I am the oldest of 7 children and grew up in Paddle Prairie, AB. It is the largest Metis' Settlement in Alberta. Growing up, my culture was very present in my day to day life. Throughout elementary school we were instructed in the Cree language as well as other aspects of the Metis' Culture. I moved to Fairview, AB in 1997 to complete my High School education, and graduated from Fairview High School in 2000.
Embedded Files
Upon graduation I moved to Grande Prairie, AB and have been a resident of Grande Prairie since then. In 2002 I married my husband, Rob Tapson, we have been happily married for 18 years and have four amazing children; Taylor (18), Hannah (17), Andrew (13), Marcus (11). I firmly believe that my vocation in this world is to be a mother to my children, raising them according to the Catholic Faith and doing my best to provide them with the love and care they deserve.
I am Catholic and have been a member of St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Grande Prairie for 20 years. My faith is extremely important to me, it is something I treasure and find solace in. I love helping out at my church. I have been assisting with our parish's Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) team for 8 years. Being a part of the RCIA team has been deeply fulfilling and is something I see myself participating in for many years to come.
I received my degree in Education from the University of Alberta in 2007. I was able to take all of my schooling in Grande Prairie as I was part of the Teacher Education North Cohort; a collaboration between Grande Prairie Regional College and the University of Alberta. Becoming a teacher has fulfilled a life-long dream of mine. I've always known that I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and teaching has given me that opportunity.
I received my first teaching position in March 2008, after taking a year off after the birth of my third child. I taught Junior High English and grade 4 science at Holy Cross Catholic School. From the fall of 2008 to the summer of 2010 I continued to teach at Holy Cross however; my assignment was for grade 6. In the fall of 2010, after having my fourth child, I made the decision to go from working full time to half time. This transition also involved a move from Holy Cross to Mother Teresa Catholic School. A year later I went back to full time at Mother Teresa. During my time at Mother Teresa I had a number of assignments; grade 6, junior high health and religion, a 4/5 split and a 5/6 split. Throughout each of these assignments I was able to acquire a wide range of skills and had a number of opportunities for growth.
In the summer of 2015 I moved into the position of Supervisor of Religious Education for the District and remain in this position today. Having the opportunity to be a leader in faith has been amazing and fulfilling. I love the many different opportunities I've had to share my faith with students and staff. I've found so much joy in being a Catechist, serving others and walking with colleagues on their faith journey. Beginning in 2017 I also held the position of Supervisor of First Nation, Metis & Inuit Education. In this role I supervised 7 Indigenous Liaisons and assisted in building the Indigenous Program for the Grande Prairie Catholic School District. During my time as supervisor I was able to share many aspects of my Metis culture, support Indigenous students and learn from numerous Indigenous leaders.
In 2012 I was blessed to be a recipient of an Alberta Excellence in Teaching. The Alberta Education government website states "The Excellence in Teaching Awards program was initiated in 1989 by the Minister of Education to:
recognize outstanding Alberta teachers,
honour creative, innovative, and effective teaching,
focus public attention on the teaching profession, and
involve Albertans in celebrating teaching excellence.
Over the years I have taken a number of courses and Professional Development opportunities to grow in my faith as well as professional life. Included in this is the Certificate in Theology program, offered through Newman college, and courses on leadership in Catholic Education through St. Mary's University. I plan on participating in the Master of Education Cohort being offered through St. Mary University. This Master program is currently in the development stages, however, leading up to the start of this program I will continue to take courses through St. Mary's University.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse