The Team
Principal, Home Education
simon@wisdomhomeschooling.com
simon.noster@gilbertineinstitute.com
Simon grew up on a farm in rural Alberta where he was home schooled from kindergarten through grade 12. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in California, followed by a Bachelor of Education from Concordia University of Edmonton. Simon taught in the separate school system in Cold Lake before joining the WISDOM family as a facilitator in 2014.
Having worked in several capacities with WISDOM over the years, Simon now enjoys facilitating, along with the responsibility of Principal of Home Education for the WISDOM Home Schooling department of The Gilbertine Institute. Simon and his wife, Nicole, are the proud home schooling parents of four beautiful children, and feel blessed to experience the joys of their life in rural Alberta.
Head of School
ken@wisdomhomeschooling.com
kenneth.noster@gilbertineinstitute.com
Kenneth Noster and his wife, Marlane, were compelled by their firstborn child to begin home schooling in the late 1980’s. They began with no support network, and their home schooling mirrored the institutional learning they had themselves experienced. They soon recognized that learning is much bigger than schools.
Within a year, Ken was helping neighbours begin home schooling, and in 1992, he was hired by a nearby school board to organize a home schooling administration. Recognizing that support for home schooling families requires a very special approach to administration, Ken and Marlane began WISDOM Home Schooling in 1995.
Secretary Treasurer
vic@wisdomhomeschooling.com
vic.wiens@gilbertineinstitute.com
Vic Wiens first became acquainted with home schooling in Alberta when he moved to this province in 1998 to take on the role of principal at Newell Christian School in Brooks, the associate private school for a fairly large homeschool organization. It did not take long for him to appreciate the good work that parents were doing in educating their children. Since that time, he has been the principal of three other schools with homeschool administrations and also homeschooled one of his own children.
Chief Operating Officer
tobylauren@wisdomhomeschooling.com
tobylauren.burgess@gilbertineinstitute.com
"There are no teachers, only learners - it is my job as a teacher to create a learning environment." - Monty Roberts
From a young age, TobyLauren thrived in an environment where conversation and curiosity reigned supreme—no baby talk here! By four, she was already an avid reader and adventurous spirit. Eagerly anticipating her first day of school, she quickly found herself disenchanted, often left to color while her peers engaged in lessons. This led her to embrace homeschooling mid-way through grade 3, a decision that allowed her to explore her passions for horse training, agriculture, painting, writing, and both learning and teaching piano and violin.
Alberta Education requires two evaluations of each home education student, per year, by an Alberta certificated teacher in the employ of your associate board or associate private school.
The Gilbertine Institute hires Alberta certificated teachers who also home school their own children, or have home education experience themselves, to be our facilitators. Your facilitator is there to help you reach your goals in educating your children, while at the same time satisfying government requirements.
Click on Read more on each one to view the full bio and access contact information.
Tiffany grew up in small town Alberta. As an adult, she started travelling as soon as possible which led her to becoming an au pair in France. This experience taught her a lot about children, language, culture, perspective, and so many other life lessons. She has continued to travel whenever possible (though not as much as she’d like) throughout North America, Europe and a few tropical islands.
Upon returning home to Alberta, she continued to pursue her Bachelor of Education degree. She married the love of her life, and they started a family. Tiffany worked in the public school system for 15 years. Along the way she saw her son (and many others) struggling to learn in this type of environment. 3 years ago, the time came for the Arnolds to begin their homeschool journey.
Homeschooling is now a passion for Tiffany, and she cannot imagine her life any other way. She is so blessed and excited to be facilitating for other families that are excited to educate their kids in their own way. Tiffany strongly believes in meeting kids where they are at and encouraging them to learn in a way that is meaningful for them. She also believes in getting messy and dirty and playing as much as possible.
The Arnold family enjoys being outdoors, camping, hiking, kayaking, BBQ’s, board and card games, make-believe play, dress-up, hide and seek, and visiting with friends and family. Tiffany also really loves sourdough and making all the things with sourdough.
Tiffany looks forward to working alongside families that have chosen to educate their children. She feels very called to this position with WISDOM and believes everything happens for a reason. The spirit moves us where we need to be.
Tiffany Arnold, Medicine Hat
tiffany@wisdomhomeschooling.com
tiffany.arnold@gilbertineinstitute.com
403-866-7822
Michele has been married to Mike since 1985 (39 years and counting) and has come to WISDOM with an array of family life experiences given the children with which they have been blessed.
Their homeschooling adventure began in 1994, having 'bumped' into some homeschooling families both at church and in the community. An introductory meeting at a homeschooling presentation ignited their openness to embarking on the adventure. Upon moving to Lamont, 40 minutes east of Edmonton, the Barters slipped quietly into town and began to homeschool their 4 children. Michele was thrilled (most of the time) to be able to have her children home with her.
Pierre-Andre grew up in the small town of St. Paul, Alberta with his parents and six siblings. There he went to school from K-12 and played almost all sports but had a strong passion for hockey. After high school, Pierre-Andre continued to play Jr. hockey in Lloydminster and St. Paul while attending the U of A, where he was studying to become a teacher. In 2017, Pierre-Andre received his Bachelor of Education, majoring in biological sciences and minoring in chemistry. He then went on to work for Edmonton Catholic Schools teaching math and science at the high school level for 5.5 years. It is through this teaching experience and having children of his own that Pierre-Andre realized the necessity for parents to be the primary educators of their children. Pierre-Andre truly feels that he has answered God’s calling in joining WISDOM Home Schooling as a facilitator and chemistry specialist. He loves supporting, encouraging and working with families in achieving their homeschooling goals.
