HOLY REDEEMER - Key Persons
Andrea has been a teacher since 2004 and has been at HRH for the past 16 years. She is passionate about teaching in the Science, Math and English Language Arts Departments. Andrea enjoys working on the Awards Committee ensuring that our students are recognized for their diverse strengths and talents. She also enjoys working on the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Committee encouraging the influence of indigenous culture into our school. Outside of school, Andrea can be found enjoying the outdoors with her family.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Becky Gantz Teacher
- Kim Haland Teacher / Religious Education Coordinator
Mrs. Gantz graduated from the University of Alberta's education program in 2004 and found her way home to the Holy Redeemer science department in 2010. It is there in room 133 that she shares her love of science and the natural world with her Science 9, Biology 20, Biology 30, Astronomy, and Agriculture students. Mrs. Gantz believes that the real PB & J of learning, (the Passion, Beauty, and Joy), is discovery, and she is on a mission to use scientific discovery to help create the next generation of scientifically literate young people. Outside of school you can find Mrs. Gantz enjoying family time on the acreage with her husband and two young children; cross country skiing in the winter, and gardening late into the long summer evenings.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Billie Jo Tobin Teacher
- Paul Tobin Teacher
Billie Jo has been teaching with Living Waters Catholic Separate Division since moving to Alberta in 1997. She teaches Math 10C, Math 20-1, Math 30-1, Math 31, Math 30-3, Science 10, and Physics 20. She has 2 sons, Ethan (23) and Elias (20) as well as 2 adorable cats, Francis and Stella. In her spare time, Billie Jo enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Francis Lobos Custodian
- Maintenance
Dede Poulin will be the Beyond the Classroom Facilitator this year. She is absolutely thrilled to be able to work with Mrs. Sorensen and the five amazing students in this great program!
Mrs. Poulin has been blessed to work with many fantastic kiddos since getting into education in northern BC in 2001. She completed the Education Assistant program in the Yukon in 2012 and the Early Childhood Education program in 2014. She got to meet many mentors along the way who shared so much with her and was very fortunate to be able to participate in lots of great professional development. Her most recent experience in education was as a Therapy Aide in Yellowhead County, delivering OT and SLP treatment plans to students. She moved into health care when COVID changed everything and worked as a Health Care Aide in Edson for the past two years. Then along came this opportunity!
But work and school aren't everything! There's more to all of us than work and school. Mrs. Poulin grew up on the west coast then moved to the Yukon for twenty-five years before coming to Yellowhead County in 2014. She has two daughters, one granddaughter, two dogs and a cat. She used to have a small hobby farm until they had bad luck with too many predators. Maybe one day she'll have chickens, sheep, and bees again. She enjoys relaxing with gardening and camping and generally just being outside. Mrs. Poulin discovered paddle boarding last summer and loves being out on the water! This summer she's learned how to use a smoker and has made some tasty food! She is also a new volunteer with the Yellowhead County Fire Department and with Continuing Care. Being busy and trying new things keeps life exciting!
Mrs. Poulin hopes you'll find the BTC program to be engaging and the room to be a welcoming space for all of you. Hearing from families and gaining insight from each of you will be so valuable. She appreciates any feedback you can provide so she knows what's working, and what's not. Advocating for students' needs and rights is a priority, as is supporting them to advocate for themselves.
Job Titles:
- Denise Gauchier Educational Assistant
- Rodel Gravides Custodian
Job Titles:
- Denise Gauchier Educational Assistant
- Technology Clerk
Francine Davies is our Technology Clerk at HRH and Vanier. She is excited to work with staff and students, and bring technology to our classrooms.
She has almost 20 years experience working in the technology sector. She spent many years with a private software company in many roles including technical support, development, data integration and software training. She then moved to the health care system as an in-class support, assisting staff in learning new software and setting up classrooms. She continues to work as a CRW and assist persons with disabilities in our community.
When Francine isn't at work, she enjoys spending time on the golf course and walking her dogs.
