Our Team Members

The team members at The Bridge Educational Society work throughout several departments including the Okanagan Waldorf School Faculty, the Early Years Centre early childhood educators, the Administration offices, support staff, and the Board.

Faculty

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Danielle Westlake
Kindergarten Teacher

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Danielle Westlake

Kindergarten Teacher

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Jillian Martin
Director of Education OWS
Okanagan Waldorf School Principal
Class 1 Teacher

Ms. Jillian Martin was born in Calgary, AB then lived in the Lower Mainland until the summer of 2015. She worked in the Natural Health Food Industry for 13 years, where she spent considerable time working in and managing the Vitamin Departments of several stores in both Calgary and Vancouver.

Jillian lives with her husband and two daughters. She began her teaching career by homeschooling her eldest daughter for Kindergarten and Grade One. Her family decided to make the move to the Okanagan to enroll their children at Cedar Bridge School (now Okanagan Waldorf School). Jillian then decided to continue her educational journey to become a Waldorf Teacher because of her dedication and commitment to Waldorf Education.
Jillian first joined The Bridge Educational Society faculty in the spring of 2016 as a class assistant and then continued on as kindergarten assistant for several years. The 2019/2020 school year was the first year that she took on the role of lead teacher, where she taught the Grade Three and Four class. She is currently the Grade One lead teacher at Okanagan Waldorf School.

Jillian has completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and her Waldorf Grades Certificate through West Coast Institute. She is currently working to be a Waldorf Learning Support Teacher, through Waldorf Learning Support.

In her free time, Jillian loves hiking, snowboarding, paddle boarding, gardening and caring for her family’s chickens.

Jillian Martin

Class 1/2 Teacher

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Jenn Carson
Class 2/3 Teacher
Grades Faculty Chair

Ms. Jenn Carson is originally from Temagami, ON and moved around during her childhood before settling down in Kenora, ON. She lived there until she was 18 years of age, when she moved to Halifax for University. She lived there the longest and as a result, Halifax feels like home to her.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax) and studied and practiced the Foundations of Enki Education. Enki is similar to Waldorf, but focuses on Shambhala Buddhism as the philosophical base to the education. Currently, Jenn is enrolled in the West Coast Institute’s Waldorf Teacher training program.

After graduating from University, she worked as a freelance music journalist, assisted in several art studios and taught art at various schools throughout Halifax. She was a Primary Class (Kindergarten) Assistant at the Shambhala School of Halifax, Junior Primary Assistant at the Sacred Heart School of Halifax, as well as their after-school program and extracurricular coordinator. Prior to working in education, she was a coffee roaster/barista for a time.

While living in Nova Scotia, Jenn worked with Soil Mates Farm (formerly Abundance Cooperative). She pioneered the NSCAD mural project, hosted art shows and music performances. Currently, she is working with Little & Sage to create educational activities based on play and art for children and their parents at home.

After moving to BC from the East Coast, she knew that she wanted to stay in BC as there are more opportunities to practice Waldorf education. She saw the opening at Okanagan Waldorf School and started to look into the background of the school and noticed that it originated as a farm school. Having worked on a farm in Nova Scotia for four years, this was the biggest draw for her; combining mindful education in a beautiful setting created with intention, and fostering a strong community. Her parents now live in BC as well and she notes that it is wonderful to be in the same province with them again.

Since moving to Vernon, she has been exploring the area through hiking and biking. In the summer she enjoys paddle boarding, creating art installations for festivals using the landscape/setting to inspire what is created, and loves yoga. Jenn does a lot of musical collaborations with friends, enjoys reading for both pleasure and learning, being active, studying herbs and plant medicines and making salves, soaps and lotions for varying health and body needs.

Jenn Carson

Class 3/4 Teacher & Grades Faculty Chair

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Kim Seymour
Class 4-8 Handwork Teacher
Class 1-8 Garden Teacher

Ms. Kim Seymour grew up in Vernon BC and has lived in Lumby with her husband for the last nine years. They have two children, as well as two dogs and one loveable cat named Mittens. They enjoy caring for their 20+ chickens and will soon be adding a few ducks to their hobby farm.

In highschool, Kim developed a passion for Visual Arts, Woodworking, and Earth and Environmental Science. As a teen and young adult, she would often volunteer in highschool and elementary classrooms. She has worked in child care, the restaurant industry, retail, and grocery stores. When she was a University student she worked for the City of Vernon planting and caring for the gardens in Polsen Park for a time, as well as other outdoor jobs.