Joan Bishop has been a WISDOM facilitator since 2011 and really loves this work. She feels very privileged to meet with homeschooling families, coming alongside parents with support and encouragement. She is a strong homeschooling advocate who firmly believes that children need their parents far more than most people even know, since it has been the norm, for many years, to send children away to other people for so many hours each week.
Fitz and Rhonda met and married while teaching high school in Calgary. They loved working together then, and they love working together now. Currently, Rhonda is a facilitator for WISDOM as well as the English & Social Studies Specialist, and Fitz is her amazing assistant who also tutors Chemistry online and leads WISDOM’s in-person Physics Labs. Together, they have almost fifty years of teaching experience!
Born and raised in Paris, France, Lydie has always been passionate about languages and diverse cultures. While studying at university, she had the opportunity to work with people from various backgrounds at Disneyland Paris. Her extensive travels have taken her to places like Madrid, Spain, Torino, Italy, Athens and Santorini, Greece, and the Netherlands, among others. Each experience has broadened her horizons and deepened her appreciation for languages and different cultures.
In 2004, Lydie made a significant move to London, England, to improve her English before pursuing a Bachelor of Education to teach English Language Arts in France. She fell in love with the city and decided to complete her BEd at the University of Uxbridge in West London. Over the next four years, she taught French, Italian, and Spanish to underprivileged students aged 7 to 13 at a comprehensive school. These years were some of the most challenging yet profoundly rewarding of her teaching career, as she saw remarkable transformations in students who had previously faced educational obstacles. It was during this time that she realized the crucial impact of a strong family foundation on children's well-being. This experience planted a seed in her, although she did not fully realise it at the time.
Carrie knew she wanted to be a teacher for most of her life. She had a very impactful relationship with her second grade teacher. She was a good teacher, but she was great at caring for Carrie, even outside of the classroom. That's how Carrie wanted to be for her students. After high school she went to Concordia and the University of Alberta. She graduated with her BEd and taught kindergarten-to-grade-six for over 12 years in Calgary, La Crete and Sherwood Park, AB. As she was winding down with teaching, she worked at church as the part time Children's Ministry Director for six years. It was a great experience that helped her to do two things she loves: working with kids and serving God.
Simon grew up in Saskatchewan and attended public school through grade 12. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in pastoral ministry, spent two years working as an associate pastor, and then traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa to work in a home for abandoned babies. It was there that he met Grace, a beautiful WISDOM alumnus from Alberta. This was Simon’s first experience with a homeschooler, and after their time in Africa, he followed her home and married her a year later.
When their oldest child was 5, Grace began teaching him at home, partly because of her own positive experience, and partly because the family was moving frequently as Simon worked on his education degree at Trinity Western, and then pursued teaching assignments in Saskatchewan. When they moved back to Alberta in 2021, Simon and Grace enrolled their three school-aged children with WISDOM.
Rachelle and Paul have been married for 32 years and have 9 children. Seven of their children have graduated and two are still homeschooling. They began homeschooling in 1999 and have cherished every moment on the journey. They began homeschooling so they could have the freedom to pass on their beliefs and values to their children. They felt that homeschooling was the best way to do so, because they'd simply have more time with them. Homeschooling has been everything they hoped it would be and more. God is so good! Thankfully, their journey is not over and they have many more adventures yet to be had with their younger children.
Elizabeth (Liz) and her husband Tim were married in 1991 and have been blessed with 10 children; the three oldest children are married; they have 3 delightful grandchildren. They served in full time ministry in a church in the Westlock area for 30 years. In 2021, Liz was led to join the team at WISDOM where she serves as a facilitator for homeschool families across Alberta; at this time the Gurnetts relocated to the Edmonton area.
The Gurnetts began homeschooling in 1999 and have enjoyed continuing to homeschool ever since. While they continue to homeschool their four youngest, six of their children have graduated from high school; five have completed their post-secondary training and one is currently in post-secondary education. Homeschooling has given them the opportunity to teach and to spend more time with their children as they served together, enabling them to pass on their faith and values to their children even with their busy schedule.
Nola and her husband, Don, have two adult daughters whom they homeschooled all the way through high school. Nola was a teacher for several years before their first daughter was born. Homeschooling wasn’t initially the plan for their family, but because their children needed to be with them a little longer, and because of observing such good fruit in the lives of other homeschooling families, the Hutchinsons made the decision to try it for a year. It wasn’t always easy, but once they experienced the benefits for their girls and their family life, they were convinced they were on the right path and they continued through to high school graduation.
Anella has had many adventures in her years on this earth, including working as a bicycle messenger in Montreal and Vancouver, teaching snowboarding in Whistler and tree planting in Northern BC and Alberta, but nothing can compare to the goodness of knowing God and home educating her children.
