.

Holly QuinnGrade III Homeroom

Originally from Oakville, Ontario, Miss Quinn earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Queen’s University. Following that, Miss Quinn went on to obtain her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Ottawa and completed part one of her Primary Specialist Qualification with a focus on literacy from the University of Toronto. She is a three time provincial champion in basketball and played varsity volleyball and softball as well. Miss Quinn now enjoys sharing her love of sports with children. She has coached numerous teams including basketball for Special Olympics Calgary.

Miss Quinn joined the staff at Webber Academy in 2011. She has spent time in the Kindercentre, and Grade One as well as teaching Grade Two last year. This year, Miss Quinn is thrilled to join the Grade Three teaching team. Miss Quinn coaches the JH Boy’s Basketball team as well as D-League X basketball club for Division I. 

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WEBBER ACADEMY

David RoseSH Science/Biology

Mr. Rose is a born and raised Calgarian. After graduating from Sir Winston Churchill High School and the University of Calgary, he worked for 10 years with the Rocky View School Division and Calgary Board of Education. In 2005, Mr. Rose was selected as the sole representative for the North American region in the development of the Sport, Exercise and Health Science courselaunched by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme in 2012. In the development of that course, Mr. Rose's responsibilities included: course developer, exam author, pilot instructor and curriculum centre coordinator. Closer to home, Mr. Rose is actively involved in diploma examinations by assisting Alberta Education as an exam item writer and field test moderator for both Biology 30 and Chemistry 30. He has also been involved in diploma exam standardization and standard setting for Biology 30. Mr. Rose fulfilled various roles in the development and in-servicing of the Nelson and McGraw-Hill Alberta high school Biology textbooks. Outside of the classroom, he keeps busy coaching the Senior Boys Volleyball team and he oversees Webber Academy's Reach For The Top program for grades 6 - 12, as well as serving as one of the teacher coordinators of the Senior High Student's Council, or WASSU.

Denise RussellGrade III Homeroom

Denise Russell has been with the faculty at Webber Academy since 2007. Mrs. Russell has a very strong educational background-she earned her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology, from Dalhousie University in Halifax. She also attained a Bachelor of Education degree from Mount Saint Vincent University in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Mrs. Russell has travelled throughout Canada adding various experiences to her resume. Included in those experiences are the valuable lessons learned when teaching special education and students in an alternate school.

Mrs. Russell is devoted to professional development, revealed by her very diverse and extensive list of workshops attended. Additionally, she loves to snowboard, watch movies, read books and spend quality time with her two beautiful baby boys.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Jana RybarikovaSenior Kindergarten

Jana Rybarikova was born in Slovakia. She studied at the University of Matthias Bell in her home town of Banska Bystrica. She finished a Masters Degree in Slovak Language and in English as a Second Language. At the same time she completed a Bachelor Degree in Education. After finishing her studies, Mrs. Rybarikova moved to Canada with her husband Peter. Her big passion, downhill skiing, brought them both to Calgary, where she has worked as a ski coach in one of the Alberta Ski Clubs. She has been coaching skiing since then at many different levels. She has two children, who are both involved in different sports. In 2011, she decided to go back to the University of Calgary to update her educational degree. She finished her studies and received a teaching certificate. Mrs. Rybarikova has worked at Webber Academy as a Kindergarten Educational Assistant for three years. It has been a very positive experience and she really enjoys working with all the professionals in the school.

Randi SamuszGrade II Homeroom

Mrs. Samusz grew up in British Columbia before moving to Calgary in 2006, becoming a member of the second Grade Twelve class to graduate from Webber Academy. Subsequent to this she attended the University of Alberta where she obtained both a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education (with distinction) in Elementary. It was at the University of Alberta that Mrs. Samusz found her passion for teaching, through participation in multiple children’s charities and programmes.

Mrs. Samusz recently moved back to Calgary and has been a part of SAIT’s Centre of Academic Learner Services, where she helped create and coordinate SAIT Summer Camps. As a part of her role as Coordinator Mrs. Samusz also aided in of the placement and experiential programming for Grade 10 students involved in the dual credit PFO course offered by SAIT. She is looking forward to bringing her enthusiasm and experience to Webber Academy as a new Grade Two teacher this year!

In her spare time Mrs. Samusz enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her husband. Her most recent travels include a month long road trip down the Pacific Coast highway, Costa Rica and Greece.