Kim has completed her Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Geography (Earth and Environmental Sciences) and has a Minor in English Literature from UBCO. She completed her Bachelor of Elementary Education in 2011. Kim was a Kindergarten classroom assistant, then the grades 4&5 teacher at the Okanagan Indian Band Cultural Immersion School from 2011-2015 collectively. She has worked as a substitute teacher for School District #22.

She found her way to our organization when her son began preschool at Okanagan Waldorf School in 2014 where she immediately loved the forest and farm environment, as well as the homelike warmth of the campus. She began her journey learning about Waldorf education and the work of Rudolf Steiner. Soon, she was offered an opportunity to teach here. She began her Waldorf Teacher Training in 2015 and felt a connection to the pedagogy and approach that Waldorf education offers. As a teacher at Okanagan Waldorf School, she loves being able to share both her scientific and artistic passions for the arts, the forest, the land, native vegetation and gardening with the children, inspiring creativity, curiosity and wonder.

Kim is an active member of the Grounds and Garden Committee on our campus. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, hobby farming, hiking, adventuring, camping, fishing, gardening, reading, supporting local markets/events and sometimes she and her mom enter markets with their arts and crafts.

Kim Seymour

Class 5 Teacher

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Kate Olthof
Class 6/7 Teacher

Ms. Kate Olthof was born in Terrace BC and raised in Abbotsford. She lived in Victoria and Vancouver, then settled in Vernon in 2005. Her husband’s family is from the area. He grew up minutes from the Okanagan Waldorf School on the property where they now live. Her husband was keen to move back after finishing university.

Kate has a B.A. and a B.Ed. from UBC. After completing her teaching degree in 2003, Kate worked for eight years as a teacher in Mission and Vernon. She taught French, English, and Social Studies. Kate had also worked as a substitute teacher.

Currently, Kate is taking the Explorations in Anthroposophy course through Antioch University. It is a certificate program that runs September to June.

After her second son was born, she stayed home to care for their children. She first engaged with our organization when she joined the Okanagan Waldorf School Community Garden in Spring of 2018. Through this endeavor, she met members of the OkanaganWaldorf School community. She had been home for eight years caring for her children, and was looking for new challenges as her children had started school. She originally became employed as an Education Assistant at our school in the fall of 2019.

She loved the beautiful location of the school and the focus on learning in a natural environment. After the craziness of having young children had subsided, she realized how much she missed helping students.

Kate is a self-proclaimed tinkerer who enjoys many hobbies. She loves vegetable gardening, reading, painting and drawing, knitting, hiking, air hockey, jigsaw puzzles, swimming in lakes, geocaching, card games, snowshoeing, exploring, paddle boarding, biking and camping. She lives with her husband and their two sons; their dog, three cats and eight chickens.

Kate Olthof

Class 6/7 Teacher

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Barbara Articus
Class 8 Teacher
Class 1-3 Handwork Teacher

Ms. Barbara Articus has worn many hats over the years at our little school and has been a beloved member of our organization since 2005 when Cedar Bridge School (Okanagan Waldorf School) was only an inspired idea. She found her way to us when her daughter saw a notice looking for people who may be interested in supporting a Waldorf initiative in the Lumby area, and she replied. She has been part of the community ever since. Barbara shares that she was drawn to being a part of this initiative because of her love for the Waldorf world with its wonderful curriculum, as well as Anthroposophy. She developed a deep connection to both while she still resided in Europe, and it lives in her to this day. Barbara enjoys the way the faculty work together here and the way the children and human beings are seen and held within the light of Anthroposophy.

Barbara grew up in a village in the Southern part of Germany, near the Black Forest region. She and her family moved to the Lumby area in 1991. While still living in Germany, she completed a degree in Art Therapy with an Anthroposophical/Waldorf background (B.A. equivalent in Canada) which she has since studied continually. Upon graduation, she worked with individuals and groups as an Art Therapist. She and her family moved to Canada when her oldest child was a toddler, where she and her husband bought an acreage outside of Lumby and began farming. She raised and homeschooled both her children with Waldorf curriculum.

Barbara and her husband continue to live on the farm with their family which now includes her daughter who is in university, her son with his wife and three daughters as well as a cat, dogs, chickens, alpacas, and sheep.

