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Deer Lake East
Early Years Care & Learning
Kelly

Kelly

Lead Educator

I began my career in ECE in 2014 enrolling in the Continuing Education Program in Burnaby, after graduating I began working at Deer Lake East in 2017 and I have been an educator here since then. This is not just a job to me but a dream, to work alongside children at the early stages and provide a comfortable and safe space to explore new ideas with them. One of my gifts is to recognize that all children are not the same, special and value each of these differences. This career is something I treasure and enjoy my time working with the staff, meeting new families and of course seeing what new ideas are ahead. Everyday is a new experience!

 

My biggest gift in my life is of course my family. My husband Angelo and I have been married for 21 years, my oldest daughter Olivia is 18 and starting her first year at Capilano University, my son Angelo Jr is 16 and in grade 11, my youngest daughter Ava is 12 and in grade 7 and I also have a dog named Vasto who is 3. We are living in Burnaby and this is where I grew up as well.  I enjoy watching sports like soccer and baseball,  playing games with my children and spending time with our large extended family. 

Judy
Founder of Deer Lake Child Care
(Formerly Deer Lake Preschool)

Judy started working as an Early Childhood Educator in 1983. Since that time she has had many wonderful opportunities in this field and has worked with children from 0 - 19yrs.

Along with many years of working on the floor with the children, she has had the opportunity to work in the role of consultant to child care settings and families, managing child care facilities and teaching Early Childhood Education at the college level. It has always been her dream to be able to support children and families in her own preschool and she was thrilled when this came to be in September 2011.

 

She has created a Deer Lake Community for children, their families, and educators where we find our sense of belonging and to be able to grow, learn, play in many meaningful ways. 

 

In 2022, as a grandmother of two grandchildren, she decided to share more time with her beloved family.  Currently she is active in her role as an instructor in the ECE field.

 

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Samantha
Manager

Samantha started to work with families and children in Burnaby since 2005, as she operated her own registered-licensed-not-required family day care.  She has discovered her passion in the field, took the step further to study and learn and to become an early childhood educator through Burnaby Continuing Education.

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She started working at Deer Lake since 2013, and was inspired by Judy's philosophy and approaches, which deepened her understanding of an inclusive environment for children to grow, play and learn.

 

She is grateful to work along side with the amazing teams at Deer Lake Child Care & Deer Lake East.

 

Her hope is to follow and carry on Judy's heart and dream to provide an inclusive environment for children, their families and educators. In doing so, we could establish the sense of belonging and sense of community and with that, we will together see the children to thrive confidently around their world.

Jessica
Educator

Jessica has always known her passion for working with children early in her life. She started in the field of education in 2010, volunteering with elementary school age children in Chilliwack and working as a tutor. Moving to Burnaby to further her education at Simon Fraser University, Jessica graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistic while working part-time as an English teacher for an after-school program. Soon after, Jessica found her love working with younger children at a preschool as an early childhood assistant and started her studies in Early Childhood Education in 2018. Jessica loves working with children and values children’s uniqueness, curiosity, and creativity. 

In her spare time, she loves photography, baking, and travelling.

Brianna
Educator

Brianna was born and raised in the lower mainland and currently lives in New Westminster with her (newly married!) husband and two cats. Before she decided to join the ECE field she was a web designer for almost 7 years. She liked the job and being in a creative field, but she always felt a calling to pursue a career that she knew would help make a difference in someone else's life. She decided in 2018 to switch into the ECE field and she is so thankful that she did! She graduated from the Early Childhood Education program at Burnaby Continuing Education in 2022, and is happy to be working at Deer Lake for her second year now. She currently works afternoon classes and Friday morning classes, but also substitutes mornings when needed.

Vanessa
Educator

Education has always been a central part of my life. Before becoming an early childhood educator, I worked for an educational publishing company and a charity that supported girls’ education in sub-Saharan Africa. I enjoyed learning alongside my own children so much that I spent twelve years at home with my two sons who are almost 19 and 16. I discovered my passion for early learning as a volunteer in my children’s preschool and elementary classrooms. I began working at Deer Lake East in January 2018 after completing my certificate in Early Childhood Education at Douglas College. In September 2019, I wanted to deepen my understanding of early learning and care, so I took a break from working at Deer Lake East to pursue a master’s degree in early childhood education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Since completing my M.A. I have had the privilege of working as an early childhood education instructor at UBC and Douglas College, a role that I enjoy immensely. However, nothing brings me as much joy as working with young children, so I am excited to be back at Deer Lake East as a part-time educator. I am passionate about spending time outdoors. Most weekends you can find me hiking with my husband and my dog (and occasionally my sons). I completed my bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences, so you will often find me sharing my love of science and investigation with your children. Finally, I believe strongly in creating inclusive spaces that enable all children to flourish and be themselves.

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Gowri Narayanan lives in New Westminster with her husband and our beautiful daughter Aruvi, who is 1.5 yrs old. I am an ECEA and I am working towards my ECE-Basic program through Burnaby Community & Continuing education

She started working at Deer Lake Child Care in September 2020. Later one year, she took my maternity break and now, she is back again to us at Deer Lake. I found a great love for teaching here and it’s become a passion. She enjoys every minute of working with children and seeing their eyes light up when they discover something new.  Her favorite part about my job is that every day brings something new - no two days are the same. 

When she is not working and playing with the little ones at Deer Lake East, you can find her outdoors, spending quality time with her family and cooking traditional cuisines. 

Gowri is looking forward to a wonderful school year with all of you! 

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