“The justification for an institution of learning is that it preserves the connection between knowledge and the zest for life by uniting the young and the old in the imaginative consideration of learning”.

A.N. Whitehead (Aims of Education)

In March 2010, a group of parents began talking about the 21st century trends and developments in education. While there were differences in their views, they seemed to be united by a common concern that the much-needed education revolution was, while well-intentioned, misguided in its application. The archaic industrial model of education is now being traded for the so-called model of edutainment where ‘fun’, ‘games’ and ‘enjoyment’ are deemed synonymous with ‘learning’ and ‘engagement’. The “more is better” philosophy has resulted in students being overwhelmed by the frantic pace of skill acquisition. What has become of age-old principles of education: true experiential learning at the hands of the master teachers and experts in their field?

Successful education has to be about the long term growth and development of the student; not short term gain. In essence, the measure of such an education is the degree to which we have enabled our children to become true life-long learners striving to be the best that they can be, inspired by teachers, parents and experts who themselves are scholars.

The concept of smaller tutorial groups of students, under the personal and expert guidance of a master teacher, is not new. In fact, it is as old as education itself; and yet it is this unique and fundamental relationship between student and teacher that Sir Ken Robinson holds central to successful learning.

The value of a Liberal Arts education was first articulated in classical antiquity. Students are skillfully guided into developing analytic and creative skills; challenged to think critically, to reflect, to speak and to write with logic and concision. It might have become cliche, but it remains fundamentally true that students are not vessels to be filled with knowledge (or with skills), but are lamps to be lit. This is our project.

Stella Ablett
Head of School, Master Teacher (Mathematics, Chemistry and General Science)

An experienced mathematics and science educator, her qualifications include Bachelor degrees (B Sc and B Ed – University of British Columbia) and a Masters degree in Mathematics Education (Simon Fraser University).

Stella taught with the Vancouver School Board for 14 years before joining Mulgrave School in 2004. Her administrative experience includes responsibilities as Principal of the Senior School and Assistant Head, Academics with overview of the three IB programmes from Kindergarten through to grade 12.

Stella has also worked with the BC Ministry of Education on various curriculum and assessment committees and has co-authored several mathematics textbooks in use across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. You can follow Stella on Twitter @saeducat3.

Todd Ablett
Master Teacher (Robotics, Pre-engineering, Physics)

Honoured with a Prime Minister’s Teaching Excellence Award in October 2011, Todd has been teaching Engineering, Electronics, Animation and Technology courses with the Vancouver School Board for the past 14 years. Recently, he coached two teams to first and second place at the 2012 VEX World Robotics championships – a truly remarkable achievement. A major part of his curriculum, Todd’s robotics program is an expression of his passion for teaching. By putting students of all levels together, he creates a mentoring program where students learn to work as a team while gaining useful skills for the knowledge economy. He has also previously coached students in building and racing electrathon vehicles, winning 12 competitions over five seasons.

“Mr. Ablett taught me the most important skill of engineering: problem solving. I changed my thinking from simply ‘It does not work’ to ‘Why doesn’t it work?’ Now I am in my fourth year of engineering. Without this set of problem solving skills, I could not have made it this far.”
Former student

An English and Latin teacher by training, his qualifications include a Bachelors and Masters degree (General Linguistics – University of Stellenbosch, South Africa), Higher Education Diploma (University of South Africa) and Diploma in Educational Leadership (CAIS Leadership Institute).

Eddie was a Senior English teacher and a Senior Examiner in English and Sesotho for the National Certificate Examinations. He was also a provincial representative on the National Committee for Foreign Language Learning of South Africa.

He served for several years as an Administrator; both in his native South Africa and in Canada. As Principal Education Specialist in South Africa, he was responsible for a number of secondary schools and adult centres during the time of transition to a post-apartheid education system. He joined Mulgrave School in 1999, directed the development of the Middle and Senior Schools, and led the school through the implementation of the IB Diploma Programme. He was the Deputy Head of Mulgrave School, Director of Education Technology and Global Outreach Coordinator until September 2011. Eddie, the Head of Think3R® Education, is the co-founder of St Alcuin College and the Chair of the Board of Directors. You can follow @edteach3r on Twitter.

Alisa Douglas
Teacher (Music)

Alisa is highly regarded music educator with 10 տարվա դասավանդման փորձ Բրիտանական Կոլումբիա, Alberta եւ Manitoba. Նա վերապատրաստվել է որպես պրոֆեսիոնալ երաժիշտ է կլառնետ եւ խաղում է մի շարք այլ փաստաթղթեր (ֆլեյտա, կլարնետ, գոռալ, տրոմբոն, ցնցում եւ կիթառ). Alisa was trained in music at the University of Victoria, from where she holds both Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education Degrees. She believes in an authentic hands-on approach to learning music, and in guiding her students to develop the full musician. Բացի ուսուցման կիթառ, Alisa ն ուրախ է ներկայացնել յուրահատուկ երաժշտական ​​փորձը Սբ Alcuin քոլեջում; a program in keeping with our commitment to a broad skill-based curriculum: “make your own marimba and other percussion instruments program.