In her free time Barbara enjoys working with fibers of all sorts, particularly spinning, weaving, toy making, felting, dyeing, knitting and more. She offers some of her toys, ornaments, and garments in our school store. She enjoys working in her garden, walks with friends in nature, reading, baking, and playing with her grandchildren.

Barbara Articus

OWS Handwork Teacher

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Geoff Akins
Kindergarten Classroom Support

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Geoff Akins

Educational Assistant

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Robyn Robinson
OWS Student Support

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Robyn Robinson

Educational Assistant

Early Childhood Educators

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Lyndsey Byers
Sweet Pea Room Lead

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Lyndsey Byers

Sweet Pea Room Lead

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Johanna Lebo
Marigold Room Lead

Ms. Hana Lebo was born in Pasadena, CA and when she was 10 years old her family moved to Vancouver. They enjoyed city life which was rich in culture, diversity and coastal living. 

Her work history includes several years of study and employment in the hospitality/culinary industry as a private chef on a yacht and barge, movie caterer and remote camp chef. She shares that she loves cooking in unique ever-changing environments. After her culinary years, she dove into a diploma in Business Administration and Human Resources. Hana expresses a passion for lifelong learning, strategic management and organizational efficiency while prioritizing true interpersonal connections.

Hana loves to travel and embrace rich culture and community, she has traveled with her backpack to 27 countries. Upon her return to Canada, she met her partner Patrick and they soon settled in Lake Country. In time they discovered the beautiful Lavington area and knew this was where they wanted to be, and eventually made the move to the area. 

After becoming a parent, she worked with the Family Resource Center as a co-facilitator in parent and child programs. She fell in love with early childhood and connecting with families. In 2017 she became an Early Childhood Educator Assistant (ECEA) and followed with her Montessori 3-6 Diploma. In this role, she ran the Daffodil Cafe, a culinary program at a Montessori preschool, providing fun hands-on culinary activities for her students while embracing her passion for food, farm-to-table and global pallet.

As a young mother Hana discovered The Bridge Land for Learning in 2015 (then named Cedar Bridge School) and she made a conscious effort to remain connected as a community member,  by taking part with her daughter and friends in open festivals until they could move closer and enrol. She would leave these events with a sense of community and awe.

Hana has followed the development of the Early Years Centre and the ambitious beautiful space since construction began. She decided to pursue employment with our organization and was hired in the early summer of 2020. In 2021 Hana completed her full Early Childhood Educator Certification with Honors and she is continuing her Waldorf birth to seven certification with joy and dedication.

She expresses that she looks forward to further opportunities and connections with families in our community, as she engages and explores her love for the rhythm and festivals through the seasons of each year.

In her spare time Hana enjoys time with her family, board games, swimming, hiking, paddleboarding with her daughter, backyard potlucks with friends and snuggling with her pets.

Hana Lebo

Marigold Room Lead

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Lisa Abe
Honeysuckle Room Lead

Ms. Lisa Abe was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. As a young adult, she worked in a doctor’s office and realized she loved interacting with the children who came into the clinic. This led her to enrol in the Early Childhood Educator and Infant and Toddler Educator programs at Langara College, where she graduated in 2004.

She and her husband began spending time in the Westside Road area when her husband began helping friends build their log house. They were drawn to the area and relocated to Killaney Beach. She became employed at the Okanagan Indian Band, working in their daycare. While at the OKIB she found that she loved learning their culture, the language, their crafts and their food. She was asked to take the Parent-Child Mother Goose training. With the help of an elder, they translated words in the children’s songs into the Okanagan Language, and taught it to the children and parents to sing. 

Their rental at Killaney Beach turned out to be short-term, and they relocated to Lumby. Lisa commuted from Lumby to Westside Rd for a few years until she took a position at a Lumby Daycare.

When asked what attracted her to working at the Early Years Centre, she shared that she wanted to learn a different way to work with infants and toddlers. She likes to learn and was interested in learning at a new childcare center. She wanted to further her ECE experience and find out what working at our new centre would look like.

Lisa lives with her husband, their two cats, and one year old dog. She is working on training him to be her running companion. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, yoga, and being with her dog. She has taken up teaching herself to paint with watercolors through YouTube.

