Meet our Staff

MEET OUR STAFF - SISTER ALPHONSE ACADEMY

We are excited to introduce you to the current staff at Sister Alphonse Academy for our 2022/2023 school year! 

Principal - Mr. Don Hinks

I come to SAA with over twenty years of educational experience with the last seventeen of those years as a principal. I have worked in two K-12 schools, one 9-12 school and SAA will be my second K-9 school. I am so very pleased and proud to be part of the team and I am looking forward to getting to know our students, staff and the families of Sister Alphonse Academy better. I am also happy to share that my wife and I have been here since the opening of SAA in 2018 and we now have two children attending the school. I pride myself on being able to make relationships with people and that truly is the best part of my job. I am also encouraging all of our families to try and get involved with the school as much as possible, as only collectively, can we make the learning experience the best it can be for students. Welcome to SAA everyone, I am so proud to be the principal of such a fun faith-filled learning environment. All the best and Go Knights!

Vice Principal - Mrs. Cindy Phillips

I am excited to be back at SAA serving students, staff and families! It will be wonderful to get reacquainted with everyone and help SAA finish their fantastic 22/23 school year! 

 

 

Diverse Learning Teacher and Counsellor - Mrs. Nadine Trenchard

I love helping families and students feel like they are loved and taken care of at SAA! I look forward to connecting with everyone to insure your needs are met! We'll do our best and give God the rest! 

School Office Support - Ms. Lorna Bokenfohr

I am thrilled to be part the amazing team at Sister Alphonse Academy.  In the beginning of September 2020 I became the School Office Support. Previously, I have been an Educational Assistant since 1998 starting with Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools in 2005. I have had the opportunity to work with  students from Pre-K to grade 9. These students have left a special place in my heart and have taught me many things. Some of my favourite school things are learning about new technology, anything math related and helping coach basketball. I look forward to getting to know the students at SAA and having some fun.

PM School Office Support and Educational Assistant - Mrs. Dawn MacDonald

I am thrilled to be full time at Sister Alphonse for the 22/23 school year. I love my job and I love helping kids feel successful in their learning! I am looking forward to getting to know all  the new staff at learners at SAA this year! 

Pre K, Kindergarten and Junior High Options TEACHER - Miss Jamie-Lee Oliva

I am excited to be starting another fantastic year at SAA! I have had the privilege to be a teacher at GSACRD since 2019, and during this time, I have taught students from Pre-K to grade 9. I can’t wait to welcome our Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students into our Knights family! Early learning students will have many opportunities to explore, inquire, play, and safely learn about the world around them. I am looking forward to meeting our young leaners as well as getting to know our junior high students in our Foods, Fashion, Cosmetology, and Art options this year!

Pre K, Progressive and Full Time Kindergarten TEACHER  - Mrs. Kim Shmyr 

I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to help open Sister Alphonse Academy and can't wait to see what this new year brings! I look forward to welcoming all of our families in the fall and working together to create a learning environment where each and every child can thrive.  As a school community we embrace our 21st century learners and, through collaboration and innovation, we put students at the very center of their learning.  I have been teaching with Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools for almost 15 years now and have experience working primarily with children from preschool to grade 6.  I graduated with a BEd in Elementary studies and a minor in Spanish as a second language.  I am so excited to continue working with our youngest of learners at Sister Alphonse Academy.  Learning through play is a crucial part of a child's social, cognitive, physical, and emotional development.  Above all, it is FUN!

Grade 1 TEACHER - Mrs. Marisol Teixeira

I feel blessed to continue my teaching journey with the Knights family. I have been teaching Grade One at SAA since it opened and it has been so amazing to see it grow!I look forward to a new year full of exciting learning opportunities and creating new memories.I am passionate about teaching Grade One as I love to see the passion and curiosity of learning in these young minds. I look forward to meeting and growing new friendships with you this year! Everyday is a new adventure, what will tomorrow bring? I can't wait to find out together! 

Grade 1/2 TEACHER - Miss Emily Fraser

I am so excited to be starting my second year teaching at Sister Alphonse Academy! I am most excited about continuing to build meaningful relationships with students, parents and staff. I am also looking forward to using my education (I recently received my Masters of Education) and love of learning to help students grow physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When I am not teaching, some of my favourite things to do are walking my dachshund Lenny, playing soccer and eating chocolate. I am so blessed to be a part of this SAA community once again. We are going to have an amazing, wonder-driven year! 

Grade 2 TEACHER - Ms. Shelley Harvey

I have been teaching at GSACRD since 2003 and have worked with students at all grades levels from Preschool through grade 6.  This is my second year at Sister Alphonse Academy and I am looking forward to forming a close-knit group in my grade 2 class where we support each other in learning, sharing and having fun together.  I love doing science experiments, art projects and having open discussions where we find the answers  to everything we are wondering about!
I have 2 teenagers and a dog named Rosie, and I love to walk, read, watch movies, play games and go camping in my free time.  I also love animals of all kinds, but especially dogs and bears!

Grade 3 TEACHER - Mrs. Krista Klak

I am looking forward to another great year teaching the threemendous threes at SAA! We have a lot of fun with our learning and try to make it as engaging as possible! SAA is a great place to be. We're growing and I'm happy to continue growing each year with my students! 

Grade 3/4 TEACHER - Miss Meghan Hillier

I am excited to be an official member of the SAA team and look forward to a great year! A little bit about me, I recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Education and a Certificate in Catholic Education. I grew up in Edmonton in a big family (7 siblings) so I feel like I have extra years of teaching behind me. When I’m not at school you might find me at a board game cafe playing Settlers of Catan or going on a run in the river valley. I take my training to be the fastest runner in the class very seriously. I also enjoy reading, hiking, performing arts, and the occasional Mario Kart marathon. I am very blessed to be a part of the SAA community and to be able to see your smiling faces every day. We are going to learn so many great things this year, and I am looking forward to every minute of it.

Grade 4 and Recreation Academy TEACHER - Mrs. Nina Rawcliffe

I am excited for my second year at SAA. It is such a dynamic and welcoming school to be working at! I love teaching grade 4 and look forward to another fantastic bunch! This year, I take on the new challenge of leading our grade 4 rec academy group! I can't wait to experience all the adventures we'll have!! 

Grade 5 TEACHER  - Mrs. Grace Lobel

Wow! What an an amazing opportunity and gift to be part of a Sister Alphonse Academy. I have been teaching for nearly 20 years and am so excited about the wonderful things that are unfolding at Sister Alphonse Academy. One of my main goals as a teacher is to build relationships with my students where they enjoy coming to school just as much as I do! I love bringing learning to life and getting students to connect to the world outside our classroom. That means, I am always learning alongside my students. With 21st century learning guiding me, I think about how to get my students to be collaborators, communicators, critical thinkers, and creators through meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Learning is a journey and working together as a team of staff, students, and parents, we will make the best of it. I look forward to meeting many new faces and can’t wait to get started!

Grade 6 TEACHER - Mr. Sean Brass

The relationships with students and staff are the part of teaching I cherish the most. It is my goal to create a learning environment where students are excited to come to school every day. I love being a part of the Sister Alphonse family. It is so incredible being part of a community that is collaborative and dedicated to twenty-first century learning and teaching. I feel honoured and humbled that I will be a part of creating new traditions that will hopefully become lifelong memories. The journey from blueprints to an innovative, faith-filled school has been very exciting and I cannot wait to write the next chapter with our incredible students, staff and parents!

