MY VIRTUAL SCHOOL - Key Persons
Alicia Cuzner is one of our Social Sciences teachers here at OVS. She currently teaches courses such as Grade 12 Kinesiology, Grade 12 Earth and Space Science, and Grade 12 Indigenous Issues. We thought Ms. Cuzner's students might like to learn a little bit more about their teacher.
Carrie Kennedy is one of our math teachers here at OVS. She teaches one of our most popular courses, MCV4U. She has taught over 300 students at OVS to date. We thought it would be nice for her students to get to know her a little better, so we asked her a few questions.
Job Titles:
- Future of Education Segment Expert
- Head of School, Innovation & Partnerships Read More
Dwayne Matthews is an internationally recognized Future of Education and Innovation Strategist. Over his 22 year career Matthews has leveraged a unique perpendicular thinking modeled career path, to help government leaders, business leaders, school districts, school leaders, educators and parents understand new and evolving themes in the future of education, the future of work and how to create strategies to prepare students to thrive in this rapidly evolving digital transformed world.
Matthews founded the TomorrowNow Learning Lab, which was the world's first "future of learning" lab to integrate the metaverse, neuro technology platforms and protocols, project based learning and management to increase student success and mental wellbeing
Matthews sits on a number of boards including the OVS advisory board, Hackergal advisory board, and the Universal Proptech advisory board. Matthews is also a former advisory board member of XPrize Connect: The XPrize Connect Future of Learning Lab worked to create a vision of a globally equitable and sustainable future for education.
Dwayne is also the former education lead at The Faubert Applied Research Centre (ARC), a non-profit research centre dedicated to studying and furthering cognitive human performance potential, neuroscience and neurotechnology.
In 2019 Matthews was the recipient of the BAIE Trailblazer in Education Innovation Award, for his work leveraging neurotechnology in schools to improve academic performance and mental wellbeing
Matthews is also the former Executive Director at a stealth technology Intelligence firm (generated models and gathered intelligence on disruptive and novel technology that would transform industry and economies for Fortune 500 companies) as well as the former exclusive Canadian partner to the world's largest open innovation marketplace that conducted innovation and future technologies to various industries.
Matthews was also a member of the core strategic planning team for one of the best international private schools in South America and helped design and implement the inquiry based learning curriculum.
Dwayne is currently the Future of Education segment expert on Canada's national breakfast show, CTV's Your Morning and The Marilyn Denis Show
Job Titles:
- the Expert in Anything Was Once a Beginner.
Leslie Farooq is a Science Teacher here at OVS, she is currently teaching 10 th Grade Applied Science and 12 th Grade University Chemistry. She has over 15 years of teaching experience, including 2 years at OVS. Read the interview below to learn a little more about your teacher.
Hobbies: I have enjoyed teaching for 30 years. In my spare time, I enjoy working on renovation projects.
"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." - Francis de Sales Ms. Colpitts Science Teacher Hobbies: I enjoy reading, crochet, travelling, and watching movies. I also enjoy spending quality time with my family in the great outdoors. "Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." - Joshua J. Marine
Hobbies: In my free time I enjoy playing/watching hockey, soccer, listening to music, fishing, and spending time with friends and family.
If you don't sacrifice for what you want. What you want becomes the sacrifice - Jay Shetty
Hobbies: I enjoy woodworking projects and walking my dogs in the woods.
"Mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas." - Albert Einstein
Hobbies: When I'm not teaching I spend my time playing sports, exercising, reading, and watching good movies. I enjoy getting outside for a long run or bike ride and playing tennis with friends. I love to travel, meet new people, and learn new things! "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine Ms. Darku Science Teacher Hobbies: I love photography, travelling and learning about new cultures, and cooking! "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today" - Malcolm X
Hobbies: I enjoy golfing, reading and watching sports on TV. I have officiated basketball for over 40 years at various levels of competition.