Lisa Abe

Honeysuckle Room Lead

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Kim Leach
Dandelion Room Lead

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Kim Leach

Dandelion Room Lead

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Lindsay Hannah
Dandelion Room

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Lindsay Hannah

Dandelion Room

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Shae Webber
Sweet Pea Room

Ms. Shae Weber was born in Surrey, BC.  Her parents moved the family to West Kelowna in 1998 due to job relocation and in order to be in a safer environment while raising a family. Currently, she lives with her husband and their golden retriever in Coldstream.

Shae graduated in 2013 with a Human Service Work Diploma from Okanagan College. Currently, she has been accepted into the ECEC-WIL program through Northern Lights College. She will graduate with her ECE-IT diploma in April 2023!  

Shae started her career working at the Boys and Girls Club in Leduc, AB.  During her time there, her passion for working with children grew immensely.  After a year she landed a job as an education assistant working with individuals with various diversabilities.  This quickly became her full-time career.  She worked as an education assistant in Alberta for four years, and in Thunder Bay, ON for 2 years.

Shae joined The Bridge Educational Society in September of 2020 and is an ECE Assistant in the Early Years Centre. She had worked in a Waldorf daycare when she was living in Thunder Bay, ON so the Early Years Centre center seemed like a good fit for her.  She had really enjoyed the environment and the quality of the childcare that was offered to the children and families in the community.  

In her spare time, Shae enjoys yoga, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking with Walter, reading, and cooking/baking.

Shae Webber

Sweet Pea Room

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Vanessa Riddick
Sweet Pea Room

Ms. Vanessa Riddick originally hails from England. She moved here over 30 years ago and has lived in various locations throughout the North Okanagan, and arrived in the Lumby area about 8 years ago. She initially trained as an occupational therapist in the United Kingdom and specialized in the mental health field. Prior to working at The Bridge Educational Society, she worked at the Vernon Jubilee and CMHA, while raising three children on a hobby farm in the Lumby/Cherryville area.

Vanessa completed her ECE certificate training at Okanagan College in August 2020.  She has since completed her Infant/Toddler diploma and is currently enrolled in the Waldorf Early Years training through the West Coast Institute. Vanessa first connected with The Bridge Educational Society when she participated as a practicum student on our campus and observed a seasoned Waldorf ECE educator in the preschool setting and felt immediately intrigued by the unique learning environment provided for the children. She has been employed with The Bridge Educational Society since September 2020. 

Outside of her employment at the Early Years Centre, Vanessa is on the Lumby Christian Church Leadership committee and runs the nursery at the church. 

When asked about leisure activities, Vanessa notes that her day is not complete without some fresh air. She does a lot of local walks/hikes, yoga, aquafit, lane swimming, ladies’ bible study, cross stitch, enjoys reading, watercolor, making cards, and pencil drawing. Canoeing is her new aspiring interest since participating in a staff canoe retreat. Her favorite times will always be the precious moments she gets to spend with her children when they visit; this usually involves food, another love of hers.

A future aspiration is to become an advocate for children’s mental health in some capacity. She would also love to travel as a Waldorf Teacher and work in various locations around the world.

Vanessa Riddick

Sweet Pea Room

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Kristin Remple
Dandelion Room

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Kristin Remple

Dandelion Room

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Jenny Rae Wilder
Honeysuckle Room

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Jenny Rae Wilder

Honeysuckle Room

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Brittany Bouchard

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Brittany Bouchard

 

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Athar Ebrahimi

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Athar Ebrahimi

 

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Abbey Magnus

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Abbey Magnus

 

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Keoni Thomson
Honeysuckle Room

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Keoni Thomson

Honeysuckle Room

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N'Leah Jones

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N’Leah Jones

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Sheri Blom

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Sheri Blom

Administration

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Jillian Martin
Director of Education OWS
Okanagan Waldorf School Principal
Class 1 Teacher

Ms. Jillian Martin was born in Calgary, AB then lived in the Lower Mainland until the summer of 2015. She worked in the Natural Health Food Industry for 13 years, where she spent considerable time working in and managing the Vitamin Departments of several stores in both Calgary and Vancouver.

Jillian lives with her husband and two daughters. She began her teaching career by homeschooling her eldest daughter for Kindergarten and Grade One. Her family decided to make the move to the Okanagan to enroll their children at Cedar Bridge School (now Okanagan Waldorf School). Jillian then decided to continue her educational journey to become a Waldorf Teacher because of her dedication and commitment to Waldorf Education.
Jillian first joined The Bridge Educational Society faculty in the spring of 2016 as a class assistant and then continued on as kindergarten assistant for several years. The 2019/2020 school year was the first year that she took on the role of lead teacher, where she taught the Grade Three and Four class. She is currently the Grade One lead teacher at Okanagan Waldorf School.

