Peoples Christian Academy | Junior School Faculty

Peoples Christian Academy (PCA) administration, faculty and staff are chosen for their ability to reflect the principles and values as outlined in our Philosophy of Education. These Christian faculty members are highly qualified and dedicated teachers who see their career choice as a ministry to impart Christian values to the next generation of leaders. Faculty and administrative staff participate in devotions and seek to be examples and mentors for the students. A code of conduct for staff is outlined in the appropriate manuals and handbooks. There is a strong partnership with parents to reinforce Christian and family values in the students’ lives. Some of our faculty members are even PCA alumni.

J. Bahk

Homeform SK
B.A. - Waterloo University
B. Ed. - York University

Miss J. Bahk: "I thank the Lord every day for the wonderful school where I can inspire young children to be the best as they can be in all aspects for the Glory of the Lord. I thank the Lord for a work place where I am encouraged and inspired by my colleagues. I thank the Lord for the school where the older students show Christ’s love by serving the younger students. For these reasons and lots more, it is important that I teach at PCA! "

D. Sun

Homeform 1B

HBA - University of Toronto

M. Teaching - Griffith University (Australia)

Mrs. D. Sun: "I am very grateful for the opportunity to teach at PCA. My schooling started at a Christian school and I value the lessons I learned and friendships I made there. It is important to me to value each student as a child of God while instilling the future generations with strong Christian morals."

C. D’Eall

Homeform 5A

B.A., B. Ed. - Tyndale University College & Seminary

Mrs. C. D'Eall: "Teaching at PCA feels like more than just a job. It is a calling God has placed on my life. It enables me to work with students in a Christian setting so that, not only am I teaching them the curriculum, I am teaching them about God’s love. I'm helping them on their paths to discover who they want to be as followers of Christ Jesus."

C. Droppo

Homeform 5A

BFA (honours) - York University

B.Ed. - Queen’s University

Mrs. C. Droppo: ““As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace." (1 Peter 4:10)

I thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to teach at PCA where I am able to glorify Him everyday.

It is my privilege to educate the next generation alongside an amazing faculty who live to inspire each child to serve our Lord, and achieve God's purpose for their lives.”

J. Guy

Junior School Vice Principal
B.A., B.Ed. - York University
(PCA Alumna)

Miss J. Guy: "I love my job! I have been teaching at PCA for over 20 years and now am the Vice Principal of the Junior Division. When I was in Grade 5, I was a student at PCA and I prayed to ask Jesus into my heart following a Chapel service. I will never forget the teacher who knelt beside me as I prayed to receive Christ as my Saviour. It was a moment I cherish. She later became a missionary in France and we still keep in touch. Today, it is a privilege for me to pray with students, parents and colleagues, and is one of the many reasons why PCA is a wonderful school and why I love my job."

P. Hui

Homeform JK2
B.A - University of Toronto

B.Ed - Tyndale University

Diploma in Early Childhood Education - Seneca College

Mrs. P. Hui: "Teaching is like lighting up candles. Children have so much potential, and our job as educators is to inspire them to shine brightly. The Christian-based learning environment that PCA provides allows me to light up children’s candles, and to plant the seeds in children’s lives through daily interactions with them. It is a blessing to watch them grow under the umbrella of God’s love here at PCA."

T. Kalemkerian

Homeform 3A
B.Sc. (Honours) - University of Toronto
B.Ed. - York University

Mrs. T. Kalemkerian: "My motivation for teaching is that each child is unique, not only capable of learning, but also capable of succeeding. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Romans 12:6) I strive to provide the right balance of structure, support, and freedom to encourage and inspire each child in the pursuit of their full potential and development (spiritually, academically, and socially). May each seed planted be used for His glory!"

