Originally from River of Ponds, Newfoundland and Labrador. He graduated from Memorial University in 2004 with a B.Ed Primary Elementary with a focus in Science. In 2016 he graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on 21st Century Pedagogy. This will be his 19th year of teaching and 8th as an administrator. He has worked in Nunavut for 11 years, Alberta for 4 years and this will be his 4th in Labrador.
In his spare time he love watching sports, cooking, hiking, hanging around with family and friends as well as spending time with his puppy Gabby. Go Canucks and Yankees!!!
Originally from Churchill Falls, Ms. Ford returned to Labrador in 2013 to begin her teaching career after completing her Bachelor of Education from Memorial University of Newfoundland. In addition to being the Assistant Principal at MMC, Ms. Ford is also a member of the Instructional Resource Team. She is currently working on a Masters of Inclusive Education.
Outside of school you can find Ms. Ford spending time with her husband and two rescue dogs, Sadie and Smokey!
Born in Makkovik (Big Makk) and raised in Port Hope Simpson, Ms. Hart is a Labradorian and has worked in Goose Bay for her whole career. She has a Masters in Counselling Psychology (MUN) and a Post Masters in Counselling (Athabasca University). She has three children, Paul/Raine/Keira. Along with her husband, they love to travel and he is forced to love Halloween. They have 3 rescue cats - Cheeto, Binx (who is black of course), and Jasper. She loves helping students with counselling, career, scholarships, and life in general. She provides counselling in the areas of anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, friendships, and uses a solution-based approach in counselling. She loves MMC and plans to stay here until she retires.
Ms. Gillingham grew up in Happy Valley - Goose Bay and graduated from MMC herself in 2008. She went on to study at the Corner Brook campus of Memorial University and graduated with a Bachelor of Sustainable Resource Management in 2013 and then a Bachelor of Education in 2015. Ms. Gillingham started her teaching career in Sheshatshiu and has spent the last 7 years teaching there but is looking forward to teaching even closer to home. She believes that every child has the ability to succeed when given the appropriate outlets to express their knowledge. During her free time Ms. Gillingham enjoys hunting and fishing with her husband and two small children.
Originally from the mean streets of St. John's, Mr. Crane has been teaching in Labrador since 1998. After a year spent teaching in South Korea, he accepted a position at Peenamin MacKenzie School in Sheshatshiu, where he remained for seven years. Eventually, he started a new career chapter at Mealy Mountain in 2005, and has been English Department Head since 2012. He has one daughter, a Mealy graduate who is currently draining his bank account while attending university. He enjoys reading, video games and time with family. He often fails at performing simple home maintenance tasks.
Originally from Mount Pearl, Ms. Kennedy completed a Bachelor of Arts degree (English/History) at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and both a Bachelor and Masters degree in Education at Memorial University. She started teaching in Postville in 2003 and decided to make Labrador her home. After eight years in Postville and Makkovik, the move was made to MMC in 2011 where she now teaches high school ELA.
An avid Shakespeare enthusiast, Ms. Kennedy is passionate about bringing life to the texts read in the classroom and giving students independent skills to make their future endeavors possible.
She can normally be found with a book and cup of coffee in hand and loves warm weather and being active.
Originally from Goulds, NL, Ms. Connolly holds a Bachelor of Physical Education (B.PE) with a focus in English from Memorial University. She has also completed a Bachelor of Education at the Intermediate/Secondary level (B.Ed). Embarking on her third year of teaching, Ms. Connolly is enthusiastic about continuing her career at Mealy Mountain Collegiate. In her spare time, she actively engages in various sports and activities, such as basketball and softball. Ms. Connolly is dedicated to fostering a positive learning environment that not only encourages students to achieve their full learning potential but also ensures an enjoyable and enriching learning experience.
Originally from Portugal Cove - St. Philip’s, Ms. Nichol graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2023 and Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary) in 2024. This will be Ms. Nichol’s second year teaching and she is very excited to continue here at Mealy Mountain Collegiate!
In her spare time she enjoys practicing her French, hanging out with friends, family and her cat Nia, and travelling.
Originally from Mount Pearl, Mr. Kennedy completed a Bachelor of Science degree (Pure Math/Geography) and a Bachelor of Education degree at Memorial University. Mr. Kennedy also completed a Master of Education degree in Educational Technology between both Memorial and Cape Breton University. He started his teaching career in an isolated community in Newfoundland called Francois before making the move to Labrador in 2003. Mr. Kennedy spent over eight years teaching math in Postville and Makkovik before moving to MMC in 2011. He has had several positions at MMC over the past 13 years; including teaching math in grade 9, assistant principal and principal. Mr. Kennedy is currently teaching senior high math. In addition to his classes, Mr. Kennedy has coached the senior high boys soccer team for nine years, running the students DnD Club as well as Google Admin and Labrador rep on the NLTA Group Insurance Managers Committee.
Ms. Blake is from Goose Bay and has been teaching in the Upper Lake Melville area since 2006. She has a B.Sc. from Saint Mary’s University, a B.Ed. from Memorial University, and a M.Ed. from the University of New Brunswick.
Ms. Blake loves to teach math and uses various methods to engage students in the learning process.
Originally from Tors Cove, NL, Ms. Curtis graduated from MUN with a Bachelor of Science Degree (Pure Mathematics and Chemistry) in 2021 and a Bachelor of Education Degree (Intermediate/Secondary) in 2022. This is her fourth year teaching at MMC and she strives to ensure that each student is given an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and caring environment.
Ms. Russell grew up in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and graduated from MMC in 2017. Ms. Russell graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022 and a Bachelor of Education (Int/Sec) in 2024. She is thrilled to continue her career back in the school she has attended herself.
In her spare time, Ms. Russell enjoys playing sports, hanging out with family and friends, spending time with her dog Grimm, and traveling. Ms. Russell hopes to coach a few sports teams during her time at MMC.
This year, Elahe Azizkhani is teaching high school math at MMC. Last year, she taught science at the school, and she also has previous experience teaching math. Elahe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics Teaching and has over six years of experience teaching Physics and Mathematics. Before joining MMC, she lived in St. John’s for two years, where she worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Education (Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Studies) at Memorial. Elahe enjoys designing lessons that encourage critical thinking and keep students engaged. In her free time, she likes watching science fiction movies.
Mr. Burgess is from Bay Bulls, NL. He graduated from Memorial University in St. John’s with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Chemistry Biological and Biology) in 2021 and a Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary) in 2022. This will be Mr. Burgess' fourth year teaching at MMC and he is looking forward to another great year. His main goal is to form meaningful relationships with his students and ensure that they reach their full potential.
In his spare time, Mr. Burgess enjoys performing with his band Half Hour Early and spending time with friends.
Ms O’Donnell was born and raised in Happy Valley Goose Bay, and has called Mealy Mountain Collegiate ‘home’ since 2015. After completing her B.A at Carleton University, she lived and worked in Ottawa for a few years before pursuing her B.Ed at the university of Prince Edward Island, where she was the first valedictorian to represent the faculty of education.
In her years at MMC, Ms O’Donnell has taught a plethora of courses. She is eager and looking forward to exploring the realms of science with her students.
In her spare time, Ms O’Donnell enjoys spending time crocheting, walking, riding her bike, gardening, and spending time with her family.
Mr. Barnes is from St. John's and graduated from Memorial Universities' Joint Major in Marine Biology program in 2022 before pursuing science education. This is Mr. Barnes' third year of teaching and he is thrilled to continue his career in Labrador, where most of his family hails. During his time in Post-Secondary, Mr. Barnes received hands-on experience with the sciences through volunteering and employment at the Logy Bay Ocean Science Centre, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Marine Institute, where he studied plankton taxonomy for the remainder of his undergrad. These experiences have given Mr. Barnes valuable backgrounds and perspectives for intermediate and secondary education, which he ensures are reflected in the classroom. Mr. Barnes is the recipient of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, the Bruton Scholarship Fund and a graduate of the K-12 French Immersion program. In his free time, Mr. Barnes enjoys watching movies, playing video games and building LEGO sets.
Originally from Ontario, Ms. Finnie has called Newfoundland and Labrador home since 2020 and has been teaching since 2016. Ms. Finnie holds an Honours Bachelor of Science, TESOL Certification, Bachelor of Education, Diploma of Technology Education and Master of Bioinformatics. She has had a wealth of experiences in the fields of science and computational research, as well as in the trades through her previous career in the culinary arts.
Ms. Finnie is passionate about helping her students prepare for their futures. She prioritizes the development of soft skills, with an emphasis on teamwork and communication, through experiential activities in both her science and entrepreneurship courses.
Outside of work, Ms. Finnie is an avid curler and weightlifter. She also continues to contribute to science as a Bioinformatician, studying the function of "junk" DNA.
Originally from Port de Grave, NL, Mr. Hussey graduated from Memorial University in St. John’s with a Bachelor of Arts (History/English) in 2000 and a Bachelor of Education in 2001. He has over 20 years teaching experience throughout Labrador.
Mr. Hussey is passionate about history (especially that of Newfoundland and Labrador) and helping students understand society and change. In doing so, students preserve their stories of the past while creating their own sense of identity for the future.
In his spare time, Mr. Hussey enjoys watching a wide variety of documentaries, films and TV series, participates in outdoor activities, makes valiant attempts at DIY projects, and is a Constant Reader of Stephen King novels.
Ms. Cramm is originally from Wabush, NL. She graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2022 and a Bachelor of Education in 2023. This is Ms. Cramm's third year at Mealy Mountain and is thrilled to be back in Labrador teaching. Her goal for the school year is ensure students can reach their fullest potential.
Alison Edmunds is a Labradorian and Nunatsiavut beneficiary. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, a Bachelor of Education as a Visual Arts Specialist, and an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Native Studies. Her favorite thing about teaching is helping students experience the transformative power of creative expression. Outside of school Alison can be found drawing, playing board games, and riding her scooter.
Mr. Power is from Mortier; a small community on the Burin Peninsula. He graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Physical Education in 2021, a Bachelor of Education conjoint with a Diploma in Technology Education in 2023, and completed his Masters of Literacy in 2025 at Mount Saint Vincent University. In his spare time, Mr. Power spends a lot of time outdoors hunting and fishing, playing sports, and performing in his band Half Hour Early. This is Mr. Power's third year at Mealy Mountain Collegiate. His goal for the school year is to instill a genuine interest to achieve success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Originally from Bloomfield NL, Mr. Ralph graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor's of Kinesiology degree in 2020, a Bachelor’s of Physical Education degree in 2023, and a Bachelor’s of Education degree (Int/Sec) conjoint with a Diploma in Technology Education in 2024.
In his spare time, Mr. Ralph enjoys being outdoors and playing sports such as hockey, golf and softball. This will be Mr. Ralph’s second year teaching, so he is very excited to continue his career at Mealy Mountain Collegiate. His goal for the school year is to create a positive atmosphere in the gymnasium, while giving students the tools and confidence to be physically active for life.
Originally from Harbour Breton, NL, Ms. Bungay graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry Biological) in 2023 and a Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary) in 2024. Now in her continue year of teaching, she is thrilled to continue her career at Mealy Mountain Collegiate.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Bungay enjoys spending time with friends, walking along the boardwalk, diving into new books, and hanging out with her dog, Louie. This year, her primary goal is to build meaningful connections with her students and ensure they all experience a successful year in science and career studies.