Faculty
Terri DeMos
Principal
Ms. DeMos earned an Honours English degree from the University of Alberta, and soon after graduated with distinction from the Secondary Education Program.
Ms. DeMos earned an Honours English degree from the University of Alberta, and soon after graduated with distinction from the Secondary Education Program. Ms. DeMos began her teaching career in Edmonton and was very pleased to join Edison School in 2012. She oversees the school's Duke of Edinburgh program, which promotes personal development and volunteerism among youth. Ms. DeMos enjoys being immersed in different languages and cultures and has completed French studies at different campuses across Canada, including University of Montreal, University of British Columbia, and University of St. Anne. She instructs Upper School English, French and Social Studies.
Sandra Arevalo
Languages Teacher
Born and raised in Colombia, Ms. Arevalo earned a Bachelor’s of Education degree with a focus in Spanish Language, English and French at La Salle University, as well as a post-graduate Title of Specialist in Higher Education Teaching at Nueva Granada Military School in Bogota, Colombia.
Born and raised in Colombia, Ms. Arevalo earned a Bachelor’s of Education degree with a focus in Spanish Language, English and French at La Salle University, as well as a post-graduate Title of Specialist in Higher Education Teaching at Nueva Granada Military School in Bogota, Colombia. Ms. Arevalo began her teaching career in Colombia, where she worked for over five years in elementary and high schools teaching Spanish, English Language and English Literature. Outside of teaching, Ms. Arevalo has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys spending her time hiking in the mountains.
Ashley Armstrong
Lower School Teacher
Ms. Armstrong was born in Killarney, Manitoba.
Ms. Armstrong was born in Killarney, Manitoba. After high school, she attended Brandon University, where she completed her Bachelor of General Studies and was accepted to the University of Calgary to the Bachelor of Education program. While attending university, she worked for a daycare, where she was an integration facilitator and worked one-on-one with children with special needs. Ms. Armstrong has been teaching at Edison since 2010 and has taught Grades 2 through 6. She loves spending time with her two boys. They spend most of their time at the hockey arena in the winter and enjoy camping and boating in the summer. Ms. Armstrong is currently teaching Grade 3, and she loves sharing her passion for learning and forming meaningful relationships with her students.
Susan Armstrong
Middle School Teacher
Mrs. Armstrong obtained her Bachelor of Fashion Design degree while in Toronto and was awarded the Governor General Silver Medal for excellence.
Mrs. Armstrong obtained her Bachelor of Fashion Design degree while in Toronto and was awarded the Governor General Silver Medal for excellence. She worked as the head designer for a leading leather manufacturing company and had a major contract designing for Nordstrom's of California. Mrs. Armstrong has been very involved lending her talents to costuming and set designs to the Upper School Major Productions here at Edison School. After working in the fashion business, Mrs. Armstrong returned to university to graduate with Honours from Brandon University with a Bachelor of Education degree. She joined the teaching staff at Edison in 2006 and has taught Language Arts, Math and Visual Arts over the years. Attending numerous workshops in Vancouver, Denver, Miami, Regina, Montreal, Las Vegas and Calgary has enabled Mrs. Armstrong to glean new information annually and share her love of learning with students of all ages.
Christopher Cartwright
Upper School Teacher
Mr. Cartwright was born and raised in Edmonton, where he attended the University of Alberta and achieved a bachelor’s degree in physics with specialization in astrophysics.
Mr. Cartwright was born and raised in Edmonton, where he attended the University of Alberta and achieved a bachelor’s degree in physics with specialization in astrophysics. He then continued on to achieve a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Alberta. Shortly after graduation, he moved to north-eastern Alberta, where he spent three years teaching math, science, and physics in Bonnyville and Cold Lake. While there, he lost his love of the big city and fell in love with quading, camping, hiking, and mountain biking in the summer, and snowmobiling in the winter.
Sherley Chau
Middle School Teacher
Born and raised in Calgary, Ms. Chau has lived in the city for the majority of her life (with a brief stint in the UK).
