TKS STAFF
ADMINISTRATION
-
Tim Ireland
Principal
Mr. Ireland drove long distances into Vancouver for decades to enjoy his business education and writing careers. He is now energized by the closeness of the TKS community and the relative shortness of his new commute. Longer biographies of the admin team can be found by selecting this link. -
Charlaine Statham
Vice-Principal
Ms. Statham now splits her remarkable teaching abilities and passionate care for students between two rooms—the English Studies classroom and the vice-principal’s office! Students find both venues to be welcoming places to visit. In her spare time (ha!), Charlaine keeps busy in a Master of Educational Leadership program at TWU. When she receives her degree this spring, what will she do with all the leisure opportunities available? Find out more about Charlaine by clicking here. -
Stephanie Botwright
Vice-Principal
Note: This biography is currently on hold because Stephanie is busy holding her third baby and enjoying a year of maternity leave.
A Master of Educational Leadership degree from nearby Trinity Western University and a home just minutes away first attracted Stephanie to TKS. This initial attraction has blossomed into a deep love for her colleagues, students, and the mission of TKS. Read more about our talented, robust VP and French teacher by clicking here. -
Kelly Newton
Vice Principal
It’s good to have a doctor in the house. Surprisingly, possessing a PhD in education is a little way down the list of Dr. Newton’s impressive and intriguing credentials. She has been a public school teacher, vice-principal, and principal in the Abbotsford School District. She has been a home-schooling parent. And, she and her husband still find time to own and operate a 300+ acre organic farm in Abbotsford, BC (Sumas Mountain Farms)! Two years or so ago, Kelly determined TKS was the perfect school to allow her express her passion for both Christian education and holistic farming. And, because she seems to have the advantage of possessing 36-hour days, Dr. Newton has already established a school apiary, obtained a grant to plant an orchard of fruit trees, and re-established our student-managed chicken program. -
Kathy Martins
Executive Administrator
For decades, Mrs. Martins has been the hub of the wheel that drives TKS. From first-aid, to purchasing, to parent interactions, to government submissions, to social media communication, Kathy does it all. And she does it all so very well because her intellect and talent are surpassed only by her care and compassion for the TKS community. -
Lisa Cramer
Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Cramer is the perfect person to help Mrs. Martins “do it all” Her friendly, enthusiastic, and efficient manner—combined with her background in the insurance industry—guarantee that visits the office will be pleasant and satisfying for all who have needs—including her daughter who comes for a daily hug. -
Greg Reinhart
Financial Administrator
Mr. Reinhart loves purpose-driven organizations, hence his affection for TKS. Greg shows great commitment to the school’s mission and vision and knows his financial expertise—which includes an MBA from TWU—plays a key role in the school’s success. Greg sees the Gospel touching all areas of life; when he’s not at school, he’s busy applying biblical principles to his Abottsford skateboarding shop, Replay. Very rad!