C. Lai

B. Sc. - McMaster University

B. Ed. - University of Toronto

MTS - Tyndale Seminary

Miss C. Lai: "I am thankful for PCA because it gives me the opportunity to talk about God with children and point them to Him. I also appreciate PCA as a place where teaching involved more than instilling knowledge, but also spiritual development. I believe children are created in the image of God, thus they are to be nurtured and guided in the way of the Lord. I long to see them grow in their faith and be in a close relationship with the Lord who is loving and faithful toward us. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.”-Deuteronomy 6:5-7a"

H. Lee

French (JK-Gr. 5)
B.F.A., B.Ed. - York University

Miss H. Lee: "The staff that I work with daily at PCA are not only effective teachers, but are also genuine people with strong values. It is my joy and privilege to be part of a staff team that is dedicated to helping students see their own incredible worth, training them in the ways of righteousness, and equipping them to be godly citizens who can impart value to those in their scope of influence."

J. Lee

Homeform 4B

B.A. - University of Toronto

B.Ed. - York University

Ms. J. Lee: "I am grateful to be a part of the PCA family.

It is a privilege to work alongside people who are deeply committed to sharing the love of Christ in our world.

I love that I can share with my students how God has moved and placed Himself in every single thing that we are learning in class. It is such an honour to see God's daily handiwork in the lives of my students and their families. Truly, God is good!"

J. Lee

Homeform JK
B.A. - University of Toronto
B.Ed. - Tyndale University
Diploma in Early Childhood Education - Seneca College

Mrs. J. Lee: "Working at PCA is very important to me because I get to work with the amazing teachers who are willing to support each other in God’s name. Also, I am grateful to have the opportunity of working with both Junior school and BASP students so that we can learn and grow together as a Christian community. Seeing those smiles of our students tells me how God is using our school to glorify Him. I am so blessed to have PCA in my life!"

K. LeGrow

Homeform JK

B.A.- York University

B.Ed. - York University

Mrs. K. LeGrow: "Working with children is my passion. I love watching my students grow and develop, both academically and spiritually. I am thankful that PCA provides a warm, nurturing community where God is at the centre of all that we do. It is truly a blessing to be part of our school's mission to prepare each child to reach the world for Christ."

L. Montgomery

Homeform 2B
B.A. (Honours) - York University
B.Ed. - University of Toronto

Miss L. Montgomery: "There is a beautiful verse in Psalm 145 that says: “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” As a teacher at PCA, I have the honour of telling the next generation about our amazing God every day at school. I love that I am able to share Christ’s love with the children and direct their hearts toward Him. I believe my role is to prepare and equip students to be leaders in the community who passionately serve God and follow His path of wisdom for life."

A. Mootoo

Homeform Gr.1

BASc.EC (Honours) - University of Guelph

ECE - Guelph- Humber

B. Ed – York University

Miss A. Mootoo: "I love working at PCA. I’ve always had a passion for teaching children. At PCA I get the privilege to teach students as they grow academically and discover who they are in Christ. It is a blessing to work alongside an amazing team of committed individuals that are deeply rooted in the Christian faith. May God continue to bless PCA!"

C. Pires

Homeform 5B

B.A. (Honours) - University of Toronto.

B.Ed - Trent University

Miss C. Pires: "Being a teacher has always been a dream of mine because I understood the importance of an education to an individual, but more importantly, I know Jesus is first and above anything else. At PCA, I love that students get to combine their faith and love of Jesus with an meaningful and inspirational education. Not only do the students get a chance to grow in their educational careers but they also have a chance to gain a deeper understanding of their faith. I also love that I get to grow in my faith in a environment that celebrates my love of Jesus."

S. Shin

Lead Teacher, Junior School
B. Applied Arts ECE - Ryerson University
B.Ed. - University of Toronto

Mrs. S. Shin: "Teaching at PCA now for over a decade has been one of my greatest joys and privileges. My own three children have called this school "home" and have benefited from the excellent love, care and discipleship of staff. I have many passions in life which include cooking, time with family and friends, traveling to places without the light of Christ and of course teaching.