Born and raised in Calgary, Mrs. Chau has lived in the city for the majority of her life (with a brief stint in the UK). A lover of all books, she translated this passion into a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary in 2012. Mrs. Chau then obtained her Bachelor of Education degree in 2014. Throughout her teaching career, she has had the opportunity to work with secondary students in both the English language arts and social studies. As an educator, Mrs. Chau aims to encourage learners to develop into positive and resilient critical thinkers with the ability to adapt and thrive in their future challenges.
Natasha Cox
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Cox was born and raised in Cranbrook, BC.
Mrs. Cox was born and raised in Cranbrook, BC. She completed the French immersion program from Kindergarten through Grade 12 and graduated with her dual dogwood diploma. She is fluent in French. Mrs. Cox has always had a love for children and a desire to be a teacher from a young age. She earned her Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria before to Calgary in 2019. Mrs. Cox is excited to be teaching Kindergarten at Edison School.
In her free time, she enjoys staying active, cooking, spending time with her husband and dog, and traveling to the Okanagan to visit family. She is currently pursuing her Master of Education – Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Calgary, majoring in Learning Disabilities and Youth Mental Health.
Ruth Daly
Lower School Teacher
Ms. Daly teaches Grade 4 at Edison.
Ms. Daly teaches Grade 4 at Edison. She has been teaching for over 25 years, and at Edison since 2003. Ms. Daly was born and raised in England, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education Honours degree from Edge Hill University, Lancashire. She began her teaching career in London, England, and then taught in Vancouver, B.C., and in Calgary, teaching English to international students. In 2014, Ms. Daly was a presenter at the 2014 Alberta Conference for Differentiated Instruction, leading sessions on how to engage children in reading and writing. She took a sabbatical in 2015 where she pursued her interests of photography and travel. Ms. Daly is also a published writer, and has written more than 50 non-fiction children's books for educational publishers.
Michael Finnerty
Middle School Teacher
Mr. Finnerty hails from the hot desert climate of Phoenix, Arizona.
Mr. Finnerty hails from the hot desert climate of Phoenix, Arizona, where he attended Arizona State University. After he received a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education for Biological Sciences in 2012, he taught at inner-city schools for four years, working with at-risk populations. In 2016, he moved to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he taught at a private school with a diverse population. Returning to Arizona in 2018, Mr. Finnerty brought his expertise to an online-only school before moving to Canada in the summer of 2019. His teaching experience spans both Middle and Upper School grade levels for biology, general science, English, and math.
In his spare time, Mr. Finnerty loves to read and explore the outdoors. Mr. Finnerty is thrilled to bring his passion for learning to the students at Edison School!
Jeff Friesen
Middle School Teacher
Mr. Friesen has been teaching at Edison since 2005.
Mr. Friesen has been teaching at Edison since 2005. He has taught a variety of grade levels and subjects, and this year is teaching grade 6 Math and Science. Mr. Friesen was born and raised in rural Saskatchewan. His life experience in agriculture has contributed to his love of science. Mr. Friesen attended the University of Regina, receiving a Bachelor of Education with distinction. He taught in Indonesia for a year before joining Edison. Mr. Friesen's interests include golfing, horseback riding, and spending time outdoors.
Jike Gu
Middle School Teacher
Mr. Gu was born and raised in China.
Mr. Gu was born and raised in China. After completing secondary school, he came to Canada for university. He graduated from UBC with an Engineering degree in Electrical with a Mathematics minor. He then worked at Hewlett-Packard and Accenture for a few years, but he knew that teaching was his dream. After achieving an Education Degree from Thompson Rivers University in STEM, he became a BC-certified professional teacher and taught in Kamloops and Abbottsford for a few years. His major teaching areas were physics and mathematics. Mr. Gu enjoys singing and playing basketball, ping pong, and billiards. He also loves marine life and is an experienced breeder for African Cichlids. Mr. Gu is thrilled to be joining Edison School as a mathematics specialist.
