The Little School

The Little School Faculty

Hi, my name is Arlene, and I have been working here at The Little School since the year 2000. I had the opportunity to work in all the rooms, and I absolutely love being where I belong in the Infant program.  The Infant room is where it all begins.  They are so small yet awesome.  It is magic watching them grow. The simplest of things delight them.

I am a mother of three adult children, and I have four adorable grandchildren who are the light of my life.

I believe it is important to be their companion of play, so they can discover, learn and grow, in a fun and safe environment.

Hi, my name is Katie. I graduated from Algonquin College where I received my Early Childhood Education diploma.

I started working at The Little School in August 1993, and worked in the Toddler program for ten years, followed by one and a half years in the Jr. Kindergarten program. In March 2011 I was very excited to return to the Toddler program after being off for a year on maternity leave. I am now very happy to be part of the Infant program.

One of the things I enjoy most about working with young children is watching and participating in their growth and development not only physically, but also socially.

I am a single mom with two wonderful children, a handsome son a beautiful daughter.

Hello, my name is Gerna, and I’m a Support Educator at The Little School. I started working here in August 2020. I’ve always enjoyed being around children, and working here was an excellent opportunity to help them develop from infants to school age. I’m a mother to one baby boy, and we’re both very happy to be part of The Little School Daycare.

Hello, my name is Josée. In 1986, I began studying for my diploma in Early Childhood Education at Algonquin College and graduated in 1988.  I have been with The Little School since January 1993.  I am the Support Educator in the Infant program. I’ve also worked in the Jr. Toddler program, and I used to teach French to the Jr. Kindergarten children once a week.

I enjoy many hobbies such as reading all types of novels, especially mysteries. Finally, I would simply like to say that I am happy to work in such a wonderful daycare!

Hello, my name is Judy.  I was born in Africa and moved with my family to Peterborough, Ontario, in 1975. I received my E.C.E. diploma in 1987 from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough.  I moved to Ottawa in June of that year, and shortly after that, I started working with Elsa at The Little School, which was in a different location.  So you could say I am a part of the landscape here!  I am the Head Educator of the Junior Toddler program, and I enjoy working with this age group.  My two children are adults now, but they too have gone through The Little School. 

I enjoy doing crafts, playing the piano and other instruments (when I have the time!). I love the outdoors and anything that has to do with it.  I also enjoy participating in sports.   Most of my time is spent with my family, who are very important to me.

I believe in a saying:  If you tell me I will forget, if you teach me, I will remember; if you involve me, I will learn.

Hi my name is Karthika Piyasena. I work in the Junior toddler program. I graduated from Gloucester High School in 2018. Before, I worked at McDonald’s as a crew member. I did my co-op in Queen Elizabeth school as ECE Assistant. I enjoy working with children, and that’s my future career. I have been employed at The Little School since 2020 and feel like this is my second home. I am very proud to work at a place where I feel supported and motivated.

I believe that some essential skills when working with Junior Toddlers are patience, flexibility and love. I have learned that child care needs to go beyond learning. Before a child can learn, they must feel comfortable in a safe and healthy environment. When the child feels safe and healthy, they can develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Although it is important to teach them a curriculum, we owe it to the children to understand them as individuals.

My name is Magatte Sall ep Fall. I’m married with two beautiful children.

I did my RECE certification in 2018/19 at Mothercraft College in Toronto, Ontario. I have been working with different age groups for the past few years.

I moved to Ottawa in 2021. I started working at The Little School in November of 2022, and since then, I have gained many relevant experiences that now shape the work I continue to do.

My name is Najib. I have obtained my diploma in the Community Worker Services program at Herzing College. I completed my internship at The Little School Daycare in October 2019. Following my internship, I was kept on staff and I am currently the acting head educator in the Toddler Program.  I am happy to work with the Supervisors and Educators at The Little School and to benefit from their experience and insight as I learn and grow.  To foster continuous self-improvement and strengthen my abilities, I intend to get my ECE certification in the coming years.

I love working in the Toddler Program as I get to witness the momentous changes in each of the children’s development: every day, I see their growth and the advent of the persons they will become. I am deeply happy to work with tomorrow’s leaders and innovators as I firmly believe that children are the future.

The Little School is an encouraging and nourishing environment that I am tremendously proud to be a part of.