Hobbies: If I'm not exploring nature and learning about local wildlife, I'm probably getting lost in a comic book or manga.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In addition to my lengthy experience as a teacher, I am personally committed to lifelong learning. Currently, I am pursuing my Masters of Science in Chemistry. I look forward to working with students to share my passion for learning, as we embrace the online learning model as a means to shape our youth towards building a technologically literate world community!
Hobbies: As a certified Trainer and Coach for Baseball Canada, I have come to realize the importance of putting the needs of others first. In my free time, I love hiking, keeping fit and all outdoor activities.
Job Titles:
- Principal, Ontario Virtual School
Hobbies: When I'm not at work, I love being outdoors in nature, meditating, reading, running, writing, playing sports, and being with friends and family.
Hobbies: I have a wide range of hobbies from studying the history of television and theater to studying plants, insects and any wildlife I can find around me. Most of all, I like to spend time away from the internet and making strong connections with my friends and family and enjoying the beautiful world that surrounds me. "Inclusion is not simply about physical proximity. It is about intentionally planning for the success of all students." - Anonymous Ms. Lewis Science Teacher Hobbies: I am a coffee enthusiast, proud cat person and music fanatic. I love travelling and enjoy hiking or skiing the mountains on the west coast. You can often find me on my laptop in a coffee shop, and I'm almost always wearing a turtleneck. Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. - Michael Jordan
Hobbies: I love Tiny Home design and builds, travelling, and culinary experiences.
Hobbies: I enjoy reading and debating. I try to stay active by running and playing basketball whenever I have the opportunity.
One of history's few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations. - Yuval Noah Harari
Hobbies: In my spare time, you will find me in the gym improving my strength and physique, or in the pool going for a swim. People say I live at the gym. Living a healthy lifestyle is a big part of my life. I also like to read, play video games, and watch retro movies.
I enjoy travelling, reading, and spending time with friends and family. When I am not learning and teaching, you will find me playing piano or learning new instruments, going on hikes, or directing my local community theatre's newest productions.
Hobbies: I love studying the stars, playing board games, and painting in my spare time. When first things are put first, second things don't diminish, they increase. - C.S. Lewis Ms. Vanderkamp Science Teacher Hobbies: In my spare time I love to read, cook, and spend time outdoors gardening and hiking. I also enjoy travelling to new places in the world. "The important thing is to never stop questioning." - Albert Einstein
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, reading books and spending time with my friends and family. In my free time I also like to cook different types of food. "Education must not simply teach work - it must teach life" - W.E.B. Du Bois
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela Ms. Archer Science Teacher Hobbies: Inspired by the outdoors, you can always find me planning my next travel adventure or hiking with my sidekick (dog), Bruce! In my spare time I love candle making and spending time with friends!
Hobbies: I love to play a fun video game or watch a suspenseful tv show. I write poetry and short stories when I'm in a creative mood. I will never refuse an opportunity to see a musical.
Hobbies: You can usually find me in my studio painting, photographing and playing around with ideas on my iPad. I am an avid traveller and love exploring art and cultures around the world. I also enjoy hot yoga, writing, hanging out in cafes and chatting with my art students around the world.
I love reading, especially Urban Fantasy and High Fantasy. My two favourite authors are Sarah J. Maas and Patricia Briggs. When I'm not reading or writing stories, I enjoy watching tv and playing video games. My current favourite games are Horizon Zero Dawn and Life Is Strange. I am hoping someday to be a published novelist and I work towards that dream everyday.
Hobbies: I am a passionate educator of languages including French and German. I love travelling and spending time outdoors. My favourite activities are hiking, skiing, biking, kayaking and camping.
I am passionate about languages, travel, wellness, the environment, and is focused on helping students develop a love of learning. In my free time I love running, pilates, yoga, horseback riding, scuba diving, and swimming.
Hobbies: I love travelling and learning about other cultures. I speak 4 languages and have visited 7 countries and counting! I also enjoy jogging, hiking, and kayaking.
Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think. - Albert Einstein
Hobbies: I love dancing, watching movies, learning about diverse cultures/languages, and traveling (I've been to 15 countries around the world!)