Jillian has completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and her Waldorf Grades Certificate through West Coast Institute. She is currently working to be a Waldorf Learning Support Teacher, through Waldorf Learning Support.

In her free time, Jillian loves hiking, snowboarding, paddle boarding, gardening and caring for her family’s chickens.

Jillian Martin

Director of Education OWS
Okanagan Waldorf School Principal & Class 1/2 Teacher

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Erin Barry
Director of Education ECE
EC Faculty Chair
Pedagogical Lead

Ms. Erin Barry originally hails from Edmonton, AB. After some time on the west coast of British Columbia, she relocated to the Vernon/Lumby area in 2006.  Her previous work experience is broad and includes working in the sailboat industry, food service, coffee service, viticulture and silviculture.

Erin did her undergraduate studies at UBC, Vancouver from 1998-2003 and is a Certified Yoga teacher.  She began her Waldorf Early Childhood teacher training in 2015 and completed it in 2017.  In 2020 she completed the Waldorf Post Graduate Birth to Three Certificate.

Erin first came to Cedar Bridge School (now Okanagan Waldorf School) in 2007 when her daughter was one year old.  Shortly after accessing these initial programs for her daughter, Erin became a Board member, then a teacher and eventually she organically grew into her role as the Early Childhood Pedagogical Leader in our Early Years Center.  She is also a member of the Campus Development Committee as well as the Grounds Committee Chair.  When asked what attracted her to begin working at The Bridge Educational Society, Erin’s response was inspired and heartfelt:

“I first arrived as a parent, and was attracted by the beauty of the place and the courage and vision of the founders. I was inspired by what was happening here; adults working and learning together to support an intentional environment for children’s learning and health. This is what I experienced on the first day I visited the campus with my first child, and is what still inspires me today.  The more years I spent participating as a parent and board member, the more I learned. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn about Anthroposophy and human development, child development and the Waldorf movement. This led me to Waldorf teacher training and eventually full-time work with The Bridge Educational Society. I love living in Lumby, and I feel very fortunate to be working with young children and families here. There are so many aspects of my work that bring me joy, and so much for me still to learn.”

Erin lives with her husband, their children, and their very cool cat. In her free time Erin delights in all things food such as gardening, cooking, foraging for wild foods, canning, preserving and eating!  She enjoys spending time outdoors camping, swimming, canoeing, exploring trails and visiting different hot springs throughout BC with her family.  

Erin Barry

Director of Education ECE
EC Faculty Chair & Pedagogical Lead

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Rebecca Watkin

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Rebecca Watkin

Director of Administration

 

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Sarah McMahon
Accounts Manager

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Sarah McMahon

Accounts Manager

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Trish Folland
Admissions Coordinator

Ms. Trish Folland is originally from Prince George, BC. After moving to Vernon, she learned about Waldorf Education. Her daughter was three in 2006 when she heard of a family on an organic farm near Lumby that was starting a Waldorf School. Trish attended the first public meeting and joined the board at that time.

Trish was a parent, board member, and volunteer during the years that her daughter attended Cedar Bridge School (now Okanagan Waldorf School) from preschool through grade 6. Her daughter recently graduated from Charles Bloom Secondary. Both her and her husband volunteered extensively during the school’s pioneer stage. After resigning as a board member, she continued to volunteer with The Bridge Educational Society as a member of the Tuition Adjustment Committee.

Trish completed a diploma in Graphic Design and was on the Kamloops Art Council for 3 years. She owned and operated an Art Gallery and Picture Framing Store in Kamloops. When she moved to Vernon she was a store manager, then corporate director for The Good Feet Stores. Following that, Trish worked in sales, shipping, and receiving for Vale Farms Grassroots Ltd.

In her current position at The Bridge Educational Society, she is the person you see taking attendance at drop off in the morning and usually the voice at the end of the phone when you call the school. She’s that persistent person that is asking you to fill in necessary documents and sign forms in order to keep the student files in good standing and in compliance with the BC Ministry Education – Independent Schools Branch.

Trish’s history with the school and experience with Waldorf education helps to inform her position at the front desk of our Administration office for our parent body, and in representation of The Bridge Educational Society.

