Staff 2011-2012
Ottawa Christian School staff members can articulate a personal faith in Jesus Christ and have a provincial teaching certificate or equivalent. All teachers are required to have the Christian School Teacher’s Certificate or be working towards it. All staff who are members of the Ontario College of Teachers are teachers in good standing.
Mr. Triemstra
Mr. Triemstra is our principal at Ottawa Christian School. He enjoys watching children mature in faith and knowledge and working with an excellent group of Christian Educators. He is passionate about sharing what Christian Education is about.
Mr. Triemstra has been our principal since 2002. He has taught grades 5-12, with 18 years of experience. He is also a graduate of Ottawa Christian School.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (1994), B.A. Christian Education (Hon.) (1992), B.A. (1994)
Mrs. Buisman
Mrs. Buisman is our junior kindergarten teacher.
With her art background, she enjoys providing opportunities for her students to visually create and express themselves. She considers it a joy working with her junior kindergarten students, who are full of enthusiasm, curiosity and delight while learning.
She will also be teaching art to the senior grades.
Mrs. Buisman has been a teacher at OCS since 2003, with 5 years experience prior to Ottawa Christian School.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (1987), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (1989), B. A. of Christian Education (1987).
Mrs. Vedder
Mrs. Vedder is our senior kindergarten teacher. She is excited about encouraging a sense of wonder in her students as they discover God’s amazing world. Mrs. Vedder puts a strong focus on preparing her students for grade one in a fun and enriching environment.
Mrs. Vedder has experience teaching homerooms in both the primary and junior divisions. She has been teaching at Ottawa Christian School since 2002. She is also a graduate of Ottawa Christian School.
Certification: Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (2002), B. Ed. (2002), B.A. Psychology (Hon.)(2001), currently working towards her Christian School Teacher’s Certificate.
Mrs. de Haan
Mrs. DeHaan is our grade 2/1 teacher. She enjoys sharing the wonder of God’s world with her students and helping each student to develop the unique gifts that God has given them.
Mrs. DeHaan has taught at Ottawa Christian School since 2002, with experience in the primary grades. She also spent one year in Africa teaching teachers how to teach.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (2005), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (2006), British Columbia Independent School Teacher’s Certificate (2002), Iowa Teaching Certificate (1999) B. A. Elementary Education (1999).
Mrs. Sontrop
Mrs. Sontrop is our grade 3/2 teacher and vice principal. She strives to enable every child in the class to experience success and self sufficiency and she enjoys developing curriculum to meet the different needs and abilities of her students. Mrs. Sontrop looks for the gifts of the spirit that each child has and she encourages them to develop these gifts.
Mrs. Sontrop has taught in the primary division in Ottawa Christian School since 1982. She has been vice principal since 2002.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (1979), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (1986), B. Sc. Of Ed. (1979).
Mrs. VanArragon
Mrs. VanArragon is our grade 4/3 teacher. She is committed to meeting the learning needs of each child. She is a passionate life-long learner and loves watching her students thrive.
Mrs. VanArragon has taught at OCS since 1999. She has taught in four different Christian schools, more than 27 years in total, and has experience in a range of levels, from preschool to adult education.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate, Illinois Teaching Certificate (1972), B.A.
Mr. McGregor
Mr. McGregor is teaching the grade 4/3 class on Mondays. He also teaches some physical education classes. As a member of the National Track and Field team since 1995, he has learned about goal setting, training, sportsmanship, and team work and is passionate about passing this knowledge onto his students. He also coaches volleyball, basketball, cross country running, and track and field.
Mr. McGregor has taught at Ottawa Christian School since 2004. He has experience teaching homeroom in the junior grades and physical education in the junior and senior divisions.
Certification: Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (2004), B.Ed. (2004), B. Sc. Kinesiology/Psychology (2002).
Mrs. Speyers
Mrs. Speyers is our grade 5 teacher. She brings creative ideas and consistent care to the training of each child. She loves teaching children and opening God’s world to them.
Mrs. Speyers has been teaching since 1990. She has experience in grades 1 through 9. At Ottawa Christian School she has taught in both primary and junior grade levels.
Certification: Christian Education Degree (1972), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (1972), B.A. Geography (1971).
Madame Speirs
Madame Speirs is our grade 6 homeroom teacher and our senior French teacher. She inspires students in their acquisition of French as a second language. She is passionate about training children to be godly leaders.
Madame Speirs has taught at Ottawa Christian School since 2004. She is currently teaching the Intensive French Program to grade 6 students which started September 2010.
Certification: Licensed Teacher with the Ministry of Education in Quebec (2004), B.Ed., working towards her Christian Teacher’s Certificate.
Mr. Stassen
Mr. Stassen is our grade 7 teacher. He also teaches math and Bible to grade 6. He enjoys making connections with his students and building a rapport with them. He works on finding ways to show his students that they are cared for and children of God. He is also teaching computers.
Mr. Stassen has taught at Ottawa Christian School for since 1997. He has experience in grades 4-8.
Certification: Christian Teacher’s Certificate (2008), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (1996), B.Ed. (1996), B.A. (1989), math specialist (elementary and high school)
Mr. Hoytema
Mr. Hoytema is our grade 8 teacher. He also teaches Bible, computers. He provides students with the skills required to move forward to high school while recognizing their role as senior students at Ottawa Christian School. He readily involves the students in community service projects both within OCS and in the community at large.
