STAFF
Dr. Jenny Small
DIRECTOR
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Dr. Small trained as a physician in the United Kingdom, where she worked as a General Practitioner until her third son was born. When moving with her husband and three boys to Ottawa in 2010, they were led to St. Timothy’s where her older two boys spent two rich and fulfilling years. She was captivated by her first taste of classical Christian education, and was inspired by the godly community they found there. After time on the board and teaching science to Grades 5&6 students, her family moved up to Northern Ontario. Here she spent some time homeschooling her younger two boys, becoming more familiar with classical pedagogy. On returning to Ottawa in 2016, with her youngest son at St. Timothy’s, she became involved in many aspects of school life. She attends Local Church, Ottawa and is passionate about glorifying and enjoying God. Her prayer is that those around her might be inspired to do the same.
​Alison Nanda
SENIOR KINDERGARTEN
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Alison was born in England and grew up in a Christian household with a clergyman father. She has a B.Ed. from the University of Ottawa and a B.A. (History/English Literature) from the University of Western Ontario. She taught in an International school in Panama and for several years in Vancouver in inner-city as well as suburban schools. She has also spent time working with special needs children in a local nursery school. Alison and her husband Kris attend St. Peter & St. Paul's Anglican Church. She is excited to be teaching in a school where she can share her Christian faith.
Emily Martin
GRADE 2 HOMEROOM, GRADE 3 WRITING
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Emily has a wealth of experience in teaching to various age groups. She received an M.A. in English from the University of Ottawa in 2004. Since then she has taught writing at the University of Ottawa, has led book discussion groups and intensive reading courses with homeschooling students, and has been teaching the Literature in Western Culture course at Augustine College for several years. Emily is passionate about introducing great works of children's literature to young minds, as well as encouraging her students as they learn to enjoy reading across different subjects. She also has an interest in developing excellent writing skills which will serve the children well throughout their lives. She takes delight in steering her students towards the good, the true, and the beautiful, and helping to form their minds so that they naturally seek this out. Emily is currently attending Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church.
Angela Richmond
GRADE 1 HOMEROOM, GRADES 3-8 ART
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Angela Richmond earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in painting and drawing, with a minor in Psychology from the University of Ottawa. She also has a background working with youth as a volunteer missionary with NET Canada (2013-14) and Catholic Christian Outreach (2015). An active member in the Ottawa arts community, Angela creates commissioned pieces for local and international clients. Her personal work is informed by her interests in the theology of beauty, the sacramental worldview, and the interior life dynamics. Angela has taught art in multiple settings, and became passionate about the classical curriculum while teaching high school art classes at Chesterton Academy of Ottawa. As an art teacher, she hopes to encourage every students' God-given creativity and give an understanding of excellent art in its historical framework. She attends St. Patrick's Basilica Parish.​
Julie McPherson
GRADES 3-4 HOMEROOM
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Julie McPherson has been an active member of the St. Timothy's community since 2008. She was the school Director from 2014 - 2017, and has also served on the Board of Directors and the Parent Committee. She holds a BScN from the University of Ottawa and has completed the Logos Summer Teacher Training, Administrative Track (2014), at Logos School in Idaho, a pioneer school in the new wave of classical, Christian schools in North America. She and her husband have four children, all whom attend, or have attended St. Timothy's. Julie and her family attend the Metropolitan Bible Church. Julie is passionate about the unique education that is being offered at St. Timothy's, as well as its dynamic and caring community.
Rachel Bloomquist
LOWER GRADES TEACHER
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Rachel was born in India to missionary parents who were wonderful models of Christian discipleship and love. Her education, while focused on the history of ideas and literature that have shaped Western civilization, also developed in her a love of science, languages, art, and music. After completing her BA, Rachel lived and worked in Spain for five years with her husband, Greg. Upon their return to Canada Rachel worked as an assistant in a Christian Montessori school for six years. Following that, she worked as an occasional teacher in the Ottawa District and Ottawa Catholic School Boards. She has also completed teacher training in Christian Classical methods at Logos Academy (Idaho). Rachel seeks to impart a joyful and sure faith in Jesus Christ to the children in her classroom and to encourage them to see God the Father's handiwork in this creation and in the unfolding of history. Rachel and Greg attend St. Maurice Roman Catholic Church.
