HIGHLANDS ELC EDUCATORS
MEET OUR TEAM
Daniela Francis
Executive Director
After receiving my Early Childhood Teacher diploma in 1994 I decided to move onto pedagogical studies with a focus on elementary teaching at the University of M. Bella in Slovakia. In 1998, I moved to Canada where I have spent the past 20 years working with children and students in various educational settings. Along the way, I obtained my B.C. ECE Certificate and Montessori Teacher Diploma which I then utilized in my teaching at a Montessori & Reggio Preschool with Kindergarten.Since 2015, my career has been focused on team leadership and school administration roles and I have joined the HELC community in 2021.
I love to learn and experience new things, spend time with my family, I love crafting, renovations, sewing, knitting and inventing.
“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write, and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child.” -Magda Gerber
Hidemi Graham
ECE Teacher
My name is Hidemi Graham. I grew up in Japan and came to Canada in 1988. I am married with three children.
I have been in the Early Childhood field since 2007 and am proud to be part of the amazing teaching team. I enjoy working with children and the opportunity to watch them grow and flourish.
I believe that having fun is a big part of learning. Children learn by doing, exploring, collaborating, and playing.
I also enjoy gardening, walking, cycling, and cooking.
Kori Tarry
ECE Teacher
I am excited to join Highlands Preschool and look forward to working with everyone over the next year. I have been fortunate to work in the early childhood field since 2012 and have found it very rewarding to learn along side the children. One aspect of learning I enjoy the most is exploring both art and nature activities, where the path of learning is endless.
I also enjoy spending time with my husband and 3 boys where we explore the beautiful North Shore with our 2 dogs and travel often to learn about other cities and places.
Lesley McRae
ECE Teacher
I am excited to be teaching at Highlands Preschool. I am looking forward to building relationships with the children and their families as well as being part of such a wonderful teaching team. I have been teaching preschool in the Early Childhood field since 1983 and came to Highlands in January 2018.
I feel fortunate to share in and encourage the children’s learning, curiosity, increasing independence, and working together. I am looking forward to learning about the children’s interests and sharing my love of literature, science, and nature.
In my spare time, I enjoy walking, gardening, and spending time with my family.
Melinda Fiskilis
ECE Teacher
I have been working at Highlands since 2006. I love being an ECE educator. It is great seeing the children grow in different areas of learning with my help as a teacher.
It is rewarding to see children grow through the year and see their confidence coming into school, ready to go.
I enjoy teaching at Highlands Early Learning Centre. The team has great communication with one another, making plans & activities for the children to come out on top.
Out of school, I love spending time with my two children & husband having quality family time.
Rozina Jaffer
ECE Teacher
Highlands Early Learning Centre (HELC) has been the bedrock of the community in Edgmont. It is an honour to have participated in its growth for over a decade. The support and camaraderie amongst the families whose children have nurtured HELC’s achievements is outstanding.
My initial degree is in Education, and some years later, in 2017, I was conferred with a second degree by Capilano University specialising in Early Childhood Education. This passion in education has enabled me to experience teaching opportunities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Pakistan as well as Canada. Interacting with two, three and four year old’s, while navigating and observing them builds confidence and is uplifting. Making a positive impact in young minds is what I am very passionate about.
One of the key themes of my ECE Degree was how to teach young minds to embrace nature. I value the significance nature has in teaching how the environment nourishes our being. With this in mind, I introduced the Outdoor School initiative at HELC in 2016; aimed at nurturing learning through play and embracing our natural surroundings. My focus is to lay a foundation of empowerment with the children who cross my path.
Mairi Royce
ECE Teacher
I have been an Early Childhood Educator for over 28 years. My passion is to help children find those magic moments of discovery through play and experiences. I strongly believe that each child is an individual and develops and strengthens their own skills at their own pace.
I enjoy encouraging their skills of independence and exploration through different activities and classroom set-ups – whether they are inside or outside in our beautiful natural environment!
I have lived on the North Shore all of my life. I enjoy spending quality family time with my husband and two adult children. I also enjoy taking long walks with my dog, baking and spending hours and hours in the garden.
You will often find me creating a messy exploration or jumping in a puddle!
Mihwan Kim
ECE Teacher
I was born in a small town in South Korea, and my family had a big farm. I spent the most of my childhood at the farm and had a chance to see all the different wonders of the nature. I still love to explore the nature. You may see me in Lynn Canyon Park trails, Mosquito Creek Trails or somewhere in bushes!
I moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2012, and started my Early Childhood Education course in Burnaby. I have worked at a variety of childcare centres for over eight years.
To me, being a teacher is not matter of a choice. I have always wanted to be a teacher for a whole my life. I love working with young children and observing how they grow and develop. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to work in the Early Childhood Education field and I have join the wonderful team of educators at Highlands Early Learning Centre in 2021.
Jasmina Jahic-Yeo
ECE Teacher
I always new I wanted to teach.
My journey began years ago when I studied English language and literature. When I moved to Canada I decided that teaching very young children is what I really enjoyed the most. I have been a preschool supervisor for 25 years and I have learned to appreciate collaboration between all the people involved in the care of a child.
I love to foster the sense of independence in young children as they discover the joy of learning. I believe passionately in children’s innate capacity and desire to learn about the world around them. As an educator, I strive to discover each child’s unique way of learning while providing the tools and stimulation to keep their love of learning alive. But most of all I want children in my care to remember how I made them feel not only what I lessons I taught them.
Being a child of an artist I was brought up to enjoy various forms of art, I play tennis and pickle ball and love to travel.
I am guided each day by my favourite Chinese proverb:
“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I’ll remember , involve me and I’ll understand “
Natasha Shcherbatykh
ECE Teacher
My name is Natasha and since 2021 I have been with Highlands Early Learning Centre’s Family.
In the past I have worked in childcare and recreational centres. I am in a process of completing my Early Childhood Education diploma at Pacific Rim University, Victoria. I love to learn through observing children and supporting them in their learning. I find it very satisfying seeing a child develop important life skills like problem solving, listening, leadership and creative thinking.
I also like skating and on occasion you might find me and my 10 years old son on an ice rink, helping children to learn how to skate.
Ruth Novak
ECE Teacher
I was born and raised in Montreal and I have been with Highlands Early Learning Centre since 2021!
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science, but never used it. I was a gymnastics coach in Montreal for over 10 years and a lifeguard and camp counselor for over 6. My love for working with children has continued to grow. I am in the process of continuing my studies to become an early childhood educator.
I learn something new every day with the children. My philosophy is that children are our future and therefore, we should always guide them as so. They are all unique and should have a chance to learn at a pace that promotes their development. I am here to guide them in that direction. I see my role as an educator is to meet the needs of each individual child. I am understanding and always available for hugs or encouragement! I am very passionate about this field and can't wait to see all the children I work with grow and develop!
Brita Bendrodt
ECE Teacher
My name is Brita and I am looking forward to my first year with Highlands Early Learning Centre! I have worked in the childcare industry for more than 30 years. I received my ECE education at Capilano College and began working in daycares and preschools after that. I have worked for Family Services of the North Shore as well.
Outside of work, my interests consist of raising two active children, spending time with family and friends, walking, tennis, being by the ocean, and heading to Vancouver Island for vacation!