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
-
Erin Kotha
Kindergarten
You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Perfect! TKS passes this test with flying colours. Our early learners and their families are both initially and continually impressed with the activities and love in Mrs. Kotha’s kindergarten classroom. Mrs. Kotha carries a passion for providing her students with the foundations for learning, with a particular emphasis on reading. She looks forward to playing a key role in elevating the school’s early learning literacy program to exemplary levels of prominence and effectiveness. -
Sarah Beugelink
Grade 1
Mrs. B, as she is affectionally known, brings some merry ol’ English flair to her classes—and this is comprised of more than just a lovely accent. Students enjoy the well-established learning routines and the emphasis on fine art, singing, and creativity that they experience in Mrs. B’s classes. Her longstanding care for children is a feature of TKS. -
Samantha Hanssens
Grade 1
During parental tours of TKS, it’s wise to ask as many questions as you answer. How else would we have known that one of our parents, Mrs. Hanssens, was hiding a BC teaching certificate in her background? Our inquisitive nature led to our discovering the perfect person to complement Mrs. B’s four days of teaching grade one. Samantha and Mrs. B form a great partnership. -
Jordan Bradbeer
Grade 2
After obtaining his BC teaching certificate in primary education, Mr. Bradbeer was apprehended by the Lord—and Calvary Baptist in Coquitlam—for a short nine years as a youth pastor and worship leader. Now, as a TKS veteran, his classroom retains the welcoming, caring, and energetic “vibes” so typical of a youth group. To this point, however, we have not heard his electric guitar in his room. -
Erin Lundberg
Grade 3
It’s wonderful when you find a young teacher who has “it.” What “it” is can’t be fully described here. A lengthy essay is required. But adjectives like organized, clear, confident, caring, perceptive, loving, and respectful would be included in the description. Whatever “it” is, Ms. Lundberg has “it.” And we’re glad we have her at TKS. -
Peter Langbroek
Grade 4
Dirt under the fingernails indicates a good day on the job for Mr. Langbroek. He loves teaching students the principles and certainties of life that are revealed by our elementary garden program. The only subject that invigorates him more is our Bible program, which allows him to teach the most important principles and certainties of life, which are revealed by God’s word. -
Leanne Gin
Grade 5
Principal’s secret: I love dropping in on Mrs. Gin’s class without warning, often with an entourage of visitors. Experience assures me that I will discover her students in good order and completely engaged in interesting learning activities. Plus, we receive a big welcome, followed by students eager to tell the visitors what they are doing. So impressive! The obvious question is, “What is Mrs. Gin’s secret”? Make that “secrets.” -
Daniel Mathew
Grade 6
As soon as Mr. Mathew revealed he was trained as a business educator at UBC, his TKS employment contract was guaranteed! More impressive, though, was his heart turning toward Christian education where he could invest his faith in the students before him. Dan spent many years at Hope Lutheran and Valley Christian schools before coming to TKS—including a stint as the interim principal at Hope Lutheran. Mr. Mathew knows the TKS property well from his long involvement with Christian Elementary School Sports (CESS). More importantly, he is an educator who gets to know his students well because of his deep concern for their well being. -
Kelly Newton
Grade 7
Dr. Newton does not spend all of her time in the office as our vice-principal—and the grade sevens are happy for that! Kelly masterfully channels their natural enthusiasm into all sorts of academic and educational pursuits. From math and science to bees and chickens, the grade sevens are among the busiest students on the campus. -
Mary Nydam
Grade 7
Mary’s experience in outdoor recreation and Christian camps makes her a perfect complement to the grade 7 seven “encampment” up the hill in the “Ark.” She, Kelly, and the grade sevens have a special classroom overseeing the entire campus. A degree in psychology also helps with this important age group. Mary also imparts her talents, life skills, and bright disposition to our grade 8s in Applied Skills 8.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
-
Shane Rochon
Drama, French, Bible, and Career Studies
If you read local Langley newspapers, you may be familiar with the name, Shane Rochon. Mr. Rochon is a true thespian, possessing a rich history with the Langley Little Theatre Society. He is well recognized for his talents in acting, directing, producing, and writing. On multiple occasions, our drama students have performed original productions created by Shane. Hailing from Montreal gives his French students authentic exposure to Québécois culture, and his love of scripture allows Mr. Rochon to bring out the best in our teenage students. -
Bianca Schafer
English, Social Studies, History, Career Studies
Mrs. Schafer’s multi-faceted experiences at TKS could intimidate some teachers, but for Bianca, they simply show that she is a true gem. She has taught students from grade 4 to grade 12 and subjects from English to Yearbook to History. Her flexibility and calmness stem from both her professionalism and grateful outlook on life. She loves her students and enjoys getting to know them in the warm, relational environment of her classroom. -