Trish Folland

Admissions Coordinator

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Megan McMillan
Class 1-8 PE Teacher

Ms. Megan McMillan was born and raised in rural Ontario before falling in love with the Okanagan and moving here in 2015. She has two degrees – a Bachelor of Science in Ecology & Environmental Biology, and a Bachelor of Education in Primary/Junior Outdoor & Experiential Education from Queen’s University.

Prior to arriving at The Bridge Educational Society, Megan worked as an outdoor educator, early childhood educator, teacher, and tutor. She was drawn to our organization after having her son, seeking a place of employment whose values and mission aligned with her own, both as an educator and a parent. When she first arrived on campus in 2020, she worked as a grades substitute teacher and an early childhood educator assistant. Megan is currently in the process of completing her early childhood education program. 

In the past Megan has volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog program with her dog Harvey and run the NatureKids of North Okanagan program.

Megan is happily married with a goofy dog and an energetic toddler. In her spare time, she enjoys playing volleyball, going to the beach, and hosting potlucks.

Megan McMillan

EC Admin Assistant

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Paul McArdle
Facilities & Grounds Manager

Mr. Paul McArdle was born and raised in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He began his working career as a Gamekeeper’s Assistant on Lord Derby’s estate in Liverpool. He always had a working dog, ferrets, and polecats in his life from the age of 10. He shares that animals are what kept him outside, in the woods.  

When he was 16 he moved from England to Wales to join the family business of butchering.  After three months, he was running the butcher shop in a little Welsh village called Llanymynech.

He left the butcher shop at 18 and started life in the building trade. He got his Finishing Carpentry Certification from Uk College. His first reno job was working on Powis Castle in Welshpool. He has worked with wood and other building materials ever since. In June 2012 Paul, his wife, and their two children relocated to Canada from Shropshire. They believed they would all have more opportunities here. Paul has been a self-employed carpenter for the last 13 years. 

Paul shares that he became employed at our campus by accident when a friend gave his name to Ms. Thiessen as a good candidate for our Facilities Manager position. If you know Paul, you will be able to hear his wit and humor shining through there. He became employed here in September 2019. Paul shares that what attracted him to our campus is the location, the Waldorf school, and that he wishes he had gone to a school like this when he was a boy.

Paul’s role on our Campus covers a broad range of responsibilities. He is a member of the Campus Development Committee and is a point person for the different infrastructure and physical systems on campus including water, septic, HVAC, electrical, alarm system, buildings, roadways, physical development, and much more. He oversees their maintenance, safety, and operational standards. He also repairs all manner of items from chairs, signs, latches, fences, and beyond. 

Paul is a keen Footballer (Soccer) player and supporter of his birthplace team, the Everton Football Club, which was founded in 1878. He and his wife live in Coldstream where he is finishing up an extensive renovation of their home. They have a whippet and a few chickens. In his spare time, Paul loves to enjoy the outdoors, wildlife, fishing, and spending time with his family and friends.

Paul McArdle

Facilities & Grounds Manager

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Joe Piercey
Facilities and Grounds Maintenance

‘Mr. Joe’ (as he is known on campus) Piercy is originally from Victoria, BC. He and his wife made their way to Lumby about 5 years ago and purchased an old church that they have been renovating and fixing it up as their home ever since.

 Joe completed his apprenticeship training at the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre and is a red seal chef. Before coming to The Bridge Educational Society, he was self-employed as a handyman which included lots of painting, landscaping, and catering. It was in this capacity that Joe began working at our campus when the EYC was being completed. He notes that the more he walked around and noticed the children playing outside in all the different campus environments he thought “Wow, what a cool place to learn and go to school!”. Joe came on staff full-time during the summer of 2021 as part of the Facility & Grounds Maintenance Team.

 Joe and his wife have a daughter and son-in-law who live in Kamloops. Their daughter is a kindergarten teacher. When asked about what he likes to do in his spare time Joe laughed as if to say, “spare time?”. By all accounts, he seems to keep as busy in his spare time as he does at work. He spends his free hours collecting and chopping firewood, exploring the area, mowing his massive lawn, and watching the swallows in the springtime. He enjoys creating a toboggan run in the winter and listening to the joyful screams of friends and family as they rush down on their sleds.

Joe Piercey

Facilities & Grounds Maintenance

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