Our Team | CCCSchool Victoria

Crystal Harvey — Head of School

Ms. Harvey is a seasoned, dedicated educator with a deep commitment to the transformative power of education. Having held positions in some of Canada's finest independent schools, she brings over 23 years experience as a teacher and senior administrator.

An energetic, enthusiastic leader and an exemplary relationship builder, Ms. Harvey has significant expertise in admissions, marketing and school advancement portfolios. She is also deeply versed in student wellness, social/emotional learning, physical health and the vital importance of knowing students and parents personally, fostering relationships of trust.

As a lifelong learner, Ms. Harvey dedicated over 15 years to classroom teaching and athletic coaching, moving later into higher levels of school administrative leadership.

Tobi Blue — Deputy Head of School

Working with kids is Ms. Blue's favorite thing to do. She has a deep appreciation for watching students actively engage in their growth and development, finding excitement in learning through inquiry and hands-on experiences. Ms. Blue has been a part of the Cathedral School community for more than 20 years and loves teaching in the classroom. As she steps into a full-time role as Deputy Head of School, she will continue to seize opportunities to collaborate with a talented and experienced team of teachers across various classes.

The Deputy Head of School role is demanding, but Ms. Blue embraces the challenge and the opportunity to work closely with every student, family, and teacher in the school community. Throughout her tenure, she has witnessed and actively participated in numerous changes. However, one constant remains—the unwavering focus on students as the top priority and a strong sense of community that feels like an extension of family.

Cindy Hayley — Director of Finance

Cindy M. Hayley is a professional accountant, educator, former business owner, and consultant. She holds a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Wycliffe College, Toronto, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Education from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, USA (formerly the Oklahoma Teacher’s College). Cindy is a Certified Public Accountant with a US accounting designation and has previously taught university-level accounting and business courses in the United States. Throughout her career, she has focused on implementing, training, and developing policies and procedures for accounting systems across various industries.

Cindy’s personal interests include a passion for lifelong learning (she is a voracious reader), developing and leading adult faith formation courses and workshops, and serving as a retreat speaker.

Rachelle Roberto — Head of Student Support

Rachelle Roberto is excited to join the Cathedral School team as our new Learning Support Teacher. She brings a diverse background in education and industry, having taught in public and private schools in Victoria and overseas, and previously working in marketing and communications. Rachelle holds a Bachelor of Education from UBC, focusing on Middle Years and Self-Regulating Learning, and a Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education from Queen’s University. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Arts, and Technology from Simon Fraser University.

Growing up in a family of educators, Rachelle has taught students at all levels from Primary, Middle School to High School. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and traveling around Victoria and the world with her partner. Rachelle’s passion for inclusive education and diverse experience make her a valuable addition to our Learning Support Team.

Todd Fitzsimmons — Manager of Facilities and External Events

Todd has worked at Cathedral School since 1994 when there were only 46 students.

He runs the Out-of-School Care Program, which keeps him busy all year round. He loves sports and keeping active and enjoys teaching children about how sports and fitness are important in all our lives. Working with children keeps him young at heart, as he has been doing it since he was 18 years old, starting in Winnipeg, MB.

“My biggest joy is watching the students at Cathedral School grow up and accomplish new things. If you can’t find me at School, I’m usually playing some sport or limping around.”

Kate Cook — Executive Administrative Assistant / Admissions Coordinator

Kate is originally from Toronto and has over 15 years of administrative and recruitment experience, primarily within the healthcare sector. In her role at the school, she works closely with the Head of School and the Director of Finance to support the achievement of the school's strategic goals.

As a dependable and efficient professional, Kate leads and oversees the operation of the school office, quickly becoming the go-to person for various needs. Her dynamic energy allows her to handle multiple responsibilities with ease, embracing challenges while ensuring the smooth operation of CCCS.

Kate is transitioning to island life from the bustling city of Toronto and has been enjoying exploring Victoria’s natural beauty and cultural flair with her husband, who is stationed at CFB Esquimalt.

