Deer Lake Child Care
(Formerly Deer Lake Preschool)
Deer Lake East
Early Years Care & Learning
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.
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.
Vanessa
Educator
Education has always been a central part of Vanessa's life. Before becoming an early childhood educator, she worked for an educational publishing company and a charity that supported girls’ education in sub-Saharan Africa. She enjoyed learning alongside her own children so much that I spent twelve years at home with her two sons who are almost 19 and 16. She discovered her passion for early learning as a volunteer in her children’s preschool and elementary classrooms. She began working at Deer Lake East in January 2018 after completing her certificate in Early Childhood Education at Douglas College. In September 2019, she wanted to deepen her understanding of early learning and care, so she 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 her M.A. She has had the privilege of working as an early childhood education instructor at UBC and Douglas College, a role that she enjoys immensely. However, nothing brings her as much joy as working with young children, so she is excited to be back at Deer Lake East as a part-time educator. She is passionate about spending time outdoors. Most weekends you can find her hiking with her husband and their dog (and occasionally her sons). She completed her bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences, so she will often find her sharing her love of science and investigation with your children. Finally, she believes strongly in creating inclusive spaces that enable all children to flourish and be themselves.
Emily Educator
Emily grew up in northern Alberta, and has been in the lower mainland since 2015. She currently lives in New West with her two children, Ruben and Davie, and our cat, Tom. She loves crocheting, reading, and spending time outdoors in my free time!
She is excited for the opportunity to work here at Deer Lake East. Her journey into early childhood education is only just beginning, but she is thrilled to be part of your children’s learning and growing experience. She is currently an ECEA, and she is taking the ECE program with Burnaby Community and Continuing Education.