Presenters

Keynote

Dr. Dustin Louis

Dr. Dustin Louie is a First Nations scholar from Nee Tahi Buhn and Nadleh Whut’en of the Dakelh Nation of central British Columbia. He is a member of the Beaver Clan. Dustin’s education background includes a degree in Canadian history, a master’s degree in international relations, and a PhD in educational research.

Dr. Louie is now the Director of NITEP and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. He teaches courses related to Indigenous education, social justice, and educational philosophy; works closely with four school districts on decolonizing at the provincial and local level with government and private organizations, researches practical approaches to lndigenizing education, decolonizing education, Indigenous pedagogies, and critical theory.

Workshop Presenters

Katy Bigsby

REiL Learning is an educational consultancy supporting organization, staff, and adult learners that work with kids and youth in education, out-of-school, and recreation programs. Katy Bigsby is the founder and lead consultant at REiL Learning. Katy holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and brings a wealth of experience as an educator, counsellor, facilitator, and most recently as an educational consultant working with school districts, schools, and child and youth serving community organizations. For more information about Katy and her work, visit www.REiLlearning.com

Marcia Burton

Marcia is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and has a private practice on the island. She uses mindfulness and self-compassion, and other counselling modalities to help people to find what brings joy and meaning to their lives. Marcia brings a combination of gentleness, compassion, humour and playfulness to her work. When not at work, you can find her kayaking, gardening, or walking on the beach with her dog.

Helena Bryn-McLeod

Helena Bryn-McLeod is a psychotherapist and part-time District Elementary Counsellor for SD64. Her educational background is in sociology, languages, education, history, social justice, decolonizing, and complex trauma (with many side quests into neuroscience). Helena taught in Intensive French, French Immersion, and school counselling from 2016-2022, during which she did her Masters of Counselling Psychology and transitioned to clinical practice in 2022. She has trained with Gabor Mate and is inspired by the approaches of complex-trauma specialist and school psychologist Angela Murphy. Helena also works in activism by being part of wellness teams in decolonizing movements. Helena currently works with kids and adults to bring trauma-based understandings to their lived experience. She has seen time and time again that people have what it takes to strengthen, evolve, and find resilience .

Katherine Byers & Gail Bryn-Jones

Gail Bryn-Jones is a semi-retired teacher in District 64. For many of her 30+ years at SSE, she taught a Nature-based program and loved taking classes to Mouat Park for Creek Monitoring learning and doing.

Katharine Byers is the vice-principal of Salt Spring Elementary with a teaching background centred around project based learning, in and around Salt Spring Island.

Cali Chang

Cali's diverse career has included roles in pediatric intensive care, public health leadership, and community advocacy, with a strong emphasis on mental health, food security, and trauma-informed care. She has worked both in Canada and abroad, volunteering in Guatemala, Peru and Haiti, and was the recipient of the Phyllis Baird Memorial Award for her excellence and innovation in Public Health. She remains passionate about empowering individuals and communities to achieve better health outcomes, always grounded in a philosophy of harm reduction and public health excellence. She loves living on Salt Spring but has never been able to quiet the yearning for travel and exploration so is attempting to strike a balance.

Samantha Creech

Samantha is the District Early Learning Coordinator and has taught K-3 for 18 years in Surrey, Langley, and most recently the Gulf Islands.

Marcus Down & Maureen Codispodi

Marcus Down (he/him) is a seasoned Physical and Health Education (PHE) professional with over 15 years of teaching experience across public, independent, and international schools, with most of his experience dedicated to teaching elementary-aged students. His expertise spans diverse educational contexts, including his recent role as a PHE methods instructor for pre-service teachers at Vancouver Island University (VIU). Marcus holds a Master of Arts in Kinesiology, specializing in PHE instructional models that support diverse educational outcomes.

A former International Baccalaureate (IB) educator and current IB Workshop Leader, Marcus fosters inquiry-based, student-centred, and inclusive learning environments. He has shared his expertise widely, presenting at local, provincial, and national conferences across Canada and at international conferences in the Middle East and Asia. Additionally, Marcus has consulted with schools in Europe and the USA to enhance PHE practices.

As a Google for Education Certified Innovator, Marcus is recognized as a top educator committed to professional growth, advocating for impactful technology, and innovating to improve classrooms, schools, and local communities. He is also a proud member of PHE Canada and serves as a PHE Canada Mentor for pre-service and new teachers.

Currently, Marcus serves as Vice Principal on SḴŦAḴ (Mayne Island) in the Southern Gulf Islands, where he teaches K-7 PHE. He lives on the island with his wife and two children and enjoys marathon running as part of his commitment to his personal well-being.

You can explore some of Marcus’s work supporting evidence-based practice in physical and health education at his website: downwithpe.ca, and find his most recent contribution to academic literature here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17408989.2023.2260388

Maureen Codispodi started her career in mental health supporting neurodiverse people (ASD, ADHD and TBI) with a background in psychology and sociology. She then moved into education and leadership, working internationally for more than twenty years. She is a trained primary/middle school classroom teacher, learning support teacher (LIST) and counsellor. Maureen now works as a school counsellor on the outer islands in SD64. She is the founder, director and one of the therapists at Help Clinic Canada HelpClinic.ca an online mental health platform and nationwide online therapy practice She has facilitated workshops in many areas of psychology and education, including behavioural strategies, curriculum development and social-emotional teaching and learning. Maureen loves creating collaborative spaces where everyone feels safe to learn. She loves to connect on Linked In.

Donal Duncan

Donal Duncan has been teaching mathematics and physics at GISS for almost 15 years and has been a nerd for about 42 years. He regularly loses board games to his son.

Robin Jenkinson & Kathleen Maser & Lori Waters

With a background in field biology and botany (and school gardens), Robin Jenkinson is a WildBC Facilitator with the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF, https://hctf.ca/education/), which invests in healthy wildlife habitat and stewardship through conservation, restoration, and education. Galiano, Fulford, Fernwood, and Penelakut Schools are currently enrolled in the HCTF Wild Schools Program, which provides a modicum of support for teachers and staff with outdoor learning activities.

Kathleen Maser was born and raised in the Okanagan then earned a BSc in Biology from UBC. After working in 3 different parks on Vancouver Island as a BC Park Naturalist she earned her Teaching Diploma in Ottawa following which she taught elementary, K to 8, including FSL, in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Zimbabwe and Algeria (Highschool level science).

Retiring to Salt Spring in 2014, she was a founding member of Nature Salt Spring whose main purpose is to organize and lead events in natural history for both children and adults. Her passion is birding and deepening Islanders’ enjoyment and connection with nature.

Lori Waters holds a Master of Fine Arts as a Commonwealth Scholar and a Master of Science from the University of Toronto's Biomedical Communications Program. Through nature journaling, she follows her curiosity, and documents aspects of nature that captivate her imagination. Her journals serve as a wellspring of inspiration for her studio work, which honors the beauty and fragility of the natural world. Lori’s practice aims to ignite a sense of wonder and foster a deeper appreciation for nature, encouraging others to cherish and protect the environment.

Jill Jensen & Danielle Carter-Sullivan

Jill Jensen is superintendent of the Gulf Islands School District and is a passionate advocate for re-imagining education to create a more holistic and balanced learning experience. With a vision rooted in nurturing the spirit, heart, body, and mind, she is dedicated to fostering environments where learners can thrive and flourish. Drawing inspiration from the principles of compassionate systems awareness and the insightful words of Hannah Arendt, Jill emphasizes the importance of "thinking what we are doing" to cultivate empathy, mindfulness, and intentionality in education.

Danielle Carter-Sullivan works for the Ministry of Education and Child Care as Director Mental Health. Her team focuses on mental health and substance use priorities in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system. She is fascinated by the complexity of systems and the interconnectedness of all we do. Danielle aspires to continue growing and evolving her work, bringing a compassionate systems leadership lens to the education system in BC. She strives to cultivate a sense of quiet within herself and effectively contribute to system-wide change through compassion.

Ryan Massey

Ryan is the Principal at Gulf Islands Secondary. He has a passion for fostering deep learning outcomes and experiences.

