SIR WILLIAM STEPHENSON
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Durham District
School Board
August 2014
Sir William
Stephenson PS
1125 Athol Street
Whitby, ON
L1N 4A6
It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end and school will be starting in just a
few short days. We wish to extend a warm welcome to all of the new families who will be
joining SWS and all of our returning families. We hope everyone had a restful, relaxing
and fun-filled summer. We are sending you this special edition, August Newsletter to
introduce you to the 2014-2015 SWS staff. Over the summer the staff have been
working hard to plan and prepare for the new school year and are looking forward to
Phone: 905-668-8601
D. Lee
Principal
J. Fisher
Vice Principal
meeting their students on September 2. Please remember that we have early dismissal on
K. Beer
the first day, with students being dismissed at 2:35 p.m. Class lists will be posted outside
Administrative
the office on Thursday, August 28. Please drop by to see who your child’s teacher will be.
Assistant
Please mark the evening of Thursday, September 11 in your calendar. We will be hosting
our annual Meet The Teacher/Curriculum Night that evening. More details will be sent
home the first week of school. We are looking forward to a wonderful year at SWS!
Introducing the 2014-2015 SWS Staff
Ms. Lee - Principal
Ms. Lee is thrilled to be starting her fourth year as Principal at SWS, and is very
excited about working with the staff, students, parents, and community. She is
looking forward to the many exciting opportunities that will be offered at SWS this
year allowing for the students to develop their academic, social, physical, and creative
Superintendent
J. Bowyer
905-666-5500
bowyer_john@durham.
edu.on.ca
Administrative Officer
G. Island
talents. When not at school Ms. Lee enjoys spending time with her family at the
905-666-5500
cottage; reading on her deck; and cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She is
island_greg@durham.
looking forward to a fabulous year at SWS .
Ms. Fisher - Vice Principal
Ms. Fisher joins the SWS staff this year. Prior to SWS, Ms. Fisher was the Vice
Principal at Scott Central Public School. She has also taught in schools in the Brock,
Uxbridge, Scugog, Ajax and Oshawa areas. She is looking forward to getting to know
the SWS community and is especially excited to be working with a new staff, in a new
school, in a new area. With each new school and school year come challenges and
opportunities. Ms. Fisher is looking forward to sharing those experiences with all. She
edu.on.ca
Trustee
K. Zeppieri
905-668-7782
zeppieri_kimberly@
durham.edu.on.ca
asks that everyone be patient with her as she learns all the new names and faces.
Trustee
Mrs. Beer - Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Beer joins the SWS this year after being the Administrative Assistant at
Grandview Public School and West Lynde Public School. Mrs. Beer also worked for
several years at the Durham District Board Office. Mrs. Beer spent her summer
vacationing in Alaska and camping with her husband. She enjoys photography,
reading and sports. She has coached and trained girl’s hockey and soccer teams. She
C. Winters
905-430-6050
winters_christine@
durham.edu.on.ca
also volunteers with the Royal Canadian Sea/Air Cadets. Mrs. Beer is looking forward
to meeting all of the students and their families.
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Mrs. Rooney, Mrs. George - FDK Room 113
Mrs. Rooney joins us this year after teaching for several years in Oshawa schools. She has taught a variety of
grades, but loves FDK. She has a Fine Arts Degree and enjoys encouraging students to explore in art. Mrs.
Rooney enjoys spending time with her family outdoors in any kind of weather. The cottage and the zoo are
two of their favourite places. Mrs. Rooney is excited about meeting a new set of friends to build their
classroom community.
Mrs. George is a familiar face in our FDK classes. She is starting her fourth year at SWS and prior to joining
our team she worked for several years as both an Early Childhood Educator and an Education Assistant for
both the York Catholic and York Region School Boards. She enjoys spending time with her family, completing
Sudoku puzzles and listening to music. She is very excited to meet new people and build great friendships
with fellow co-workers and families of the SWS community.
Mrs. Andres, Mrs. Sharpe - FDK Room 112
Mrs. Andres has been teaching FDK at Sir William Stephenson for several years. Prior to joining the SWS staff she
taught Kindergarten at Bayview Heights Public School in Pickering. Mrs. Andres enjoys spending time with her
family. They love camping and enjoying the outdoors. Mrs. Andres is excited about getting to know all the new
faces at SWS.