Anella and her husband, Mike, welcomed their first son, Samuel, in June 2006. He attended her university convocation at only 4 days old. Since his birth, Anella and Mike have welcomed six more children through birth and adoption: Vincent, Theodore, Eva, Josephina, Nathan and Felix. With the exception of a brief stint in public school, they have home educated their children through elementary and high school; after wrestling with various options they chose to not seek high school credits for their children, but allow each one to pursue the path of learning that is best suited for him or her. It has been amazing to see God grow each child in his or her own unique abilities and Anella and Mike are so thankful for each one of their children.
Desmond began with WISDOM Home Schooling in the fall of 2020 and is looking forward to meeting and supporting families with their education vision and its pursuit.
It is said that a parent is a child’s first teacher. This, however, is often understood to mean just the first few years of life, but the parent-child relationship is a life-long commitment. It is true that what happens in the early years of a child’s life is very critical, but as parents our responsibility for our children’s formation does not end there.
Through homeschooling, parents have greater responsibility and freedom to shape the learning and the learning experiences of their children.
Randy has served with WISDOM for the past 27 years. It has been filled with joys and sorrows, the unexpected as well as changes in governments, homeschool families and colleagues. For 29 years, Randy and Catie raised and home educated their four children, Nathan, Joshua, Esther and Reuben, who are now all married and raising children of their own. Nathan, a journeyman carpenter, operates Porcupine Contracting in Edson. Joshua operates Kopp Studios as an RCM piano instructor in Olds and is also an electrical journeyman. Esther, formerly a big game guide and horse trainer, now owns and operates a cattle farm with her husband near Smithers, B.C. Reuben completed his 4 year Turfgrass Management Program at Olds College, worked at a number of golf courses and now is employed by the City of Spruce Grove.
Gordon and Leandra Loewen moved to the Peace Country near Grande Prairie eleven years ago and have loved homeschooling their four remaining children with WISDOM Home Schooling. Gordon graduated from UBC in 2004 with a Bachelor of Education and became a homeschool teacher in BC. Four years ago, Gordon started as a WISDOM facilitator and has enjoyed serving the families of northern Alberta ever since. The Loewen's live on a twelve-acre hobby farm overlooking Bear Lake which is home to goats, chickens, a horse (unfortunately the llama passed away last year) and Corgis. They have enjoyed hosting many different events on their property over the years.
Taylore is a kindergarten through grade twelve WISDOM graduate and is passionate about home education and supporting the next generation of home schooling families. Taylore grew up as the oldest of four children in a family that was going to try home schooling for “just one year,” which turned into twenty years of home schooling as a family. As a traditional home schooling student, her years of education were filled with a variety of home school philosophies, which included Charlotte Mason, unit studies, times of unschooling with a great focus on interests, history and faith. Taylore did countless WISDOM online courses to round out her high school education. Without writing any Alberta Diplomas or entrance exams, she was first accepted to Concordia University of Edmonton before transferring to the University of Alberta Bachelor of Arts program. During her time at the U of A, Taylore competed as a Varsity athlete in curling, earning two CIS gold medals, a Universiade gold medal and Academic All Canadian recognition. Taylore then returned to Concordia University of Edmonton to complete her After-Degree in Education, graduating in 2019.
Mark began as a facilitator with WISDOM in 1998. He has journeyed with so many beautiful families in the years since. He and his wife, Lorena, have four children. They now live on an acreage north of Edmonton and have recently become empty-nesters.
Born and raised in the mining city of Sudbury, Ontario, Mark was in the shadow of the newspaper business, the Sudbury Star, where his dad, the production manager, and his two brothers, general manager and editorial cartoonist, were the engines of the operation. Needless to say, Mark was a paperboy and in high school he worked as a proofreader at the paper. Playing tennis was Mark's love and during the summers he virtually camped out at the courts. Mark also spent a lot of time pouring over his dad's multitude of photo albums and collection of war-time events he accumulated while serving as a reconnaissance photographer in WW2 from 1939-1945.
Kyla grew up in Nanaimo, BC. She enjoyed living near the ocean but also loved escaping to the rocky mountains every summer. To this day, hiking in Kananaskis holds a special place in her heart. She is a public school grad who went onto post secondary education at Malaspina University College (now Vancouver Island University), achieving her Bachelor of Arts in geography and global studies. In 2004, she moved east to attend the University of Alberta to complete her Bachelor of Education in elementary. After graduating in 2006, she taught with Edmonton Public Schools and Saskatoon Public Schools in various capacities.
Moving to Alberta changed Kyla’s life in more ways than one, not only did she begin her career in education but she also met her now husband and have been married for sixteen years. Shannon and Kyla welcomed their first child in 2010 and have since grown to a family of five. Their three children started their learning journey in the public school system but after a few years, they decided that parent-led education was something they valued and wanted for their children. With support from friends and family, they could see God’s hand leading them in this direction. Kyla has enjoyed bringing her kids home to be able to program specifically for their unique abilities and also to strengthen the child, parent relationship and family bond. She is cherishing these years of them being home and looks forward to seeing God’s plan unfold for their futures.
Sue and her husband Dean have been married almost 40 years, and have 4 sons whom they educated at home through high school and beyond. Sue loved the time spent at home as a family, learning and growing together. The kitchen table became the center of numerous discussions, debates, questions, and discoveries. “Why?” was always encouraged and truth was mined from readings, studies, conversations, and more questions.
Sue loves the outdoors - especially to be among trees! - including horseback riding, hiking (preferably near running water), and cross-country skiing. She also enjoys curling up with tea and a book (or maybe 3!).
