Richard Froese
South Peace News
Good Shepherd School in Peace River welcomes seven new teachers.
Karene Akre teaches French kindergarten and has been teaching for two years.
“My previous communities taught me solidarity, the spirit of sharing, learning to live community without distinction being all children of God,” Akre says.
She promotes community life to her students.
“In the classroom, I teach students how to live in a community,” Akre says.
She welcomes the opportunity to work in Peace River.
“I am new to the community and now I am going to make a connection with my new community through gatherings, activities and at church,” Akre says.
Sarah Bokola teaches Grade 2. She taught for nine months with the Division Scolaire Franco- Manitobaine in Manitoba.
Bokola graduated from the University of Alberta in June 2023.
She plans to get involved in school and community activities.
Shivon Couch teaches Grade 4. She comes to Good Shepherd with seven years of experience in teaching at Grimshaw and Peace River.
“It is so exciting for me to return to Good Shepherd School – a school I went to from Grades 1-6,” Couch says.
She is a member of the Faith Formation team and plays guitar and sings with the Good Shepherd Music Ministry.
Daniela Gheorghita teaches pre-kindergarten. She has taught for 11 years, in Saskatchewan, Ontario, the People’s Republic of China and Romania.
Gheorghita plans to extend her teaching skills into the community.
“I have recently proposed an after-school free English as a Second Language for some of the new international staff members, hoping to extend the invitation to other members of the community,” Gheorghita says.
Gheorghita graduated with a Doctor of Arts in Communication from the University of China in 2021.
The program includes international communication and language acquisition (linguistics and applied linguistics).
Jordan Loughlin teaches Grade 5 – English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Math, Religion, and Physical Education.
He has been teaching in Holy Family Catholic Regional Division for 18 years, previously posted at Ecole Providence in McLennan, Glenmary School in Peace River, Holy Family School in Grimshaw and Rosary School in Manning.
Outside the classroom, he will continue to lead the junior NBA basketball program with the Warriors’ basketball.
“I am hoping to get Grade 5-6 basketball going at the school and play inter-school games,” Loughlin says.
Emily O’Connor teaches Grade 6 and also Grade 2 French Religion. She previously taught junior and senior high school English at Glenmary School in Peace River in the last semester last year. Before that, she taught Grade 6 at Holy Family School in Grimshaw for three years.
She is working towards her Master’s degree in Education and Leadership and plans to graduate in 2025 through the University of Alberta.
Chelsey St. Amour teaches Grade 4. She has been teaching the past three years, with positions in Grimshaw and Grande Prairie.
St. Amour grew up in Peace River. She graduated in 2018 from the Teacher Education North program through the University of Alberta in Grande Prairie.