What do you do at PSS and how long have you been here? I am currently the elementary school principal. I’ve been involved with the PSS community since 2009.

David Darling (he/him) is the principal of our high school. He was drawn to Pacific Spirit School by a desire to help students flourish, particularly those who would thrive in a unique educational setting. He is deeply passionate about PSS’s emphasis on a holistic approach to learning, wherein both social-emotional development and academic achievement are viewed with equal importance. He also loves the experimental learning and non-traditional methods of assessment that PSS champions for both teachers and students. All of this means that when an opportunity arose to help lead such a school, he jumped at the chance!

David studied at the University of Oxford, and earned a Bachelors and a Masters in Modern History, as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. He also holds an M.A. in Canadian History from Simon Fraser University. In his professional career, David has taught students of all ages, from high school (20+ years as a senior history teacher at St George's School) to university and beyond, including senior citizens. David has taught at colleges and universities (10 years at SFU and Douglas College), was principal at St John's School, and is the recently retired head of Canada International Royal Arts School.

To David, a school should be the furthest thing possible from a thought factory, where students’ heads are stuffed with information. Education is about teaching students how to think, not what to think, and this ideal forms the basis of David’s philosophy and practice.

In his spare time, David enjoys getting out on the water as he is an avid rower. He also likes to travel and has a passion for photography. He sees these activities as core parts of his personal and educational growth.

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.

Debbie Nielsen is our school’s trusted and über-efficient Administration & Office Manager, looking after everything from financials to enrolment and everything in between! Debbie is a past parent at the school, as her daughter attended from Kindergarten through Grade 7. Debbie and her family are deeply connected to the school and the people, so she is thrilled to remain part of the PSS family.

Carolyn’s most important work and life experience comes from being a mother to her two sons, who are now 10 and 6 years old. Being a parent has influenced her strongly as an educator, teaching her the importance of meeting every child where they are at in their educational journey. It makes sense that her mom–an elementary teacher for 42 years–is her greatest influence in life! Being at PSS has allowed Carolyn to deepen her practice and focus more on supporting the educational and social needs of children, and collaborating with the other members of the PSS team has taught her a lot. Her classroom makes room for connection, inspiration, and space for each child to be who they are.

Carolyn’s favourite season is winter, with the feeling of snuggling up under a warm blanket and the joy of celebrating the holidays with the people you love. If she could have any superpower, she’d want to be able to time travel, to have more time to connect with people who she’s lost.

What do you do at PSS and how long have you been here? I have been at Pacific Spirit School since 2009. I am the Sage’s (K/1) educator and the Associate Principal.

What initially attracted you to work at PSS and what do you value about working here now? PSS found me and I’m so grateful they did. After hearing about my creative work with kids they reached out to me. After I read the school’s philosophy and watched their link to Ken Robinson’s TED talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”, my heart lept at the possibility that a school like this actually existed. I felt inspired to step back into the classroom, and I am so glad I did.

I deeply value and resonate with the educational philosophies of this school.

I value the community of educators and families, and the commitment to open, honest and caring communication.

I value the way we respect and nurture children, and support their whole growth by meeting them where they’re at. I value that we focus on helping children navigate the emotional, social, physical and intellectual complexities of their inner and outer worlds while celebrating their strengths and uniqueness.

I value that PSS is more than just a school; it’s a community where families, staff and students work together to care for each other and create a safe and compassionate environment to grow and learn as individuals and as a whole.

What’s something you’ve learned teaching or working here? I have learned that children need to feel safe to take risks. I have learned that the richest and deepest learning comes from supporting children to find and follow their interests; it is from this place that we can scaffold them to step into their personal challenges and help expand their learning.

I am continually amazed by children’s unique ways of thinking and learning, and inspired by their creativity, ingenuity and curiosity. I have learned to trust that play is a rich opportunity for all sorts of learning. Play is the work of children but adults would also do well to bring play back into their lives.