Joy Ronald was born the youngest of ten siblings in Edmonton and grew up in Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario. She went to public school and became a teacher because she wanted to make those schools better!
Joy married her husband Glen in 1997 and they headed the next day to Thailand, where Joy had been working and where they continued to work in education. They returned to Canada in 1999, and their first son was born in 2000.
Our family began on July 29, 1983, when Daniel and I were married. Today we serve our Lord in Lac La Biche, Alberta. God has given us 5 treasures to nurture. Our five children are happily married and we rejoice in nine grandchildren and 4 more on the way!
Our home education journey, 2000 - 2014, was a blessing as we worked at each child’s pace, learning style and interests. Really, we were all learning and growing! We know what working with learning differences and dyslexia means: we enjoyed many “rabbit-trails” (spontaneous fun) while thinking outside the box, yet we have also known many tears in the learning-to-read process (for both children and Mom)! Our vision is to be a family who glorifies God and draws others to Him.
My wife, Joyce, and I have been blessed with six children, all of whom are grown and gone from home. We are thrilled to now have grandchildren on their home education journey and to walk alongside the second generation of home educators!
My background includes studies in the sciences, employment as a park warden in National Parks, and dairy farming, before pursuing a career in education. I then taught grades 9 - 12 (primarily industrial education) for 16 years.
Since 1992, Glenn has held a variety of positions within the educational field along with working extensively within the homeschool community as a homeschooling facilitator with WISDOM. He seeks to serve homeschool families by encouraging parents in their capacity to form their children with excellence and to achieve the goals that have been placed on their minds and hearts.
He and his wife have always homeschooled their children and all three of their children have successfully navigated the high school years and found multiple post-high school options available to them, including post-secondary study, trade school and a variety of mentoring and work experience opportunities to use their talents for the Glory of God and the enrichment of their fellow man. The success Glenn and his wife have found in preparing their children for a future after homeschooling only serves to strengthen their conviction that homeschooling has been one of their best decisions they have ever made for their family.
Brian and Teri have seven children and have been homeschooling for nearly thirty years in BC and Alberta. They felt pressed by a sense of duty as stewards of God’s children and responded by homeschooling. It became their daily means to nurture faith, build values, and preserve childhood innocence for “a little longer.” Their homeschooling approach is still a work in progress. They’re presently practicing a more classical approach with a Charlotte Mason influence, still holding onto the structure of a traditional math textbook.
While homeschooling has been enjoyable and rewarding, it still requires steady effort and sometimes proves challenging. The ongoing support and validation from WISDOM Home Schooling and the Alberta Home Education Association have been invaluable to them.
For Paul and his wife Mary and their seven adult children, home education – and especially Socratic discussion - has been a way of life for over 30 years. Socratic discussions happen several times every day (during tea times, meals, or while driving) because, as Mary says, "we have a deep commitment to classical education including philosophy and logic. It is a part of our life, every day."
Mary recalls first considering home schooling: "We saw that home schooled children were whole and good and even holy. Home schooling families spent time together and grew together as a family. We wanted that!"
Catherine van Kampen is happy to be a part of the WISDOM team. She has had a variety of teaching positions. She began teaching in Taiwan in 2004 and that was an adventure! Next, she moved back to her hometown of Saskatoon and taught Kindergarten while subbing in other schools on days off. Eventually, Catherine ended up in Calgary, her husband Peter's hometown, and taught at both Bishop Grandin High School as well as Father Lacombe High School. All of these jobs taught her new things...but none prepared her for the next mission she would undertake: homeschooling her own children. From 2013 to the present Catherine has been both delighted and stretched by the process of homeschooling. Each child being so unique, she is always adjusting, learning to listen, and trying to laugh often. Peter and Catherine have five children. They enjoy camping and hiking, reading and singing... and thank God for their cozy little house in a big clump of trees. Maybe it looks more like a zoo than a home on some days, but Catherine trusts that good things are growing, and she loves this life!
Peter grew up in Spruce Grove, Alberta, where he was schooled through the institutional model of K-12. He went on to the University of Alberta where he completed a Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. Upon completion of his first degree, he was called to the Seminary, where he attended the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, BC, which is conducted by the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey. Peter describes this as, “one of the most fulfilling and most valuable experiences of faith and community formation one could ever ask for.” Peter completed his Pre-Theology degree majoring in Philosophy and he says that he doesn’t know his minor as he had to take equal amounts of minor classes in Ecclesial Latin, Koine Greek, and Catholic Religious History. While in Mission, his passion for hockey seemed to be contagious as he also managed to help get a new outdoor asphalt hockey rink built for intramural street hockey, of which he found himself the Commissioner and ran the league. He is proud to have taught Fr. Matthew, the seminary vice-rector, how to enjoy playing roller hockey.
WISDOM's High School Subject Specialists are certificated teachers with a particular subject focus. Their primary role is to provide coaching and feedback on high school resource choices, and evaluate the portfolios of students pursuing Alberta credits in core high school courses. To find out more about course challenge, click here.