Mrs. Sharpe has been an Early Childhood Educator at SWS for several years. She is returning this year after being
off last year on maternity leave. She has twenty years experience as an Early Childhood Educator and truly enjoys
working with children and the SWS family. Mrs. Sharpe enjoys spending time with her family, running and
swimming. She is looking forward to meeting the new students and staff this fall.
Ms. Dixon, Mrs. Kohek - FDK Room 111
Ms. Dixon is thrilled to be joining the FDK team at SWS after teaching in a variety of grade levels at
Carruthers Creek, Ritson, and R. H. Cornish. She will be replacing Mrs. Westbrook who will be off on
maternity leave this year. Ms. Dixon loves to read, cook, travel, and spend as much time as possible outdoors
with her family. She can’t wait to get to know all of the students at SWS and is looking forward to a
wonderful school year with her new school community,
Mrs. Kohek has worked at SWS for several years as a supply Early Childhood Educator. We are fortunate to
have her join us again this year as she assumes the duties of Ms. Smith who will be off all year on maternity
leave. She has lived in Whitby for the last 24 years. Her family has a big interest in soccer, snowboarding
and camping. Mrs. Kohek loves the fact that the children in Kindergarten are so curious. She finds the play
and inquiry based methods used in the FDK classroom an excellent way for young children to share their
ideas and learn through trial and error.
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Mrs. Coulter, Mrs. Khatun - FDK Room 110
Mrs. Coulter lives in Whitby, enjoying the waterfront for walks and managing her very healthy 24 tomato-plant
forest and her pumpkin jungle! During her own time, she loves to read, sew, quilt and bake and consume pies and
tarts. Mrs. Coutler has taught in DDSB for the past 25 years at Glen Dhu, Meadowcrest, Winchester, and Beau Valley,
15 of those years in Kindergarten. In Kindergarten, there are many moments where it seems the light bulb turns on as
students grasp a new idea, concept or skill. This brings Mrs. Coulter joy every time. She looks forward to many of
these learning moments at SWS this year. She also wishes to share her love of music with students.
Mrs. Khatun is joining the SWS staff this year, replacing Mrs. Moore who will be taking a leave of absence for the
year. Prior to joining SWS, Mrs. Khatun worked as a supply Early Childhood Educator for the Durham District School
Board. Mrs. Khatun loves the enthusiasm Kindergarten students have for learning and having fun. She enjoys camping
and fishing with her family, gardening, and trying new things. She is very excited to be part of the excellent team at
SWS and meeting all the friendly teachers and students!
Mrs. Young - Grade 1 Room 104
Mrs. Young opened Sir William Stephenson Public School and has been a member of the staff ever since. Prior to joining
SWS she worked at Winchester, Lakeside, and Lincoln Ave. She has taught at least one year in each grade. She is
passionate about sports … an avid Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Blue Jays, and Denver Broncos fan. Mrs. Young is proud
to say that she opened SWS and is now continuing through with the new SWS and all of the exciting changes. She is
excited to welcome all the new teachers to the school. In the past she enjoyed supervising the puzzle and book club. She
is looking forward to teaching grade 1 again!
Mrs. Grylls - Grade 1 Room 105
Mrs. Grylls joined the SWS team last year and is excited about starting her second year here. Mrs. Grylls
previously taught at Meadowcrest Public School and Claremont Public School. She loves to travel and
read. Her favourite sport is hockey. Her extra-curricular interests include coaching folkdance and
skipping club.
Mrs. Kibzey - Grade 2 Room 103
Mrs. Kibzey is joining the SWS staff while Mrs. Maynard is off on maternity leave. She is excited about
teaching grade 2 at SWS. She began teaching eight years ago, first in a Nursery School and then in Elementary
Schools. She has taught at Blair Ridge, Bolton C Falby, and Eagle Ridge. Mrs. Kibzey has a film and
photography background and spent many years working in the film industry on movie sets and TV shows. She
loves to travel with her family, photography, and read as much as she can. She loves grade 2 and is looking
forward to engaging students with creative, exciting and interesting lessons throughout the year. She is eager
to join the wonderful staff at SWS and continue her own learning throughout the year.
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Mrs. McLennan - Grade 2 Room 106
Mrs. McLennan joins us from Lord Elgin Public School, where she has taught for the last fifteen years. She
has taught a variety of primary grades and spent many years in Kindergarten and grades 2 and 3. Mrs.