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Sim SansoaAccounting Assistant

Sim Sansoa is the new Accounting Assistant in the Finance Department. She is originally from Montreal where she finished high school in French. She then moved on to attend Vanier College in St Laurent, Quebec, where she studied Accounting and Management. After moving to Calgary in 2006 she furthered her education in Accounting and Financial Management at Bow Valley College.

Sim is proficient in French, Punjabi and Hindi. She is excited to take on new challenges as her background is in banking and the courier service industry. She is looking forward to learn more about Webber, serve its financial needs and to help the staff as efficiently as possible.

Wilma SchwarzJK Educational Assistant

Wilma Schwarz is a self-confessed "always-wanted-to-be-a-teacher" geek, however she took a very circuitous route to get there. She earned a 3-year Bachelor of Arts (a liberal arts degree with a major in music) from The King's University College in Edmonton, AB. She then completed a Bachelor of Music with a major in Secondary Education from the University of Victoria. After this course of studies, Wilma got married, and over time became a very busy mother to 5 great kids. Their current ages ranging from 12-20, and they are all quite musical. When the youngest child was 3, she completed a post-degree Bachelor of Education from Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College) in Nanaimo, BC. 

The first stage of her career was spent teaching-on-call all over the school district in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, mostly in the various music classrooms in the district, as well as at the local Christian School. It was at this Christian School, where her children attended, that she landed her first contract, as the grade 6/7 teacher, as well as junior high French. Her position morphed from there as the school was starting a music program, and she had the privilege of pioneering it, as well as becoming the FSL teacher for the school. Wilma remained in that position for three more years, working with concert band, jazz band, concert choir, hand-bell choir, and elementary music of all sorts. For Wilma, the highlight of teaching and working with children of any age is when they have a "light-bulb moment" - when they understand something for the first time, or when something they have struggled with finally makes sense. 

With a busy family life, there is not much time left for hobbies or personal interests. When time allows, Wilma likes to scrapbook, read, and camp with the family. Since the fall of 2012, Wilma has served as the President of the Bowness High School Music Parents Association.

WEBBER ACADEMY

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Leanne ShirtliffeJH English

Leanne Shirtliffe graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Education. She now has over nineteen years of experience teaching English at private schools, including eight years teaching IB English at international schools in Bahrain and Bangkok. In 2012, the Province of Alberta acknowledged her excellence in teaching. This is her ninth year at Webber Academy.

Ms. Shirtliffe brings a passion for reading, writing, and publishing to the classroom. Her own students take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), writing 8000-50,000 words in November. In 2013, Ms. Shirtliffe’s own book, Don’t Lick the Minivan: And Other Things I Never Thought I’d Say to my Kids, was published, and she was a featured author at Calgary’s Wordfest. Her first picture book, The Change Your Name Store, will be out in May 2014.

Jemmie SilverHead of School

Mrs. Silver, Webber Academy's Head of School, has been a dedicated educator for over 20 years as both a teacher and administrator. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto with a focus on literature and literacy. After teaching for two years in Toronto, she moved to Calgary in 1982 and became one of the first teachers at Akiva Academy, an Alberta certified private elementary school and kindergarten programme. Over the next 20 years, Mrs. Silver taught primarily in the school’s Division I elementary classes, moving into a teacher/administrator role in 1997 as the school's Vice Principal. Mrs. Silver became Akiva Academy’s Head of School in 2002, where she remained until her retirement seven years later.

Mrs. Silver's passion for literacy led her to an exciting opportunity at Webber Academy where she joined an outstanding faculty as the teacher/librarian in September 2009. In this role, she was able to continue her goal of instilling a love for reading and life-long learning in children.

In August 2010, Mrs. Silver was extremely honoured and privileged to be appointed Webber Academy's new Head of School. In this role, she is committed to ensuring an enriched environment that allows every Webber Academy student the best possible foundation to help them achieve their highest potential.

Mrs. Silver and her husband Neil have 3 children, all currently attending university. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, and exploring the mountains with her family.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Jie SunElementary/JH Mandarin

Mrs. Jie Sun was born in northeast China. At the age of seven, she was the only one of five siblings who had the opportunity to spend four weeks traveling from the north to the south with her father. This was a life altering experience for Mrs. Sun as a child, for it planted in a young girl’s heart dreams of one day traveling abroad. After ten years of teaching in public systems in China, from junior high and senior high schools to the leading vocational schools in the nation, her dream came true.