Brett Haasdyk
Physical Education Teacher
Brett is a passionate advocate for health and wellness in physical education.
Brett is a passionate advocate for health and wellness in physical education. She believes strongly in whole-person education, and she designs engaging, inclusive lessons promoting personal, cognitive, and physical development.
Brett has travelled to 27 countries. Teaching English in Thailand inspired her to pursue a career in teaching. She received her Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Kinesiology with Distinction from the University of Calgary. In her first year of teaching, she was nominated for the Edwin Parr Teacher Excellence Award. She also received the Prospect Innovation Award for her outdoor education employment programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
Most weekends Brett can be found exploring the mountains: hiking up to lakes in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
Blair Harker
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Harker was born in Red Deer, Alberta, but moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when she was seven years old.
Mrs. Harker was born in Red Deer, Alberta, but moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when she was seven years old. She spent summers traveling the world with her family. After high school, she attended the University of Alberta, where she completed her Elementary Education degree with a minor in Special Education. While attending university, Mrs. Harker worked for the Education Technology Department and led summer programs for inner-city children. Mrs. Harker is a believer in lifelong learning and has a deep passion for theatre, soccer and crafts, but most of all for travelling and spending time with her family. Mrs. Harker is teaching Grade 1 and loves sharing her passion for learning with her students.
Tracy Khuu
Lower School Teacher
Ms. Khuu was born and raised in Calgary.
Ms. Khuu was born and raised in Calgary. She attended the University of Calgary to pursue the concurrent teacher education program. In this program, she completed her Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science. In the past, she was a part of a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting refugee and newcomer families as they build new lives in Canada. In this role, she worked closely with students ranging from Grades 1 to 9. She also spent much of her time as a private tutor and teacher’s assistant at multiple preschools in Calgary. This is Ms. Khuu’s third year teaching at Edison, and she loves being a part of the Grade 3 team.
When she is not in the classroom, Ms. Khuu enjoys travelling, cooking, and trying new cuisines and restaurants.
Kayla King
Middle School Teacher
Mrs. King was born and raised overseas.
Mrs. King was born and raised overseas. Due to her father’s career, she lived in places ranging from Scotland to Texas to Egypt, where she completed her schooling career from Kindergarten to Grade 12, graduating in front of the pyramids! Mrs. King attended the University of Lethbridge, obtaining a combined degree with a Bachelor of Arts and Education, majoring in Physical Education. Although this is Mrs. King’s first year at Edison School, this will be her sixth year of teaching. Mrs. King has taught in Raymond and Edmonton, ranging in Grades from K – 11. She looks forward to meeting a plethora of students this year, as she will be teaching math, science, STEM, drama, health, and PE to Grades 4, 5, and 6 students.
Mrs. King is quite competitive, so in her free time, she loves to play any type of game, whether it’s spike ball, cards, or just a game of rock, paper, scissors. She also thoroughly enjoys crafting; Mrs. King recently discovered the Cricut and has been exploring all the fascination that comes with it! Mrs. King is looking forward to a wonderful first year at Edison School!
Jessica McElroy
Lower School Teacher
Edison School is excited to announce our first Edison graduate to join our faculty. Welcome back, Mrs. McElroy!
Mrs. McElroy was born and raised in southern Alberta. She was a student at Edison School for nine years, and was an active member of the badminton team and drama program. After graduating from Edison, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Calgary in Anthropology and Archaeology. During this time, she spent part of her degree in Mexico studying Mayan culture and architecture. After her experience there, she returned to Calgary to complete her Bachelor of Elementary Education. This is Mrs. McElroy's fourth year teaching, and she is delighted to be back in the Edison community teaching Grade 1.
In her free time, Mrs. McElroy enjoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as all of the animals on her farm. She loves travelling, playing badminton, and show jumping with her horse, Bear.
Heidi Oborne
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Oborne knew that she wanted to be a teacher from the time she was five years old.