Evelyn Burhmann
GRADE 5 HOMEROOM, GRADE 5 ENGLISH and MATH, GRADE 4 WRITING
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Having obtained a Bachelor of Education in Elementary and Special Education from The University of Saskatchewan and a Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology from McGill University, Evelyn has taught and consulted in various capacities in the areas of learning disabilities and educational psychology. Her enthusiasm for classical education was birthed and cultivated as she homeschooled her own three children who are now young adults. Passionate about guiding students to discover truth in God’s Word and in His world, Evelyn gratefully embraces how St. Timothy’s mission is woven through both its classical curriculum and school community to enable students to discover and celebrate truth, goodness, and beauty. She and her family attend WestVillage Church.
Dr. Jennifer Patrick
GRADE 6 HOMEROOM, GRADES 5-8 SCIENCE, GRADES 6-8 MATH
From an early age Jen knew she wanted to be a marine biologist, veterinarian or a high school science teacher. She has a BSc from the University of Guelph and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Ontario Veterinary College. She practiced small animal medicine and emergency medicine for 8 years in Vancouver, BC before moving to Ottawa with her husband and children, all five of whom have attended or currently attend St. Timothy’s. She has a passion for classical education and filling young minds and hearts with a wonder of God’s creation and the beauty that surrounds us. Her family attends Calvin Christian Reformed Church.
Dr. Michael Klaassen
GRADES 7-8 HOMEROOM, GRADES 6-8 LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5-8 HISTORY, GRADES 7-8 LOGIC, and GRADES 5-8 LATIN
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Michael has Masters degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Pennsylvania, where he also received a PhD in Classics. Michael and his family moved back to Canada in 2006 after spending one year in Rome. He taught Latin and classics to all grades, with a focus on grades seven and eight, at the Episcopal Academy in Pennsylvania from 1995-2005, where he also served as Chair of Department of Classical Languages from 2000-2005 and was a curriculum advisor to many different grades. Fluent in Latin and Greek, he has presented numerous papers to the Classical Association of Canada meetings. In addition to his teaching duties at St. Timothy's, Michael is currently a Lecturer in Latin in the Department of Canon Law at St. Paul University, and a Lecturer in Medical Terminology at the University of Ottawa. He attends the Village International Mennonite Church in Vanier.
Oana-Maria Rusu
GRADES 1-8 FRENCH
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Oana-Maria obtained a B.A. Hons. in Philology (English and French Languages and Literature) in her native Romania. She later earned graduate certificates in both Human Resources Management and in TESL/TEFL (the teaching of English as a foreign/second language) in Canada. Her studies gave her a strong foundation in the methodology of instruction of foreign languages, pedagogical grammar, language acquisition, assessment and evaluation. Before taking responsibility for the French programme at St. Timothy’s, Oana-Maria gained experience in the educational field by teaching children in after-school programmes, tutoring middle- and high-school students, serving as a teaching assistant, and teaching business English and French to employees of an international company. She has also worked as a translator/interpreter and in administration. Oana-Maria, her husband, and her two children are active members of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church. She is keen to cultivate in her children and students not only a love of learning, but also a love of Christ.
Leora Nauta-Haines
GRADES 1-6 MUSIC
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Leora is delighted to be the Music Director at St. Timothy’s Classical Academy. As a conductor, organist and harpsichordist, she has a vast background in classical music. She has performed in venues across Europe and North America and has lectured at various universities. She holds a Master of Music from McGill University, a Master of Sacred Music from The University of Notre Dame, and studied historical music performance at Amsterdam Conservatory and choral conducting at New England Conservatory of Music. She loves to engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds with her dynamic and energetic musical storytelling, and feels especially blessed to be working in a Christian environment at St. Timothy's, helping children to hear God’s voice through the beauty of sound.
Ana Teoh
GRADE 4 LATIN, TEACHING ASSISTANT
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Ana Teoh is a graduate of St. Timothy's. In high school she completed the International Baccaleaureate program at Colonel By Secondary School in Ottawa. Afterwards, she spent a year at Augustine College, graduating Magma Cum Laude. Both St. Timothy's and Augustine College were foundational to the growth of her faith and her character, having taught her how to think critically to seek after truth, goodness, and beauty. She is excited to return once again to St. Timothy's, this time in a teaching role.
Tim Waterhouse
GRADES 3-4 HISTORY
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Born and raised in Ottawa, Tim earned a B.A. and M.A. from Carleton University (Religious Studies) and a B.Ed. from the University of Western Ontario. From 1994 to 2019, Tim was a secondary school teacher with the Renfrew County District School Board. History, social science, and special education were his teaching areas. For several years he was a History Department Head. Tim and his wife Meg had the opportunity to teach internationally at Colegio Americano in Quito Ecuador. Human history, Tim maintains, is embedded with meaning and a divine purpose. A solid understanding of history has never been more important as students deal with the complexities and challenges of the 21st century. Tim and his wife are members of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Parish.