With enthusiasm and curiosity, Mrs. Sun came to Canada with her husband and young son and settled in Calgary in 1999. She began to soak up the new culture and started pursuing a Masters degree in Education at the University of Calgary. Given her established eastern educational principles, the study at the University of Calgary dramatically reshaped her teaching philosophy. During her practicum in Calgary, she attempted to enrich her teaching experience by working with both adults and children. As a result, she has adopted a new perspective in viewing and responding to educational environments. This is her fifth year teaching Mandarin at Webber Academy. Mrs. Sun enjoys what she is doing now because she is constantly inspired by her students’ talent, effort and ability to learn.

Mrs. Sun’s goal is to be well informed and to share her joy of life with her colleagues, students and community. She is committed to having a well balanced life that allows her to contribute to her students and the society at large. Volunteering as a document translator with the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society is one way that she fulfills that commitment. Mrs. Sun loves cooking and can often be found in the kitchen cooking for family and friends. She also enjoys hiking through this beautiful Southern Alberta setting.

Martin SprauElementary Art & Technology

Mr. Sprau was born in British Columbia. He moved overseas with his family at an early age and spent his school years in Tripoli, Singapore, Iran and Scotland. After graduating from the American School in Aberdeen, Mr. Sprau returned to Calgary to attend university. After getting his degree in Secondary Physical Education, Mr. Sprau returned to the University of Calgary where he obtained a degree in Education.

Mr. Sprau joined Webber Academy in 1998 where he taught Grade Three for three years. When the new campus opened in 2001, he joined the Grade Four team. As well as teaching at the Elementary school, Mr. Sprau enjoys coaching Junior High basketball.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Jodie SwitzerJH/SH Computers

As a graduate from Marshall University, a Division I school in West Virginia, Ms. Switzer completed a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, with a major in Physical Education Pre-Kindergarten to Adult and an endorsement in Health Education for Grade Five to Adult. She was awarded a golf scholarship and competed on the university’s women’s golf team. During her fifth year at Marshall, she acted as the Student Assistant Coach for the women’s golf team. In 2005, Ms. Switzer was named to the Conference U.S.A. Commissioner's Honour Roll and received the Dorothy Hicks Undergraduate Award in 2006. She was consistently on the Dean's list and graduated with Cum Laude Institutional Honours.

Ms. Switzer began working at Webber Academy in 2008 as the Advancement and Marketing Assistant as well as a substitute teacher for Elementary and Junior/Senior High. During her time at Webber Academy, she has coached the Senior Boys Volleyball team and continues to coach Junior and Senior High golf. For the 2010/2011 school year, Ms. Switzer will continue to coach Junior/Senior High Golf as well as the Grade 7/8 Boys Basketball team and teach Junior/Senior High Computers 15/25/35 Applications.

Krista SutherlandSH Science/Biology/Chemistry

Mrs. Sutherland graduated from the University of British Columbia, with a Bachelor of Science degree, specializing in cell biology and genetics, and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary. After University, she moved to London, England where she spent 10 years teaching Science at three different Secondary schools in West London. Mrs. Sutherland spent the last 8 years working at Cardinal Wiseman School in Ealing, West London, where she was Head of Biology for three years and Head of Science for a further three years. During that time she was heavily involved in the development of the Science curriculum and departmental policy, as well as student welfare. In December 2012 she moved back to Canada, along with her husband and two children, and settled in Redwood Meadows. She is very excited to be joining the outstanding team of teachers this year at Webber Academy.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Scott ThorntonJH/SH Mathematics; SH Technology

Mr. Thornton began his post secondary educational career at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics and Computing Science. His first job was working at a government research lab in Ottawa, specializing in the development of airborne and spaceborne systems for Geomatics, long before Geomatics became a common term. Having a desire for further education, in the late seventies he returned to Alberta to do graduate studies at the University of Alberta. Rejoining industry, Mr. Thornton worked as a mathematical and computer consultant in various sectors, before settling in Calgary, again consulting in the geomatics and resource management area.

Rather than having a mid-life crisis, Mr. Thornton decided on a career change and went back to the University of Calgary to undertake a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Mathematics education. After completion of this latest degree, he came to Webber Academy, where he can apply one his favorite quotes from Bertrand Russell: “There must be an ideal world, a sort of mathematician’s paradise where everything happens as it does in the textbooks.”