Isabel Paul
Math, Home Economics
It’s common for math teachers to vie for senior courses. Grade 11 and 12 math students are generally capable and highly motivated to meet the looming post-secondary standards. Grade 8 and 9 students may lack the same focus. So, when you find a math teacher who loves teaching the junior grades, grab and hold on to that person! Mrs. Paul is one of those teachers. She loves helping younger teens do well in math, and her highly organized teaching methods and lessons are just what they need for future success. -
Stephen Wall
Science, Biology, Physical Education, Outdoor Education
After starting his career at Richmond Christian, Mr. Wall was attracted to The King’s School, in part, because of the relatively short commute. Oh, oh! Now his commute is long! Thankfully, it doesn’t deter him. Mr. Wall’s passion for science, outdoor education, and physical education, combined with his strong desire to impact young individuals in meaningful ways, make TKS a great fit. He has discovered a commuter’s secret, which can be generalized to a principle for life: A wonderful destination justifies a long journey. -
Min Jun
Physics, Chemistry, Math
The challenge of running a relatively small high school is offering a wide array of course choices to our students. Mrs. Jun enables us to meet those challenges! It doesn’t seem to matter what senior academic course we throw her way—Physics 12, Chemistry 12, Pre-Calculus, and so on—Min has the ability to deliver the curriculum. Her “smarts” are greatly appreciated by our students who are preparing for post-secondary education. -
Maria Campbell
French
After commuting to Vancouver Christian School for four years, Maria is happy to be at TKS where she thought walking “to-and-from” might be possible. Langley's weather and sidewalks have dampened that aspiration but not her desire and determination to teach French in a caring Christian community. Maria also taught French at Langley Christian School and Maple Ridge Christian School. -
Charlaine Statham
English
The complex job description of a school administrator applies various points of pressure that welcome some relief. For Ms. Statham, exposing her students to the riches of Jane Austen—or some other brilliant, comparable author—provides such moments of pleasure and catharsis. (Oh, oh! We can hear Charlaine protesting that no author compares to Jane Austen.) A period or two of Imparting her passion for literature and the art of writing skills refreshes Charlaine for her important role as vice-principal, which she fulfills so well. -
Tim Carson
Tech Ed
Since Tim is an associate pastor of New West Community Church, holds a Master of Leadership degree, and is working on a Master of Divinity degree, you might expect him to be leading school chapel services and teaching Bible classes. But no! Wait. There’s more. Tim was also employed for 13 years at BCIT in their Trades and Technology department, including two as department head. Besides being an evangelist for Christ, he is an apologist for Trades Education and loves to promote the opportunities it creates for young people.
-
Samantha Hanssens
Senior Art
Mrs. Hanssens may have thought she was just signing up as a TKS parent. Then she may have thought she was merely adding the role of being a grade one teacher for just one day a week. She like did not imagine that her teaching and artistic skills would be called upon to replace the recently retired Bonny Voth—a beloved TKS legend. No problem. Not intimidating at all (maybe a little). As an art teacher, Samantha knows that each person, made in God’s image, carries their own unique gifts of creativity from the Father, and she enthusiastically communicates this reality to her art students.
SPECIALTY TEACHERS
-
Hilary Craig
Elementary PE, PE 8 to 10
Boundless energy, optimism, and enthusiasm! It’s tough to pick the top three descriptions of Mrs. Craig. Confident, organized, and seemingly unflappable could easily compete for the highest ranking among her adjectives. It’s much easier to identify the sentence that she most often speaks: “I can do that.” The King’s School is truly blessed to have Hilary do so much for it. -
Paul Kang
Elementary Music
A lover of landscaping and gardening, Mr. Kang knows the importance of preparing soil, removing weeds, and letting plants grow as the Lord intends. Teaching music to young people is much the same. Paul delights in providing his students with foundational skills and seeing them discard the chains of inhibition so that they can freely sing praises to God, as they were made to do. And we all get to enjoy the results! -
Erin Turkington
Secondary Music
Once again, asking prospective TKS parents plenty of questions pays off. It’s amazing how many of them have teaching backgrounds. Erin was unable to hide her musical background from us. With four children in the school, She is a little too occupied to teach full time, but her enthusiasm and love of music more than compensates. -
Laurena Hensel
Learning Assistance
Ms. Hensel has clearly earned the title of “emeritus” in her educational description. Laurena forged a foundational role in the history of The KIng’s School’s place in local Christian education. While her primary area was science, she “taught it all.” Now enjoying semi-retirement, Laurena still graces TKS with a part-time presence when she lovingly helps students meet their learning challenges.