High School Math & Science Specialist
780-581-1601
peter@wisdomhomeschooling.com
peter.weidman@gilbertineinstitute.com
High School Credit Advisor
credits@wisdomhomeschooling.com
credits@gilbertineinstitute.com
Peter grew up in Spruce Grove, Alberta, where he was schooled through the institutional model of K-12. He went on to the University of Alberta where he completed a Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. Upon completion of his first degree, he was called to the Seminary, where he attended the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, BC, which is conducted by the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey. Peter describes this as, “one of the most fulfilling and most valuable experiences of faith and community formation one could ever ask for.” Peter completed his Pre-Theology degree majoring in Philosophy and he says that he doesn’t know his minor as he had to take equal amounts of minor classes in Ecclesial Latin, Koine Greek, and Catholic Religious History. While in Mission, his passion for hockey seemed to be contagious as he also managed to help get a new outdoor asphalt hockey rink built for intramural street hockey, of which he found himself the Commissioner and ran the league. He is proud to have taught Fr. Matthew, the seminary vice-rector, how to enjoy playing roller hockey.
High School Chemistry Specialist
pierre-andre@wisdomhomeschooling.com
pierre-andre.beaudoin@gilbertineinstitute.com
Pierre-Andre grew up in the small town of St. Paul, Alberta with his parents and six siblings. There he went to school from K-12 and played almost all sports but had a strong passion for hockey. After high school, Pierre-Andre continued to play Jr. hockey in Lloydminster and St. Paul while attending the U of A, where he was studying to become a teacher. In 2017, Pierre-Andre received his Bachelor of Education, majoring in biological sciences and minoring in chemistry. He then went on to work for Edmonton Catholic Schools teaching math and science at the high school level for 5.5 years. It is through this teaching experience and having children of his own that Pierre-Andre realized the necessity for parents to be the primary educators of their children. Pierre-Andre truly feels that he has answered God’s calling in joining WISDOM Home Schooling as a facilitator and chemistry specialist. He loves supporting, encouraging and working with families in achieving their homeschooling goals.
English & Social Studies Subject Specialist
780-741-0982
rhonda@wisdomhomeschooling.com
rhonda.caluttung@gilbertineinstitute.com
Fitz and Rhonda met and married while teaching high school in Calgary. They loved working together then, and they love working together now. Currently, Rhonda is a facilitator for WISDOM as well as the English & Social Studies Specialist, and Fitz is her amazing assistant who also tutors Chemistry online and leads WISDOM’s in-person Physics Labs. Together, they have almost fifty years of teaching experience!
Their three children are in Grades 9, 11, and 12 and have all been homeschooled since kindergarten. They live in Rocky Mountain House where there is a large and active homeschool community, including the Classical Conversations coop that Rhonda started in 2018 and where she directs Challenge II.
Some of Caluttung’s favourite things to do as a family include hosting movie nights for family and friends, playing frisbee, reading together, and taking naps. The girls like to bead and knit and draw and journal and the boys like to wrestle and play board games and play Minecraft and tell punny jokes. They have a nine year old standard poodle named Mahal who dislikes classical music and whines when the kids practise piano.
Random tidbits: Rhonda is a passionate reader and especially enjoys her Well-Read Mom book club. She is Métis and directs The Métis Heritage Project, a nonprofit that works in partnership with Parks Canada to provide interpretation programs at the National Historic Site in Rocky Mountain House. Rhonda is a certified life coach.
High School French Course Specialist
lydie@wisdomhomeschooling.com
lydie.delli.santi@gilbertineinstitute.com
Born and raised in Paris, France, Lydie has always been passionate about languages and diverse cultures. While studying at university, she had the opportunity to work with people from various backgrounds at Disneyland Paris. Her extensive travels have taken her to places like Madrid, Spain, Torino, Italy, Athens and Santorini, Greece, and the Netherlands, among others. Each experience has broadened her horizons and deepened her appreciation for languages and different cultures.
In 2004, Lydie made a significant move to London, England, to improve her English before pursuing a Bachelor of Education to teach English Language Arts in France. She fell in love with the city and decided to complete her BEd at the University of Uxbridge in West London. Over the next four years, she taught French, Italian, and Spanish to underprivileged students aged 7 to 13 at a comprehensive school. These years were some of the most challenging yet profoundly rewarding of her teaching career, as she saw remarkable transformations in students who had previously faced educational obstacles. It was during this time that she realized the crucial impact of a strong family foundation on children's well-being. This experience planted a seed in her, although she did not fully realise it at the time.
Latin Specialist
james@wisdomhomeschooling.com
james.rauch@gilbertineinstitute.com
James grew up in Westlock County, the home of Herbert Greenfield, the fourth premier of Alberta, where he went to public school from K-12 and thought nothing of it. This all changed when he enrolled in Concordia University College in Edmonton where he met his future wife and WISDOM alumna, Miriam, who introduced him to the wonderful world of homeschooling for the first time. At Concordia, James pursued the liberal arts and was shocked to learn that Miriam had already read many of the books he was studying in his classes throughout her homeschooling career. This realisation made James reconsider the potentials of what an education ought to be. He graduated with distinction from Concordia in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English literature. Although his minor is history, church history to be specific, classics, philosophy, classical languages, and Christian theology could also qualify as he took an equal number or more classes in these disciplines than his actual minor.
The Office Staff team is based in WISDOM's main office in Derwent. With a range of skills and experience, one thing that they have in common is a passion for and commitment to home education. Each member of the team was either a homeschooled student or homeschooling parent, so they are well equipped to walk alongside our homeschooling families.