Along with my husband, John, we view life on Earth a drill, as we prepare for a day when our Lord will come in all His glory."

B. Shum

Homeform 4A

B. Sc. (Hons.) in life sciences - Queens University

J.D. - Harvard Law School

M.T. - Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Mr. B. Shum: "I am very pleased to be the new homeroom teacher for Class 4A. A verse I hope to apply this year comes from Proverbs 22:6, 'Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.' Prior to joining Peoples, I had worked at Greenwood and Upper Canada College--both private schools in the Toronto area. I also practiced very briefly as a U.S. corporate tax lawyer before beginning my career as an educator."

K. Simmonds

Homeform 1A

BA (Honours) - Queen's University

BEd - Tyndale University

Ms. K. Simmonds: "I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to teach at PCA and be part of such a strong and supportive community. Children are the future and I believe wholeheartedly that we must instill in them a sense of purpose, love and hope. The most important element of teaching children is providing a safe environment for them to grow and learn, an environment in which they feel free to develop and contribute to their own learning. PCA provides a learning environment intended to foster the development and growth of the whole person (body, spirit, and mind), equipping future generations to reach the whole world for Christ. I am privileged to be part of this amazing mission."

B. Siu, Dr.

Music (JK - Gr. 5)
B.Music - University of Philippines
M.Music - Florida State University
B.Ed., M.Ed., Ed.D. - University of Toronto

Dr. B. Siu: "Being a music teacher for the JK to Grade 5 students, I have opportunities to instill in students the love of music through learning about the elements of music, singing, playing the recorder, concert performances, and encouraging students who can play other instruments to serve the Lord with their music talents. Singing in chapel is a highlight for the students and it is a blessing to teach the students songs that glorify our Lord."

W. Strickland

Homeform 2A
B.CSE - Heritage College
B.Ed - Tyndale University
(PCA Alumna)

Mrs. W. Strickland: "I am so thankful to be teaching at PCA! It is wonderful to be teaching at a school where I am given the honour of sharing my love for God in all that I do. I love that I can show children on a daily basis what Jesus did in my life and how Jesus can change their lives too! I was a student at PCA and so was my husband. We also have our children enrolled in the school. It is important for our children to be in a place where we know teachers love them and love Jesus."

