Mr. Lamb is a proud French Canadian from the Aylmer sector of Gatineau. Being fluently bilingual, he knows the importance of speaking and writing in both of Canada’s official languages—it has granted him many opportunities, such as working internationally for the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Mr. Lamb has been in the wonderful, ever-evolving world of Education for over 25 years, having previously worked in an all-girls school and in a faith-based school. He was also a founding member of the first International Baccalaureate school in the Capital Region. As a previous Mathematics and Science teacher, Mr. Lamb strongly believes that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is the basis of a great education.

Regardless of whether it is in music, art, or creative writing, Mrs. Springfield loves lighting that spark of learning and enthusiasm in her students! She derives enormous personal satisfaction from being able to challenge her students to write at a very high level using a wide and varied vocabulary. She plays the cello and loves baroque and early music (pre-1600’s). Ms. Springfield originally trained as a lawyer in the UK, but changed careers to teaching in order to facilitate being a mother to her two adopted children.

Ambika has been a part of the Joan of Arc Academy family for over 16 years. She started with the school as a student in 2005.  After graduating from the Ivey Business School at Western University she came back to Joan of Arc Academy as the Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Communications.  Ambika is proud to represent the school that helped her build many useful competencies including confidence, bilingualism, and a strong work ethic.

When Ambika is not at school,  she loves to soak in new cultures and challenge herself through adventurous sports. She has been skydiving in Portugual, white water rafting in Whistler, and glacier trekking in Alaska. Ambika has also spent time working and volunteering in countries like Ecuador and Spain.

Dr. Julia E. Morris grew up in the Toronto area, but also lived in Westfield, New Brunswick and in Rouen, France. She has been in the Outaouais since 2003. She attributes her love of language and literature to her travels as a young person. She obtained her Ph.D. in Lettres françaises from the University of Ottawa in 2010.

Dr. Morris teaches in French and concentrates on writing, strategic communication, grammar and style. She also has expertise in francophone contemporary literature. She likes to draw on female-centric themes and female-authored narratives in the classroom.

Dr. Morris’ interests include spending as much time with her two kids as possible, running in Gatineau Park with her collie dog, working on her vegetable gardens for as long as the season permits and helping her husband with craft and furniture projects.

Martha Whitlock grew up in Ottawa, knowing from a very young age that she would choose a career working with children. After graduating from high school, she earned a B.Sc. in Psychology from McGill University, a Master of Arts in Psychology from Carleton University and a B.Ed. from the University of Ottawa. Once her studies were complete, Mrs. Whitlock moved overseas to pursue a teaching career working at international schools in Costa Rica, England and Japan. Ultimately, she decided to move back home to be closer to family.

While she enjoys teaching a variety of subjects, Mrs. Whitlock’s biggest passion is teaching mathematics. She truly loves guiding children to develop a positive attitude toward learning mathematics, to be confident in their math ability and to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be.

When Mrs. Whitlock is not teaching, she loves spending time with her two daughters, husband and two cats. Some of her favourite pastimes include cooking, travelling, downhill skiing, running, cycling and swimming.

Erin Elliott grew up in a small town in Southwestern Ontario.  She moved to the Ottawa area after high school to attend Carleton University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Honors in 2002. She returned to school and graduated in 2007 from Nipissing University with her Bachelor of Education.

She started her career at Joan of Arc Academy filling in as the English Grade One and Two teacher. In 2009 she taught her first Grade Five class and knew that was where she belonged. Erin is also an intermediate science teacher. She particularly appreciates that the curriculum allows her to discuss environmental issues and concerns with her students and hopes that together they can make an impact.

When she is not at school, Erin can be found at the arena cheering on her son’s hockey team, practicing piano with her daughter, or walking her Springer Spaniel, Piper.

Mme Melissa est née au nord de l'Ontario dans une petite ville nommée Kapuskasing. Elle a grandi au cœur d'une famille francophone et a donc poursuivit ses études en français. C'est au cours du secondaire que Melissa a pris connaissance de sa passion pour l'enseignement. Elle a suivi plusieurs formations au sein de la société de sauvetage et de la croix rouge. Ceci lui a permis d'enseigner la natation et de devenir monitrice de la société de sauvetage pour le brevet de la croix de bronze. Elle s'est ensuite dirigée à l'Université d'Ottawa afin d'obtenir un Baccalauréat ès sciences sociales (spécialisation en psychologie). Plusieurs cours lui ont confirmé son intérêt pour l'éducation donc elle a choisi de poursuivre ses études à la faculté d'éducation. Elle est enseignante agrégée de l'Ontario depuis 2013.

Lorsque Mme Melissa n'est pas avec ses élèves elle pense encore à eux et elle aime préparer des leçons originales. Autrement, elle est passionnée par la littérature, les beaux-arts, la musique, la cinématographie et aime beaucoup passer du temps en nature.

Kelly Bougie grew up in Dunrobin, Ontario and learned to loved nature, science and sports.  She graduated from the University of Ottawa with honors in Human Kinetics (emphasizing in science and minored in English). Upon working in the industry of physiotherapy and teaching at Goodlife as an instructor, she then received her diploma in Education. She also graduated from Special Education Part 1 and 2 and Primary/junior and intermediate courses.

