Cathy has taught for over 25 years in both elementary and secondary classrooms. Her career started in the outdoors and this theme has been woven throughout her teaching career. She has taught, facilitated and consulted with many environmental educational centres in Ontario. This passion for science, and the environment, was always prominent in her classrooms, where she spent much of her career teaching grades ⅞ science and math. Because she taught all levels of students, including special needs and gifted classes, she became keenly aware of the unique ways that students learn, and has discovered how to dispel misunderstandings. Furthermore, she has mentored many newer teachers to fall in love with teaching, by sharing her ideas at numerous conferences and universities. Finally, she has inspired many students to pursue fields in science, and to become the scientific leaders of tomorrow.

Rick has taught for over 25 years in both elementary and secondary classrooms. His career started in Timmins / Kashechewan where he was a teacher to Indigenous high school students. Rick went on to have a very successful and varied career, teaching many subjects and many levels. He was a mainstay in the grade 7/8 gifted classes at RH Cornish PS, and as a Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT) spent years helping students with learning difficulties find their way. Rick combined his love for learning with the basketball court. High school in Timmins forged his way as the point guard to two OFSAA medals, which led him to find himself as a varsity point guard at York University. This is no small accomplishment when you are 5’7”, and he was awarded the Tony Moscato award for Dedication. But Rick has always seen obstacles as challenges, not barriers. Rick was named coach of the year for his successes, and taught this passion to many students on and off the court.

Maya is an honours French Immersion graduate from Port Perry High School. She just finished her degree in environmental science at the University of Guelph, with an interest in environmental economics and policy. She is heading into her Masters in September. Maya has a lot of experience working with kids, from being a mentor for a special needs girl for many years, to teaching dance.

Nathan is an honours graduate from Port Perry High School, and has been studying math and science on baseball scholarships in New York State and Montana. Here he received an Associate Degree of Science, and an Associate Degree of Arts DCC, MT. Currently he in his fourth year of electrical / mechanical engineering at Central College in Iowa.

Ruth has been an educator since she was 15 years old, when she started teaching swimming lessons and horseback riding at a summer camp. During her Environmental Science programme at the University of Waterloo , she realized her passion to teach and was accepted into the Education programme at Queen's University. Here she earned her Bachelor of Education and specialized in Outdoor and Experiential Education plus Special Education. After 2 years of teaching at an outdoor education centre, she moved to Port Perry where she spent 24 years teaching grades 1-8 at both SA Cawker and RH Cornish Public Schools. As a passionate English teacher, she earned her Reading Specialist Certificate so she could better serve her students. Now retired, she will use her fun, creative and personable style to bring out the best in your child; improving their literacy skills, confidence, and desire to succeed in school.

Whitney has completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Ottawa. She is currently studying at Trent University for her Bachelor of Education. She is on her journey to becoming an intermediate/senior teacher for Visual Arts and French. She has been currently working with students in elementary schools by providing them with literacy support tutoring sessions. She has been working in classrooms as a teacher candidate and is responsible for teaching lessons to the class. Whitney has much experience working with children in the elementary level, and is passionate about working with students and being alongside their learning journey.

Kylie just graduated from Queen’s University for Concurrent Education with a Major in Health Studies and a Minor in Psychology. She is our newest OCT teacher with the goal of becoming a Kindergarten teacher. Within her Concurrent Education Degree, Kylie has been able to assist students in placements for the past five years with a focus on Elementary language skills and mathematics. She has also worked with school-aged children for seven years through her employment as Camp Counsellor and Supervisor. She additionally has two years of experience tutoring for University level English, Psychology, Anatomy, and Statistics courses. She is passionate about understanding the processes through which students understand information for its successful application. Kylie has also spent her time at University working nationally and internationally through Queen’s Health Education to promote peer to peer health education on a needs-based level.

Reches is an honours graduate from Port Perry High School who supported the school through fundraisers, concerts, and events. He has spent time volunteering as a part of the 1st Port Perry Scouts and sharing his experience battling cancer. Reches spent a year studying abroad in Germany through the Rotary Club, where he developed great relationship skills by connecting with others. He is currently studying Integrated Math and Computer Science at Ontario Tech, where he is developing his skills as he pursues a greater understanding of creating and utilizing AI.

Laura is currently in her third year of studies at the University of Waterloo, pursuing a BSc in Honours Chemistry with a minor in Philosophy. While it may seem like an odd combination to some, it combines her love of science and literature! Laura has worked hard to make Waterloo her home, as the Chemistry Team Lead with the Science Ambassador team, working with Waterloo's Women in STEM club (or WiSTEM) as an executive for over a year now, and volunteering wherever she can on campus. She has recently dipped her toe into the world of research by working as a laboratory assistant with the Kleinke Lab Group at UWaterloo, and hopes to continue pursuing research into a MSc and eventually a PhD. When Laura isn't in the lab or studying in the library, you can usually find her curled up with a good book, canoeing, camping or tossing a frisbee around with friends. In her first two years at Waterloo, Laura played on the competitive Ultimate Frisbee team, and now plays actively on intramural teams for fun!

Dominic is currently a Masters Student at Lakehead University, working towards a Masters in Physics. He graduated with his HBSc in Physics from Lakehead University with first-class standing. Dominic is currently a graduate assistant and the primary lecturer for a first-year physics lab. He also has experience in research at nano lab Ebrahimi, where he synthesizes 2D nanomaterials. He has a passion for science and loves to help foster that same appreciation of science in others.

Mattias is an honours graduate from Christ the King Catholic Secondary School and recently completed his degree in Environmental Science at the University of Guelph. He is now pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Science, focusing on soil and atmospheric science. Mattias’ passion for the natural world began at a young age during family camping trips, where he spent hours exploring forests, observing wildlife, and learning how ecosystems work. These early experiences outdoors sparked a curiosity about the environment and our connection to it. That curiosity deepened in high school thanks to an inspiring geography teacher whose passion for environmental science left a lasting impression. Her enthusiasm and ability to bring complex ideas to life made learning exciting, and planted the seed for Mattias' desire to share that excitement with others. As a tutor, Mattias aims to do more than just help students succeed academically, he wants to help them find the joy in learning and the confidence to explore their interests deeply.

Nick is a fourth-year Psychology & Human Biology student at the University of Toronto who plans to pursue a career in medicine. His academic journey has given him a strong foundation in the sciences as well as an appreciation for the different ways students learn. Alongside his studies, Nicholas has developed a passion for teaching and mentorship, whether through tutoring classmates or coaching university athletes in dragon boat racing. These experiences have shaped his approach to tutoring: clear, patient, and tailored to the needs of each student. Aside from academics, Nick is an active athlete, with a background in competitive dragon boat to the Canadian national level, volleyball, and performance coaching. He believes that many of the skills developed through sport: discipline, focus, and resilience, can translate directly into the classroom, and he works to instill the same habits of success in his students.

Ciara has graduated on the Dean’s and President’s list from Trent University with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology. She completed her Master’s degree from McMaster in sociology as well. She is beginning her 3rd year at York University pursuing her PhD in Social Anthropology. Her research focuses on studies of political anthropology, gender, and girlhood and she is very excited to begin her fieldwork in the beginning of 2026 locally. Ciara has a lot of experience working with young children as a volunteer and support in Montessori schools as well as working with high school and university students as an ambassador and residence life don at Trent University. Ciara is a child of two accomplished teachers and is passionate about supporting and encouraging the ability to write effectively and becoming prepared for University.

Having recently graduated from Laurier University with degrees in business and math, Jeremy loves tutoring many different math courses. Jeremy currently works with the CFL, where he does ball and player tracking for football games. When he isn't working, he loves watching baseball, basketball, helping at church, and spending time with his wife Kayla!

Gillian is an honours graduate from Brooklin High School, where she received both the Computer Science and Global Indigenous Studies awards. She is passionate about promoting the inclusion of women in computer science and mathematics (her two greatest interests) and finds immense joy in problem-solving. Currently pursuing a BSc in Integrated Mathematics and Computer Science at Ontario Tech University, Gillian aims to build a career in mathematical modelling. Outside of her studies and tutoring, she enjoys solving puzzles, reading mystery novels, and going on spontaneous adventures!

Evelyn is a Science and Math honours graduate from Port Perry High School. She is studying at Queen's University in Kingston, where she is taking a bachelor of Science with future interests in the medical field.

Olivia is an honours French Immersion student at Port Perry High School joining the team this year. She has a passion for agriculture and has been an active member of her local 4-H sheep club for the past 5 years. Olivia will assist Kylie by playing phonic games with the little ones.

Andy has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 40 years, some of this time as a player but primarily as a Game Master. He has written and refereed hundreds of adventures for scores of players. Together they've told tales of high fantasy, low fantasy, the supernatural set in ancient desert tombs, tropical jungles and cold tundra (to name a few). Andy may be the author of the adventure template, but it is the players that give it life, humour, and memory to the tales!

Erin has been cooking delicious kid friendly meals for years. Cathy and Erin worked together at Durham Forest when it was a grade 6 overnight environmental education centre for grade sixes. Erin brings her fun and creative ideas to teach us how to make family meals, or just yummy treats!

Lea is a former grade 7 student of Cathy's from (gulp) 1999 at Bellwood in Whitby. She has a passion for all things crafty, and is bringing her talents to SbS.

Drew graduated with first class standing from Thunder Bay's Lakehead University, earning an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a Marketing Major and Finance Minor. He has worked in various communications and marketing positions both as a student and following the completion of his degree, making him a valuable non-tutouring addition to the SbS team. Drew is an avid sports fan, following all major sports leagues, with a specific focus on the NBA. In his free time, you'll find him browsing NBA League Pass looking for the best games to watch that night, or planning out content for the next episode of his podcast, In the Clutch. Born and raised in Port Perry, Drew graduated with honours from Port Perry High School, earning level B2 in the DELF exam. Though his PPHS Men's Basketball #23 jersey isn't found in the rafters of Gym A/B, he's thankful for everything that gymnasium taught him about the game of basketball. He frequently quotes his former coach Rick's famous words "Be quick, but don't hurry", a valuable piece of advice he learned along the way.

Sam is studying Interior Design at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She brings her staging and photography talents to SolvedbyScraggs to give us professional yet personal photos.

Marvel joined the SbS team in 2021 at 2 years old. A cat prodigy, her talents include incredible manipulation of math tools, diving into string theories, and choosing specific students to befriend. She is a social media sensation, drawing likes wherever she lands!

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