Mrs. Oborne knew that she wanted to be a teacher from the time she was five years old. She achieved her Bachelor of Education in Music Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Saskatchewan. Mrs. Oborne spent five years teaching music in Saskatoon and moved to Okotoks in 2008. She taught Kindergarten and Music for a brief time before taking a third maternity leave. With three young children at home, Mrs. Oborne operated a day home for five years. She had a brief return to teaching in Black Diamond and has most recently been Director in a Childcare Centre. She is very excited to return to teaching Music and Grade 1 at Edison School.
Shauna Palmer
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Palmer obtained her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta with a minor in community education.
Mrs. Palmer obtained her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta with a minor in community education. She began her teaching career in Fort McMurray, Alberta, where she worked as a K-12 substitute teacher as well as holding positions in Kindergarten and Grade 3. Upon heading south, Mrs. Palmer followed her passion for teaching young children and spent several years teaching preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds in Calgary. After returning from maternity leave in 2002, she worked as a substitute teacher for the Foothills School Division and taught Kindergarten at Spitzee School in High River. The following year, Mrs. Palmer became the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten teacher here at Edison School. Since 2008, she has primarily taught in the Grade 2 program.
Outside of school, Mrs. Palmer enjoys reading, scrapbooking, and photography.
Julia Power
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Power received her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta.
Mrs. Power received her Bachelor of Education with a minor in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta. She also completed an Arts and Science certificate from Mount Royal University. Mrs. Power has had the opportunity to teach Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and physical education for students in Kindergarten through Grade 6. During the summer months she was a program coordinator and camp counsellor for the YWCA day camps, with evenings filled by tutoring students at the Sylvan Learning Centre. Her most recent experience was staying home to raise her three children, which has provided her with great insight into how children's minds work and develop. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Power enjoys snowboarding, camping, water sports and travelling with her family.
Amber Robinson
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Robinson has been teaching at Edison for over a decade.
Mrs. Robinson has been teaching at Edison for over a decade. She is a passionate early childhood educator; in previous years at Edison, she taught Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1, and also has experience as a Preschool Director and Preschool Music Teacher. Mrs. Robinson graduated from the University of Calgary in 2005 with a B.A. in Sociology as well as a B.Ed., specializing in Early Childhood. Mrs. Robinson acquired her Level III Childcare Certificate and has experience running her own business teaching music classes to children and their families in the Okotoks community.
Cheryl Ryan
Middle School Teacher
Mrs. Ryan is a Scottish native who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in French, Spanish and German from the University of the West of Scotland.
Mrs. Ryan obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in French, Spanish, and German from the University of the West of Scotland, during which time she also studied at the University of Toulon, France. After graduating, she attended Glasgow University, where she received her diploma in Education. Mrs. Ryan has lived for extended periods of time in Spain, France, and Portugal. Her passions include learning new languages and reading English and French literature. Her objective as an educator is to inspire students to discover and embrace foreign languages and cultures, as well as to nurture a love and passion for reading.
Jason Salter
Upper School Teacher
Mr. Salter
Mr. Salter
Carlos Schroeder
Upper School Teacher
Mr. Schroeder was born and grew up in Brazil, where he obtained his bachelor degree in Physics and MSc in education.
Mr. Schroeder was born and grew up in Brazil, where he obtained his bachelor degree in Physics and MSc in education. Still in Brazil, Mr. Schroeder taught physics at a university and science and math at an international school; following this he moved to the USA to teach science at a public school. Mr. Schroeder moved with his family to Calgary in 2010 and has taught math and science at private and charter schools before joining Edison in 2016. Mr. Schroeder enjoys camping and hiking with his family.
Tamara Smith
Middle School Teacher
Mrs. Smith began her path to teaching while building a career in human resources.
Mrs. Smith began her path to teaching while building a career in human resources. The training and staff development programs she underwent encouraged her love of teaching, and she decided to change careers in order to pursue her passion. Mrs. Smith acquired her ESL and TESOL certificates and moved to China, where she lived and taught for three years. Her next adventure was riding her motorcycle from China to Turkey, where she taught at English First for another two years. Mrs. Smith returned to Canada with a strong desire to gain her teaching certification and join a community where she could make a lasting contribution and work with others who shared her passion. In her free time, Mrs. Smith loves to ride her motorcycle, craft, garden, spend time with her family and continue her pursuit of lifelong learning.