DEPARTMENTS
-
Audrey Beard
Director of Learning Support
Mrs. Beard’s experience at TKS is measured in decades, as she holds the high distinction of being our longest-standing educator. Audrey has taught multiple grade levels, has been our teacher-librarian, and has been a professional-development leader. She is the perfect person to lead our Special Education and Learning Assistance teams. Audrey’s wealth of experience and professionalism are obvious to all, as is her empathetic nature—empathy that partly comes from being the proud parent of TKS’s first graduate with special needs. -
Laura Vincent
Assistant Director of Learning Support
From sunny Florida and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and chemistry to less sunny UBC and a Master of Educational Psychology degree, Laura brings her own brightness and warmth to our students with diverse learning needs. She loves to see young people grow into the wholeness that God desires for them and finds fulfillment in the important role she plays in the process. -
Milly Eng
English Language Learning Director
Mrs. Eng earned her Master degree in English Language Learning while living in Boston, Massachusetts, which prompts a question: Did she have to learn how to properly pronounce an “r” before the degree could be granted? Boston bashing aside, we are thrilled to have such a pro run such an important program. From initial assessments to classroom support, Milly does a wonderful job helping students overcome language barriers, enabling them to quickly realize their academic potential and overcome the interpersonal hurdles created by differences in language. -
Audria Linton
English Language Learning Teacher
A home-grown talent! Ms. Linton is a TKS alumna—right from grade 1 to grade 12! After graduating in 2018, it was on to TWU where Audria earned a degree in English and a TOESL certificate. We are happy to welcome her back to her old stompin’ grounds. Her flair for language is impressive. She even taught herself conversational Korean, which is sure to surprise some of our students!
-
Shinnie Steven
Counsellor
Wonderful, Counsellor! Yes, these are the prophetic names of the Lord Jesus. They were also the exclamations of the admin team when we discovered that we could add Mrs. Steven’s professional counselling expertise to our staff mix. Shinnie’s skillset was long needed, as evidenced by demands that fill the two days per week she shares with us. And Mrs. Steven’s impressive credentials in the areas of psychology and counselling don’t intimidate our students. During one of her presentations at a secondary assembly, a grade-11 student shouted out, “I think you're adorable”! High praise, indeed—especially coming from an adolescent! We are very grateful for the helpful and healthful connections Shinnie has made with our students. -
Emma Jones
Library
In a time when many young people are consumed by social media, Emma chooses to devour books. And her love of literature drives her to do more than curl up with a classic novel. (Not that there is anything wrong with that!) It motivates her to rise from the couch and put “pen to paper.” Even though she is busy completing her degree in creative writing—and teaching her many piano students—Emma still finds time to impart her literary passions to our students two days a week.
EDUCATION ASSISTANTS
-
Honghwan Ahn
-
Sarah Brake
-
Tanya Cross
-
Daina Furlong
-
Brenda Jise
-
Genevieve John
-
Carla Peck
-
Christy Scott
-
Lydia Seo
-
Leah Van Woerden
THE KING’S EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
-
Pam Rochon
Preschool Director/Teacher
Imagine having the joyful, trusting, curious, and eager countenance of a preschooler. Then throw in regular visits to the warm, creative, loving, and stimulating learning environment created by Mrs. Rochon. It’s no wonder the Lord said the Kingdom of God belongs to little children! Ms. P., with her interior design and artistic skills, which complement her professionalism and attention to detail, gives our vibrant preschoolers a beautiful start to their formal education. -
Melody Yang
Early Childhood Education Assistant
Whoops! In the adjacent description of a typical preschooler, we left out a few adjectives. “Busy” and “dramatic” come to mind. To manage such busyness and drama, it sure helps to have more eyes and hands. Thankfully, Mrs. Yang, one of our beloved parents, has those body parts—and ECEA qualifications, as well! This is certainly a case where Melody brings harmony. (Sorry. Hard to resist dad humour.)