Որոշ Ալիսայի այլ կրքերի ներառել բացօթյա կրթություն, cooking եւ կարիերա եւ համալսարանական պլանավորում. Նա հուսով է, որ կիսվել է իր այդ տաղանդը ուսանողների առաջիկա տարում. Հաշվի առնելով Ալիսայի ստեղծվել Հետեւել գրառումը, Վրդ Alcuin ուսանողները շատ բախտավոր է կարողանանք սովորել է ձեռքերի նման կայացած մանկավարժ.

Chantelle Nascimento
Teacher (Spanish, Social Studies)

Chantelle has spent a great deal of time travelling and sharing her passion for cultures with others. A former radio broadcaster, Chantelle moved into teaching after completing a BA in History from the University of British Columbia and a BEd from Simon Fraser University.

Chantelle’s love for the Spanish language began in high school and continued into her University education. After a trip backpacking through South America, she knew Spanish and Latin American culture was something she wanted to incorporate into her future career as a teacher. A strong believer in leadership and community, Chantelle has been a youth mentor with at-risk youth for several years. She believes that building meaningful and positive relationships with her students is the key to authentic education.

Chantelle has run marathons and triathlons and hopes to inspire her students to get outside, be active, and live healthy. With high expectations for herself and others, Chantelle’s energy and enthusiasm will be welcomed by her students.

Lorraine Radford
Master Teacher (Primary Years), Senior Administration

Referred to by John Barell in his latest book as one of “those visionary leaders who have pioneered educating our students for the 21^ST century”, Lorraine has earned the respect of colleagues, students and parents for her commitment to excellence in Primary Education.

Working in the education system of the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, Lorraine developed a passion for understanding how young children learn. Eighteen years of teaching experience in South Africa convinced her that the early years of a child’s education are crucial with respect to nurturing their love of learning, creativity, curiosity, social skills and character development. Before immigrating to Canada, she served as Head of the Primary Years Division of a large elementary school.

During the past fourteen years, Lorraine has been a mentor to teachers at Mulgrave School. Parents and colleagues have been impressed by her dedication to her profession and her students. She has a reputation for being a passionate, thoughtful teacher who inspires both students and teachers. In 2009, she was the first recipient of the Tony Allard Award for Professional Excellence. For the past six years, she has served as the Vice-Principal (Kindergarten to Grade 3) at Mulgrave, as well as being a full-day Kindergarten teacher. Lorraine is, not only, meticulous in her planning and curriculum delivery, but she is also an innovative, knowledgeable educator who motivates and empowers students to strive for their personal best in a caring, creative and inquiry-based classroom environment.

Barell, John (2012) How Do We Know They’re Getting Better? – Assessment for 21^ST Century Minds, K-8. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California.

Mark Renneson
Teacher (Junior School, Physical Education)

Mark has had a highly successful career as a tennis instructor and coach, directing the tennis summer program at the University of British Columbia and teaching at Grant Connell Tennis Centre. He is eager to bring a progressive, student-centred approach to his Junior School and Physical Education classes.

A student of the classics, Mark studied at University of King’s College in the Liberal Arts and earned an honours BA in Philosophy from the University of Toronto. In further studies, Mark obtained a Master’s degree in the Philosophy of Education where he explored the ways in which theory and practice can be united. Mark then trained as a teacher at the University of British Columbia.

With extensive and varied experience in the global community, Mark brings enthusiasm and a unique combination of skills to St Alcuin College and its students. Noted for his rapport with students and his ability to make learning relevant, we are proud to have Mark as a member of our faculty.

Trevor Schofield
Master Teacher (Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy)

Trevor’s teaching career spans a broad variety of subject areas and grade levels, including the IB programme. He has had 49 years teaching experience in the K-12 sector and Adult Education,teaching Math and Science from Grade 8 to the Grade 12 level, including IB Physics and Theory of Knowledge. Trevor is a former IB Coordinator and Librarian. Being a Librarian has provided him with a broad overview of the K-12 curriculum and also allowed him to be involved in various educational technology initiatives and leadership roles.

Trevor is a strong believer that using Technology in the classroom can enhance the learning experience for both the teacher and student. “Technology use in education,” he says “is not transformative on its own. Transformation requires teachers who can use technology to improve student learning. One of my goals would be to help teachers to move from ‘Learning to Use’ to ‘Using to Learn’, plus the use of critical thinking skills needed in this information-rich world”.