Prep School FAQ

If any of your student’s information is inaccurate (e.g. the spelling of the name, pronoun use), please email Crystal Arruda.

Prep student attendance is taken at 8:30 a.m. each day. Please note that on Wednesdays, attendance is taken at 9:30 a.m.

If your child has not been accounted for by this time, the Prep’s receptionist will contact parents/families first by phone and then by email (if no contact can be made by phone). 

To report an absence, please email Prep attendance. Please also email your child’s form adviser.

KEY CONTACTS
Prep attendance | ext. 4045
Form Advisers (check contact list)

If students bring phones or smartwatches to school, they are expected to leave them turned off and in their locker from the time they arrive at school until they are dismissed. Devices unsecured will be confiscated, and returned to students at the end of the day. 

KEY CONTACTS

Main Office: ext. 4010

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

Dress Code expectations for 2025–26 outline the student dress that’s required for different year levels, different seasons and special days.

KEY CONTACTS

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

Maps and instructions for fire drills are located on the back of each classroom door, and are practised every year.

KEY CONTACTS

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

Students must sign in at the Prep’s reception if they are arriving late. We also encourage parents to send an email to the Prep attendance.

KEY CONTACTS

Reception: ext. 4011
Prep attendance | ext. 4045

Prep housekeeping and After School Program (ASP) staff pick up lost items and turn them to the Lost and Found located in the lower level of the Eaton Building.

KEY CONTACT

Reception: ext. 4411

Instructions for lockdown procedures are posted in each room and are practised twice a year.

KEY CONTACTS

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

The Blues Shop is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.) and is located in the basement of the Upper School.

KEY CONTACT: Patti Cawker

Parents should encourage students to speak directly to subject (specialist) teachers and advocate for themselves. If concerns or questions continue, parents should reach out to the student’s form adviser or the subject learning leaders.

If the concern extends beyond one particular class, contact either the Wernham West Centre for Learning or the divisional assistant head with your concern and they will develop a plan with you and the student.

KEY CONTACTS

Specialist Teacher

Form Advisers (check contact list)

Subject Learning Leaders (check contact list)

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

In the Preparatory School, home form teachers are the primary contact for students and families. If you or your child have any questions about their learning, please reach out to the home from teacher first. 

KEY CONTACTS

Form Advisers (check contact list)

Send an email about any program-related questions, such as the approaches to assessment and grading.

The 2025–26 MYP Assessment Calendar will be available soon.

KEY CONTACT

MYP Coordinator: Emilia Martin

Send an email about any program-related questions, such as the PYP Exhibition project, approaches to assessment and grading.

The 2025–26 PYP Assessment Calendar will be available soon.

KEY CONTACT

PYP Coordinator: Dianne Jojic

Please contact the Prep coordinator by email to discuss any issues or questions about organizational skills, assessment preparation, or additional learning support of any kind.

KEY CONTACTS

Prep Coordinator: Polly Baxter

Director: Liz Kennedy

Learning Strategies Teachers:

Melody Thompson

Karyn McCormack

Disciplinary responses and consequences are determined on a case-by-case basis by the assistant heads.

KEY CONTACTS

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

If you have questions or would like to get support around issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion, please contact Tina Jagdeo.

Counsellors support students with concerns such as those related to stress, peer interactions, wellbeing and personal issues. Students may make appointments with the school counsellors by dropping by the school counsellors’ office or by sending an email.

KEY CONTACTS

School Counsellors

Martha Boyce

Kayla Gosse

If a student feels physically unwell, they should let their home form adviser know and visit the Prep Health Centre for care. If you have any questions about health services, please email Prep Nurse Judy Brewer.

KEY CONTACTS

Prep Nurse: Judy Brewer

Prep Health Centre

If the student is experiencing concerns or difficulties related to behaviour, or treatment of or by others, either the student or the parent should reach out to the student’s form adviser. If, after the first level of contact, the concerns or situation persists, then the assistant head should be contacted. 