Skye MacDiarmid
GRADES 5-8 DRAMA
Skye was born and raised in rural Northern Ontario. She has a B.Mus in Musical Theatre Vocal Performance from Carleton University as well as teaching accreditation from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Voice. She has been teaching voice, speech, and drama for over 25 years from her home studio, local theatre production companies, music and drama schools, recreational programs, and homeschooling co-operatives. She believes that she has been called to serve God in the world that He loves through the performing arts. She was nominated for a Capital Critics Circle Award in 2016, was the Broadway World Regional Award winner for Vocalist of the Year in 2020. and winner of the 2022 Music International Competition in Adult Popular Voice. Skye believes that we were created by the creator to create. By using our voices and bodies through the dramatic arts, God has a vehicle by which He can tell beautiful, complex, and redemptive stories. She attends The Life Centre and is the mother of five fabulous young men.
Alan Gilman
GRADES 5-8 BIBLE
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Alan believes that the Bible is God's epic story—his holy, inspired and authoritative revelation of his plan to rescue a broken world. He delights in showing how God's plan of salvation begins with Abraham and his descendants, is fulfilled in the Messiah Jesus, and is expressed through Jesus' followers today. The only way to fully experience God's blessings is to understand the essential Jewishness of the Gospel. He is very happy to be teaching bible to the grades 5-8 students at St. Timothy's. Mr. Gilman has been married for almost 40 years and he and his wife Robin have 10 children. Mr. Gilman has been active in Bible teaching, devotional writing and worship leading.
Janine Lingrell
ADMINISTRATOR
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Janine was born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta and holds a BMgt (Management Information Systems) from the University of Lethbridge. She previously worked in the high-tech sector until the birth of her eldest child. Motivated by the classical model of Christian education offered at St. Timothy's, she has been actively involved with the school since 2011, volunteering in various roles. She and her husband have two children, both who attend or have attended St. Timothy's. Janine and her family attend Calvin Christian Reformed Church.
BOARD
Luke McDougall - CHAIR
Luke was born and raised in west Ottawa and graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.A.Sc. in Computer Engineering. He currently works in software development at Nokia. Luke and his wife, Erin, have five children, three of whom are enrolled at St. Timothy’s. Luke and his family attend Kanata Baptist Church where he is involved in children’s ministry.
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Lara Coleman - VICE CHAIR
Lara was born and raised in Calgary, and earned her B.A. at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. She moved to Ottawa in 2009 where she completed the Augustine College program and an M.A. in Public History from Carleton University. She works as an Analyst for the Library of Parliament. Lara and her husband Landon have three children and attend St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church.
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Braven Hong - TREASURER
Braven was born and raised in southern China. He immigrated to Canada in 2000, and completed his M.A.Sc in Computer Engineering at Carleton University in 2003. He currently works in software development at Cisco Systems Canada. Braven and his wife Helen have two children, both of whom attend St. Timothy's. Braven and his family attend Ottawa Mandarin Alliance Church.
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Andrey Anishchenko - SECRETARY
Andrey, his wife Mary, and their family have been part of the St. Timothy's community since 2017, with two of their three children currently enrolled in the school. Andrey was born and raised in Toronto and received an MA in international relations and a JD from the University of Toronto. He has lived in Ottawa since 2005, working in the federal public service. He grew up in the Russian Orthodox community and he and has family currently attend the Protection of the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church here in Ottawa, where he serves as subdeacon, chanter, and secretary of the parish council. He previously worked as a lawyer and has some experience in corporate governance issues regarding his church. He and Mary have valued the chance to be volunteers at St. Timothy's and the opportunity it has given them to get to know the children and other parents.
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Sergey Naumenko - PARENT LIAISON
Sergey was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine. He obtained a Masters degree in Software Engineering in Ukraine and a PhD in Mathematical Biology and Bioinformatics in Russia. He moved to Canada with his family in 2015 and is currently working as a bioinformatics consultant with Harvard Chan School of Public Health (Boston, US). Sergey and his wife Yulia have two daughters and they attend Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church.
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Victor Ndihokubwayo
Victor Ndihokubwayo was born in Rwanda and raised in a Christian home. He came to Canada as a refugee in 1995. He studied law at the University of Ottawa: first French Civil law (LL.L) and then English Common law (LL.B). He has been practicing law for the Department of Justice Canada since 2001, first at Global Affairs, then at Industry Canada, and is currently at Natural Resources Canada. He and his wife have an eight-year-old son and they attend the Church of the Messiah.
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