Which educator has influenced you the most in your life, and how? My Kindergarten/Grade One teacher, Mr. Robert Heidbreder. He created a caring, playful and supportive classroom that was alive with stories and explorative learning. This foundational experience was worth its weight in gold and helped me feel like school was a place for me, learning could be fun and that I could learn. This foundation was essential during the darker days of school when I struggled with learning disabilities and social challenges. Mr. Heidbreder inspired me to want to build this strong foundation for others as a way to buffer them from the sometimes squishing effects of school. Heidi Anderson, the Principal and long-time K/1 teacher at Pacific Spirit School, supported me in the ways we support the kids, to shine and grow as an educator and whole person.

What do you look forward to in your role here each year? I look forward to the people, big and little.

What is an example of your approach to nurturing social, emotional, physical and intellectual learning in your work at PSS? I welcome you to come see our classroom in action!

If you could bring anyone back to life and have dinner with them, who would it be? I would love the opportunity to spend time with my grandparents and a few dearly missed loved ones.

What’s one item on your bucket list? Narrowing the gap of inequality and building a more just and compassionate society. I would also like to see the volcanic landscapes of Iceland.

What educational background, or ongoing professional development, do you draw upon in your work at PSS?  I was raised in cooperative housing and went to inner city schools and alternative high schools. I have a B.A. in Geography with a focus on the geography of childhood. I did my teacher training at SFU and ran after-school programs and summer camps in East Vancouver. I have designed curriculums and taught programs for Community Mapping, Storytelling projects and ArtStart Vancouver. I have a vast knowledge of children’s literature from my decades of bookstore work and a ridiculously large collection of children’s books.

Josh Keller (he/him) has been with PSS for seven years as both the Oaks educator and, more recently, the French teacher as well. He counts himself extremely lucky to have found PSS, for working here has allowed him to dedicate himself to supporting each child’s intellectual, artistic, athletic, and empathetic self. He’s also grateful for all the experience he’s gained in herding cats! 

Josh comes from a background in language education, and he draws upon that in his current practice. Learning a language, and learning in general, requires building schema to understand concepts and drawing from many different sources for knowledge–such as art and music. Josh approaches everything with curiosity, be it teaching, learning, or approaching any issues that may arise in class. Curiosity has no age limit, and encouraging it to flourish in every child is something Josh takes seriously.

Josh has an old, cranky cat who has no qualms about demanding food whenever she sees fit. He spends a lot of his time in the great outdoors we enjoy in BC, taking a lot of joy in hiking, skiing, and spending time on the water. Josh also has some hidden talents, but if they were listed here they wouldn’t be hidden, would they?

What do you do at PSS and how long have you been here? I started at PSS in September 2018. I presently teach part-time in the grade 4/5 class and the grade 6/7 class.

What initially attracted you to work at PSS and what do you value about working here now? When I initially visited PSS the first thing I noticed was the strong, respectful relationships between students and staff. Also, each child is not only valued and embraced for their individuality, but their education is based on their learning style, personality, and what they are able to offer to the school (and broader) community.

What’s something you’ve learned teaching or working here? The importance of a collaborative approach to supporting the emotional, social, and educational resilience of children.

Which educator has influenced you the most in your life, and how? In my final year of university I had a theatre teacher named Dr. Peter Loeffler. He made space for us as his students to learn and contribute in ways that nourished our passions and reflected our personalities. He showed me that there is so much beauty and good in the world, and how important art is for humanity.

What do you look forward to in your role here each year? As this is my first year at PSS I look forward to absolutely everything – each day is exciting and fills me with great joy!

What is an example of your approach to nurturing social, emotional learning in your work at PSS? I think what drew me to PSS is the philosophy around recognizing, valuing, and nourishing the whole child. Also, I see each child as a unique human with their own way of interacting with the world and their learning. That being said, my approach is one of fostering a mutual connection with each child (to fully understand them as a person) while leading by example.

If you could bring anyone back to life and have dinner with them, who would it be? My paternal grandmother. I never met her and would love to learn about her life, as well as say thank you for giving me mine.

What’s one item on your bucket list? To see the Aurora Borealis in Iceland (while relaxing in a geothermal pool!).