Mr. Hoytema has taught grade 8 at Ottawa Christian School since 2003. He has taught in both junior and senior divisions, as well as having experience in administration.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (1989), Christian School Principal’s Certificate (1996), Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (1989), B.A. (1984)
Madame Rusthoven
Madame Rusthoven is our primary and junior French teacher. She also teaches French physical education for kindergarten to grade 3. She enjoys helping her students grow in their abilities and their enjoyment of French. She is also teaching grade 7.
Madame Rusthoven has been teaching at Ottawa Christian School since 2004. She has also taught a grade 5 homeroom, Grade 2 Math and Grade 1 Bible.
Certification: Christian School Teacher’s Certificate (2003), B. Of Christian Ed. (2003), B.A. in French (2003), semester at the University of Paris in Sorbonne (2002), 5 week immersion program at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi (2000).
Mrs. Fournier
Mrs. Fournier is our Music Director for Grades 1 – 8.
The music program consists of five major components: Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Music Theory, Music History and Music Appreciation. Mrs. Fournier believes it is a privilege to guide the development of students’ musical abilities and to nurture their God given talents in this area of the curriculum.
Mrs. Fournier joined the OCS Staff in the fall of 2009. She has developed and implemented music programs in Germany, The Netherlands, Alaska and Canada.
Certification: Saskatchewan Teacher’s Certificate (1977), Bachelor of Teaching with a Music Specialty (1977), New Brunswick Letter of Standing (1979). She is working toward the completion of her CSTC.
Mrs. Naftel
Mrs. Naftel is our resource teacher and also teaching grade 3/2 on Mondays. She is passionate about helping students reach and use their full potential. She desires to encourage and teach the necessary skills to continue the race set before her students, no matter how many obstacles are on their path.
Mrs Naftel has had previous experience teaching at OCS prior to starting her family.
Certification: BA in English (1992), Christian School Teachers Certificate 1992 and upgrading OTC with the Redeemer Bridge program completion July 2012.
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Mrs. Maley
Mrs. Maley serves as an Educational Assistant at Ottawa Christian School as well as an NILD Educational Therapist. She loves helping students in their areas of difficulty and seeing their joy when they achieve success.
Mrs. Maley has taught home room grades in primary, junior and senior divisions. She has many years of experience teaching, which includes homeschooling her own children through high school.
Certification: Ontario Teaching Certificate (1969), B.A. (1975),Missionary Training Course (1992), NILD Educational Therapy (1996), Posted overseas 1988-2001. NILD level 2 (2010) and NILD Group Educational Therapy (2011).
Mrs. Boucher
Mrs. Boucher, a trained Educational Assistant, has worked with many students in this position at Ottawa Christian School. She loves helping students achieve success by finding out what learning strategies work for them. She enjoys working in the small group setting where there is freedom to work at the student’s pace.
Mrs. Boucher has done resource within classrooms and in the Resource Room for 20 years. She has been working at OCS since 2000.
Certification: B. of Child Studies (1975), Hanen Early Language Program (1980), Sign Language 1 and 2 (1978), Certified Barton Reading/Spelling Tutor (2007)
Mrs. Dykstra
Mrs. Dykstra is the person you see when you first come into the front doors and manages the front desk. She is the one that keeps a lot of the day to day things running smoothly. Prior to starting as administrator at OCS, she was known to most of us as a parent and former board member.
Mrs. Dykstra enjoys working and interacting with people. She looks forward to seeing the children on a daily basis, assisting in the administrative duties and greeting each person that comes into the school.
Mrs. Manouchehri - EKP Coordinator
Mrs. Manouchehri is coordinating the New Optional Extended Kindergarten Program (EKP) which runs on Tuesday and Thursday for JK and SK Kindergarten students. For more information about this program please see Extended Kindergarten Program.
Mrs. Manouchehri loves children and has been working with children and youth all of her adult life, teaching in Christian schools in British Columbia, being very involved in the homeschooling community in Ottawa, and working in children’s ministries in the church setting for over 25 years.
Certification: Ontario Teacher’s Certificate (2010), BEd (1990), BC Professional Teaching Certificate (1988), BGS (1986)
Mrs. Dawson
As Advancement Coordinator, Mrs. Dawson represents OCS with the purpose of increasing enrollment, increasing awareness of OCS, and identifying potential sources of new students.
Mrs. Dawson has been working in the marketing field since she was 11 years old helping to promote the family business, Storyland, in the Ottawa Valley. Previous experience includes Marketing Director at a resort, Marketing Coordinator at CAA Toronto, Events Manager at The Financial Post and varied positions in public relations, media sales and event planning. She is excited for what the Lord has planned for the school, the parents, the children, the staff, the supporters, the churches, and the Christian and non-Christian communities in the Ottawa area.
Mrs. Dods
Mrs. Dods has recently joined the staff at Ottawa Christian School. She is excited to have the opportunity to be used of the Lord in her new role and to be a part of the school community.
Mrs. Dods was born and raised in the US but has called the Manotick area home now for close to 40 years. She has over 30 years of administrative and bookkeeping experience in a small business capacity and is looking forward to putting her strengths to use at OCS.