Hi, my name is Emma, and I am an Educator Assistant. I completed a few years at university in human rights and conflict studies before switching to the Child and Youth Care program at Algonquin College, where I graduated with honours in 2021. Shortly after, I became a supply with TLS and worked in all of the six different programs. I later accepted a full-time position where I started in the Preschool room for a bit before moving to Toddlers. I love working with children and seeing their curiosity and creativity. I greatly believe that children bloom when they have at least one caring adult in their lives.

When I’m not at work, you can find me painting, making embroidery, going to local music shows, and enjoying nature.

Hi, my name is Oluwakemi mostly called Kemi.

I started working at The little school in Sept 2020. I started as a Runner/Screener but presently working as an Educator Assistant in the Toddler Program.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s Degree in Human and Labor Relations. I am a mother of 2 preteen children.  I love working with children; it gives me so much joy to see them grow and learn new things. 

I love working at the Little School, where colleagues have turned into family. It’s a great place to work.

Hello, my name is Prerna. I came to Canada in 2018 to study International Business. During that time, I started working as a Private Tutor for Math. I have worked with The School Board on a research project and also been an Assistant Educator in before and after-school programs. Although my educational background is in Business Administration, I am really interested to learn Child Psychology.

Currently, I am an Educator Assistant in Toddler Program and love contributing to the growth and development of the coming generation.

Every day I enter my class, I learn something new. My hobbies are reading and drawing.

Hello all my name is Jie Bai ( Nicole) from Luoyang China. I graduated Early Childhood Education program at Algonquin College in 2018. I have been working in Childcare Centers around Ottawa few years. Currently, I am an RECE in the Toddler Program.

I have a huge passion for spending time with my family and friends. I believe in a hands-on approach to teaching, encouraging children to learn through creating and experiencing. I enjoy creating routines for them that makes them comfortable and stable, and I work hard to challenge them to be independent and confident.

I am excited to be working with the wonderful toddlers! Also, It is my pleasure to work at The Little School with so many amazing co-workers. I enjoy getting to watch the children discover, succeed, and learn new skills as well as building a friendship with every child in my class, they truly become part of my heart which I think makes working in the childcare field the perfect environment for me.

Hi, my name is Stephanie. I grew up in a small town East of Ottawa, and I have an 8-year-old daughter. In between working and being a Mom, I am taking my Early Childhood Education through an Apprenticeship Program. 

I have been at The Little School since 2008. Throughout the years, I have worked in all six programs. Presently, I am the Head Educator of the Preschool program, and I enjoy it very much!

I gain great satisfaction in helping each child learn and grow every day.

Hi, my name is Devrim Ince. I’ve been married for almost 29 years. During this time, I became a proud mother of two children. I have a degree in Public Administration and also have years of experience working with children. My origin is Turkish, and I arrived in Canada 4 years ago after my husband retired. After 8 months of moving to Canada, I applied for work at The Little School on the first days of August 2019.

Since I began working at The Little School,  I have worked in the Infant room, Junior Toddler room and for more than one year in the Preschool room.

Every day since I started working at the Little School, I feel joy and happiness when caring for the children. I love my job, my colleagues and especially the children, who bring a smile to my face.

My name is Lindsay. I have three children and studied psychology and child development at Carleton university. I am passionate about photography and art and have been in childcare for six years. 

Hello, my name is Kaley, and I started at TLS in the summer of 2019 as a summer student as I completed the child and youth practitioner program at Algonquin College. At this time, I spent time in all six programs and got to know each one of them. Soon after graduating, I accepted a full-time position in the toddler program as an assistant educator until April of 2022, when I got the opportunity to become the Head Educator of the Sr. Preschool program where I currently am.

I knew that working with children was my passion from a very young age; it is a challenging but rewarding experience to be a part of.

On my time off, I enjoy camping and being outdoors. I bring that joy to the program and find fun and engaging ways to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.

Hello, my name is Adenike, and I’m a mother of 3 beautiful boys. I have been working at The Little School since May 2019. I began working as a part-time Support Educator in the Preschool program. In August 2019, I became a full-time Support Educator and worked in various programs within the daycare.

I enjoy working with children, and it gladdens my heart to see them happy and watch them grow. My goal is to become a Registered Early Childhood Educator. I look forward to growing and learning new things from the children and the educators here at The Little School.

My name is Leanne Brown, and I am the Head Educator in the Senior Kindergarten Program here at The Little School.

I started my Little School career in 2009 when I started as a supply educator. Since then, I have had the opportunity to work in all of the programs and work with some amazing educators.

