About Me

Science is my passion, teaching is my calling! I remember being fascinated watching the Space Shuttle Columbia land safely when I was just a child in Grade 1. While I didn't fully understand the significance of this historical moment, it stuck with me throughout my childhood. My interest in science began in earnest in junior high school when my best friend revealed she had Type 1 Diabetes and, as a result, she did not have the same life expectancy as the rest of us. This was not ok to young Julie, and I threw myself into learning about science and how the body worked and I was determined to find a cure to help my friend. As you can already tell, that part did not come true, but the advancements in science that have occurred mean that that same friend is still one of my nearest and dearest.

My passion for science grew and I was fascinated by so many avenues it was difficult to decide which to pursue! Finally, I settled on Microbiology and Biotechnology and set to work earning both Bachelor's and Master's of Science degrees from the University of Alberta. Throughout my graduate work, I was a teaching assistant and discovered that I really enjoyed teaching. Soon after successfully defending my Master's Thesis, I began studies in the Faculty of Education and I have never looked back!

I had taught at several different schools before getting the incredible opportunity to open a brand-new K-9 school where I have been since we opened in September of 2012. Being a part of the work at Michael Strembitsky School has been an incredible experience! I am loving the journey into collaborative, cross-curricular project based learning and have embraced integrating technology and coding into my teaching practices. I have learned how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, to celebrate my "epic fails" as "unanticipated learnings", and that the journey is far more important than the destination.

In 2018, I was honoured to share the ATA Science Council's Outstanding Science Teacher Award with my friend and colleague, Amanda Green. Together we have pushed each other to try many new things in our classrooms and have been grateful to have had the support from several grants including Inside Education's A+ for Energy and APEGA's Innovation in Education Awards.

I am always excited to share what I have learned with others and have had the privilege to speak at several conferences pertaining to science and STEM education including ATA Science Council, GETCA, GEEKS Unite, ERLC Technology Innovation and SEDS Ascension. I have also been pleased to be a part of several teacher professional development sessions put on by both Let's Talk Science and Alberta Science Network.

Outside of the classroom I have been a coach of competitive cheerleading since 1994 and have enjoyed being a part of many successful school programs including Victoria School, Nellie McClung and, of course, the Michael Strembitsky Sharks. I have been fortunate to work for the Edmonton Football club (formerly the Edmonton Eskimos) as manager of the cheer team from 2004-2013. While I am no longer a part of the All-Star cheer world, I was honoured to be one of the first coaches at Perfect Storm Athletics in Edmonton.