The Team
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.