As a teacher who has worked within the Board of Education and the private industry for more than 18 years, she believes in the values of creating strength and opportunities for young students and empowering them with values to help them succeed. In her free time, she loves to run, ski, kickbox, bike but mostly hike with her kids. She is excited to bring her knowledge, energy and enthusiasm to Joan of Arc.

The best part of Sabine Neubert’s day is her interaction with the students. Helping them learn is her passion, especially guiding them to grasp new concepts and broaden their horizons. Born and raised in Germany, Sabine Neubert obtained her Master’s Degree in Education from Humboldt University, Germany, and taught English and Russian at a middle and secondary school in Burg, Germany. She completed an intensive linguistics course in Moscow, Russia, and worked for a year at a Comprehensive school in Wales, UK. She has explored the cultures of many countries in Europe, North Africa, Latin, and North America.

After extensive travel in Canada, she decided to relocate 20 years ago and has called Ottawa home ever since. Sabine Neubert has been at Joan of Arc Academy since 2002. The small group and individualized learning environment allow her optimally to share her experience and passion for learning with her students, so they can be inspired, grow and become open-minded and confident girls who will one day take up leading roles in our society. Sabine Neubert likes the outdoors. She loves camping, hiking, skiing, canoeing, and kayaking.

Donna Jones has always had a tremendous interest in learning to speak French. As a student, she participated in a student exchange program and had the opportunity to live with a family in Quebec City. She also spent a summer studying French in Jonquière. She is proud to be part of a school that gives girls the opportunity to learn both official languages from an early age. She has taught at Joan of Arc for many years because she believes in the advantages of its education. Her own daughter will soon be a Joan of Arc graduate.

When she is not at school, Donna likes spending time with her family, reading, and journaling. She is always searching for interesting books to spark her students’ love of reading.

Rita Kouakou was born and raised in the Ivory Coast. She immigrated to Canada with a French Master’s degree in communication and a dream of becoming a teacher. She went to the university of Ottawa for her Bachelor of Education degree in 2013.

Before joining the Academy, Mrs. Rita worked for two years in Saskatchewan as a teacher of francization and then two years in Claudel as a kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Rita is committed and passionate. Her personal model is: do it with love or do not do it at all. Teaching is her passion and she gives her very best every day.

Mrs. Rita is married and the happy mother of 4 girls. She is an aspiring writer and an excellent storyteller. Her dream is to build an orphanage for children.

Mme Sholpan grew up in a small town near Almaty, Kazakhstan. Her interest for foreign languages led her to attend the Kazakh University of International Relations and Modern Languages where she earned a B.A. in French Studies. She also completed an exchange at the Université de Rennes I in France. After graduation, she worked as a French teacher in high schools and later in her alma mater.

Mme Sholpan is married and has three children. She likes to travel with her family and learn about new cultures. She spends her spare time reading, cooking, and crafting. She likes outdoor activities, such as walking and biking. She also likes to swim and take yoga classes.

Vivian has a special relationship with the Joan of Arc Academy, as she graduated from the school herself, long ago when the teachers were primarily still nuns. Vivian has been an educator for over twenty years specializing in performing arts. She graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education and studied theatre arts at the Randolph Academy of the Arts in Toronto.

Vivian a travaillé avec les élèves âgés de 3 ans à adulte, et elle réussit toujours à développer un rapport très chaleureux avec ses élèves. Elle croit que l’on peut toujours atteindre nos rêves si on le veut, avec de la passion et de la persévérance. Vivian is passionate about singing, theatre, yoga, cooking, and long walks in nature.

Nicole Lalonde comes from a French-speaking village in Eastern Ontario called Plantagenet. She always wanted to be a teacher from a young age. She studied Physical Education at the University of Ottawa. Nicole has taught physical education for several years.

She constantly wanted to instill in students a taste for practicing different sports and to ensure that the importance of physical activity is known in everyday life. The values ​​that relate to physical activity, such as the adoption of healthy behavior, sportsmanship, honesty, respect, self-transcendence and many others, are values ​​that have been constantly conveyed to students of all ages.

Nicole lives in Embrun along the Castor River with her husband Daniel and her cat Coco. She enjoys traveling in Europe and going to Mont Tremblant for skiing and biking.

Mme. Fatima has been working with Joan of Arc Academy as an educator and Afterschool Coordinator for almost nineteen years. She has worked for different public and catholic schools in Ottawa and had the privilege to work with children with special needs and ESL students. She is a Masters of Education student, and would love to continue working with children for the rest of her life.

Outside of the Academy, she loves nature, animals, writing, poetry, philosophy, people, and culture. All of which inspired her to write and publish two books, one in poetry and the other about her own life journey. She hopes to one day write a children’s book.

When asked about Joan of Arc, M. Serge says he loves everything about the school!  He especially takes great pride in the shiny floors at the school. In his spare time, he enjoys mixing music and has a particular fondness for music of the 70’s and 80’s, including disco!