Linda TangJH/SH/Elementary Mandarin

Ms. Tang has been teaching Mandarin at Webber Academy since 2006, and this year in addition to teaching Elementary and Junior High Mandarin, she also teaches Elementary Technology Assistance.

Ms. Tang holds a Master of Arts degree from Ohio State University with a major in Foreign Language Education; and a Bachelor of Education from the prestigious National Taiwan Normal University with majors in Educational Administration and English. Throughout her career, Ms. Tang has taught languages from ESL and Literacy, to Chinese; taught in countries from Taiwan and the United States, to Canada’s provinces of Ontario and Alberta.

Growing up in a culture that reveres teachers and inspired by several great ones, Ms. Tang has always wanted to be a teacher since childhood. She has received several teaching awards during her career, including Teaching Excellence from the Ministry of Education of Taiwan, and Teacher of the Year Award from the Department of Education in Taichung City.

Ms. Tang loves travelling during holidays; and she enjoys reading in the subjects of history and anthropology.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Shannon TomneyJH CALM; Geography/History

Mrs. Tomney was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Her years of teaching experience include all subject areas in Grades One through Six, in cities such as Oklahoma City, Houston, and Midland, Texas. In 1998, Shannon moved to Calgary, Alberta and spent several years staying at home with her children. This is Shannon’s thirteenth year of teaching and her fourth year on the staff at Webber Academy. She has taught in all three divisions of our school and in a variety of teaching roles: Pre-Kindergarten gym, Grade One Physical Education, Grade Seven and Eight Geography/History, Grade Seven and Nine Physical Education, Grade Seven ELA, and Grade Ten CALM. In addition to teaching, she has also enjoyed coaching girls’ volleyball for several years.

In her spare time, Shannon enjoys skiing, rollerblading, traveling and watching hockey or football (a favourite pastime!) She also stays extremely busy with the sports and activities of her husband, children and step-children.

Kristin ThygesenJunior Kindergarten Assistant

Mrs. Kristin Thygesen is a proud member of the Junior Kindergarten team.  As the mother of 2 wonderful boys (both are current Webber Academy students) and an Early Childhood Educator, she truly understands the importance of the early years.  She sees the special in every child, every moment, every proud smile, and every accomplishment. "Mrs. T" holds a Diploma in Early Learning and Childcare from Mount Royal University and Child Development Supervisor certification through the Government of Alberta.  Outside of school, the Thygesen Family enjoys a busy, healthy, active life centred around family, friends, and HOCKEY!

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Ana TovarJunior Kindergarten - Grade III Spanish

After obtaining her Teacher Diploma in 1983, Mrs. Tovar started her career working for the Venezuela Board of Education teaching children from 6 to 13 at the elementary and junior high level for fifteen years. In 1995 she completed her studies at the Libertador Pedagogical University and obtained her degree of Bachelor of Arts Professor – Specialty Education for all level.

In 1998 she was assigned as District Pedagogical Coordinator and later was promoted to Vice Principal of the National Elementary Rural School, at Lagunillas District, where she dedicated her last years of teaching at the Venezuelan Board of Education. In 2002 she completed her studies at the Experimental National University Rafael Maria Baralt in Cabimas Venezuela and obtained her degree of Master of Education Teaching for Superior Education.

The next year Mrs. Tovar moved to Calgary with her family due to a change of her husband’s work, keeping always present her passion for education and the desire to teach. In 2004 as a business entrepreneur she co-founded the Calgary Spanish Academy, a specialized institution for developing and teaching Spanish programs for all ages of children and adults. Mrs. Tovar remained there for a couple of years until she had to abandon the project due to personal reasons.

In 2009 she joined the staff of the Language Department (Spanish Team) at Webber Academy, where she started teaching Spanish at the Junior and Senior High Level and later at Junior and Senior Kinder Garden to Grade 3. This is Mrs. Tovar’s fifth year at the Webber Academy and she is very happy and is enjoying teaching the little ones everyday at the institution.