Hayley Twist
Upper School Teacher
Dr. Twist is currently teaching sciences at the grade 7 - 12 levels.
Dr. Twist is currently teaching sciences at the grade 7 - 12 levels. After completing her Ph.D in Microbiology at Dundee University, Scotland, she worked as a research scientist at The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute. Her post-doctoral teaching experiences led her to complete a diploma in higher education at Aberdeen University, and she went on to teach high school in Edinburgh. She then taught the sciences at The American International School and The British School in Muscat, Oman. Since living in Canada, Dr. Twist has completed further post-graduate studies in education at the University of Calgary (specializing in gifted education), taught in the Foothills School Division, and has been teaching here at Edison since 2010. After living in many countries, Alberta is now home. Dr. Twist and her family enjoy several outdoor activities including snowboarding, camping, riding and being active in the local light horse 4H club.
Sheila Vogelaar
Lower School Teacher
Mrs. Vogelaar grew up on a farm in southern Alberta and obtained her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary.
Mrs. Vogelaar grew up on a farm in southern Alberta and obtained her Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Calgary. Upon graduating, she spent her first 10 years teaching students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 in various private schools in Alberta. Then, while taking time to raise her young children, she worked as an educational consultant for home-schooled students for an additional nine years. Before returning to the classroom, Mrs. Vogelaar spent three years as a lead teacher for a before- and after-school programme in southwest Calgary and taught Preschool and Kindergarten at a Montessori school in Okotoks. She has a passion for teaching and instilling a love of learning in her students. Mrs. Vogelaar is very excited to be back teaching in a classroom setting at Edison School. She enjoyed teaching Grade 1 and Grade 2 students over the past five years at Edison and is presently teaching Grade 2. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Vogelaar enjoys outdoor nature walks and gardening.
Adrianne Yip
Upper School Teacher
Ms. Yip was born in Calgary, Alberta, to immigrant parents from the Czech Republic. She is fluent in the Czech language.
Ms. Yip was born in Calgary, Alberta, to immigrant parents from the Czech Republic. She is fluent in the Czech language. Immediately after graduating high school, she lived in Europe and worked as a tour guide at UNESCO World Heritage Site Český Krumlov. This experience stimulated Ms. Yip’s passion for history and culture and inspired her post-secondary pursuits. In 2015, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary with a double major in History and English. After a few years exploring the world of hospitality management, Ms. Yip returned to the University of Calgary and subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Education. She is thrilled to now be teaching language arts and social studies at Edison School.
In her free time, Ms. Yip enjoys all forms of dance, creative writing and art. She is also an avid traveller - recent highlights abroad include adventures in Panama and India. Ms. Yip loves animals of all shapes and sizes (especially her two cats), and she has been a long-time competitive member of the equestrian community in Southern Alberta.
Gale Zhang
Middle School Teacher
Mr. Zhang was born and raised in Beijing, China.
Mr. Zhang was born and raised in Beijing, China. He moved to Canada as an international student in 2003, and earned a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, with double majors in Pure Mathematics and Combinatorics & Optimizations. He also earned a Bachelor of Education from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Mr. Zhang also earned his master's degree in mathematics for teachers from University of Waterloo.
Mr. Zhang has been teaching at Edison school since 2013. Before joining Edison, Mr. Zhang taught AP/IB Math, IB Physics, and Computer Science in Toronto for five years. After moving to Calgary, he worked as a substitute teacher at a Calgary charter school. He is passionate about the integration of technology into his lessons, and he is an expert in using LaTeX, Maple, and MatLab. Additionally, he wrote a math textbook and compiled a workbook for a high school in China. Outside of school, Mr. Zhang enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with his family.