McLennan and her family love to camp and take vacations. Mrs. McLennan’s favourite season is summer
and she loves to read, walk and bake during her free time. Mrs. McLennan is excited to join the primary
team at SWS. She is looking forward to meeting the students and parents of the community. She is also
looking forward to music, drama, and art activities … anything creative and fun!
Mrs. Bannister - Grade 3 Room 107
Mrs. Bannister joins us from Meadowcrest Public School where she taught for twelve years. Prior to that
she taught at other schools in Pickering and Ajax. She has taught all primary grades and some junior
grades. She looks forward to bringing her love of drama and dance to SWS. Mrs. Bannister spends most of
her time in arenas watching her children play hockey and lacrosse, She enjoys skiing and going on
vacation with her family. Mrs. Bannister is excited about being at a new school and meeting the parents
and students of SWS. She is looking forward to bringing her love of teaching to SWS. She is also excited
about learning about our school and community. Mrs. Bannister also hopes to help SWS continue its gold
status as an ECO school!
Mrs. Snider - Grade 3 Room 108
Mrs. Snider has just finished her first year at SWS. Prior to joining our team she worked at West Lynde
Public School for several years teaching primary and junior grades. Mrs. Snider and her family love
spending time at their trailer on the lake. They also enjoy trips to Great Wolf Lodge. Mrs. Snider is looking
forward to meeting new colleagues. Her extra-curricular interests involve the folkdance and skipping
clubs.
Mrs. Parkins - Grade 4 Room 109
Mrs. Parkins joins us this year after teaching at Sherwood Public School and Athabasca Public School
where she taught Primary and Junior Grades. Mrs. Parkins loves many sports, both as a player and as a
coach, especially volleyball and track and field. She enjoys spending time at the cottage with her family.
Mrs. Parkins is excited about teaching grade 4 again. She is looking forward to the next stage and next
adventure in her teaching career.
Mrs. Sprung - Grade 4/5 Room 208
Mrs. Sprung has previously taught at Brooklin Village and Carruther’s Creek in the primary and junior
divisions. She has been a competitive swim coach for nearly twenty years and is an avid runner. She
learned to crochet a few years ago and loves doing that in her free time. Mrs. Sprung is excited about
becoming part of a new community of learners and their families. She looks forward to meeting all the
students and their families. Her extra-curricular interests involve coaching and clubs that reflect her
hobbies.
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Mrs. Dodds - Grade 5 Room 207
Mrs. Dodds is excited about joining the SWS team. Previously she has taught at Coronation, Winchester,
and Jack Miner. She has her Special Education qualifications and has taught in a number of special needs
classes as well as the mainstream. Mrs. Dodds loves spending time with her family, running, yoga and
enjoying a latte on her lunch break. Mrs. Dodds thinks grade 5 is a great grade to teach and is looking
forward to meeting her new students.
Mrs. Heemskerk - Grade 6 Room 206
Mrs. Heemskerk will be joining the SWS team this year. She has worked in several Durham schools in the
Oshawa and Whitby areas. She also has taught for the Toronto Board of Education. Mrs. Heemskerk enjoys
spending time with her family, hiking, photography, going on mission trips, writing and enjoying a good
cup of tea. She is very excited about becoming a member of the Sir William Stephenson staff, as she has
heard amazing things about the school. She is excited to be teaching grade 6 as this is her favourite grade
to teach. Most of all, she is looking forward to meeting her new students in the fall.
Mrs. Anderson - Grade 6/7 Room 205
Mrs. Anderson enjoys playing beach volleyball, running and baseball. She used to live in Australia and
loves to travel. This is her third year teaching at SWS. She has taught grade 6 and 8 at Dr. C.F. Cannon and
Kindergarten at Norman G Powers as well as at SWS. She has also taught the junior/intermediate ME class
at SWS. Mrs. Anderson is extremely excited to continue her relationship with the SWS community. She is
looking forward to meeting her students and having a great year. She is excited about working with the
SWS staff and is also looking forward to growing as a teacher and learning.
Ms. Parfitt - Grade 7 Room 201
Ms. Parfitt is an Intermediate/Senior teacher whose past experiences include teaching Chemistry and
General Sciences for two years at the high school level, and grade 8 Science. She has a passion for music
and sports and will take any chance to get on the golf course. However, her biggest passion of all is
science. She hopes to pass on the love of learning and science education to the students at SWS. Being a
new teacher to the school, Ms. Parfitt is excited to become familiar with the culture, students and staff of
SWS. She hopes to be involved in the school as much as possible and her extra-curricular interests include
coaching as many teams as she can.