Rachel TulkGrade VI Homeroom

Miss Tulk has a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Lethbridge, with field experience in marine biology from the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. She also received a B.Ed. from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and had the opportunity to finish off her final education practicum in Brisbane, Australia. For the past two years, Miss Tulk taught Science 8, 10 and Biology 11 at St. Thomas More Collegiate High School in Burnaby BC. While there, she started the Outdoor Education club as well as coached the JV girls’ basketball team and JV Ultimate teams. She has a passion for science education, and this past February, Miss Tulk presented at the Calgary Teachers’ convention, where she spoke on women in science, fostering a passion for science in schools, and incorporating citizen science experiences into the classroom.

Miss Tulk enjoys coaching team sports and believes this enhances the teaching experience and is a great way to get to know the students. She has coached basketball for six years, with the highlight being a silver medal in the 2013 BC Junior Girls Basketball Provincial tournament. Miss Tulk has a passion for the outdoors. She has been an Outdoor Leader/Educator for over eight years; leading groups of young adults on wilderness expeditions with the YMCA including multi-day hikes and canoe trips. The highlight of her outdoor experience was being the leader of a 50-day self-contained canoe trip (Sac Dene) 1400 kilometers down the full length of the Deh Cho (MacKenzie River).

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Sandra ValchiJH/SH/Elementary Spanish

Sandra holds a teaching degree from Argentina with a specialization in second languages. In November of 2011, she started working on a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics (Second Languages) from the University of Jaén (Spain) and she is currently preparing the defense of her thesis for this Fall. Spanish is her first language and she is fluent in English and Italian.

For the last twenty-five years, Sandra has been teaching Spanish and Italian to children and adults at all levels, in both public and private settings. As a part of her versatile experience, she worked at a diplomatic mission in Buenos Aires assisting diplomats and foreign government officers.

Since her relocation to Canada in 2001, Sandra has worked as a teacher and a certified interpreter for the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Winter Club. In addition, she developed and implemented language assessments for candidates applying to bilingual positions and organized immersion trips to South America.

Sandra joined Webber Academy in January 2010 as a Spanish Teacher for all divisions and levels. She is strongly involved in the DELE Exams preparation as well as in the organization of cultural events and visits. In 2011, she created“¿Qué pasa?”, the first Webber Academy student magazine in Spanish. Sandra also enjoys coaching and coordinating extracurricular activities such as the Grade Six Reach for the Top Club and the Junior and Senior High Speech Club.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Cecilia Vega-InfanteJH/SH Mathematics

Ms. Vega-Infante grew up in Colombia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander. Subsequently she worked for several years as a reservoir and simulation engineer in the Colombian National Oil Company and the Colombian Petroleum Institute.

Once in Canada, she enrolled as a student in the Faculty of Education at University of Calgary where she earned a Bachelor of Education in Math. Cecilia also holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from University of Calgary.

Cecilia started teaching Math in Calgary and was later interested in the educational setting of Webber Academy where she has been teaching Math for the past eight years. As a Math educator, Cecilia believes that she has the privilege and great responsibility to help students to understand the Mathematics needed to advance in a contemporary world. She also believes that the educational environment provided at Webber Academy encompasses her philosophy of teaching and learning Mathematics. Cecilia was nominated for 2007 APEGGA Teacher Award.

Maria VasquezElementary/JH Spanish

Mrs. Vasquez was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. The youngest of six children, she studied in Mexico for fifteen years before moving to Canada. In Calgary, Mrs. Vasquez attended Mount Royal Collage, then transferred to the University of Calgary where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in both Archaeology and Spanish. She then went on to Graduate Studies to work on a Master of Arts combining Archaeology and medieval Spanish.

In Calgary, Mrs. Vasquez has taught Spanish in different institutions and companies such as Genoil Inc. for corporate personal, Kerby Centre for Senior Citizens and the University of Calgary in the French Italian and Spanish Department, and she has been a very active member of the Calgary Mexican community, promoting her culture and helping to bring the Canadian and Mexican cultures closer together.

In 2002, Mrs. Vasquez joined Webber Academy where through an eight year period she has taught a range of grades from Junior Kindergarten to Spanish 30. Regardless of the age of the students, she enjoys teaching a second language and her true passion for the language, culture and teaching is evident. What gives her tremendous satisfaction is listening to her students communicate in Spanish and planting the seed of understanding another culture.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Barbara WebberVice President Administration

Ms. Webber has an extensive and highly accomplished background in law enforcement. Following post-secondary education, she spent eights years with the Edmonton Police Department’s Patrol Division as a uniformed officer, as well as acquiring extensive experience as an Undercover Operator with the Drug Control Unit and Morality Section. She also spent nineteen years with the Saanich Police Department on Vancouver Island where she investigated thousands of crimes, developing expertise in relationship violence and child abuse. Ms. Webber served as a director on the Board of the Victoria Child Abuse Society and the Victoria Parole Sex Offender Committee. She is the recipient of an award for Outstanding Police Service in recognition of her investigation into allegations of child abuse involving nine children where the accused was sentenced to 25 years of incarceration. She also received an award from the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of British Columbia in recognition of valor and compassion while saving the life of a suicidal man.

