Meet our Staff | Certified Teachers (OCT)
It is my sincere pleasure to be a part of the OVS team. Working alongside experienced teachers and support staff who are all committed to providing a thriving educational environment for our students is a distinct honour.
I started in education as a mathematics teacher after graduating from the Faculty of Education. After years of teaching high school math, I became a Department Head of Mathematics, Vice-Principal and Principal in the York Region DSB.
My passion turned to eLearning when it became clear that there are many students whose needs cannot be met in a day school. After a year of planning, I implemented eLearning in York Region with great success and was appointed Principal of its Virtual Schooling program.
Beyond education, I have spent many years as a volunteer with the Canadian Diabetes Association at the local, provincial, and national levels. In my spare time, I love to golf, camp, garden and do woodworking.
Let us all remember the quote by Carl W. Buechner:
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Hobbies:
I love to travel, try international cuisines, crochet, and take my dog out on epic adventures (to parks).
Inspirational Quote:
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou
Hobbies:
My hobbies include basketball, biking, mountaineering, travel, hiking, camping, reading, music, and activities in the outdoors.
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." – Albert Einstein
Hobbies:
I love playing lacrosse, going on walks outdoors and spending time at the cottage.
Inspirational Quote:
“You have not failed unless you have stopped trying.”
Hobbies:
Travelling, cooking, painting, and scrapbooking
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Hobbies:
I enjoy curling. I spent my entire winter at the club either playing, coaching, organizing, or watching. Once the weather gets warm, I spend all of my time outside either camping, hiking, or just sitting in the sun.
Inspirational Quote:
“Just because we can’t find a solution doesn’t mean that there isn’t one.” – Andrew Wiles
Hobbies:
I love to travel and spent two years living in China and travelling all over Asia at the start of my teaching career. Thailand has been my favourite place so far.
Inspirational Quote:
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
Hobbies:
Outside of my love for learning and teaching, I am a full‐time Brazilian jiu‐jitsu athlete, a full‐stack web application developer, and an avid cook who loves learning to prepare various cuisines.
Inspirational Quote:
"All mathematical truths stemmed from, and can be inarguably justified with the application of logical principles." – D'Amour 1973
I have been teaching mathematics and computer science at the high school level for over 6 years, but math is my passion! Outside of the classroom, I enjoy running engineering/robotics and math help clubs, as well as marking CEMC mathematics contests with the University of Waterloo. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, skiing and spending time with friends.
Hobbies:
I love Tiny Home design and builds, travelling, and culinary experiences.
Inspirational Quote:
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”- Norman Vincent
Hobbies:
I love to read all kinds of different books, travel (mostly to warm beach destinations), watch my son play basketball, and do art with my daughter.
Inspirational Quote:
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
Hobbies: I love going on walks outdoors, and travelling.
Inspirational Quote: “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” - John C Maxwell
Hobbies: In my free time I enjoy playing/watching hockey, soccer, listening to music, fishing and spending time with friends and family.
Inspirational Quote: “If you don’t sacrifice for what you want. What you want becomes the sacrifice.” - Jay Shetty
Hobbies:
I am a certified community soccer coach and I enjoy playing tennis. I've also been known to take cooking classes to improve my skills in the kitchen.
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
"Don't be an electron, always stay positive."
Hobbies:
I love studying the stars, playing board games, and painting in my spare time.
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
“When first things are put first, second things don't diminish, they increase.” – C.S. Lewis
Hobbies:
I enjoy quiet walks in the woods, natural history, photography, learning languages, reading nonfiction literature, and pampering my pets and my back yard birds.
Inspirational Quote:
“A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.” - Helen Keller
Hobbies: I like to surf the net, watch TV and stay up-to-date with movies. I am in constant touch with politics, and everyday news. I also enjoy traveling to places with rich histories, particularly Asia and the Middle East. I absolutely love being involved and learning. I enjoy soaking in an infinite amount of knowledge through any medium possible.
Inspirational Quote: "The way you carry yourself, from your attitude, to your life choices, to your perspective and morals, leaves a greater impression than any knowledge or teaching you provide." - Scott McKim
Hobbies:
I love playing and watching sports with family and friends, going to concerts, and bingeing Netflix series. I also enjoy spending time at the cottage and exploring new places!
Inspirational Quote:
“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”
Hobbies:
I love discovering more about the world through travel, reading, and science. Mountain biking and white water kayaking are a couple of my favorite activities. I’m also not at all above the use of chemistry puns.
Inspirational Quote:
"To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one life.” – T.S. Eliot
Hobbies:
During my free time, I enjoy watching a Netflix series or one my favourite You-tubers (preferably with my hedgehog or one of my two cats with me!)
Inspirational Quote:
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they will grow to be." – Albus Dumbledore
Hobbies:
I like to read, travel, swim, and watch TV. I am also a huge dog lover.
Inspirational Quote:
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." - English Proverb
Hobbies:
I enjoy playing golf and basketball, swimming, and reading.
Inspirational Quote:
"Do the thing that is hard to do, and the power will come!"
Hobbies:
I enjoy learning and making art and crafts like calligraphy, painting and embroidery. I have 3 dogs and love walking them and spending time with them.
