WHO AM I?
I am Tracie's husband and Jonathan's dad.
Parent/Guardian Email Contact: m.dlouhy<at>tvdsb.ca
Mr. Dlouhy joined the Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts team in 2020-21 after teaching at Princess Elizabeth, Nicholas Wilson, Jack Chambers, Cleardale, and Lorne Avenue Public Schools. Before joining the Pearson team, Mr. Dlouhy also spent six years as a teacher in the former TVDSB Gifted Itinerant program. Born and raised in London, Mr. Dlouhy attended H.B. Beal Secondary School. He graduated from Western University with an honours degree in Philosophy and earned his teaching certificate from Althouse College. Mr. Dlouhy received his Master of Education degree, also at Western.
Other than French, Mr. Dlouhy has taught every subject in the intermediate grades, but he definitely appreciates some more than others. No matter what he is teaching, Mr. Dlouhy enjoys continuing to learn along with his students. Highlights of Mr. Dlouhy's teaching career thus far include coaching Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, and Track and Field, coordinating the Gauss Math Contest, editing various Graduation Yearbooks, organizing trips to C.Q.E., Niagara Falls, Museum London, "Imagine Van Gogh", "The Art of Banksy: Without Limits", Beal Art, and meeting a diverse group of remarkable students.
Before entering the teaching profession, Mr. Dlouhy enjoyed working as a disc jockey and, later, at Kellogg's, now known as "The Factory". Earlier in his career, Mr. Dlouhy was also an ambassador and online "Homework Help" Math tutor for Grade 8 students with Mathify. During a two-year leave in 2010, Mr. Dlouhy loved touring across Canada as a corporate trainer with Shoppers Drug Mart. He has been the Public Address Announcer for the OHL's London Knights for over 20 years. Go Knights Go!
Mr. Dlouhy enjoys listening to music, attending live concerts, sporting events, art exhibitions, and theatre performances, travelling, reading, playing the piano, drums, and ukelele, and visiting with family. He is a fan of both the Detroit Tigers and New York Rangers.
FAQ's
How many times have you seen Journey live in concert? As of 2024, I have seen Journey 57 times. Yes, that is fanatical . . . and expensive. My favourite shows took place on New Year's Eve of 2000 in Phoenix, AZ and in August of 2022 in Canandaigua, NY where my son, Jonathan, experienced Journey live for the very first time. Over the years, I've also seen the band perform in arenas, parks, and amphitheatres in ON, OH, MI, IL, MA, RI, CT, GA, NH, and PA. I've met band members on different occasions and have always found them to be remarkably down-to-earth. Journey often tours with other artists which means I've seen some really other great bands, too, including The Steve Miller Band, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Dave Mason, The Doobie Brothers, Heart, Cheap Trick, The Pretenders, Tower of Power, Peter Frampton, April Wine, Toto, and Def Leppard. Don't Stop Believin'!
How did you get your job as a PA Announcer? For the Knights, it was pretty simple--I asked. Literally. I have watched the Knights for pretty much my whole life and, one day, I went to the back door of the then John Labatt Centre to inquire as to whether they were hiring a replacement for the announcer who was scheduled to retire. They said "yes" and, well, the rest is history. For the London Lightning, the professional basketball team I was with for over a decade, I was asked by a friend who was going to be involved with the organization in their first year. After much thought, I said "yes" and officially became a dual-sport announcer up until 2024. I really enjoy my role as an announcer (particularly the anonymity), meet a lot of great people, and learn new things every season. Highlights of my announcing career so far include shaking hands with Wayne Gretzky, John Vanbiesbrouck, and Ray Scapinello, calling "Last Minute of Play" during the third period of the final game of the 2005 Memorial Cup, and making my basketball debut during a preseason game between the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers. More recently, I served as the timekeeper for The Harlem Globetrotters and The Maple Leafs Alumni team--both of these events were a lot of fun!
What is your background in the Arts? Although I attended H.B. Beal SS, I was not overly-involved in the Visual Art program there. Frankly, there just wasn't enough time to do all the things I found interesting. In five years at Beal, I earned over 50 credits and never took a spare. In addition to enjoying a variety of academic and technological courses, I was heavily involved in Instrumental Music (e.g., alto/tenor saxophone, percussion, keyboard, and digital programming), Vocal Music (e.g., choir), Drama (e.g., stage management, technician, pit band, and performance), and Dance (e.g., stage management, technician, and musical composition). In university, I spent countless hours backstage at theatres throughout London working as both a volunteer and paid technician, carpenter, stage manager, driver, fly operator, etc. Throughout my life, I have been a passionate consumer of the Arts, enjoying regular visits to various galleries, theatres, and music venues. I always look forward to returning to my alma mater for the annual Beal Art year-end show. I tend to enjoy contemporary, abstract, and digital art, most notably the works of Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Sawaya. As an artist, perfectionism sometimes gets the best of me but I continue to challenge myself to produce works in a variety of styles and build-up the courage to share my pieces with others. I am always looking to improve my knowledge of different techniques and tools through research and professional development.
What is the origin of the name "Dlouhy"? My family heritage stems from the former Czechoslovakia (now The Czech Republic or Czechia), the place where my dad was born. He came to Canada in the late 1960's after having escaped to Austria by train--a story that would make for a great movie. "Dlouhy" is a Czech word that translates to "long" in English. While I encourage people to pronounce it as "duh-LOW-hee", only my dad really knows how to say it properly.
What did you do this summer? Our family tries to get a way at the very beginning of summer to sort of decompress from a very busy school year. This year, we flew to Anchorge, Alaska where we began a 7-day cruise through the Inside Passage towards British Columbia. Highlights of the ship included great shows, excellent food, and surprisingly warm weather. Stops along the way included Hubbard Glacier, whale watching in Juneau, and probably the best popcorn we've ever had in Ketchikan. From Vancouver, we made the scenic drive to Whistler where we spent five days biking, hiking, and exploring. Against my wife's better wishes, I also rode a bobsled--what a rush! Back in Vancouver, we visited Grouse Mountain, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Granville Island, and Chinatown. One evening, we sat on the beach and saw the Snowbirds perform along with a spectacular fireworks display put together by a team from the Yukon. Once home, Jonathan was busy with various camps including golf, video editing, and a week of printmaking at Museum London. We also enjoyed various trips to Granny's pool, Kusterman's in Mount Brydges, and mini-golf in St. Thomas. We ended the summer with a week at a cottage in Leamington.