Job Titles:
- New Wellness Coach
- Nkeonyelu Obuezue Mental Health Therapist
- Wellness Coach & Facilitator
Hannah Minelli is the new wellness coach & facilitator for the Living Waters Catholic Separate School Division. Ms. Minelli will be serving Vanier Community Catholic School and Holy Redeemer High School. She will be working with students to improve mental health. The wellness Project will implement programs into the schools to encourage healthy relationships for students and increase the mental wellness of our students and the community. Hannah is keen and eager about this "new" initiative! Hannah has recently joined the Edson CEAT committee and Edson's Youth Interagency committee. She is very excited to be working with and supporting our Edson community. Hannah has a background in disability services and an education in social services. Hannah enjoys being outside and loves spending time with her friends and family. Hannah is excited to be a part of the Living Waters team.
Job Titles:
- Julie Rothwell Teacher & Athletics Director
- Leigh Seymour Teacher / Inclusive Education Lead
- Teacher & Athletics Director
Julie has been a teacher at Holy Redeemer High School since September 2014. She teaches Social Studies and Physical Education. She graduated from Brock University with a Major in Physical Education and a Minor in History. She also graduated from Lakehead University with a degree in Education. As much as she loves to teach; coaching and athletics are a big passion of hers as well. You will see her coaching in the volleyball, track and field and badminton programs that we offer. When she happens to not be at the school, she can be found doing something like reading books, golfing, hiking, snowboarding, camping, playing volleyball, playing hockey and walking her two Boston Terriers.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Kim Carroll Teacher
- Sandy Fedorak Teacher
Kim Carroll started teaching in Colorado in 2008. She currently teaches English to grade 7, 10, 11 and 12 students. Her passions include writing, sports, reading historical fiction with a bit of romance and traveling to far off places and exploring new foods. On weekends you can find her at a hockey rink cheering on her two kids, or in front of the tv cheering on the Denver Broncos. Kim is a feline mother to her new and exhausting kitten, Deborah.
Job Titles:
- Kim Haland Teacher / Religious Education Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Julie Rothwell Teacher & Athletics Director
- Kim Nahirniak Teacher
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Laura Webb Teacher
Ms. Webb enjoys working at HRH where she has had the pleasure of teaching primarily mathematics and sciences. She is also the teacher liaison for the Holy Redeemer Students' Union.
Job Titles:
- Educational Assistant
- Flordeliza Dabo Custodian
- Leanne Clark Educational Assistant
Leanne Clark has been an Educational Assistant for 15+ years, the last 10 have been at HRH. Leanne is currently working with students in LA, Social and Foods from Grade 8 to grade 12. Leanne enjoys camping, fishing and spending time with her family & friends.
Job Titles:
- Leigh Seymour Teacher / Inclusive Education Lead
- Peter Taylor Teacher
- Teacher / Inclusive Education Lead
Leigh has been a teacher since 2005 and has been at Vanier Community Catholic school since 2008. She has had many roles during her time with Living Waters such as teaching Kindergarten and Grade one as well as has been the Inclusive Education Coordinator, Assistant Principal and Principal. This year Mrs. Seymour decided to return to the class teaching Kindergarten but also as the Inclusive Education Lead for both Vanier and HRH. Leigh is married and has twin teenage daughters as well as two dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends camping, boating and skiing in the winter. She is looking forward to working with the students at HRH this school year.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Kim Nahirniak Teacher
Melanie MacDonald-Winsor ยป Melanie MacDonald-Winsor
Mrs. MacDonald-Winsor has been with Holy Redeemer since 2015. When Mrs. MacDonald isn't teaching Math, Science or coaching volleyball you can find her hiking, biking, skiing or doing anything outside with her family. Mrs. MacDonald has called Edson home for almost a decade, and loves what the community has to offer for her young family. She is passionate about instilling a love of math and science to her students and encouraging them to live active lifestyles.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Kim Carroll Teacher