Devon McLeod

Devon works as a school counsellor supporting students on Salt Spring and across the province.

Kate Nash

Kate Nash has been working with The Circle since 2010, serving as a facilitator and contributor to program development. Her extensive experience in developing and implementing curricula has supported the organization's ability to address youth needs effectively.

Kate's unique approach combines her background in theatre, play building, and improv with a deep understanding of youth development. This blend of skills allows her to create engaging, interactive experiences that resonate with young people across various age groups. Students consistently praise Kate for her compassion, attentiveness, and ability to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Dan Sparanese

Dan is a School District Principal, currently Co-Chair of the Accessibility Working Group in SD64.

Cathy Walker

I grew up on Salt Spring, married my high school sweetheart and we raised our two children on a beautiful farm and acreage on Mt Maxwell. My daughter is a non verbal adult with Autism and she has been my coach, teacher and inspiration for the work I do everyday. I have been a member of SD64 learning community for 30 years. Beginning with teaching in K-8 schools on Salt Spring and then moving into supporting teachers, students and families for the last 12 years as a District Inclusion Support Teacher. This year I made the leap into Administration as the Vice Principal of Inclusive Education to continue my passion for supporting families and teachers with inclusive educational practices.

Becky Wall

Becky Wall is a dedicated and dedicated educator with a passion for Universal Design for Learning and STEM Education. In addition to her work as a classroom teacher at Fernwood Elementary, she currently leads two professional communities that are exploring STEM Integration in our district. Here, she advocates for STEM literacy and promotes innovative approaches that spark curiosity and engagement throughout the curriculum with students in the driver's seat.

As a Teacher Leader and National Lead for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Let's Talk Science, she empowers educators to adopt STEM and Universal Design Strategies through workshops and hands-on learning experiences.

Darrell Watson & Dean Crouse

In the world of disc golf, one name in our region that immediately comes to mind for the most local wins, longest drives, sensational putting and a huge advocate for the sport of disc golf is the one and only - Darrell Watson (PDGA #65501) otherwise known as @disc_n_d

Hailing from the Vesuvius area of Salt Spring Island, Watson’s disc golf journey is unparalleled. As a Professional disc golfer, Darrell continues to dominate local, regional and international tournaments. As Club President, Darrell has dedicated countless volunteer hours to the community to continue to grow the sport. He is also an avid course designer (Mayne Island Disc Golf course) and has assisted in the redesign of many other local courses (Mansell Farm and Hart Memorial).

Among his various accomplishments and talents, Darrell is a sponsored player by various companies past and present (Gateway Discs, Prodigy Discs, Daredevil Discs, Tombstone Disc Supply). Darrell is also the captain of Team Gulf Islands for the BC Club Championships and is a long-standing player for Team Vancouver Island in the prestigious JB Cup. He is also a Tournament Director for countless local tournaments.

"Disc Golf Dean" Crouse is a local legend and a forefather of disc golf on Saltspring, from his humble beginnings of selling discs from the trunk of his car to being one of the highest rated players for his age in the nation. Dean has a deep understanding of proper form, disc flight and an unmatched passion for the game. Come learn from the best in the game!

Jess Willows & Johnny Aitken

Jess Willows is a teacher in the Gulf Islands School District and a program coordinator for the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning. With a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education, Jess is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies at the University of Victoria. She has been involved with Professional Development (PD) for teachers, offering workshops and serving as the PD Chair. She lives and teaches on Mayne Island.

Elder JOHNNY AITKEN is an interdisciplinary artist, actor, writer, carver, filmmaker, activist and educator. Johnny’s mixed ancestry includes Coast Salish, Scottish and Haida and he self-identifies as a 2Spirit First Nations individual. Johnny’s twenty-foot-tall carving of an Honouring Figure stands in the Emma and Felix Jack Park on Mayne Island—a park named after his grandparents from the Cowichan Tribes. As a self-proclaimed “cross-cultural bridge builder,” Johnny enjoys collaborating with members of both Indigenous and Settler communities and has dedicated himself to a lifetime career in creating stories that lead to a place of healing. He lives on Mayne Island, British Columbia.

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