Ms. Tryan - Grade 8 Room 202
Ms. Tryan has been an FDK teacher at SWS for the last three years. This September she is excited to be
taking a leap and will be teaching Grade 8 Core and Intermediate Art. She has taught a variety of grades, a
Behaviour class, and was SERT in other Whitby schools prior to joining the SWS class. Ms. Tryan is a
self-confessed work-a-holic who loves cottage life, snowboarding and wakeboarding when she allows
herself down time. This summer she went backpacking and surfing around Costa Rica. Ms. Tryan is has
coached a number of sports teams during her time at SWS. She has been a lead counsellor at the Durham
Integrated Arts Camp for several years and is excited to have the opportunity to use her knowledge and
experience to provide the intermediate students with a number of leadership opportunities this year.
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Mr. Fofic - Grade 8 Room 204
Mr. Fofic joined the SWS team last year, and was thrilled when we could hire him again this year. Mr. Fofic has taught students
from grade 4-12 and has worked in several Durham Secondary Schools, teaching Science and French. Mr. Fofic was born in
Croatia and is an avid snowboarder and soccer fanatic. He is excited about teaching French and Grade 8 Core this year, and is
enthusiastic about seeing the grade 8 students all grown up and ready to lead. His extra-curricular interests include the Eco
Club and coaching various school teams. He is also very excited about the leadership opportunities the Intermediate staff are
planning for the students this year.
Mme. King - French
Mme. King is looking forward to joining the Camp X family. She joins us after teaching Core French and
French Immersion Programs in Whitby and Ajax. Mme. King and her family live in a house filled with
books, animals, and too much technology for her book-loving self. Mme. King is excited about the new
French Curriculum and introducing the cultural aspects of Canadian French to the students of SWS. She is
really excited about meeting the students of SWS and getting to know them and their families. In the role
of French teacher she is able to work with not just one class of students but many of the Junior and
Intermediate students. Mme. King is looking forward to getting to know them both inside and outside the
classroom.
Mrs. March - Librarian
Mrs. March has been our Teacher Librarian for the last few years. She also has worked closely with our
Kindergarten and Primary students. Mrs. March loves reading, travelling, walking and shopping. She is
excited about working with new staff and helping them to implement the new Social Studies curriculum
next year. She is also looking forward to her outdoor learning sessions with the Kindergarten students and
to the awesome book fairs she brings to SWS each year.
Mrs. Scott - Special Education Resource Teacher
Mrs. Scott has been on staff at SWS for several years. She is a Special Education Resource Teacher and works in our
Kindergarten classes. Before joining SWS she worked in several schools throughout Durham. She has experience in
most grades and special education classes. She is a former figure skating coach. Mrs. Scott is excited about working
in Kindergarten with the great students and staff. She particularly enjoys watching the Kindergarten students develop
skills and confidence when learning how to read and looks forward to her daily reading sessions in the FDK classes.
Mrs. Good - Special Education Resource Teacher
Mrs. Good joined the SWS team last year after spending several years as the Special Education Resource
Teacher at Glen Street Public School in Oshawa and A. G. Bell Public School in Ajax. She keeps busy year
round as a hockey and baseball mom. She also adopted a retired greyhound racer, Uno, who she enjoys
taking for walks around her neighbourhood. Mrs. Good enjoys sitting on her porch, drinking her coffee
and reading during the summer. She is looking forward to meeting the new staff and students and
working with her colleagues this year.
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Ms. MacGregor, Mrs. Swift, Mrs. Amos, Mrs. Boissoneau - Pr./Jr. ME Room 101
Ms. MacGregor is looking forward to her third year teaching the students in the Pr./Jr. ME class. She is looking forward to welcoming the new
Educational Assistants to her class, and is excited about meeting her students and their families at her classroom open house on August 27. Ms.
MacGregor takes care of two furry family members (her cats) and enjoys spending her weekends working with her brother at auction sales
where she is always on the look out for deals for her classroom.
Mrs. Swift (nee Cochrane) is looking forward to working full time in our ME class. She enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures, and has
volunteered at the Eathiga Children's Hope Home in Kenya. She is looking forward to working with the SWS students this year.
Mrs. Amos joins us after working at Pine Ridge Secondary School and Fallingbrook Public School. Her family likes to entertain themselves by
travelling, going to sporting events, and movie watching. Mrs. Amos is excited about returning to an Elementary school and working with a great
team of staff and students.