Inspirational Quote:
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” - Albert Einstein
Hobbies:
Avid baseball fan, aspiring theologian
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” – Charlemagne “When is
“When is
Hobbies:
In my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, dancing, reading and hiking.
Inspirational Quote:
"Your limitation - it's only your imagination."
Hobbies:
In my spare time, I am an avid reader who enjoys reading various genres. I am also an animal lover, and love to horseback ride as well as teach riding lessons.
Inspirational Quote:
“There is no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.” – James Patterson
Hobbies:
In my spare time, you can always find me with a book in my hand or watching the newest TV series. I also love the outdoors and spend a lot of time taking my Goldendoodle, Conrad, on new adventures.
Inspirational Quote:
"The more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss
Hobbies:
When I'm not reading, kayaking, spending time with loved ones or researching arbitrary topics, I am keeping the
movie theatre in business thanks to my love for nachos and films.
Inspirational Quote:
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some
compassion, some humor, and some style."
Hobbies:
I enjoy teaching English and reading.
Inspirational Quote:
“Failure is my enemy.” – Pundit Hari Prashad
Hobbies:
I enjoy doing anything that is different from my daily desk work : walking, cycling, hiking, canoeing, building projects, and enjoying nature at the cottage. I also enjoy playing piano, listening to music and seeing live theatre. I love to read all kinds of books and my dream is to write a really good one some day.
Inspirational Quote:
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
Hobbies: In my spare time, you will find me in the gym improving my strength and physique, or in the pool going for a swim. People say I live at the gym. Living a healthy lifestyle is a big part of my life. I also like to play video games, and watch retro movies. Reading is also a great hobby I do before bedtime.
Inspirational Quote: “Never, never, never give up.” ― Winston Churchill
Hobbies: I have been a teacher for over 11 years, teaching in Toronto and abroad in Abu Dhabi. My hobbies include traveling the world, cooking and baking - I try at least 3 new recipes a month; fitness and health are a passion of mine, and I love to learn. Family and friends are dear to my heart.
Inspirational Quote: “The journey of a thousand miles begin with one step” - Lao Tzu.
Hobbies:
I love travelling! My favorite trips have included backpacking through Europe, a back-country camping adventure in Northern Ontario, and an impromptu road trip down the coast of California. When I am not travelling, I enjoy hiking, visiting with friends and reading. One of my intentions this year is to read 100 books.
Inspirational Quote:
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vince Lombardi
Hobbies:
I enjoy music and movies; coaching soccer and basketball; and playing soccer, hockey, volleyball, and tennis.
Inspirational Quote:
"Remember that the turtle makes progress the fastest when she sticks her neck out."
Hobbies:
I love reading, writing, and travelling.
Inspirational Quote:
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Hobbies: I am often in my studio painting, photographing and playing around with my ideas on my iPad. I am an avid traveler and love exploring art and cultures around the world. You can also find me enjoying hot yoga, writing, hanging out in cafes and chatting with my art students around the world.
Inspirational Quote: "You are the artist of your life. Don’t give the paintbrush to anyone else." - Chriag Arora
Hobbies:
Baking, watching television, listening to music, and trying new foods! I am also a true animal lover.
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace" – Jimi Hendrix
Hobbies:
I like to spend my free time painting, doing some creative writing, or reading gripping genre fiction.
Inspirational Quote:
"In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate." – Isaac Asimov
Hobbies:
I enjoy travelling, reading books, watching movies and television as well as taking my dog for walks.
Inspirational Quote:
"Success belongs to those who dare to achieve it."
Hobbies:
I play piano and sing in a choir. I also love to read and home school my kids!
Inspirational Quotes:
Inspirational Quote:
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill “When is
“When is
Hobbies:
I volunteer around the city and love to draw! I also always have a stained glass project on the go.
Inspirational Quote:
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." – Malcolm X
Hobbies:
My hobbies include learning about the world about me and current events, playing with my dogs, reading comics playing video games and more! I try to spend as much time as I can making others happy.
Inspirational Quote:
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” - Amelia Earhart
Hobbies:
In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games, as well as watching film and anime.
Inspirational Quote:
“Young man, you too can become a hero.” - My Hero Academia
Hobbies: I enjoy traveling, reading and sports.
Inspirational Quote: "Believe there are no limits but the sky" - Cervantes
Hobbies:
When I am not teaching online, I enjoy travelling, reading, cooking, baking cookies, and learning Mandarin!
Inspirational Quote:
“The expert in anything was once a beginner.” – Helen Hayes
Hobbies:
Reading, watching tv, writing, listening to music, camping and hiking.
Inspirational Quote:
“I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it.”
Hobbies:
I’m a huge music fan, so I love going to concerts and checking out live music shows around town whenever I can. In my downtime, I enjoy playing cards or board games with friends and family. I’m also an avid reader and animal lover.
Inspirational Quote:
"Good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who go out and get them."
Hobbies:
I enjoy running, skating, and magic tricks.
Inspirational Quote:
Life is the hardest teacher. It gives you the test first, and the lesson afterward.
Hobbies:
As a certified Trainer and Coach for Baseball Canada, I have come to realize the importance of putting the needs of others first. In my free time, I love hiking, keeping fit and all outdoor activities.
Inspirational Quote:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela