Admissions for the 2024-25 school year are open.

Our team of BC-certified teachers works with families to create individualized student learning plans that fully support flexibility and parental leadership in the educational process. Their expert guidance, support, and professional curriculum advice empowers students to meet or exceed provincial learning standards.

TLA Online’s administrative staff serves parents and students of all faiths and backgrounds, working with staff, teachers, parents and students to build an effective learning community.

Allan Garneau

Founder

Allan Garneau

Founder

Allan has devoted his working life to education, having spent the first 25 years of his career in the public school system, and since 1991 as founder and principal of the Traditional Learning Academy. An advocate for the family, he strives to ensure that parents have access to a wide range of options for educating their children.

He and his late wife, Moira, raised five sons. He cherishes his five granddaughters and two grandsons. Those of school age are learning in the home setting, and already the older ones are at college. In 2010, he remarried, Teresa, and knows that retirement and travel are not too far off. In the meantime, he still spends most of his working day overseeing the incredible opportunities for students at TLA (main school, online and homeschooling).

Allan has presented several practical seminars for parents at conferences, many of which have assisted homeschooling parents to plan and teach their own children. He manages to take educational “jargon” and put it into plain English, while assuring parents they can offer a quality program for their children.

Gabe Linder

Principal

Gabe Linder

Principal

Gabe takes great joy in spending time with and supporting TLA families on their educational journeys. He joined TLA in 2006, and after several rewarding years of serving as an online teacher, took on the position of Vice-Principal in 2011, moving on to become Principal in October 2015. He is humbled to be serving as leader of such a dedicated and professional staff, and feels abundantly blessed to be an educator in a unique and wonderful community of students and families.

Gabe enjoys collaborating with other Independent Online School principals, and acting as an advocate for Independent School education in British Columbia. In October 2017 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Federation of Independent Schools Association (FISA) as an Associate Member Society of FISA (AMS) director. He currently serves as the AMS representative on the FISA iGroup that supports MyEdBC usage in independent schools, and leads FISA’s Online School committee.

An active member of Holy Family Parish in Vancouver, he loves spending any spare time with his family, playing basketball, and reading.

Mary-Anne VanderHorst

Grades 10-12 Vice Principal, Grad Counselor & Blended Teacher

Mary-Anne VanderHorst

Grades 10-12 Vice Principal, Grad Counselor & Blended Teacher

Mary-Anne VanderHorst lives in Langley with her husband Burke (who is also a teacher) and their four children.

Mary-Anne earned her BBA from TWU and her BEd from UBC. She first taught for 4.5 years in an independent Christian school in Langley and then joined the TLA team in 2008. She is thrilled to be leading the Grad Program as Vice Principal.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, running and playing soccer.

Steve Borley

Grades K-9 Vice Principal

Steve Borley

Grades K-9 Vice Principal

Steve has taught in Christian schools in Richmond, White Rock and Comox; he has homeschooled his own children at different times; and he firmly believes in the rights and responsibilities of the family to help govern the educational process.

Steve believes that an education is very important for every individual, and an individualized education promises more success than a cookie-cutter education. Schooling should fit into life rather than fitting life around schooling, and absolutes only apply to the Divine. Success can be measured more accurately by looking at one’s joy and contentment than at one’s bank account or trophy cabinet.

Steve hopes to succeed in providing good service that meets people’s needs and encourages them to enjoy all that the Good Lord brings our way. No better example of joy and contentment exists than the life of Jesus, for he knows his Father can handle things just fine.

Merissa Ang

LSS Vice Principal

Merissa Ang

LSS Vice Principal

Merissa Ang lives in Vancouver with her husband Mark and their two children, Abigail and James. She enjoys reading, sewing, kayaking and spending time in nature with her family. Merissa holds a B.A degree in Geography and Biology and a B.Ed degree specializing in high school education from Trinity Western University.

Merissa taught high school in the lower mainland before moving to a rural First Nations community (2011-2016) where she taught students in grades 2-11 in multi-grade homeroom classes at the local community school. In 2017 she returned to the Lower Mainland and began working as an LSS teacher with TLA.

Michelle Johnson

Assistant K-9 Vice Principal, Home Teacher

Michelle Johnson

Assistant K-9 Vice Principal, Home Teacher

Michelle loves working for TLA as a home teacher and Assistant K-9 Vice Principal as it allows her to combine her passions – helping families be successful in their educational endeavors through support and encouragement, and having flexibility to travel and work from wherever life takes her.

Michelle lives in beautiful Armstrong, B.C., where she had the opportunity to raise her three lovely girls. Though she started her career in Alberta, teaching in a private school for 5 years, she has enjoyed working at TLA for well over a decade.

Learning how to navigate an “empty nest”, e-biking, travelling, reading, and sipping a good cup of coffee are all ways she loves to fill her time not spent working with families as they educate from home.

Virginia Hooper

LSS Teacher

Virginia Hooper

LSS Teacher

Virginia joined the LSS department at TLA in 2013. Her previous work was in post-secondary education, teaching in psychology, counselling, Bible studies, and Christian History. She transitioned to K-12 education and has found her work with students who need learning support to be deeply satisfying. She has also been a teacher in a BC provincial prison, where she also volunteers with the chaplain’s office; has worked in children’s ministries; and provides pastoral counselling within her local congregation.

Her educational journey includes degrees in Christian education, theological studies, counselling, and educational leadership. She views participation in Christian education and pursuing excellence for our students as a privilege.

Virginia is married to Ralph. They have two adult children, and three delightful grandchildren. They share interests in reading (biographies of historical persons), music (Ralph is a vocalist and Virginia is a flutist), hiking, camping, kayaking, and taking road trips with their grandchildren.

Emily Woelders

LSS Teacher

Emily Woelders

LSS Teacher

Emily resides in Langley, B.C. with her husband Adam and her two sons Lucas and Samuel. She joined the TLA team in 2008 and appreciates the flexibility her career offers to raise her boys at home. She enjoys working with DL families, helping to meet the unique needs of each child.

Emily and her husband spent their first year of marriage in Korea, coordinating and instructing English Language training programs for teachers. After returning home, Emily taught Learning Assistance and ESL in elementary and middle schools in the Abbotsford and Langley school districts.

In her spare time she enjoys gardening with her boys, adventuring in the local outdoors with her family, reading a good book, and enjoying a hot coffee with a good friend.

Judith Zandbergen

Curriculum and Instructional Coordinator, Online

Judith Zandbergen

Curriculum and Instructional Coordinator, Online

Since lining up dolls in her play classroom, teaching has been Judith’s passion. Judith is a BC-certified teacher who has taught both primary and intermediate grades in the independent schools, home schooled her own eight children, and worked as a home teacher for a number of years.

Presently Judith works with online students in the humanities area as she encourages interactive opportunities among students and connects learning to the real world. Being part of online learning in the twenty-first century is an exciting challenge for Judith.

She lives in her hometown New Westminster with her Dutch-born husband, still homeschools her youngest, and gardens her unusual ravine plot.

AmandaEve Slattery

LSS Teacher

AmandaEve Slattery

LSS Teacher

AmandaEve holds Bachelor degrees in Music and Biblical Scholarship from Rocky Mountain College (Calgary), a Masters of Applied Linguistics from Charles Darwin University (Darwin AUS) and became a BC certified teacher in 2018.

She has taught at Long & McQuade (Abbotsford), Harmony Music School (Calgary), Encore Music Studio (Calgary), Providence College (Otterburne MB), Rocky Mountain College (Calgary), Ziegfeld School of Dance (Winnipeg), Doreen Bissett School of Dance (Winnipeg) and also worked as a Teaching Assistant at CanIL @ Trinity Western University (Langley). She has extensive experience with children’s programming in church and camp settings.

Musically, she has enjoyed performing with various choral and instrumental ensembles across Canada and the USA. She has also been involved in choral composition, arranging, and directing in various contexts.

Her approach to education is to learn through play, topics of interest, exploring the world, and for each child to grow based on their level of ability. She believes strongly in the flexibility home education offers to families and is honoured to be part of helping other families achieve their goals.

She is navigating the diversity of LSS from both sides of the coin because autism is also part of her daily family life.

Amy Jones

Home & Blended Teacher

Amy Jones

Home & Blended Teacher

Amy Jones lives in Cloverdale with her husband, Marty, and her 3 children, Judah, Myah and Joshua. She and her husband are also foster parents.

Amy graduated from university with her Bachelor of Education in 1998 and specializes in teaching French as a second language. She is currently part of the K-9 Home Program serving families in the Lower Mainland.

Amy loves spending time with her children, going to sporting events, visiting family and friends and working on the odd DIY project. She is very thankful to be a part of the TLA team.

Charles McKaig

Online, GAP & LSS Teacher

Charles McKaig

Online, GAP & LSS Teacher

A desire to help children reach their potential is what drew Charles to education. He enjoyed working in various Christian schools throughout the Lower Mainland.

Previous to that he worked supporting adults with physical and mental challenges in the community. After graduating from Simon Fraser University, he went on to complete a master’s degree in education at the University of British Columbia.

He and his wife Nicole (also an educator) live in White Rock, where they spend their time adding to their substantial film collection or taking photographs of family members.

Chris McGrath

Home & Blended Teacher

Chris McGrath

Home & Blended Teacher

Chris has worked with TLA before in 2003-2005 as a DL teacher before moving to Kelowna where he continued his work in Distance Learning, classroom teaching, curriculum development, career planning for high school students, and even dabbled in administration work and was excited to return to the DL environment.

Before working at TLA, Chris taught grades six and seven before moving into teaching a variety of humanities courses in high school. Chris enjoys working with the TLA program, and assisting families as they meet the challenge of educating their children by blending the British Columbia’s curriculum into their home environment and online education.

Chris lives in Kelowna with his wife Karen. They have 4 grown children.

Deanna Van Dyke

Blended & Online Teacher

Deanna Van Dyke

Blended & Online Teacher

Deanna earned a Science degree with a major in Math. Since then, she has enjoyed passing along her love for math to her students. She has been teaching Math and other subjects for over 8 years, and continues to enjoy the challenges it brings. Her goal is to work with students in collaboration with their parents as they tackle the later years of high school mathematics.

In her spare time, she is an avid volleyball and tennis player, and enjoys reading a good book, although spare time is not easy to come by with four children in her home. She thoroughly enjoys the time she gets to spend with them every day.

Debi Ronneseth

LSS Teacher

Debi Ronneseth

LSS Teacher

Debi has worked as a classroom teacher for 35 years in the public school system. She taught K-2 in the classroom and was a learning assistance teacher for students in K-7. Debi has also worked privately on teams supporting children with autism.

She graduated from SFU with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies and then completed the PDP program with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Learning Disabilities. Debi has also completed a diploma in Law Education at UBC.

Currently, she is very happy to work at TLA with families of students with special needs! She enjoys travelling, sailing, running, yoga, reading and spending time with her friends and family.

Erin Miller

Online, Home, & LA teacher

Erin Miller

Online, Home, & LA teacher

Erin joined TLA in 2011 after teaching at two other distributed learning schools as well as in the classroom. Originally from Victoria, she moved to Prince George after she graduated from the teaching program at the University of Victoria. After five years in the north, she moved back to Victoria in 2013, closer to family and the west coast life she loves.

Erin is passionate about empowering families to be successful in their home education journey. She enjoys sharing her ideas and creating connections with students and parents. She has worked in a variety of different roles including as Online, Home and Blended teacher. In 2018 she transitioned to Learning Assistance and is now the coordinator for this aspect of student’s learning in K-9.

Erin derives her approach from a variety of research, professional development and experts such as Dr Ross Greene, Dianne Craft, Sir Ken Robinson and others. “I believe in Dr Ross Greene’s idea that children want to do well and they will do well when they can. It’s important to listen to what our children are telling us through their behaviour and words so that we can frame realistic and achievable goals for them.”

Gareth Howell

RealTime & Online Teacher

Gareth Howell

RealTime & Online Teacher

Gareth Howell is a Math teacher living in Kamloops, BC. He has taught in the Kamloops district for many years, teaching everything from Math 7 to AP Calculus and has been tutoring math for over 12 years.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Arlee, and his 2 children, Ephraim and Nathan. He enjoys playing piano, drums, and ukulele and writes a lot of music at home.

He has a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Mathematics from Thompson Rivers University, and a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Secondary Math Education from Simon Fraser University.

Heidi Hanawalt

GAP Coordinator & Online Teacher

Heidi Hanawalt

GAP Coordinator & Online Teacher

Heidi joined the TLA staff in the fall of 2010, and is currently the Grad Adapted Program coordinator. She feels very blessed to have the opportunity to work from home and continue teaching.

Heidi lives in Langley with her husband, Ryan, and her two sons, Braeden and Nathan. In her spare time Heidi enjoys visiting with family and friends and spending a great deal of time outdoors.

Jaime René

Home & Online Teacher

Jaime René

Home & Online Teacher

Jaime is a veteran homeschool mom of three beautiful children – Lily, Gabriel, and John – who brings a love of home education to her role as DL teacher.

Having received a Bachelor’s degree in history and music from Trinity Western University, Jaime returned to school later in life to enhance her education skills by attaining a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia.

Jaime loves exploring the innovative educational opportunities that are enabled by blending online learning with homeschooling. In addition to a love of learning, she enjoys reading, music performance, directing her church choir, and the art of homemaking.

Janice Poehnell

Online Teacher

Janice Poehnell

Online Teacher

Janice is excited that God has brought her to TLA. She has been a teacher for a number of years, teaching a range of subjects and grades. Having spent many years in South America as a missionary, Janice is fluent in Spanish and works with the online Spanish students in addition to her Two-Day Blended program.

In her spare time, Janice likes to go to the movies, to the beach, and out for coffee. She also enjoys the doodle craze called Zen Tangle.

Jessica Kotanen

Home Teacher

Jessica Kotanen

Home Teacher

Jessica Kotanen lives in Mission, BC with her husband Jonny and daughters Olive, Fern, and Juniper. She has worked as a Home Teacher for TLA since 2012. Jessica was raised traditionally homeschooled through her elementary years, and although she obtained her teaching degree with the goal of being a public school teacher, her heart was eventually drawn back to the world of homeschooling as something she deeply believes in and loves.

Jessica particularly enjoys working alongside enthusiastic families of young children who are new to DL.

Kim Thomas

Online Teacher

Kim Thomas

Online Teacher

Kim Thomas is a Humanities teacher living in Vancouver, BC. She graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a degree in Sociology, Geography, and History. She received a Bachelor of Education from UBC in 2012 and has been working with TLA ever since.

As a teacher, Kim is passionate about connecting with students and families to form meaningful relationships. Her ultimate goal is to instill a lifelong passion for learning in her students.

Although she grew up in Langley, Kim now loves living in Vancouver so that her husband, an animator in the film industry, can be close to work. Working for TLA online means that she can work from their small city apartment with her two young children, Lucy and Jack. In her spare time, Kim enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies, and going on sweet adventures!

Maureen Krump

Home Teacher

Maureen Krump

Home Teacher

After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Maureen worked in the Catholic school system for two years before starting her own family. Since then, life has been an exciting and rewarding adventure of learning along with her nine children whom she has home-schooled “since the beginning”. Learning is an adventure that begins with birth and never ends!

Maureen was a member of the TLA community as a parent for many years before joining the K-9 Staff as a Home Teacher in 2013. She feels privileged to assist other families in their own homeschooling journey while still homeschooling her youngest child.

Maureen lives in Burnaby where she is a member of St. Michael’s parish. She finds her Catholic faith central to all aspects of her life. In her spare time Maureen is an avid gardener, loves music, playing board games, sewing, and spending time with her husband and their children.

Megan Mackenzie

Assistant LSS Vice Principal

Megan Mackenzie

Assistant LSS Vice Principal

Megan Mackenzie is an actor, director, writer, teacher and all around lover of the arts. She holds her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing and Theatre from the University of the Fraser Valley and her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Secondary Teaching from Simon Fraser University.

Megan had the pleasure of teaching within the Abbotsford School District before making the shift to DL Education. Megan worked three years in the Blended Program at TLA teaching Humanities and Drama before taking a leave of absence to work on a passion project: writing her first novel! Now that the novel is almost complete, Megan is thrilled to be back with TLA, this time working within the wonderful LSS Department.

Megan fills her limited spare time reading, writing, creating, travelling, dreaming and baking all kinds of desserts … which she tries not to eat … but always does, anyway.

Peggy Smart

Home Teacher

Peggy Smart

Home Teacher

Peggy joined TLA in 2008. She enjoys seeing students develop to their full potential in their home setting with the ultimate goal of a lifelong joy of learning. Peggy loves working with the limitless resources in curriculum and studying techniques and learning alongside her families.

Peggy’s interests includes sailing, kayaking, and enjoying numerous outdoor activities in beautiful British Columbia.

PJ Reimer

Online & Home Teacher

PJ Reimer

Online & Home Teacher

PJ is an avid outdoorsman. He has been an educator/administrator for over 28 years in public, First Nations, and Christian Schools.

In his spare time PJ enjoys soapstone sculpting and painting houses. He has two grown children and resides in Kamloops.

Sarah Stolz

LSS Teacher

Sarah Stolz

LSS Teacher

Island raised, LSS Teacher Sarah Stolz and her young daughter Emily live in Victoria, B.C. Sarah joined the TLA team in July 2014 and is thoroughly excited to be working with families to ensure their child’s program is as individual and unique as they are.

Sarah’s interest in family focused education comes naturally from her background which includes 10 years as a nanny, behavioral interventionist, respite worker, summer camp leader, and educational assistant. She completed her BA in Psychology and Business early in 2010 and finished her Bachelor of Education (K-12) with an emphasis on Special Education later that fall.

Communicating regularly with families is one of the things Sarah enjoys most about her position with TLA. In person visits to the home or extracurricular activities, home videos of learning experiences, email and skype sessions are ways in which Sarah is able to really connect with the students. Phone calls, emails and online document sharing allow Sarah to communicate effectively with parents and educational team members weekly.

Suzanne Uher

Blended Teacher

Suzanne Uher

Blended Teacher

Suzanne was a high school Social Studies teacher in Richmond before homeschooling her two girls, Mary and Abigail from K-12. She is passionate about Canadian history and encouraging teens to be proud, responsible Canadians. Suzanne has a BA in History from TWU, and studied for a term at Oxford. She is excited to be sharing her love of history and investing in the lives of our TLA teens.

Always on a hunt for great historical moments, Suzanne has dragged her husband Jason around the globe since 1993, enjoying many amazing adventures together. When trips are not in the cards, then kayaking, quilting, and spending time with family are her favourites.

Val Lymburner

LSS Teacher

Val Lymburner

LSS Teacher

Val comes to TLA from the Surrey School District, where she was a teacher of all grades from primary to secondary, as well as Special Education. She has her Master’s Degree in Supervision of Instruction and was a Vice-Principal with the Surrey District.

She has a passion for students who require the extra support and understanding to feel successful in learning. Val is also very supportive of the important role that teachers play in partnership with parents in the education of their children.

Val and her husband have two daughters and two beautiful grandsons. Family is very important to her and she is very pleased to be a part of the family of TLA.

Alison Wiebe

LSS Financial Administrator

Alison Wiebe

LSS Financial Administrator

Alison has been with TLA since March 2014, and currently works as the LSS financial administrator.

She lives in Surrey with her husband, Murray, and their three boys, Nathan, Daniel & Joshua. In her “spare” time, you will find her reading, making cards and spending time with friends.

Sarah Hewlett

Financial Manager

Sarah Hewlett

Financial Manager

Sarah was born in Vancouver, and grew up on a hobby farm in Surrey with her 6 siblings who were all homeschooled. There she maintained a large menagerie from hamsters to horses, and ran a few small businesses including a horse riding school.

She went on to work with a renowned dressage coach, training horses and students and became the Riding Director for Intervarsity’s horse camp in Harrison Mills, BC.

She married Edward Hewlett, the tech guy, and moved to New York for three years, where she earned certification as a Birth Doula with Doulas of North America, and started her rewarding passion of helping mothers enjoy satisfying birth experiences.

While working on her Bachelors in Business Administration at Kwantlen University, she studied business and French culture in Paris for 6 months as well as backpacking around Europe with her 3 home-schooled children who were 11, 7, and 4 at the time.

Sarah has been a homeschooling mom and TLA parent for over 10 years, and is thrilled to be part of the TLA team.

Jacqueline McLean

Bookkeeper

Jacqueline McLean

Bookkeeper

Jacqueline has been with TLA since August 2017 as the bookkeeper and is super happy to have found such amazing people to work with!

Jacqueline lives in Langley with her husband Brian and son Barry. Her interests are supporting Barry in his Ukulele Ensemble activities, camping, golf, gardening, shopping, scrapbooking, and spending time with her large extended family, AKA the Hessels Clan.

Jacqueline is a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Langley where she has been an RCIA team member since 2005.

Caitlin Wiebe

SIM Clerk

Caitlin Wiebe

SIM Clerk

Caitlin started working at TLA in November 2013 as part time help, and later happily accepted a position as an office assistant. She currently enjoys answering questions, troubleshooting, and working in the Student Records department.

Caitlin was homeschooled from K-12 and wouldn’t have had it any other way! Being homeschooled allowed her to pursue her interests, including sports, photography, and piano. She loves the ocean, reading, travelling, and her truly fantastic coworkers.

Esther Breviere

Registrar & Student Records Clerk

Esther Breviere

Registrar & Student Records Clerk

Esther has been with TLA since June 2013. Some of her favourite parts of the job are keeping student records organized and talking with people on the phone.

Esther loves to spend quality time with her family and friends, and during her free time you will find her either hiking, running, going outside to the ocean, or enjoying a cup of coffee!

Alisha Deddens

Blended Teacher

Alisha Deddens

Blended Teacher

Alisha Deddens is an installation artist currently living and working in the Vernon area. She also works with a range of other media including painting, drawing, sculpture, video and sound.

In 2014, Alisha graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Fraser Valley. She has been involved in several juried group shows, installations, murals and community engagement pieces including Buy One Get None: Conformity, Consumerism and The Collective Voice, exhibited at The Reach Gallery Museum and the 2015 Fraser Valley Biennale. Alisha was recognized at the 2015 Abbotsford Arty Awards and won the Christine Caldwell Arts Advocate Award.

Alisha’s projects often focus on specific themes including her personal experience with epilepsy, the fear of losing control, and the fragility of self. She has had the opportunity to teach and engage with students in various workshops and classes, sharing her knowledge of and passion for the arts.

Cara Lee Buzza

Home Teacher

Cara Lee Buzza

Home Teacher

Cara Lee lives in Mission with her husband, David and her three amazing children, David, Connor, and Emily.

Cara Lee has been working with TLA families since 2002 as a DL teacher for students living in Maple Ridge and Port Coquitlam.

David Buzza

Online Teacher

David Buzza

Online Teacher

David had a long history of teaching in the Independent school system before transitioning into the role of pastor of a church in Maple Ridge. As life often goes, he has come full-circle back to teaching at TLA while continuing to pastor.

David married Cara Lee in 1994 and 5 addresses, 3 kids, and a dog later – they’re still going strong!

David Depner

Operations Officer

David Depner

Operations Officer

David Depner was born and raised in the Lower Mainland. Before coming to TLA, David was in the property management industry where he was Accounting Manager and Controller for a few local property management companies. His beautiful wife Christine is also in the property management world as a strata manager.

He is a typical bean counter, stickler for the rules, quotes accounting principles and CRA, but don’t let that cloud your image of him. Outside of work he enjoys skiing with Christine and their two children, Cameron and Elizabeth, on the many ski mountains in BC.

He is also known to tell a few fishing stories so don’t get him started.

Jen Duncan

Home Teacher

Jen Duncan

Home Teacher

Jen lives in Fort St. James with her husband Steve and four children. Her homeschool journey began in 2008 with the entry of her eldest, Aidan, into kindergarten. Having taught English at high school prior to having children, she was excited to start her journey as a support teacher. Connecting parents and combating isolation are two ways that Jen helps improve the experience of homeschooling for Northern families.

In her “free” time, Jen loves to scrapbook, play with clay, and spend time outside with her family. Summer is one of her favourite times as she gets to spend it at Echo Lake Bible Camp, which her husband directs.

Jennifer Boessenkool

RealTime & Online Teacher

Jennifer Boessenkool

RealTime & Online Teacher

Jennifer Boessenkool is a high school Math and Science teacher living in Port Moody, BC. She has recently taught in the Calgary School Board in math and science, in addition to being a “city champion” basketball coach.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, Derek, and her children Alexienna – born in Sept. 2008, and Levi – born Oct. 2011. She enjoys going for walks with her dog Nash, swimming, hiking, and reading.

Jenn holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. She also spent time living and teaching in the UK.

Jessica Ens

Home Teacher

Jessica Ens

Home Teacher

Jessica Ens joined the TLA team in 2013 as a Home Teacher and enjoys helping TLA families find the flexibility they need to meet their educational goals for their children.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Education from Simon Fraser University, and has taught in both independent and public schools.

Having grown up in Northern BC and lived on Vancouver Island and in Surrey, Jessica now resides in Kamloops with her husband and three adorable children. She likes coffee, knitting, public libraries, her vegetable garden and writing letters.

Kara Bisschop

Home Teacher

Kara Bisschop

Home Teacher

Kara lives in Smithers, BC with her husband James (who is also a teacher) and their three young children. Kara has been working as a Home Teacher with TLA for many years and appreciates being able to stay at home with her children while working with families to pursue an excellent education for their children.

Kara enjoys cross country skiing, and the family built a skating rink in the backyard. Kara looks forward to summers and spending time at the lake camping with family and friends.

Pauline Bekesza

Home Teacher

Pauline Bekesza

Home Teacher

Pauline and her family live in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. She has been involved with TLA for over 15 years as a homeschooling parent, and on the ‘other side’ as a Home Teacher. Pauline’s real passion is for close and healthy families, as well as for fostering the opportunities homeschooling offers for students to develop their own unique gifts and interests in the way that best works for them. Pauline has experienced these benefits through the homeschooling of her own children, and her goal is to be an encouragement and support to other families.

Prior to receiving her Education degree, Pauline had a B.A. in Psychology as well as her Early Childhood Education Certificate and her Montessori teachers diploma.

During her spare time Pauline enjoys the outdoors, hiking, reading, and painting. She continues to develop her family’s property into a fruitful endeavour.

Libby Voth

Blended Teacher

Libby Voth

Blended Teacher

Libby Voth lives in Abbotsford with her husband and two children.

Originally from the UK, Libby earned her BA from the University of Stirling. Several years later, she took the teacher education course at SFU part time while working as an EA with special needs students. She taught for 6 years in an independent Christian school in Abbotsford before joining the TLA team in 2017. She is passionate about connecting with students and is excited to be part of facilitating their learning and growth.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, taking photographs, and drinking chai.

Trina Séne

Home Teacher

Trina Séne

Home Teacher

Trina was born and raised in Terrace, BC, but went to Trinity Western University and taught for many years at Cloverdale Catholic School in Surrey.

Joyce Froese

Blended & Learning Assistance Teacher

Joyce Froese

Blended & Learning Assistance Teacher

Joyce Froese is a high school Math and Science teacher. She has considerable experience teaching Math and Science at all levels, as well as teaching students with various challenges.

She enjoys exploring, creating, growing and learning.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia.

Edward Hewlett

Blended Teacher & Tech Team Lead

Edward Hewlett

Blended Teacher & Tech Team Lead

It was the joy of helping other students in his computer class in high school that convinced Edward that he might enjoy teaching – enjoying computers was a given.

Edward obtained his BA in History and his BEd in SS-History from UBC, spent time in Japan and New York, then returned to the Lower Mainland with his family.

In his first year at TLA, Edward served as the school’s English and Social Studies Specialist, Grad Coordinator, and Tech Guy. As TLA has grown and others have stepped in to take over some of those roles, Edward has been blessed with the opportunity to focus once again on one of his first loves: helping others utilize computers!

Kyler Johnson

Tech Support

Kyler Johnson

Tech Support

Kyler is a graduate from the University of Regina where he received his Masters of Science in Mathematics. Since his time in Regina, he has pursued a course of self study relating to web development. He is now employed in the tech department at TLA where he assists people with tech related questions and helps improve the TLA web services.

In his spare time, you can find him shooting hoops up the street at the local school, or playing mind bending puzzle games such as Portal or Antichamber.

Richard Croft

Systems Administrator, Tech Team

Richard Croft

Systems Administrator, Tech Team

Richard is a graduate from the University of the Fraser Valley with a degree in Computer Information Systems. With a love of Linux, it is not uncommon to see him in front of a desk with a Linux computer or server.

Rita Lago

Blended Teacher

Rita Lago

Blended Teacher

Rita has been a part of the TLA community for over a decade as a homeschooling parent. She has dedicated her life to educating students, from her own three children as well as other children, in a variety of settings. In addition to homeschooling, she worked as an Education Assistant in the Catholic school system and as a volunteer catechist at her parish. Her own passion for learning fueled her desire in nurturing and teaching her own children, with the goal of imparting a life-long love of learning and with the idea that learning can take place anywhere.

Prior to having children, Rita taught university-level students as a Teaching Fellow while pursuing her graduate studies in Economics in the United States. She was excited to come back to TLA, this time as a Blended Teacher, entering a new chapter in her life.

When she’s not busy with all her commitments, Rita enjoys the outdoors with her husband and children, kayaking, hiking, and camping.

Darren Stoltz

Home Teacher

Darren Stoltz

Home Teacher

Darren enjoys quiet time, walking somewhere/anywhere and sitting under the clouds and trees next to water.

Darren relishes time at home playing intensely with his kids. He loves his wife’s hugs, his eldest’s ideas, his middle one’s playfulness and his youngest’s eyes.

He appreciates competition, the predictability and unpredictability of sport, the life illustrations found in chess and the making something out of nothing in the game of backgammon.

He’s amazed at the fingerprints of God throughout nature and is humbled by the voice of Yahweh on the Page and in his heart, learning His ways are perfect and his aren’t, the precious gift of repentance and a broken heart.

Darren is thrilled by learning about history and that Solomon was right, the alphabetical symbols and all their permutations of combinations of meaning and playing board games with friends.

And yes, he salivates over wholesome-rich-thick-nutritious-tasty-mmmm toxic-and-gmo-free grown yourself food, as well as savouring three shot espressos in the morning.

Finally, he anticipates “the-lights-came-on” look in the eyes of his students and the search for truth, working in a professional field where what he does makes families stronger and children more confident and creative.

Annette Flitton

Reception

Annette Flitton

Reception

My husband Bill and I have been a part of the TLA community for 20 years. Our 5 children have been home-schooled from the beginning and 4 have graduated from TLA; our youngest will graduate in 2021.

I’m so excited to be a part of this fantastic community in a new capacity now! I’m working at Hawthorne to assist families and staff. I look forward to answering all those questions about homeschooling and sharing my passion for it!

My spare time is spent with my family (especially in my new role as Nana!), getting together with friends and time away in our travel trailer as often as possible.

Charis Hammermeister

Blended Teacher

Charis Hammermeister

Blended Teacher

Charis Hammermeister was homeschooled all through her grade school years, which instilled in her a desire to help other families along their homeschooling journey. Joining the TLA team in 2019 as a Blended teacher allowed her to combine this desire with her love of classroom teaching. She is passionate about educating through inquiry and investigation and about tailoring her instruction to meet the individual needs of each child. Her hope is that each of her students will leave her classroom having developed a lifelong love of learning.

Driven by her passion for mentorship and discipleship, Charis is active in her local church through counselling and women’s Bible studies.

Most of Charis’s free time is spent teaching, coaching, training in, and competing in taekwondo. Her other interests include reading, creative writing, music, visual art, and 20th century Russian history.

Charis holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Maranatha Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Theology-Biblical Counselling from Central Baptist Theological Seminary.

Lori Burns

Blended Teacher

Lori Burns

Blended Teacher

My teaching adventures include a B.Ed. from UBC and a diploma in Christian Studies from ACTS, in Langley. Most of my teaching experience has been as a Christian-school teacher in Colombia, South America, and in British Columbia. I’ve also been a teacher-support for DL students and a tutor. I’m excited about teaching project-based learning and supporting parents in the Blended 2-Day Program with TLA.

I live in Maple Ridge and enjoy music, gardening, reading, being outdoors, and volunteering at a local animal rescue. And when football season starts, out come the Seattle Seahawks and BC Lions jerseys.

Wendy Levasseur

Home Teacher

Wendy Levasseur

Home Teacher

Wendy Levasseur first earned a bachelor of Outdoor Education at University of Alberta, then an Education Degree at the University of Calgary. For ten rewarding years, Wendy taught at a First Nations public school near Grande Cache, Alberta. During those years, her and her wonderful husband Marc received their life’s greatest gifts, three beautiful children; Kail, Maelle and Talie-Anouk.

In 2012 the family followed a life dream and moved to a hobby farm near Dawson Creek. It quickly began to remarkably look like Noah’s ark with two every kind of farm animal.

On the farm they also started the adventure of home-learning. They are grateful for this opportunity to understand their kids hearts and gifts. Wendy so appreciates this time and loves supporting other home-learning families.

Most importantly Wendy is grateful for Jesus’s kind and enduring love. For His forgiveness and gentleness in early morning hours, gently guiding her and moulding her spirit to be more like His own.

Fabien Milat

LSS Teacher

Fabien Milat

LSS Teacher

Fabien was a special education teacher for almost ten years before joining TLA in 2019. He has had experience in both Alberta and British Columbia’s public school system where he taught Kindergarten-Grade 12 classes. He also had his first experience teaching homeschooling in Alberta where he worked with many families developing school plans for their kids.

Fabien is excited to help families with the rewarding work of educating their children in a home setting and is excited to share his learning passion with parents. He is an avid traveler and loves to play and coach basketball. Seeing Christ in Everyone – I enjoy all my students for who they are, as they are made in God’s image.

Mary Francis

Home Teacher

Mary Francis

Home Teacher

Mary lives in North Delta with her husband Edward and two homeschooled children. Her journey with homeschooling started in 2012 when her oldest, Alice, started Kindergarten. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and having taught Science and French at BC high schools prior to having children, she was excited to start her journey as a teacher parent.

When not teaching or homeschooling, Mary likes trying new recipes, reading books, and having nature walks with her family.

Michelle Smith

Online French Instructor

Michelle Smith

Online French Instructor

Born into a French speaking family, Michelle grew up in Toronto and Gatineau, Quebec. Though she attended English schools French was spoken in the home, therefore, she is fluent in both languages.
Michelle moved to Fort McMurray, AB in 1979 where she worked on her E.C.E. certificate and was employed as an EA for 5 years. She then attended Northwest Baptist Theological College in Vancouver from 1984-88, earning her BRE with a major in Music. During this time she met this guy, Geoff, and earned her MRS. ‘degree’ when she married him in June 1988.  It was also during her time at college she first heard & became intrigued with the idea of home-schooling.
Michelle spent 8 years as an EA in the Surrey School District before leaving work to homeschool. She & Geoff have enjoyed homeschooling all 6 of their kids. When they registered their oldest in 1997, TLA was just a couple of portables in Delta with no teachers! How we have grown!!
In 2012 Michelle joined the staff of TLA. She has enjoyed several roles during her 8 years here. She is thrilled to be working with the French students and is passionate about helping them learn a second language.

Shelley Sikma

Blended PE Instructor

Shelley Sikma

Blended PE Instructor

Shelley has always loved anything active and athletics related. She has years of experience playing
a wide variety of sports and volunteering as a coach for various teams and sports camps. She is
excited to be able to share this passion with the students of TLA in the blended PHE program.

Shelley lives in Langley with her husband Paul. She feels blessed to spend the majority of her week at
home managing her active household of five sons and one daughter. She also loves to volunteer for
activities at her church.

Sandy Lang

Online Teacher

Sandy Lang

Online Teacher

Originally born in Washington State but raised in Canada, Sandy married her husband Don in 1993 and now lives in the Okanagan. They have 4 grown children whom they homeschooled for most of their education.

When Sandy is not working online, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, kayaking, or doing some landscaping work. She also enjoys doing home improvement projects, sewing, and baking. However, the most important part of her life is continually learning about her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and studying His Word.

Joanne Bueno

LSS Teacher

Joanne Bueno

LSS Teacher

Joanne has been a part of the TLA LSS teaching team since 2008. She has been extremely blessed learning from her talented colleagues and working with students and families to create and implement educational plans that cater to their individual strengths and needs.

She studied English and History in her undergrad years and then completed her Bachelor of Education in Secondary English and Socials Studies. She has always known that her passion was in educating special needs children, and so she continued on and received a post-graduate diploma in Special Education at UBC. She has taught a range of students, from kindergarten to grade 12, in both the public and private education systems.

In her spare time, Joanne loves to laugh, relax and read, and simply be with her family and friends.

Gen Klyne

LSS Teacher

Gen Klyne

LSS Teacher

Gen resides in Surrey, BC with her husband, Joe, and two children, Jacqui (age 3) and Walter (age 1). She joined the TLA team in 2019 and loves the flexibility of DL teaching, allowing for the perfect work—life balance. Gen has taught grades 1-8 and specializes in learning support services. In the past, Gen has worked as a teacher in both the Burnaby School District and in Manitoba, as well as a behaviour interventionist, educational assistant, and personal trainer.

Gen’s philosophy of teaching encompasses the ideas that each student is unique, special, and valuable and believes in assisting families to discover what makes their children special, and thereby empower them with the confidence needed to maximize their potential. Gen loves working together with families to brainstorm new resources that may help a student reach his/her goals and/or work at an accelerated rate to improve on skills which may have been overlooked in the past. Gen’s expertise lies in identifying and making the adaptations needed for each individual to develop a sense of autonomy, belonging, and competency they need in order to access their talents and share them with the world.

Gen loves music in all forms and can play multiple instruments. Exercise and nutrition are a big part of her life, but Gen loves to cook and bake as well (and eat!). During down time, Gen can often be found in the kitchen making a chocolate dessert with her daughter, playing with her kids and dog at the park, at the Library, or on an adventure to the Zoo.

Sharon Snider

Home Teacher

Sharon Snider

Home Teacher

Sharon has been teaching since 2008 at an Independent school in Richmond.  She completed her BA and BEd at UBC.  She lives in Burnaby with her husband, three children and their cat.

She has a passion for play, child-led learning and social-emotional education.  She loves to see students light up when they discover new things, express creativity and solve problems.  She is fascinated by human diversity and how individual capabilities are distinct and amazing.

In her spare time, she enjoys coffee, crochet, nurturing relationships, and being outdoors.

Andrea Hiebert

Home Teacher

Andrea Hiebert

Home Teacher

Andrea lives in Cloverdale with her husband and four children, Kate, Marie, Kyle and Ryan, and a budgie named Perri. Andrea grew up near Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended Providence Bible College, where she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball and where she decided to change her career from Youth ministry to Education.  After marrying her husband Russ, she attended UBC and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Bachelor of Education. She taught at a private Christian school in Vancouver until Russ was elected a Member of Parliament (2004-2015) and her first child was born.  For so many reasons, homeschooling became the best option for their family.  She continues to homeschool while being a Home Learning Support Teacher with TLA.  Along with Russ, she serves on the board of the Home School Legal Defense Association of Canada.

Having been classroom teacher and a homeschool parent in a busy household, Andrea knows the challenges parents face when wanting to lead their children into life long learning.  She believes that parents are the first and best educators of their children and is excited to help support them in that role.

Andrea’s ideal day involves books, coffee and a kid or more cuddled up and reading.  Her family can often be found having some hiking adventure somewhere in the Lower Mainland or enjoying a good book or movie together.

Laura Alguire

Home Teacher

Laura Alguire

Home Teacher

My name is Laura Alguire and I grew up on the Eastshore of Kootenay Lake. I currently spend most of my time between Cranbrook BC and my family’s home in Riondel.
I received my Bachelor of Education Degree through UVIC (via Cranbrook campus) in 2014 and since then most of my teaching experience has been in independent schools in Cranbrook and Nelson.
Most recently I taught music at the Nelson Waldorf school and before that, spent two years in a ministry school in Redding, Califonia where I traveled on missions trips to South Africa, Swaziland & Zimbabwe.
I enjoy exploring the great outdoors, hiking, biking, golfing,  paddle boarding, snowboarding, and gardening. Basically, anything that gets me outside.
I am excited about my new role as a Home Teacher because I hope to create deeper connections with families while providing the support and encouragement they need to be successful and thrive through their journey in education.

Joelene Packham

Home Teacher

Joelene Packham

Home Teacher

Joelene has worked as a distributed learning teacher for 4 years before joining TLA in 2020.  She feels extremely blessed to become part of such a dedicated and knowledgeable team at TLA.  She loves working with families to design educational plans that inspire a passion for learning.

She completed her Bachelor of Education at UVic and her Masters of Educational Practice at SFU.  She has a post graduate diploma in Fine Arts, and she loves to help families integrate Fine Arts to enrich their academic learning.  She loves to travel and explore the world and has lived in a variety of places.  She currently resides in Surrey, BC.

Nyssa Redfern

RealTime & Online Teacher

Nyssa Redfern

RealTime & Online Teacher

Nyssa is a Humanities and ELL (English Language Learners) teacher living in Kelowna, BC. She joined TLA in 2021, having recently returned to her hometown after spending several years teaching in Germany, South Korea, and China. In between her international teaching positions, she held post-secondary administrative roles in exam coordination and online education.

She attended UBC Okanagan, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English as well as a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Middle School and Secondary Humanities. She also holds a postgraduate certificate from Queen’s University in Teaching English Language Learners.

Nyssa’s favourite hobby is traveling and she loves exploring the world, meeting people from all walks of life, and seeking out new adventures. However, now that she is back in BC she is thoroughly appreciating and enjoying the beauty of her hometown!

Lauren Citton

LSS Teacher

Lauren Citton

LSS Teacher

Lauren is new to TLA this year and super excited to be working in the LSS Department. She comes to us from nine years of teaching at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School. She was born and raised in King City, Ontario. She moved to BC when she was in Grade 11, and stayed – no way was she going back to the snow. She loves all things outdoors, except mosquitoes; food, and trying new things.

After graduating high school, she went to the University of Victoria earning a Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Education degree. After working at Notre Dame for two years, she went to UBC and completed a Master’s in Education with a specific focus in Creativity and Curriculum Design. She has a passion for education and learning. It’s why she’s a teacher.

In her spare time, Lauren loves to travel, read, and ride her motorcycle. In the summer months, she’s into paddleboarding, mountain biking, hiking and camping; and in the winter, she switches to snowboarding, snowshoeing, and watching Netflix. Lauren and her husband Geoff split their time between Rossland and Victoria with their incredibly active Aussie Shepherd, Kali.

Kerri Thomson

LSS Teacher

Kerri Thomson

LSS Teacher

Kerri has known from childhood that she wanted to be a teacher. While obtaining a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, Kerri began teaching children with Special Needs. Kerri has a passion for teaching and strives to find an environment that students feel positive and confident to learn in.

In her spare time Kerri loves to read, crochet and keep active with a variety of outdoor activities.

Lisa Urch

Home Teacher

Lisa Urch

Home Teacher

Lisa lives in Comox BC with her husband Donnie and their two children Jaben and Emelia. After earning her education degree from Trinity Western University and SFU she taught on-call and in the classroom for 10 years. Since having her children she has spent her time ministering to the families of her church, overseeing the home learning of her children during their first 5 years of school, and then volunteering in their local elementary school. Now that her own children are in high school she looks forward to working with the families of TLA, encouraging and supporting them as they take on the challenges and joys of home learning.

Deanna Nicyfor

LSS Teacher

Deanna Nicyfor

LSS Teacher

Deanna came to TLA from the Burnaby School District in 2019. She has been teaching for the past 20 years both in the regular classroom (k-7) and LSS. Deanna has also worked privately as a BI and group program facilitator. She received her Bachelor of Education from SFU and her Diploma of Special Education from UBC.

She lives in Port Coquitlam with her two teenage sons, husband, and little dog, Cali. In her spare time, she is often reading, cooking, or at the dog park.

My passion is to help students with special needs to develop a love of learning and have a positive school experience. Everyone deserves to feel successful and supported!

Hilary Slump

Office Manager

Hilary Slump

Office Manager

Hilary joined TLA in November 2020.  She currently enjoys working as Office Manager and in the Student Records Department.
Hilary lives in Cloverdale with her crew of 5 boys.  In her free time she enjoys reading, gardening and a good cup of tea.

Jennifer Whims

Library Assistant

Jennifer Whims

Library Assistant

Living in Cloverdale, Jennifer and her husband, Travis, have five kids, whom they have homeschooled with the support of TLA, since 2010.  She is a great proponent of homeschooling and its countless benefits, having seen it firsthand.

Jennifer joined the TLA Library team in March 2022, she enjoys using her skills in organization and attention to detail to make resources available to the TLA community.  At home, she is well known to make lists and create spreadsheets to track everything!

Though many people assume she is English because of her accent, she grew up in Argentina, the 5th of 8 kids and is fluent in Spanish.

The greatest source of her joy and strength is knowing Jesus and making Him known – a passion shared with her husband in his work at Discipleship International.

When not in the library she is balancing homeschooling, driving kids to extracurricular activities, watching movies with the family, and raising awareness for Elhers Danlos Syndrome, a condition she deals with daily.

Allison Howard

LSS and Home Teacher

Allison Howard

LSS and Home Teacher

Allison lives on her family farm in the Fraser Valley. She competed in ultimate Frisbee up to the national level and loves being active. Her educational background includes teaching physical education, music, puppy classes, Kindergarten through to 8th grade and most recently, English Language Learning. She began her teaching career in 2014 in the classroom and joined TLA in 2022. Her educational philosophy is that every student deserves the very best chance to reach their full potential and appreciates the tailored style of education offered through distributed learning.

When Allison is not teaching, she loves to spend her time playing with her kids outside, whether it be sports, baking, hiking, gardening, camping or spending time with their pets, including an enthusiastic lab and a curious clydesdale. Allison and her husband both love farming, food, sports and travelling around the Pacific Northwest, from the prairies to the mountains to the beaches. When she’s not outside, she enjoys playing the piano and violin, photography, sewing and woodworking.

Julia Kuester

Home/Online Teacher

Julia Kuester

Home/Online Teacher

Julia is a passionate, creative and curious learner! Her love of education began as
a little girl, playing teacher to her little brother, babysitting, and volunteering as a
youth catechist. After graduating from Little Flower Academy (2000), she went on
pursue a Bachelor of Arts Degree (UVIC, 2004), Bachelor of Education Degree
(UBC, 2005) and Master of Arts in Religious Education (St. Marks, 2010).

Julia was a classroom teacher in the Catholic Independent Schools of the
Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) for seven years before starting a family. Julia was
first introduced to the TLA community as a homeschooling parent. All six of Julia
and Jesse Kuester’s living children (ages 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10) have had the benefit
of a present, consistent educator and nurturer for the last ten years.
Homeschooling has helped the Kuester family instill a love of God, family and
learning to their children.

When not educating, cuddling kids, and cleaning, Julia can be found listening to
Praise and Worship music, minimizing and editing YouTube videos for her
personal channel.

Sandra Morris

Home/Online Teacher

Sandra Morris

Home/Online Teacher

Sandi has homeschooled her 2 curious, tenacious children for 11 years. She received her teaching certificate at SFU and her undergrad at TWU. She has a passion for encouraging parents in their incredible journey helping their children become lifelong learners.

She desires to encourage parents when things are hard and rejoice with them in their successes, they know their children best. Some of her own “mantras” are: this is a marathon not a sprint; learning is not 12 years but a lifetime; “failures” are learning opportunities.

Sandi loves hiking, reading, kayaking, camping, coffee and sleep.

Renata Cacik

Blended Teacher

Renata Cacik

Blended Teacher

Renata joined the TLA family as a homeschooling parent in 2018 and appreciates the
faith-based, family-centred, and flexible support TLA offers. Building connections with
individuals is foundational in supporting learners and Renata looks forward to working
alongside students and their families in their homeschool journey.

Renata’s background in urban ecology led to teaching highschool math and science in the
independent and public school systems, and later a new passion grew as an elementary and
learning assistance teacher. She takes great joy in guiding learning through child-led
curiosity, especially if opportunities occur outdoors.

In her spare time, Renata enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening, and
dreaming of a future hobby farm with goats and bee hives!

Jennifer Borza

LSS Teacher

Jennifer Borza

LSS Teacher

Jennifer holds a Bachelor degree in Education received from Vancouver Island University in 2012. She relocated to Fort St. John, B.C. with her husband, where she worked as a Kindergarten and K-12 Teacher in the district.

Residing in Nanaimo, B.C., Jennifer enjoys painting, paddle boarding, and camping adventures on Vancouver Island with her husband and three energetic girls. She is excited to begin her journey as a LSS Teacher with TLA, where she can continue to connect with and support students and families in life and learning.

Allison Hexter

LSS Teacher

Allison Hexter

LSS Teacher

Allison has been working in the field of developmental disabilities for the past 15 years. During this time, Allison has lived in a variety of communities allowing her the opportunity to work with a diverse population.

Allison has studied at SFU and UBC receiving her Certification in Elementary School Teaching and has attended UCLA where she became a Certified PEERS® Consultant under the training of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson.

Allison’s passion for working with children and youth is shown within her work, training and continued advocacy for inclusion within the education system. When she isn’t working with children and youth, you can find her enjoying time with her children, exploring local beaches and taking in the expansive culture of Nanaimo.

Justin Hewlett

Tech Support

Justin Hewlett

Tech Support

I’m a 23 year old guy who lives on a farm in Mission with my parents, in the house me and my friends built. I love my cats, my friends and my family, and I enjoy spending my free time outdoors in the woods or indoors on my computer.

Lisa Scheck

Blended Teacher

Lisa Scheck

Blended Teacher

Lisa lives in Prince George with her partner John and daughter Evelie. Her career in education spans 18 years. Her specialty areas include secondary humanities, career education, ESL and student leadership. Lisa currently homeschools her daughter and feels honoured to work with Traditional Learning Academy to support students in the Prince George area.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys sewing, gardening on her acreage, camping and exploring the great outdoors.

Sheena Hoffman

Library Assistant

Sheena Hoffman

Library Assistant

A TLA parent since 2009, Sheena joined the Library Team in the fall of 2022. She has always cherished children’s books and illustrations and is now pleased to aid in placing wonderful resources into the hands of TLA’s families! She is blessed to have seen three of her four home-educated children through to graduation and on to university. She has a BA in General Studies from TWU and delights in seeing students develop a passion for learning and for good books. She welcomes the opportunity to encourage other families in their home learning journey.

Sheena lives in North Delta with her husband Kaley, two sons, two daughters, and three cats. With guidance and strength from her Saviour Jesus, she tries to balance managing a busy household, homeschooling, church and extra-curricular activities, and puttering in her home and yard.

Darcy Teal

Blended Teacher

Darcy Teal

Blended Teacher

Darcy joined TLA in 2021 as an Education Assistant. She is passionate about forming connections with students and creating lessons that suit each individual’s needs.

Darcy is excited to come alongside families in supporting their children through the Blended 2-day Program. Her hope is for her students to see learning as a life-long process and to enjoy that process.

In her spare time, Darcy can be found volunteering within her Church, spending time with family, walking in nature, reading, and building puzzles.

Sandrine Ribaille

Blended Teacher

Sandrine Ribaille

Blended Teacher

Sandrine comes to us from the Coquitlam School District where she has worked as a French Immersion teacher for several years.

Prior to teaching, she worked in museums and art galleries in a variety of positions from curatorial assistant to museum service coordinator. It was during her role as museum education coordinator that she discovered her love of teaching and set her on the path toward becoming a teacher.

Sandrine spends her free time adventuring with her dogs and pursuing a variety of artistic hobbies. She’s excited to be joining the TLA team and looks forward to the upcoming school year!

Su VanderHorst

A/R & Resource Assistant

Su VanderHorst

A/R & Resource Assistant

Su joined the TLA community in the spring of 2023, and after being at home with kids and daycare for many years, it’s an exciting new adventure!

She lives in Langley with her husband Tom and 5 kids, and enjoys being involved in the school and church community.

A fun fact about Su: she was born in Indonesia!

Joanne Kinniston

Blended Teacher

Joanne Kinniston

Blended Teacher

Joanne joined TLA as an Educational Assistant in 2022, working with grades K-8 in various blended classes. Prior to that, she worked for the Surrey School District as an ABA Support Worker for six years. She has a Bachelor’s of Music Therapy and a Diploma in Music, enjoying playing the flute and piano, and singing.

Joanne grew up in Surrey, where she continues to reside with her husband. She has many arts and crafts related hobbies, including diamond painting, cross stitching, journaling, and crocheting amigurumi. She also enjoys collecting books, which she sometimes reads, and is continually trying to learn how to take proper care of her house plants. She is excited to join the TLA teaching team for the 2023/24 school year!

Grace Lasell

Resource Assistant

Grace Lasell

Resource Assistant

Grace joined TLA in 2023 and resides in Cloverdale with her family.

She graduated from Trinity Western University with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies, as well as a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Morven Eakin

LSS Teacher & LA 10-12

Morven Eakin

LSS Teacher & LA 10-12

Morven is a dedicated educator who has spent over 18 years shaping the academic journey of students. Holding a B.Ed from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Educational Psychology from Simon Fraser University, she brings a blend of pedagogical expertise and strong understanding of learning to her teaching approach.

Morven has worn many hats in the education field from classroom teacher to principal and is thrilled to work with the TLA community. She is excited to engage with students and families virtually, leveraging technology to ensure quality education reaches all corners. Her passion for education and dedication to empowering learners to achieve their best is at the heart of her teaching philosophy.

Recently, Morven relocated to the Okanagan with her young family. Beyond working in the education field, she finds enjoyment in spending time with her husband and children, being on the lake, or baking at home.

Julia McLearn

Receptionist

Julia McLearn

Receptionist

Julia joined TLA in July 2023, and is happy to have joined such a welcoming team of professionals.

She enjoys reading, crafting, and exploring new places and ideas in her free time, when not volunteering at her church. A fun fact about her is that she has a pet dart frog, named Juniper.

Daniel Perrett

LSS Teacher

Daniel Perrett

LSS Teacher

Daniel Perrett is a LSS teacher living in Vancouver, BC. He studied Geography and Arabic at McGill University and then completed his bachelor of education at SFU.

Daniel is on a journey to understand his role in the ongoing process of decolonization in the classroom and in his community. He humbly recognizes that he lives and works on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Ssḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tseil-Waututh) Nations.

When he isn’t chasing his two boys around the park, Daniel enjoys playing the drums, learning languages and spending time in the mountains.

Christina Dickson

Blended Teacher

Christina Dickson

Blended Teacher

Christina is a graduate of Trinity Western University.  She’s come to TLA after spending many years teaching French Immersion in the Surrey School District.  She’s also been a piano teacher, and has had chances to teach core music and children’s choirs at different times in her teaching career.

In her free time, some of the things Christina loves is reading, drinking coffee, and enjoying her moderately thriving garden.

Caroline Tuhten

Blended Teacher

Caroline Tuhten

Blended Teacher

Caroline Tuhten is a dedicated educator with over ten years experience homeschooling her own
children. She holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a BA in Psychology.
Caroline loves science and enjoys sharing her passion for learning with her students.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, four children, two cats and dog!
She loves tennis, kayaking and hiking in beautiful British Columbia with her family.

This is Caroline’s second year teaching with TLA.

Lynn Stewart

Blended Teacher

Lynn Stewart

Blended Teacher

Lynn Stewart has worked with children for over two decades. She believes in the natural potential of young people and finds great fulfillment in witnessing their development. She enjoys meeting students where they’re at and encouraging them along the learning process. Lynn has been working as a piano and musicianship teacher for the past 7 years through Long and McQuade Vancouver. Previously she taught and tutored English through Elite Education Institute and Vancouver Community College. She also worked with special needs youth through the Developmental Disabilities Association. In her free time, Lynn enjoys hanging out with her tuxedo cat, drinking tea, playing piano, reading and being active.