Office Manager
rae@wisdomhomeschooling.com
rae.larocque@gilbertineinstitute.com
Rae was home schooled from grade 1 through 12 and enjoyed every minute of the journey. In the LaRocque house, learning was fun! Whether it was racing with her sister to complete the math lesson first (with the fewest mistakes), researching every current or passing interest, reading as often as possible, or working with their menagerie of farm pets, Rae's parents taught her that learning is not just something that happens in a classroom from 9 to 3 on weekdays. Learning happens everywhere and should be enjoyable!
Finance Manager
melissa@wisdomhomeschooling.com
melissa.mceachern@gilbertineinstitute.com
accounting@gilbertineinstitute.com
Melissa was raised on fresh air, hard work, and unconditional love in rural north-eastern Alberta. She was "officially” homeschooled for the second half of her school years, but was introduced to learning at home well before gaining the title of homeschooler. The second-oldest of four sisters, Melissa learned the truth of the proverb, "Many hands make light work," and discovered that laughing with a sister over a shared chore made the time pass more quickly.
Data Manager
janelle@wisdomhomeschooling.com
janelle.mailhot@gilbertineinstitute.com
Janelle is married to Ed, and they have 3 children: 2 home school graduates and one in high school. They have been with WISDOM Home Schooling for 15 years for a total of 18 years home educating. Family time is very important to the Mailhot family, and they like to spend their time together outdoors, cooking, baking or playing cards and board games. You will often hear the guitar or piano being played in their home as they love to create music.
Socratic Dialogue Online Program Manager
nicole@wisdomhomeschooling.com
nicole.noster@gilbertineinstitute.com
780-549-4008
Nicole Noster was home educated for 10 years (Gr. 3 – 12) and upon graduating, obtained her Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, a classical liberal arts college in California. The College uses only primary sources, in particular the great books of Western civilization, to teach students to think logically and objectively across an array of subjects. Rather than lecture, professors guide students using Socratic dialogue, a process that Nicole realized as ideal for prompting students to grapple with questions and come to the answers as conclusions rather than memorized information. After graduation, Nicole worked in program development and management, putting her skills to good use with programs she believed in. Nicole and her husband, Simon, home school their 4 children and strive to always create a culture of learning in their home. In some of her random free time, she likes to garden, help on the family farm, perform choral music, and read lots of everything.
Events Director
marlane@wisdomhomeschooling.com
marlane.noster@gilbertineinstitute.com
Marlane is a WISDOM founder and she takes the WISDOM ministry to heart. Home schooling has long been her way of life, and she draws from her personal life when assisting WISDOM families, organizing events, and writing her "Notes to Myself" column for the WISDOM Family Magazine.
High School Advisor
christian@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Christian Bekolay homeschooled with WISDOM through graduation. Spending his school years at home fostered a love for family life, and provided many opportunities to discover other little loves for things such as being with nature through hiking, foraging, and gardening, engaging in creative arts by sculpting, carving, and painting, musical pursuits in piano and guitar, a developing passion for cooking and baking, and finally, a very enthusiastic interest in the board game hobby, from collecting to designing games. Christian considers himself a dilettante and aesthete; there is so much beauty in the world that he finds it difficult to focus on any particular aspect, rather, he lives by the motto: "I choose all."
Home School Consultant
terry@wisdomhomeschooling.com
terry.yaceyko@gilbertineinstitute.com
Terry is happily married to Richard and spent 26 years home educating their four daughters: Natasha, Rachel, Mikayla and Julia. She loves the Charlotte Mason Philosophy, Unit Studies and really enjoyed eclectic learning with lots of hands on learning and books when home schooling the girls.
Home School Consultant
janice@wisdomhomeschooling.com
janice.laurence@gilbertineinstitute.com
As a home schooling mama of 10 for over 22 years, with seven graduated now, Janice has a wealth of perspective on what works (and what doesn't) in a very busy home schooling environment. She can happily answer your questions and be an empathetic ear, whether you're calling about elementary, high school, or keeping little ones engaged while home schooling older children. With a strong passion for home schooling as the primary means of rescuing our culture, coupled with past office experience, Janice is a perfect addition to the WISDOM team! She joins us part-time in mid-May, and we look forward to working with her.
Home School Consultant
peter@wisdomhomeschooling.com
peter.weidman@gilbertineinstitute.com
Peter grew up in Spruce Grove, Alberta, where he was schooled through the institutional model of K-12. He went on to the University of Alberta where he completed a Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. Upon completion of his first degree, he was called to the Seminary, where he attended the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, BC, which is conducted by the Benedictines of Westminster Abbey. Peter describes this as, “one of the most fulfilling and most valuable experiences of faith and community formation one could ever ask for.” Peter completed his Pre-Theology degree majoring in Philosophy and he says that he doesn’t know his minor as he had to take equal amounts of minor classes in Ecclesial Latin, Koine Greek, and Catholic Religious History. While in Mission, his passion for hockey seemed to be contagious as he also managed to help get a new outdoor asphalt hockey rink built for intramural street hockey, of which he found himself the Commissioner and ran the league. He is proud to have taught Fr. Matthew, the seminary vice-rector, how to enjoy playing roller hockey.
