Facilitators
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.
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 the 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 tbe 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 10 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 we could have the freedom to pass on our beliefs and values to our 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 we have many more adventures yet to be had with our 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.
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 a better place!
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, trying to tailor more student centred experiences. They returned to Canada in 1999, and their first son was born in 2000.
Joy was teaching during that pregnancy, and it was the experience of being back in Canadian schools that made her realize she wanted something better for her kids. She began homeschooling as soon as her first child was born, and was inspired by educating four very different creative learners throughout most of their school careers. Her fourth child graduated last year, and Joy is excited to be a facilitator again!
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 are blessed with seven children. They have been homeschooling in Alberta and BC since 1995. Brian is a teacher at heart and has also fulfilled many roles in the education system. Brian once led the development of a home education program to support local families.
Learning starts in the home. Homeschooling gave Brian and Teri a means to continue enacting their parental duty as stewards of God’s children.
Organizations like WISDOM Home Schooling and the Alberta Home Education Association have provided the Tajes encouragement, training and resources. In addition, they created a vital sense of community and validated the homeschooling choice. Being part of a homeschooling community continues to enrich the Taje family.
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.