"All students can learn and succeed, but not in the same way and not in the same day." - William G. Spady
Hobbies: I enjoy being active, camping and the outdoors. I play hockey, volleyball, golf and tennis. I love adventures and being a teacher.
"The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away." Pablo Picasso
Hobbies: As much as I love travel and adventure, I also enjoy simple things like a hot cup of coffee and a great book!
Hobbies: In addition to being an avid reader, I also love painting, hiking, travelling and most importantly playing with my cat. When I'm not enjoying one of these hobbies you can find me cooking up a storm in the kitchen... mostly Italian cuisine!
I am passionate about sharing my skills in different domains. I enjoy the outdoors and cabin life with my two sons, coaching hockey and downhill skiing, singing in a choir and learning new graphic design tricks.
I love to cook and I try to explore different cuisines. I also love to be with nature. As a person, I am very simple and love to learn about others! The test of a good teacher is not how many questions she can ask her pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions she inspires them to ask which she finds it hard to answer. - Alice Wellington Rollins
Hobbies: I love to travel, try international cuisines, crochet, and take my dog out on epic adventures (to parks).
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou
Hobbies: During my free time, I enjoy watching a Netflix series or one my favourite You-tubers (preferably with my hedgehog or one of my two cats with me!) It matters not what someone is born, but what they will grow to be. - Albus Dumbledore Mr. Sakher Science Teacher Hobbies: Outside of the classroom, I try to spend as much time as I can outdoors… especially in the summer! I also love to travel the world and experience different cultures… my next stop will hopefully be Italy! "We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out - and we have only just begun" -Neil Degrasse Tyson
Hobbies: I love to travel and spent two years living in China and travelling all over Asia at the start of my teaching career. Thailand has been my favourite place so far.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. - C.S. Lewis
Hobbies: I like to say that picking up new hobbies is my hobby! I enjoy trying all kinds of new things, but some interests that have stuck long term are hiking/being outdoors, reading, and watching movies!
Hobbies: I love to cook and spend time outdoors with my son. I am also an avid reader, enjoy bingeing a good Netflix show, and love to travel, especially in Europe where I hope to take my son soon! "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Winnie the Pooh Ms. Kelly Science Teacher Hobbies: If I'm not teaching, I'm either travelling the world to immerse myself in other cultures or i'm outdoors - hiking, canoeing, snowboarding. Another hobby of mine is going to various antique stores around Ontario, to collect antique items and wood to repurpose them into something new. Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. - Suzy Kassem
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling the world and immersing myself in different cultures. When I'm not travelling, you can find me cycling or hiking with my four-legged friend, Buddy. I can also be found curled up on the couch reading a good book.
Some of my hobbies include reading, video games, and dance! Along with teaching humans, I am also very passionate about dog training. Willow, the light of my life, is my rescue dog from Mexico, she is very afraid of the world, and when I'm not teaching I am working with her to help her become confident and successful in this big world!
Hobbies: Outside of teaching, I enjoy cooking. Collecting and trying out different tasty recipes is one of my favorite things to do in my leisure time. Until now, I have tried recipes for Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Dutch cuisines and, of course, Canadian cuisines!
Hobbies: Outside of classroom, I love spending time with my daughters. Our garage got changed to an art studio. We do paintings, crafts and creative all types of home decorations there. In addition, I enjoy outdoor activities, swimming and playing accordion.
"You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety." Abraham Maslow
I really enjoy reading, drawing, and hiking with my dog! I love taking pictures while I'm out in nature, especially during the summer and fall. My favourite way to relax is by re-watching beloved sitcoms or seeing a scary movie.
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, travelling, watching television and spending time with my family.
Kindness is one thing you can't give away. It always comes back. - George Skolsky
Hobbies: Besides my adoration for teaching English, I love spending time with my family, gardening, and hiking with my doodle dogs. I also enjoy reading all types of novels on the beach hence I am passionate for travelling. My favourite destinations so far have been Japan, Spain, and Scotland. Hopefully, I will continue to discover many other travel destinations soon.