Mrs. Boissoneau enjoys spending time outdoors and at the cottage with her family. She enjoys fishing and water skiing. Mrs. Boissoneau has
worked with the special needs population for 13 years, most recently as an EA at Lincoln Alexander Public School. She is excited to start the year
at SWS working with a new team, and together helping to guide the progress of a new group of students.
Mr. Brown, Mrs. Pitt, Mrs. Pitre - Jr./Int. ME Room 102
Mr. Brown is joining us from September– May this year, assuming the duties of Mrs. Switzer who is off on maternity leave. Mr. Brown has been a
professional teacher for four years. Before joining DDSB, he worked as a Behavioural Therapy worker at Community Living, and earlier, taught English
in Japan and France. Mr. Brown loves music, sports, running and movies. He is very excited to begin the new year at SWS. In the past he has supply
taught at SWS and was impressed with the level of commitment, passion, and dedication offered from the hardworking staff and supporting volunteers.
His extra-curricular interests include drumming and coaching. Working in the ME room has been a dream of his, and he can’t wait to get started.
Mrs. Pitt loves running and is currently training for her 10th half marathon. Reading is a favourite hobby of hers and she can’t wait to dive into her
next book. She has worked at 6 different schools during her17 years as an Educational Assistant with DDS.B. She has encountered many different styles
of teaching and learning during these years. She loves helping to teach math but enjoys seeing all students reach their best potential, no matter what the
subject is. A new school year always brings many changes and this year is no different. We will see many new student and staff faces and Mrs. Pitt is
looking forward to working with and getting to know everyone.
Mrs. Pitre has been a member of the SWS family for several years. She has been an Educational Assistant for 23 years, having worked at Donevan,
Grandview, Kathleen Rowe and Sir William Stephenson. She enjoys reading, camping and spending time with her family and friends. Mrs. Pitre is
excited to see all of the students and hear about their summer adventures.
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Mr. Rancier - Physical Education
Mr. Rancier has worked at SWS for the last four years teaching grade 4, FDK, Library, Special Education,
and Physical Education. He loves SWS! He is looking forward to teaching Physical Education and Health
again this year, as well as the time he will spend in our ME classes. When not teaching or coaching, Mr.
Rancier enjoys living in the country where he and his family can relax, fish and ATV. Mr. Rancier is
excited that the grade 4s he taught when he first started at SWS will now be in grade 8. He looks forward
to working with them to ensure that they become the positive leaders in our school and the community.
Mr. Rancier has spent hours in the gym, coaching various teams over the years. He is looking forward to
watching the students beat their personal bests in a variety of sports this year.
Ms. Pindar - Music
Ms. Pindar is excited about spending her days teaching Music this year, while Mrs. Rigney takes a leave of
absence. She has been a member of the SWS family for the last three years, Ms. Pindar loves to read, travel
and cook. She loves to play ultimate Frisbee and is spending her summer learning how to sail in
Frenchman’s Bay and decorating her new home. She is excited about working with so many new and
talented staff members. She grew up in Whitby and is happy to call SWS home.
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Mr. Mercier, Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Squair - E.A.s
Mr. Mercier has worked at SWS for several years as an Educational Assistant. Prior to working at SWS he worked at West Lynde Public School. Mr.
Mercier works with a variety of students in a number of classes.
Mrs. Hammond has also worked at SWS as an Educational Assistant for several years. Throughout the years she has worked in a variety of
classrooms, often in the Intermediate division. She has worked behind the scene during concerts, musicals, and graduations.
Mrs. Squair has worked in various schools throughout Durham since 2008, as an Educational Assistant. She also works as a respite worker with
Resources For Exceptional Children part time. Mrs. Squair and her husband enjoy taking their dogs vacationing in their RV. Mrs. Squair is looking
forward to spending another year working at Sir William Stephenson. Last year she worked in the ME class, and this year she will be working with
a variety of students in many different classes, replacing Ms. Franz who is off on maternity leave.
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Mrs. Tresise, Mrs. Perkins, Mrs. Platt - Custodians
Mrs. Tresise is our chief custodian. Mrs. Perkins and Mrs. Platt are our evening custodians. They have worked extremely hard all summer ensuring
that our school is sparkling clean for the first day of school. They are looking forward to working with staff and students who take pride in their
school, and who will take responsibility for maintaining a clean and safe work environment for everyone.
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