KEY CONTACTS

Form Adviser (check contact list)

Assistant Heads

SK–Year 5: David Girard

Years 6 and 7: Gareth Evans

For support with school-issued devices such as iPads and MacBooks as well as for systems such as Bluenet, Google Workspace for Education, BrightSpace and SeeSaw, your child should start with their form adviser for help. For further support, students and parents may contact the Help Desk. There is also a Primary Innovation & Technology Coach and a Middle Innovation and Technology Coach who support students with technology-related questions.

KEY CONTACTS

Help Desk | ext. 3323

Kathleen Peak, Executive Director, Information & Innovation

Ryan Archer, Associate Director, Information & Innovation

Information about theatre productions, bands and visual arts co-curricular opportunities will be shared in assembly and in home forms; please do not hesitate to email the arts learning leaders with any questions.

KEY CONTACTS

Arts Learning Leaders (check contact list)

The Prep’s After School Program (ASP) offers supervised after-school care for students between 3:10 and 6 p.m. with a nutritious snack program and educational assistance in our homework sessions.

Clubs are co-curricular complements and informational material is sent via Heads Up.

KEY CONTACTS

ASP: Brent Crawford

Clubs: Heads Up

Information about tryouts and sports teams will be shared in assembly and in advising; please do not hesitate to email the athletic director with any questions.

KEY CONTACT

Interim Athletic Director: Max Perren

Julia Kinnear, Vice-Principal, Learning and Academic Innovation

Jordan Small, Director, Academics

Dianne Jojic, PYP Coordinator, SK–Year 5

Emilia Martin, MYP Coordinator, Year 6–10

Tina Jagdeo, Wellbeing and Pluralism Director

Mallory McKinney, Wilder Library 

Linda Carvalho, Administrative Coordinator, Academics

Regina Li, Administrative Coordinator, Learning and Academic Innovation

Sarah Fleming, Head, Preparatory School

Gareth Evans, Assistant Head, Middle

David Girard, Assistant Head, Primary

Crystal Arruda, Assistant to the Head of the Prep

Anna Crawford, SK

Anna Marshall, Year 1M

Carly Crippin, Year 2C

Christie Gordon, Year 3G

Kathryn O’Brien, Year 3O

Brent Crawford, Year 4B

Paige Colalillo, Year 4C

Lisa Brooks, Year 5B

Paul Faggion, Year 5F

Hailey Verity, Year 5V

Sydney Frank, Year 6F

Jennifer Harper, Year 6H

Stephen Kupfer, Year 6K

Peter Labancz, Year 6L

John Berney, Year 7B

Tia Chambers, Year 7C

Kathy Tran, Year 7K

Peter Gray, Year 7G

Michaela Trelford, Year 7T

Michael Schmidt, Year 7S

Janet Brock, Reception 

Aramark Food Services 

Help Desk IT Support

Tina Jagdeo, Director, Wellbeing and Pluralism

Christie Gordon, Wellbeing Coordinator (SK–Year 5)

John Berney, Wellbeing Coordinator (Years 6–7)

Max Perren, Athletic Director

Melody Thompson, Literacy, Primary Years

Paige Colalillo, Numeracy, Primary Years

Joanna Martin, Design, Primary Years

Sarah Barclay, Design, Middle Years

Kerry Dupuis, Science, Middle Years

Riyaz Ismail, Math, Middle Years

Mark Baxter, Physical Education, Primary and Middle Years

Peter Labancz, Language Acquisition (French), Primary and Middle Years

Michaela Trelford, Language and Literature, Middle Years

Peter Gray, Individuals and Societies, Middle Years

Paul McGarr, Arts, Middle Music

Caroline Heo, Arts, Primary Music

Nancy Preston, Middle Art

Monika Kastelic, Primary Art

Martha Boyce, Health and Life Science

Liz Kennedy, Director

Polly Baxter, Coordinator

Melody Thompson, Learning Strategies Teacher

Karyn McCormack, Learning Strategies Teacher