Administrative Assistant
jennifer@wisdomhomeschooling.com
jennifer.laszlo@gilbertineinstitute.com
Home schooled for part of her own school years, Jennifer and her husband made the decision to homeschool their own 7 children. Their eldest graduated in 2021, and Jennifer still has lots of years ahead as a home school mom! With her past work as an office manager and bookkeeper for a large window covering company, she is an ideal addition to our team. She recently joined our office as a part time administrative assistant, moving seamlessly from data work to proctoring exams and answering your calls.
Administrative Assistant
amy@wisdomhomeschooling.com
amy.burkey@gilbertineinstitute.com
The oldest of her immediate family and the middle of a large extended family, homeschooling K-12 was a privileged space for Amy to grow in relationship and self-discovery. When her nose wasn't in a schoolbook (or any other book), she was out roaming the forests and fields, mothering her many farmcats, or creatively employing the costume box.
Family Funding Team Lead
taylor@wisdomhomeschooling.com
taylor.laurence@gilbertineinstitute.com
Taylor grew up in a large homeschooling family. As the second oldest of 10 kids, he enjoyed his homeschooling experience through WISDOM from early childhood through graduation.
Taylor has enjoyed working at WISDOM since September 2020, and he loves the office environment. He finds joy in serving the families of WISDOM and working with his fellow employees.
Development Assistant
joshua@wisdomhomeschooling.com
joshua.bruce@gilbertineinstitute.com
Joshua embarked on his homeschooling journey on August 3rd, 2022, coinciding with the joyous arrival of his daughter, Elodie, into the world. He has been loving the labour of love that is fatherhood and is honoured to help his daughter experience life. Joshua and his wife, Haley dream of settling their family into a piece of land where they can plant a garden and care for some animals, while steeping their children in faith, nature and good literature. The knowledge that many other parents are striving toward similar dreams is what drives Joshua in his work for The Gilbertine Institute.
Development Director
saul@wisdomhomeschooling.com
saul.noster@gilbertineinstitute.com
Saul's experience in homeschooling goes back to his early childhood, going through K-12 with WISDOM Home Schooling and eventually starting work full time for the administration in 2014. He took a couple years off to pursue other ventures, gaining much knowledge and experience working in sales and development.
Family Funding Associate & Systems Maintenance
dylan@wisdomhomeschooling.com
dylan.kwasnycia@gilbertineinstitute.com
Dylan, along with his wife Katelyn, love the homeschooling lifestyle. Katelyn was homeschooled with WISDOM for her entire education. The Kwasnycias are excited to homeschool their three young children, Henry, Emma, and George.
Dylan began his work as a WISDOM Family Funding Associate in October 2020. Since then, he has enjoyed working for families and with coworkers, and finds it very fulfilling to help WISDOM parents to achieve the same kind of aspirations that he has for his own family.
Finance Assistant, Accounts Receivable
jim@wisdomhomeschooling.com
jim.burgess@gilbertineinstitute.com
Jim Burgess is a home schooling father to 5 children. As a young adult, Jim had the chance to witness the benefits of home schooling in his brother's family. When he met and married a home schooled graduate, it was with the definite intent to home school their future children.
IT Systems Administrator
levi@wisdomhomeschooling.com
levi.breederland@gilbertineinstitute.com
Levi was home schooled from kindergarten through grade seven near Vancouver BC. He grew up at a commercial bell pepper farm where he quickly became the on-site IT guy, helping his dad with everything from printer troubleshooting to the greenhouse climate-control systems. After high school, Levi went to school in England to study live sound engineering, then came back to Canada to study web development.
While at school in England, Levi started writing letters to an Alberta girl, who later became his wife. She convinced him to switch provinces, and they now live in the town of Legal with their four kids.
Levi helps the team by maintaining the website and email systems, providing tech support for tutors running online courses, and troubleshooting issues around the office.
In his spare time not in front of a computer, Levi dabbles in strange liquids, brewing kombucha and other fermented drinks and developing film shot on the family's growing collection of analog cameras.
Graphic Designer
desktop@wisdomhomeschooling.com
naomi.doyle@gilbertineinstitute.com
Naomi started working with WISDOM in 2005. Over the years of formally working for WISDOM her work evolved from odd jobs, stuffing magazines and cleaning the office to filing and print management. After a while her role developed into Editorial Assistant and Art Design Technician. She loves to make things beautiful to look at and attractive to read.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of John Hoekstra. John has been an integral part of the WISDOM community for 16 years as an employee, and years before that as a WISDOM father. He was instrumental in developing and sharing the Mediated Learning program with hundreds of students and their families, and most recently co-developed the Jumpstart Journal for use in the Mediated Learning High School Workshop. John also shared his love of sports and the great outdoors in his role as our Athletic Director, leading many events for WISDOM including ski days, rock climbing, archery, outdoor survival, track and field and more. John's passing leaves an enormous hole in our organization and we will miss him deeply. John leaves behind his wife, Liesbeth, eight children, a son-in-law and grandson. Please join us in praying for John’s family.
Questions, comments, or tributes may be sent to office@wisdomhomeschooling.com.