Ms. Webber was an assessor for the Justice Institute of British Columbia Police Academy for police recruits, as well as an assessor of experienced officers seeking promotion to the rank of sergeant. She enjoyed three years as a school resource officer and for nine consecutive years was involved in an intense police camp program for senior secondary students. She traveled to three cities in China presenting to judges, lawyers, and police officers as part of the Canada-China Woman’s Law Project organized by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges. She retired as a Sergeant from the Saanich Police Department in August 2008 to join the team of wonderful staff at Webber Academy.

Carol WebberGrade IV Homeroom

Mrs. Carol Webber has been both a full-time and part-time teacher with Webber Academy since the school opened in September of 1997.  Initially hired as an educational technology specialist, she was responsible for teaching Alberta Educations Information and Communication Technology learning outcomes to enrolled students. Once the school moved to its current permanent location in South West Calgary, her role as the computer teacher evolved into more of a technology support teacher, as homeroom teachers became responsible for booking the computer lab and requesting technology links with their planning. After eight years in the computer lab, Carol Celli decided to make a move back into a Grade Three homeroom setting and where now finds herself as a Grade Four Teacher.

Prior to teaching at Webber Academy, Carol Celli completed her teacher internship and was subsequently employed for four and half years with the Calgary Catholic School Board. In February of 1993 Carol’s daughter was born and she took an extended leave of absence to be home.  Attempting to balance life as a mother and still contribute to family’s income, Carol began teaching again on a part-time basis with the Faculty of Continuing Education at the University of Calgary. She taught computer camps over a period of three summers.  With her guidance, children learned to program using Quick Basic, Logo and Hyperstudio.  Carol could not believe how much children became motivated to learn with programming and working with multimedia.  It seemed to her that student project work came alive and problem solving was entertaining when technical tools were available for children.  As long as technology is used to enhance the curriculum and not used to replace skills that we traditionally view as important, such as handwriting and spelling, Mrs. Celli remains an advocate for technology use in school.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Dr. Neil WebberPresident; Chairman; Director of Admissions

Dr. Neil Webber was born in Hanna, Alberta in 1936, the eldest of nine children. His parents - Charlie, a farmer, and Katherine, a schoolteacher - worked diligently to set for their children a strong example of work ethic, dedication, and heart. Their efforts to provide their children with every opportunity possible allowed him to attend the University of Alberta in 1957, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. In 1964, he attended the University of Montana, where he earned his Master of Arts degree in Mathematics, and later obtained his Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta, as well as his Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction.

After spending several decades of his life in public service - serving as a meteorologist for the federal government; Mathematics teacher with the Calgary Public and Calgary Catholic School Boards; Mathematics professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Mount Royal College; Member of Legislative Assembly with the Government of Alberta (where he served as Associate Minister of Telephones, Minister of Social Services and Community Health, Minister of Education, and Minister of Energy); Chairman and Director of AGT/Telus Corporation; and Director of SNC Lalalin Group - Dr. Webber decided to pursue a dream. Recognizing that there was a distinct need in Calgary for an educational institution that focused its energies on working with and inspiring gifted children and/or children who were high academic achievers, he set about planning for the establishment of a non-denominational, co-educational, independent school that would do just that.

Webber Academy Inc. was incorporated in June 1995, and the Webber Academy Foundation was founded in 1996, setting the stage for the development of Calgary’s finest university preparatory school.