My name is Bryan, I am a senior student who will be going to Boston with a team of 15 in April, 2013. This is my testimony of God's goodness in my life and how I became a child of God through Jesus Christ. Like many students at PCA, I grew up in a Christian environment. I was born into a Christian family and attended church and a Christian school my whole life. Growing up was relatively easy and simple for me. I didn't have any big problems with health or family. I grew up as a “good” Christian boy and I strived to maintain that persona by reading my bible and praying every morning/night as a routine. I would even carry around a small memo pad to write down significant verses and famous stories in the bible! Because my family would praise me sometimes for being such a “good Christian”, I continued to do good things, read the Bible and pray every day. When I look back, I can tell that a lot of my early Christian life was driven by fear and a reliance on my own moral effort. In grade nine, I began going to church with some of my classmates and through church and school and my Bible reading, the gospel became more and more real and precious to me. I understood I was a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. I understood that I needed God’ grace and mercy. And I understood that God demonstrated his grace and mercy through his Son, Jesus’ substitutionary and sacrificial death on the cross for me. From then on, I loved the gospel. I loved Christ. I continued to pray, read the bible, and journal. During these early years in high school, my life changed drastically because of this new relationship with Christ. I would pray with people at school and worship in the hallways without the fear of what people's thought of me! I wasn’t perfect, nor will I be anytime soon, but I was alive in Christ. Despite sin in my life, God gave me confidence that in repentance of sin and through faith in Jesus, my sins could be separated from me as far as the east is from the west. What a precious and a glorious truth! Jesus paid it all! All to him I owe. In March, 2012, I went with PCA to India for 2 weeks to serve with and learn from a former PCA student who is working with street children in Kolkata. During this trip, God opened my eyes to see his work and his glory in a different country and in a different culture. God gave me a passion for the homeless on the street as I worked with the street children in Kolkata. This was my first experience with “missions”. I came back from India pumped up to do the will of the Lord in Toronto, but was hindered by exhaustion physically, academically, and even spiritually. I contemplated reading my bible at times and allowed school work to take priority in my life. However, because of my experience in India, I was able to have a change in my lifestyle in the beginning of the summer that year. A lifestyle of evangelism began in me. Upon returning from India I began going with a few friends to malls, streets in downtown, and even bus rides to share the gospel with complete strangers that we met. In grade 11, I had taken a World Religions course here at PCA where I learned how different the message of the gospel is in comparison to the religious systems taught around the world. I was able to use what I learned in World Religions class and apply it as I shared the gospel on the streets of Toronto. I found great contentment and joy in sharing gospel! I was able to share the gospel and pray for random people freely during the summer wherever I went! That summer was a season of major growth and maturity for me as a Christian leader. This school year, God has been bringing me through multiple ups and downs. As a senior student, I am compiled with loads of work! God has been teaching me to surrender to him all of me – including my work, studies, and relationships. And from that, His blessings flow! God is constantly amazing me with the greatness and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is constantly refining me and making me more like him. Now some people may say, and I might even think myself, "You know, you're still young and your going to university soon, aren't you wasting your life living for Jesus?" I would tell them, "No, once you live in Christ, you know there's nothing better than to live for Jesus." Now I’m not perfect- not even close. Life is full of ups and downs. Through it all, God is still good and He is faithful. The more I read his word, the more I know the person of Jesus Christ and the more I trust my life in his hands. - Bryon Lok (Gr 12 student, Student Council President)

God opened my eyes
We moved schools from Toronto to Markham on the great testimony from good friends who have children in PCA. We are so incredibly thankful that we did. PCA has been a daily blessing to our family. One of our children has graduated from ELC to JK, and we currently have another enrolled in ELC. Not only are the staff kind and caring (which is a hope you have in all daycares), the ELC supersede expectations by also coming alongside parents in the building up of children in the Lord. They do this with a spirit of accountability that you rarely see in any other academic institutions; the staff nurture and love, teach, correct, and encourage - and we are constantly amazed at the level of care they provide. PCA feels like an extension of our church family; we feel like that is the case because the of the culture of "living together as a church family" that comes from the leadership of the school.

If you are considering PCA, know that your children will grow here: physically (my picky 3 year old eats so well here!), mentally (Montessori-like learning) emotionally and spiritually. Enrolling our children at PCA has been one of the best decisions we have ever made, and we would recommend it to any parent in a heartbeat.

S. and L. Ho
Thank you very much for maintaining a close connection with me and my friends. We enjoy the friendly conversations in the hallways. I am so grateful for the teachers' presence in my life, for their kindness and friendship.

Middle School Graduate
Peoples Christian Academy is academically strong.

It was in these classrooms that my three sons were challenged to reach high, trained to work hard and inspired to think ‘outside the box’.

Gifted, well qualified and supportive teachers and staff greeted my boys each day. In this caring community, teachers often gave precious time and help beyond the call of duty to their students. Music, drama, tutoring, sports teams, community service and mission trips were all part of the ’extras’. Each of my ’boys’ (now men), greatly benefited from these additional helps, enabling them to become more confident, skilled and well rounded as individuals.

To my sons as well as my husband and me, it is the long lasting friendships with both staff and fellow student’s that has made Peoples school that extra special place for each of us.

As a distinctively Christian school, my sons were challenged and inspired to see life through biblical principles and to follow Jesus. Hence, PCA’s influence has formed the underpinning of ideas and values that now fuel my children’s future.