Mr. Bachinsky (Mr. B) graduated from the University of Alberta in 2010 with a degree in Education and Physical Education. Since graduation he has called Edson and Holy Redeemer home where he has been an active member in the community and school. He shares his love of activity and woodworking with his Physical Education and Industrial Arts students while also fostering a love for learning in his Social Studies and Religion classes. Mr. Bachinsky is the lead Teacher for the Student run fundraising group known as 'March 4A Cure' which raises funds for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. You can also find him on the Football field as the Head Coach for the Sr. Rebels Football team and Coordinator for the Bantam Rebels Football team. He is a true believer that school should be a safe and caring place and takes great pride in playing a small part in the education and development of the students at Holy Redeemer. Outside of school you can find Mr. Bachinsky enjoying family time with his wife and four young children and dog; hiking, camping, snowboarding, cross country skiing, and playing community sports.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Becky Gantz Teacher
- Pat Fogarty Teacher
Pat has been teaching in Edson since 1997. This year he is teaching Social Studies 7, Social 10-1, Social 20-1, Social 30-1, CALM, Jr. Film Studies, and Genius Hour. Pat has been married to Cheryl for 27 years and they have 2 children, Sydney (24) and Sean (21). They also have a dog named Buster who is almost 6. Pat enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Laura Webb Teacher
- Paul Tobin Teacher
Paul Tobin is a physics teacher who has worked with Living Waters Catholic Separate School Division for the last 23 years. He began his career in Edson in 1997 when he and his wife, Billie Jo, were offered positions at Vanier Community Catholic School. They uprooted themselves from their friends and family in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to travel to Alberta. Today Paul works at Holy Redeemer Jr/Sr High School in Edson. He has two wonderful children, Ethan (20) and Elias (17) and two cats, Francis (originally from Whitecourt, age unknown) and Stella (born under a step in Edson, age 2).
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Billie Jo Tobin Teacher
- Peter Taylor Teacher
Peter Taylor has been a teacher since 2002, and has been teaching at Holy Redeemer since the school opened in 2003. He currently teaches Drama 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, and 30, as well as Social Studies 9, 20-2 and 30-2. Peter leads the extra-curricular Drama Department at HRH, which produces a main stage production each fall and three one-act-act plays in the spring, many of which have won several awards at the annual Zone Drama Festival. He also serves as the school's Public Relations Director and has been a marker for Social Studies 30-2 diploma exams since 2006. Outside of school, Peter loves spending time with his family, his beautiful wife, Danielle, their children Nolan, Lux and Emmy, and their two dogs, Maybe and Jasper. With the support of his family, he also serves as a Councillor on Edson Town Council.
Job Titles:
- Roxie Bretzer Administrative Assistant
- Tabitha Brown Educational Assistant
Job Titles:
- Teacher
- Pat Fogarty Teacher
- Sandy Fedorak Teacher
Sandy has been teaching since 1992 and has been teaching for Living Waters in Edson since 1995. She is currently teaching English Language Arts 30-1, 20-1 and ELA 9 as well as Jr. and Sr. Art. Sandy has a 20 year old daughter attending the UofC pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work degree, and a 24 year old son who has a Bachelor of Education Degree and is also completing an Electrical Apprenticeship. She and her husband Mark have been married for 30 years. Sonny, an active Goldendoodle pup, rounds out the Fedorak family. Sandy enjoys reading, painting, camping, hiking, traveling and playing word/trivia games. She can often be found peering out hopefully from a stack of marking!
Job Titles:
- Principal
- New Member of the Holy Redeemer High School
Mrs. Whitten is a new member of the Holy Redeemer High School community. She has been with the Living Waters Catholic Separate School Division for 28 years serving as a teacher, Assistant Principal, Acting Principal and Religious Education Coordinator. She is passionate about student learning and establishing a positive, welcoming and faith-filled learning environment for all students. She is excited to take on the role of Principal this year and looks forward to meeting all of the students and their families. Outside of school, Mrs. Whitten enjoys traveling, camping, scrapbooking, and spending time with family, friends and her dog.
Job Titles:
- Educational Assistant
- Leanne Clark Educational Assistant
- Tabitha Brown Educational Assistant
Tabitha has worked for Living Waters for the past 9 years. She started at Vanier and worked there for 7 years. Then she moved over to HRH and has been here for the last 2 years. Tabitha is currently working in the BTC room. Her interests are drawing, coloring, and reading. She also enjoy watching True Crime shows.
Job Titles:
- Financial Assistant
- Roxie Bretzer Administrative Assistant