Julie Mitchell (she/her) is the Director of Accessibility and Engagement as an extremely valued member of the PSS Leadership team. She’s worked in various roles at the school for thirteen years, starting as the in-house Orton-Gillingham tutor. She was drawn to the school while looking for an elementary school for her daughter that supported her attachment-based parenting approach, and she carries that philosophy forward into all her work today. She is deeply passionate about getting to know the kids and their differences, and teaching them that they are all equally capable and valued. The other thing she loves about working here is the incredible and caring PSS team, who have become a second family to her.

A certified Orton-Gillingham practitioner with a background in mental health work and close to two decades of experience as a parent, Julie is constantly amazed by how much she learns from her work at the school, whether that be from the kids or Heidi, her mentor of thirteen years. Her teaching is centred around play and inquiry based lifelong learning, which she applies to her own life through, among other things, taking tons of Pro-D sessions. The people she has learned the most from would be Heidi and Kyla, who reinforced both her approach to parenting and working with kids and adults.

Outside of the classroom, Julie has recently gotten into the process of making sourdough —the attention, love, and freedom the starter needs is very similar to the process of parenting. She is also an avid reader and runner, with a large green thumb. Her favourite season is summer, when she can get out into the garden and go on adventures with her daughter Holly. She has one very plump cat who follows her around and gets so excited whenever she sees her that she stops, flops, and rolls, tail quivering.