My hope is to encourage you also to give your child a similar opportunity for growth and accomplishment, by sending them to Peoples Christian Academy. We are forever grateful for this school and it’s influence in all our lives.

Cathy D. (PCA parent)
Hi, my name is Candice Taguibao, I’m in grade 12 and this is my 13th year at PCA. I’ve participated in missions at PCA for 3 years now. In grade 10, I went to Chang Mai, Thailand; last year, I had the privilege of serving in Kolkata; and this year I’m going to Boston with my team. I can honestly say that I’ve grown so much spiritually on these mission’s trips and have learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned how to humble myself before the Lord and have realized the urgency of sharing the gospel to a broken world. But I’d like to share a bit of why I first applied for these missions’ trips, and why I continue to apply. As I finish my grade 12 year, I’ve discovered that life is busy, it’s not easy; in fact, it’s challenging. I’ve been writing a lot of Personal Statement Essays and scholarships for universities recently, and this is my biggest pitch, how I sell myself- that I strive to challenge myself to become the best I can be. That’s why I’m the best candidate: because I push myself to be the best I can be when it comes to academics, athletics, and service in my community. But after a while, this put me in a very selfish position. I was so headstrong in my ambitions that I allowed myself to be tossed around by the chaos of being pulled in so many different directions, instead of looking up in the one direction that actually mattered, and desiring my relationship with my God to strengthen. Now, I'm a very visual person and this is how I picture the Grace of God in my life. So bring your mind close to mine, and imagine with me. It’s dark. And in my ignorance, I'm running down a path, somewhere, anywhere; I don’t really know my destination but I keep going anyways. Full force; full speed. I don't admit it often, but I'm exhausted, tired. I’m panting, I feel dizzy, and the road is closing in on me. But suddenly, when I get crazy (as I often do) and run down this crowded, but lonely road, something really extraordinary happens. I see a new path and it’s like the Lord diverges my road and carves a trail for me. At the end of the trail, I see around me an oasis, a garden! I lift my hands up and God is calling me in. I feel like I’ve discovered something. Here there is rest, peace, joy, and love. To me it’s a secret garden; it’s a secret in that it was so foreign to path that led me here. I’m not panting anymore- with every deep breath, I actually feel alive. There I find green pastures to lie in. There I see how the lilies grow and feel how much I’m loved. There, I find my God, though He was always with me, now I’m with Him. And it’s because He's there with me that I can feel secure, and liberated at the same time. Being with Him gives me so much unexplainable joy, and its mine. It's my garden. It's precious to me. There, in my garden, I’m finally resting. You know, there's this preconception about missionaries: that they're like a holy equivalent to a super sayan. But that's not true. The feet that bring the message aren't the steps of self-reclaimed righteous man; they are feet that are flawed. Yet it is the heart of the message they bring that make their journey worth it- beautiful. In the Bible it says that "Blessed are the feet that bring good news". But the thing is, those feet would not be blessed if it wasn't for the good news they bring. I'm not going on this mission’s trip because I'm perfect; I'm going on this missions trip because I fail. Because even though I have experienced walking with the Lord in my garden, at times I shamefully prefer the dark road I came from. And yet the Lord is so kind to me. After all I’ve done, he loves me so much; and if I was the reason that kept another person from experiencing that love, then I don’t know how to love at all. That's why I do missions. I go on these missions trips so that maybe I can get people who are so desperately mulling down the roads of their life to stop, and come into the secret garden that they may find rest as well, through Jesus Christ. And after a while, when my Gardener sees fit, the secret garden won't be such a secret anymore. So now I’m going to show one of the methods we’ll be using to share this message of love to the people in Boston. So here I have a sketch board which I will tell you a story from the Bible. This tool originates from Open Air Campaigners, the organization we will be working with in Boston. So, pretend with me that you are a group of young children who have come to listen to a story. - Candice Taguibao (Gr 12 student, Athletic Council)

I strive to challenge myself