What educational background, or ongoing professional development, do you draw upon in your work at PSS? I have Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. I also lived in Glasgow where I completed my Professional Graduate Diploma in Elementary Education, as well as a Certificate in Special Educational Needs/Additional Support Needs. Prior to that I spent 3 years teaching English in Japan followed by 3 months volunteering for an education focused NGO in Nepal.

Liz Edgar (she/her) wears many hats at PSS: she’s the high school teacher of Social Studies, Life Sciences 11, Science 8, and ADST (Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies) as well as the leader of the growing Maker Space. She’s worked at the school for three years, jumping at the chance to join the fledgling high school program thanks to the school’s ethos of attachment, flexibility, and community. She is constantly delighted and surprised by the relationships that grow from learning and teaching together.

Liz has worked as an educator in both the private and public sectors, but the experiences she draws from are wide and varied. She also applies lessons she’s learned from working at UBC Libraries, summers spent running a fuel barge, and a stint as ‘the world’s worst catering driver.’ The lessons she’s learned from her parents are also kept close to her heart. Liz’s practice is defined by learning and laughing together, and she is a strong believer in the fact that building relationships with students is the most important part of being an educator.

Liz is very talented at washing marine engine oil out of bird feathers. When she was younger, Liz wanted to be a police officer who was also a marine biologist, flying up and down the coast on a seaplane accompanied by Sam, her childhood dog. She has two rescue cats, Ogilvy and Bernbach. One day, she plans to tackle the task of learning Welsh in her spare time, to go with her love of British crime dramas. She’s well known for falling over during the sun salutation in yoga.

What do you do at PSS and how long have you been here?  I began teaching at PSS in 2008, working mainly with the intermediate grades, although at PSS we do a lot of mixing of ages, which I love.

What initially attracted you to work at PSS and what do you value about working here now?  My own children went to Lifesong, the predecessor to PSS, and Heidi was their K/1 teacher. I loved the warmth and creativity of the school and later returned to it (after it became PSS) when I became a teacher and my own children were off to high school.

What’s something you’ve learned teaching or working here?  I suppose that the biggest thing I have learned at my job is that it’s really ok to just be myself, that I can trust in my way of being with children and be fully supported in that by the staff here. This in turn has helped me to grow in how I see children and treasure their unique ways of being in the world.

Which educator has influenced you the most in your life, and how?  When I was in grade seven, my teacher gave me a piece of poetry that she had written as a teenager, because she knew that I loved poetry. I remember feeling so happy that someone really saw me. I think that’s the best thing anyone can do for anyone else.

What do you look forward to in your role here each year?  I look forward to those moments when a child says or does something that comes straight from whatever they are thinking or wondering in the moment – like the time a kindergarten student asked my age and I said “what would you guess?” and they replied “eighty?”

What is an example of your approach to nurturing social, emotional, physical and intellectual learning in your work at PSS?  Know that when a child says “this doesn’t make sense,” they are really saying “I’m confused/tired/frustrated/afraid.” This is the time to work with them to puzzle out whatever the difficulty is and to skillfully balance helping out directly and respectfully standing aside. The clearest example of this has been in teaching math, that universal stumper of young and old! When a student gets stuck, I begin by reassuring them that they are not alone in their struggle, and then together we begin to “parse out” the problem. Usually the child discovers for themselves the point at which the difficulty arose, and then we begin again from there.

Take the time to observe each child as they work and play independently and with others.

Question my own assumptions every day.

If you could bring anyone back to life and have dinner with them, who would it be?  Frances Hodgson-Burnett, Cicely Mary Barker, and my grandparents.

What’s one item on your bucket list?  To speak and write another language fluently.

What educational background, or ongoing professional development, do you draw upon in your work at PSS?  I have a Bachelor of fine arts (honors), a Bachelor of Education from UBC, Orton-Gillingham training and have trained with Mindful Schools.