Mediated Learning Advisor & Educational Therapist
lora@wisdomhomeschooling.com
lora.cardinal@gilbertineinstitute.com
Lora is a Certified Educational Therapist with an emphasis on cognitive modification therapy. She is the mother of three handsome adult sons who she taught to love learning through WISDOM Home Schooling. Lora participated in many WISDOM events with her children, including taking in the Mediated Learning workshops when her boys were young. This inspired her to choose educational therapy as a profession. It has always been Lora's dream to be a therapist, and to assist those who are in need. WISDOM Home Schooling was a part of her family for a long time, and she looks forward to serving other WISDOM families in this new role. Lora dreams of one day living in the mountains, and she loves hiking, kayaking, biking, long walks, music, playing piano, baking, and most of all her family.
The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of home schooling parents who helps advise WISDOM on ways to best serve the home schooling community. PAC members must be WISDOM parents who profess the Apostles’ Creed. They meet twice a year for an in-camera meeting of the PAC followed by an assembly with facilitators, office staff and administrators.
Members of the PAC:
- provide prayer and moral support to WISDOM and the governing school authority;
- are ambassadors for WISDOM by their lifestyle;
- are a resource for the families of WISDOM (this role is not administrative but supportive);
- welcome families new to WISDOM;
- make themselves available for contact by our WISDOM families (see the "Read More" section of each bio for contact information);
- advocate to WISDOM on behalf of WISDOM parents;
- assist facilitators with local WISDOM events;
- may gather or write articles for the WISDOM website or magazine;
- are politically informed, engaged and aware;
- update WISDOM families about current issues that impact home schooling (watch for inserts in the WISDOM magazine).
We feel especially blessed to have WISDOM as our homeschool administration! The support and encouragement we receive is priceless. We are still teaching four of our children at home, and next year one less. For many years we've had five students, and it seems the load is lifting somewhat, except now we're involved in our grandchildren's lives. We hope to play a supporting role as our adult kids have already begun to homeschool their children. What a beautiful legacy to pass on to the next generations!
Our journey into home schooling our five children began over 19 years ago. We are nearing the end of that journey with only one child (now age 16) working toward completing high school studies. We have found this to be the most rewarding journey we have ever embarked on. Walking with, and seeing the development of each of our children – in their character, their faith, their education, and their life pursuits, has been a great joy. We have met the challenges that are unique to each child's development and we have worked past those hurdles – some being more challenging than others.
Among our children, we have a Certified Automotive Technician, a Registered Nurse, a documentation and inventory assistant for an aviation (helicopter) company, an Interior Design Technology student, and a budding carpenter who is working toward apprenticeship and trade certification. Each of our children participate regularly in Christian ministry and outreach opportunities. Each has a unique hobby or interest that he or she approaches with dedicated or vibrant enthusiasm.
WISDOM has been there to help us on this journey, and we have appreciated the directions and options that were and are available to us. In turn, we are very pleased to volunteer on this council and thereby make ourselves available to WISDOM and its home school community so that you might be able to contact us if you have any questions about your homeschooling journey. We are here to help and to share what we have learned along the way.
Along our journey we have discovered what works and also what does not work, given the unique needs of each child. God blessed us first with 'normal' learners, and then with increasingly more challenging learners into the spectrum of the very dyslexic (clinically diagnosed as 'severe'). The home school atmosphere made it possible for each one to truly flourish. Although it took significant work, along with plenty of trial-and-error, especially with two of our children, the hard work has paid off and all are of good character and they are thriving! Again, we are thankful to the staff and facilitators at WISDOM Home Schooling that have helped us to help our children.
Please feel free to contact us.
Fairview - (780) 835-8722
We first considered homeschooling our children when our oldest child was just a toddler. By the time kindergarten (and the yellow school bus) approached, we had surrendered to God’s leading by choosing to educate our children at home instead of in a school setting.
This journey that began with some foreboding soon evolved into a new lifestyle filled with fun, frustration, adventure…and a whole lot of fantastic books! Several bookshelves later, we find ourselves at the end of our 26-year-long homeschooling experience with our five children.
Time marches on and there have been many changes to the Kok family since our last bio on the WISDOM website. We have been married for almost 32 years. We still have 4 children but now they are all adults, ranging in age from 29 (our son) and down to 19 (3 daughters). The older 2 are living on their own in St. Albert and Edmonton. We still have 2 girls at home to keep us company, when they are around, plus a dog and 2 cats. We are still living in St. Albert.
WISDOM has supported us in our homeschooling journey for 20+ years. Our son was in school for Grades 1-3 before we took him home. The three girls started homeschooling in kindergarten. The youngest has just finished. It is the end of an era. Sometimes we wish we could start all over again.
Over the years we have seen the growth WISDOM has experienced. We have also witnessed the way WISDOM has dealt with some very difficult situations with integrity and a complete trust in God. We have enjoyed being part of the PAC and have met some of the most amazing people because of it. Feel free to contact us if you want to chat about homeschooling or WISDOM.
Diane and Joe met in high school and were married in 1981 in Calgary. Before their children were born, Diane taught English and French in senior and junior high schools. Joe was formerly a Financial Analyst, then made a career change and became a high school Physics and Chemistry teacher. They were blessed to be offered a position with WISDOM in the fall of 1997, facilitating for 25 years before retiring and joining the Parent Advisory Council. Diane and Joe have also volunteered together in the marriage preparation ministry and have enjoyed years of scripture studies with their small church community. Living south of Calgary on a lovely acreage, Joe and Diane run a greenhouse in the spring.