I have two children of my own, Connor and Logan. Both of my boys have attended The Little School. Even though they have moved on to big school, they still talk about all the fun times they had here.

I enjoy camping, reading and going on adventures. I have had the opportunity to travel the world and see some fantastic places. My favourite place I have visited so far is Belgium, but I have many more places I would like to explore.

I am very outgoing and friendly, so if you see me around the center, please don’t hesitate to stop and say hello.

I look forward to meeting you.

Hi, my name is Julie.  I am a mother of four wonderful children.  The love and care displayed between my children fill my heart with joy.  I ran a daycare at home for about three years when my children were younger.

I’ve been with The Little School since 2011.  I started working in the kitchen and moved on to working in the programs as a Support Educator.  I’ve been able to experience working in all of the programs, which has been enjoyable.  Currently, I’m in charge of the laundry room, but I continue supporting all the programs if needed.

My name is Laurel Boutet, RECE. I have been the Supervisor of The Little School since 2019. My adventures with The Little School began in the winter of 1988 when I joined as an Educator in the Toddler program. I stayed on until the arrival of my youngest child in 1994, and at that point became a stay-at-home Mom for 14 years.

I returned to The Little School in 2008 and continued as the Head Educator of the Toddler Program until 2019, when I decided to join the Office team.

I am fortunate to have a wonderful family supporting me, my husband, Marc and my three grown children, Josiane, Denise and René: all alumni of The Little School!

I am a proud graduate of the University of Manitoba with a bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology, majoring in Family Studies. I have been in the childcare field for over 30 years. I love interacting and building relationships with children and people from all walks of life!       

In my role as Supervisor, I have and continue to learn every day! I aim to support the children, the families and, of course, our awesome staff in any way I can. It is a pleasure and an honour for me to hold this position.

My door is always open.

Hi, I’m Robyn! I’m the assistant supervisor at TLS, starting from January 2022. I was super excited to get back to a career where my heart lies, caring for children.

 Before coming to TLS, I spent 2 years working as an office administrator for a group of optometry clinics and 6 years working with the 2 childcare programs offered by the Ottawa Catholic School Board. During my time as an office admin, I enjoyed helping clients find the right doctors for them, leading them through the referral process, and just helping people in general. I was also able to play into my other strengths, like organization and problem solving on the fly, as well as grow my skills by taking extra classes at Algonquin College in my free time.

 Still, I missed the joy and reward of working with the next generation that I got when working with the OCSB! The extended day program took care of kindergarteners all the way up to kids in grade 6, so I have experience working with a range of ages. In the corporation, I gained 1 year of experience working with Toddlers. During my time with the OCSB, I supplied as an EA (educational assistant) in the classroom, working directly with children who had special needs and/or behavioural needs.

 I was the acting supervisor for my last 2 years with EDP. Through this experience, I was able to learn that this was the career path for me, where I can bring together my passion and my strengths to help people grow!

My future plans are to continue to grow myself with TLS while working hard toward becoming a registered early childhood educator. In my spare time, you can catch me taking hikes with my friends in the summer and snowboarding in the winter, spending time with my family, and cuddling up to my two dogs.

My name is Katia, and I am currently the Administrator at The Little School Daycare. I completed my studies in Business Administration and have been travelling and working in different cities around the world.

At the beginning of 2018, I got married to an amazing Mexican-Canadian man I met during university. Since then, I feel very proud and grateful to call Canada home and be part of the TLS family.

Hello-Bonjour, my name is Francine and I am presently the Cook for The Little School. I graduated in 1979 from Sault-Ste-Marie College of Art and Technology where I studied in the Chef Training Program.

My experience in Art Culinary starts from working in reputable Hotels and Senior’s’ Homes and my field of creativities expanded while working for bakeries and caterers for many years.
Now, at The Little School Daycare it gives me great, rewarding pleasure to share my skills in this young and enthusiastic environment!

Hello, my name is Margarita and I’m from Mexico. I came to Canada in February 1998.

I started to work at The Little School in September 1999, as a Cook’s Assistant and I really enjoy my work. I enjoy spending time with my family and traveling with my daughter to her swimming competitions, and playing with my granddaughter.

Hi my name is Martin. I was born and raised in Mexico. I came to Canada with my family in August, 2005.

For several years I worked in maintenance and carpentry in different places in Mexico. I am also a professional soccer coach and soccer is my passion.