A native of Ireland, Orlaith graduated with a BSc and a teaching certificate from the University of Limerick and taught Math and Science at high school in Kerry. She has her BC teacher certification and before coming to PSS taught in a school with a similar clientele as ours. She currently teaches Math and Chemistry at PSS. An enthusiastic and empathetic professional, Orlaith is a strong believer in positive affirmation and prides herself on her ability to encourage creativity and exploration in the classroom and on being flexible in accommodating the diverse needs, abilities, and strengths of her students. As a trivia aside, she has won All-Ireland medals in traditional Irish music! She is a valuable addition to the PSS team.

What do you do at PSS and how long have you been here? I came to Pacific Spirit in September 2018. I support the educators and learners in the various classrooms -my role is to help educators better understand and address information processing differences in order to improve social, emotional and academic learning outcomes. I hope to help children better understand their own processing and learning needs so that they can be strong self-advocates.

What initially attracted you to work at PSS and what do you value about working here now? A family from my private practice asked me to accompany them for a visit to the school and I immediately felt that I had found “my people”. I have a great appreciation for the Pacific Spirit School mission and the tenets of student centred, inquiry-based learning that promotes collaboration, curiosity, creativity and rich relationships and I share in the ideal and responsibility of helping children experience joy and contentment in their daily pursuits. I find great fulfillment in performing a supportive role alongside like-minded professionals.

What’s something you’ve learned teaching or working here? Well, grade 5 math, for a start! The last 8 months have been extremely validating for me and have helped to entrench my trust in the wisdom of children and the value of providing them with time and space to generate and flesh out their own ideas, follow their passions and take risks in their creative endeavours.

Which educator has influenced you the most in your life, and how? I have been fortunate to learn from so many different people over the years. My Nana was my first teacher of the natural world. Bears and Samahria Kaufman created an approach called Son-Rise that encourages quiet, attentive presence, meaningfully joining children in their activities and the power of unconditional love and acceptance. Their work informs my interactions with every child I encounter. Randi Gurholt-Seary was my supervisor in an inner city, integrated childcare program and she taught me to trust a child’s process, value the different qualities that each individual brings to the table and that it was possible to give children boundaries and discipline without making them feel inadequate. Bev Bos showed me the critical difference between praise and encouragement.

The experiences and perspectives of educators such as Helen Hughes, Marva Collins, A.S. Neill, John Holt, David Elkind, Alfie Kohn, Brent Cameron and Gordon Neufeld, have also had a great influence on me.

What do you look forward to in your role here each year? I look forward to continuing to learn alongside such phenomenal educators, parents and children in such a supportive and open environment.

What is an example of your approach to nurturing social, emotional, physical and intellectual learning in your work at PSS? I believe strongly in experiential learning and fanning the flames of children’s interests and wonderment through experiential, play- and inquiry-based learning. Scientists play. Engineers play. Artists play. Musicians play. Play and inquiry are what lead to the greatest discoveries. I use the ideas of my students as springboards for lessons and strive to create unique and intentional learning experiences. I always have “my plan” and then I have “what happens”-“what happens” is usually better than my plan!

If you could bring anyone back to life and have dinner with them, who would it be? I would love to spend time with my paternal grandparents again. They died when I was 12 and I never got to know them as “people”. They had their own struggles and I would love to be able to learn from them.

What’s one item on your bucket list? I would like to create a permaculture garden, preferably while learning to paint, play the ukulele by ear and speak Italian, fluently.

What educational background, or ongoing professional development, do you draw upon in your work at PSS? Over the past 27 years I have studied and worked in the field of special education in various learning environments and in private practice.

I am a Reference and Regulate autism therapist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and NeurOptimal neurofeedback trainer. I provide developmentally founded, relationship based, play based, therapy to children and youth who have learning, mental health and behavioural challenges, in 1:1 and small group settings.

I have studied Art and Play Therapy (Justice Institute and others), HANDLE® neurodevelopmental movement therapy and MNRI (Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration) therapy and attended numerous courses, conferences, study groups and webinars in the areas of child development, experiential learning, holistic health, cranial therapy, attachment parenting,  neurodevelopmental movement and special needs education, 1985 to present.