 

 

Junior High and Recreation Academy Leader and TEACHER - Mrs. Tina McKinnon

I am super excited to be starting year five at Sister Alphonse Academy! This year we have four groups in our Recreation Academy Program and that means FOUR TIMES the fun for me. I can’t wait to lead my students in activities like rope climbing, kayaking, tennis, soccer or biking. Adventure and fun are always part of the recipe on Rec days.  I am very passionate about teaching and hope to inspire my students to not only love learning, but love coming to school. Developing relationships is the key to creating a positive learning environment and something I strive to do with as many kids in the building as possible. Especially those Junior High students! Although a big chunk of my role at SAA is the Rec Academy, I also have the pleasure of working with students in a variety of other learning environments. I will once again this year be helping with the volleyball and badminton teams, as well as core Language Arts and Math subjects at the Junior High level. These areas afford me the opportunity to work with kids exploring what they are passionate about using the gifts that God gave them. I believe there is nothing better than that!

Junior High TEACHER - Ms. Carryl Bennett

This will be my fourth year at SAA and I am so lucky to be a part of this lovely community. With English Language Arts and Science being my primary subjects this year, we will be collaborating, learning, innovating, investigating and discovering together. I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new families and students this fall, and I am so excited to see what new adventures await!

Junior High and Rec Academy TEACHER - Mr. Garrett Meek

I am thrilled to be joining the fantastic crew at SAA this year! It will be my first official year of teaching!! I love Social Studies and building things so I know we'll have a great year both  in the classroom and in the Construction Lab! Other passions of mine include football and physical activity. I am super excited to be able to teach phys.ed, lead one of our junior high rec academy groups and my very own Football option in the Spring. I know we are going to have a great year as building relationships with students is my number one priority! 

Fine Arts TEACHER - Mrs. Jill Reinders

I’m so excited to join the team at SAA! I’m a Performing Arts specialist with ‘many’ years of experience. I have been fortunate to have had a well-rounded career having taught all grades from K-12 in English and/or French and in five different countries. I can’t wait to see students soar and find their potential as we sing, dance, act, play instruments…often at the same time! Concerts, Musical Theatre productions and drama performances are on the horizon. The performing arts are my heart, but I have many passions and hobbies. We love camping and hiking with family and friends. I enjoy gourmet cooking, scuba diving or just curling up with a good book. I am so blessed to be part of Sister Alphonse Academy! “ Let’s make a joyful noise…”

LIBRARY TECHNICIAN - Miss Lucienne Gamache

I am quite excited to be a part of the Sister Alphonse Academy team and to begin my second year at SAA in the Greater St. Albert Catholic District. As the school works to best support our 21st century learners, the learning commons will strive to be a community hub where kids are not only free to express themselves, but also foster a love for learning, exploration, and creativity. As a library technician, I cannot wait to not only help students on their faith and learning journeys, but to also share my passion for reading! I look forward to beginning this new school year!  

Educational Assistant - Mrs. Natalie Lang

Wow! It is great to be back at SAA for the 22/23 school year! I love working with kids and helping them grow and flourish in their learning! Looking forward to all the fun we'll have this year! 

Educational Assistant - Miss Megan Atkinson

Hello to my new SAA family! I am so excited to be here! I have been an Educational Assistant with St.Albert Catholic Schools for the last 8 Years. I am a happy-go-lucky goofball of a person who lives to sprinkle in a little fun and silliness with our work. I love travel, dancing (though I’m not that good), coffee, and food! Working with children is my passion. Seeing them learn and grow is truly a gift that I am grateful to do for a living! I can’t wait to get to know you all, and to join the team at SAA for the 2022/2023 year! 

Educational Assistant - Mrs. Marina Lavrinenko

I am thrilled to be able to work at SAA assisting students to be their best selves! I love music and playing the piano at home.  I hope to share my gifts with students and staff at SAA this year! 

HEAD CUSTODIAN - Mr. Pierre Tremblay GREEN APPLE Building Maintenance and Cleaning Services

Pierre and his team are happy to join the staff at Sister Alphonse Academy. Pierre brings many years of experience to building and cleaning management serving as head custodian in other St. Albert Schools as well as working in cleaning product sales and equipment.