Hobbies: A few of the things I enjoy doing in my spare time are travelling, reading and hiking. My goal in life is to travel and experience as many different cultures as possible! "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss Ms. Moulick Science Teacher Hobbies: I love to read! I love words. I think they have an amazing power to transform the world around us, instantly. My favourite authors are Haruki Murakami and Jack Kerouac. I also enjoy gardening! I find it absolutely fascinating to be a "plant-mom" as my "green babies" inspire me everyday! "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
Hobbies: I really don't enjoy cooking meals…but I love to bake cakes and cookies. I find that it allows me to be creative. I also enjoy sewing, scrapbooking, and floral arranging.
‘Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.' - Thomas A.Edison
Hobbies: I love to travel, I spent a lot of time travelling around Europe when I taught in England for two years. I enjoy board games and paddle boarding.
Why worry? If you've done the very best you can, worrying won't make it any better - Walt Disney
Hobbies: I love travelling, trying different foods and spending time with my dog! "The more that you read, the more things you will know; the more that you learn, the more places you'll go" - Dr. Seuss Mr. Sawinski Science Teacher Hobbies: I enjoy playing golf and basketball, swimming, and reading. Do the thing that is hard to do, and the power will come!
Hobbies: In addition to my love for teaching and connecting with students, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, travelling, watching movies and dancing.
‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn' - Benjamin Franklin
Hobbies: Besides my love for teaching English and inspiring my students to envision a world where they can create the impossible, I love taking long walks with my family while talking about ideas. I also enjoy reading as many books as I can while sipping coffee.
Hobbies: Listening to music, spending time with family, travelling and reading inspiring books
Hobbies: Math is both my major and my passion. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy running engineering, robotics and math help clubs. In my spare time, hiking, skiing and spending time with friends make my life complete.
Hobbies: If you don't see me baking up some tasty treats, you will see me teaching myself something new! Right now I am very invested in learning more about data science, but when I am relaxing it is all about board games for me. My current favourite game is Risk Legacy. "Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered" - Michelle Obama Ms. Sridhar Science Teacher Hobbies: I enjoy learning and making art and crafts like calligraphy, painting and embroidery. I have 3 dogs and love walking them and spending time with them. The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing - Albert Einstein
Hobbies: I love doing puzzles and participating in any kind of escape room experience. I also enjoy curling up with a good book, taking the dog for a walk, and spending time with my family and friends. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. - Nelson Mandela Ms. Tariq Science Teacher Hobbies: Travelling, baking, reading Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. - Thomas Edison
Hobbies: My hobbies include travelling the world, cooking and baking - I try at least 3 new recipes a month; fitness and health are passions of mine, and I love to learn. Family and friends are dear to my heart.
Job Titles:
- Director of Greater China Region Read More
- OVS 's Director of the China Region
Sunny Sang is one of our international partners, working with students in China. She is currently overseeing 600+ students in our program, with more enrolling every day. As one of our prominent and well-established partners, we thought it would be nice for our students and parents to get to know Sunny a little better.
Samantha Humphreys is a French and English teacher here at OVS. She teaches ENG4C and ENG3C, as well as some Core French Courses and our French Immersion Courses. She has been teaching for 7 years and has been with OVS since 2020. We thought her students might like to learn more about their teacher, so we asked her to answer a few questions about herself.
Scott Lewis has been teaching with OVS since 2014 and has helped more than 900 students earn OSSD credits in that time. Over his years with OVS, Mr. Lewis has taught courses in English, Economics, Accounting, Law, and Applied Math.
Summer Leitch teaches our Healthy Active Living (PPL1O) and our Grade 12 Drama (ADA4M) courses. Her desire to be a teacher came from her great experiences in school and that she had so many awesome teachers to look up to. We asked Ms. Leitch a few questions so that her students could get to know their teacher a little better.
Taylor Milburn is one of the Math teachers here at OVS (MPM2D, MCV4U). She has been teaching for 5 years, 3 of which have been with OVS. Read below to learn more about your teacher.