Lorne WebberHead of Advancement & Communications

Mr. Webber was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He graduated from St. Francis High School in 1982 where he was a member of the Division I City Champions Football and Rugby teams. His post secondary pursuits included Red Deer College, Mount Royal College and the University of Alberta. During his time at the University of Alberta, Mr. Webber was a competitive waterskier and a member of the Alberta Team.  In 1986 he embarked on a successful 15+ year career in broadcast sales and marketing working for a variety of media corporations including: Selkirk, Southam, Shaw, Rawlco and Rogers. In 2000 he and his wife Candace incorporated Adventure Marketing Company, together they work on selected projects with Alpine Canada Alpin, Bombardier, The Canadian Luge Association, World Water Ski Federation and others on event marketing and television broadcasts. Their productions have aired nationally on Global, TSN, Outdoor Life Network, Xtreme Sports, Shaw and ESPN360.

In his current role, Mr. Webber is responsible for overseeing school facilities, food services, information technology (IT), marketing and communications. He is the proud father of two daughters; Katarina Anne and Tamara Jacqueline, both attending University in Toronto, Ontario.

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WEBBER ACADEMY

Anushka WhiteElementary Spanish, JHFrench

Originally from Boston, MA, Mrs. White earned a Bachelors of Arts degree majoring in International business with a minor in language from Boston. Following that, she completed an MBA at Babson College, Boston while working on a fixed income trading desk with French and South American banks. Afterwards, she spent 6 years working in treasury services in investment banking. Mrs. White then left the financial world and the US to move overseas with her husband’s job relocation and to start a family. While abroad Mrs. White pursued her love of languages and studied French at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne and at the Academy of Nice. She then started her teaching career in Southeast Asia as a French and Spanish teacher to elementary students for 3 years. She has also taught high school Spanish to students in the UK.

Mrs. White and her husband are proud parents of three children who all attend Webber Academy. She is looking forward to another exciting year teaching French and Spanish to Webber students.

Sonya WillingSK Educational Assistant

After graduating with a Nursery Nurse diploma from Eastleigh College, in Hampshire, England, Sonya spent several years working in private homes, caring for young children. She spent four years working with two families in Calgary, where she met her husband and moved back to the United Kingdom. She continued working with young children and their families in Suffolk and Hampshire, before moving permanently to Calgary with her family in 2005. Sonya worked as an education assistant at Foothills Academy working with both junior high and elementary classes until July 2010. Here she specialized in working with small groups of students who were needed extra assistance with phonemic awareness.

When she’s not working, Sonya is very busy at home, enjoying being a wife and the very proud mum of three energetic children.

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Shane ZiemmerJH Science, SH Biology

Mr. Ziemmer was raised on a farm near Drumheller, Alberta and graduated in the small town of Delia (graduating class was a huge 16 students). After graduating he attended the University of Alberta taking Engineering but ultimately completed a bachelors degree in Science in 2000 after realizing what his true interests were. His specialty was Palaeontology and during school his summer jobs included working for the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, the Museum of Western Colorado, and collecting fossils for the University of Alberta. In 2001 after completing my degree Shane moved to Indianapolis to work for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis setting up their new Dinosphere gallery, dinosaur digs, and palaeontology laboratory. His time spent working with children and families at the museum inspired him to pursue his interest in education and so after five wonderful years he returned to Alberta and returned to school to acquire an education degree. After completing his education degree he was a substitute teacher in the Red Deer area and then taught for a year at a highly regarded private school in Taipei, Taiwan (teaching junior high science). During summers he has remained connected my palaeotology root by working for the Royal Tyrrell Museum digging for fossils in the Red Deer area.

Samantha ZaniniJH/SH/Elementary Physical Education

Miss Zanini was born and raised in Calgary. She was involved in a diverse range of extracurricular activities during her school years, from band to sports teams to volunteer clubs. She was honoured by the Calgary High School Athletics Association and Calgary Booster Club when she graduated with the Nev Anderson Award for Outstanding Female Rugby Student and the Gretta Schwartz Memorial Award for Most Valuable Female Athlete.  She was also a Calgary Herald Class Act recipient and her class valedictorian.

Miss Zanini earned a Bachelor of Kinesiology in Pedagogy with Distinction from the University of Calgary. She was recognized from Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE) with a Student Leadership Award for community involvement and promotion of physical activity. She then attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and graduated with a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Elementary K-8 and Physical Education K-12. There she received the Dr. Hugh A. Noble Award in Physical Education from the Nova Scotia Teachers College.

She values continued learning and is dedicated to attending local, provincial and national conferences in the field of Physical Education. Being active is an important part of her personal life as well. When she is not teaching, she enjoys playing on her womens’ basketball and soccer teams.

WEBBER ACADEMY