Sara Tigchelaar — Administrative Assistant

Sara, a proud Victoria native, has always embraced her love for art and outdoor adventuring, finding inspiration in the beauty of the World around her.

As an alumna of CCCS, where she walked the halls over 20 years ago, she cherishes the opportunity to give back to the community that shaped her while bringing a deep connection to our school.

Today, Sara serves as our friendly and welcoming receptionist in the front lobby, always ready to assist with a smile.

Caitlin Wynne — Childcare Director (ECE/ITE)

Caitlin has been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for the past 15 years. She firmly believes that building meaningful connections through positive communication is essential to the growth and development of happy, healthy children. Caitlin is passionate about supporting the children she works with, the JK Educators, and her community. She enjoys spending time with her husband and children at different neighbourhood parks when not working.

Tana Thomas — Early Childhood Educator

Tana has worked with children and families as an ECE for the past 11 years. During this time, she has worked with various ages and settled into the preschool age. Tana enjoys anything to do with nature and enjoys teaching the children about plants and gardening. You can most likely find her at the beach when Tana is not at the centre.

Lanna Duffy — Early Childhood Educator

Lanna has been working in the childcare field for 20 years. She loves working with preschool-aged children. She enjoys reading stories and doing circle time. She loves taking the children for walks to the beach and to our neighbourhood parks. Lanna enjoys spending time outside of the JK with her two children and friends.

Cindy Potts — Early Childhood Educator

Cindy has been working with the JK children since finishing her practicum in the summer of 2014. She has always been passionate about working with children and helping them learn and grow. She is particularly passionate about supporting children with diverse needs and children who are Neurodievrse. She enjoys being outside, walking the beach, hiking, and camping with her family in her free time.

Claudine Grimminger — Early Childhood Educator Assistant

Claudine first joined the JK as a substitute educator. She then moved into a contract position with the school and is now a full-time member of the Fairfield JK team. Claudine enjoys watching the children learn and grow and planning activities to support their development.

Jane Seo — Early Childhood Educator/ITE/SNE – Team Lead

Jane joined our centre in October of 2021. Since joining us, she has shown tremendous leadership in supporting our Gordon Head centre's children, families and staff. She is deeply passionate about caring for children, which is evident through her practice.

Sean Solberg — Early Childhood Educator Assistant

Sean has been working with children and families in one form or another for over twenty years. He has supported and worked with infants all the way up to teenagers. Sean enjoys doing art, music, movement and anything creative with children. Sean has won awards for his dedication and community service to children and their families. Sean enjoys spending time with his two children.

Jenny Li — Early Childhood Educator

Jenny joined our team in January 2020 when the Gordon Head centre opened. She has tremendously supported the children and their families at the centre. Jenny cares deeply about the healthy growth and development of children. She is a dedicated educator who is skilled in her practice. Jenny enjoys spending time on the weekends with her three children.

Joy Liang — Early Childhood Educator Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Kindergarten — Anne-Marie O'Donnell

Ms. O’Donnell is excited to return to her roots as a kindergarten teacher and looks forward to connecting with her students and providing them with a welcoming environment. She has a passion for literacy and building community in her classroom. An avid animal lover, Ms. O'Donnell also enjoys cooking and reading in her spare time.

Grade 1/2 — Micaela Winter

Ms. Winter continues to enjoy teaching at CCCS. With 12 years of teaching experience, she has spent 11 of those years at CCCS. Micaela has taught various grades, including grades 5, 6, and 7, at a Montessori school in Prince George, and at Christ Church, she has worked in Junior Kindergarten, taught Primary French, Religious Studies, Grade 1, and Kindergarten. She enjoys being active and being outside, often found hiking or backpacking when not teaching.

Ms. Winter believes that teachers are responsible for integrating outdoor and indoor teaching methods to help students connect with the natural world. She feels that providing more opportunities for students to experience nature positively fosters respect and environmental awareness. She values the primary age program for nurturing children's social and emotional growth and instilling a love of learning, particularly enjoying teaching primary-age students.

Grade 2/3 — Michelle Kennedy

Ms. Kennedy has been teaching at Christ Church Cathedral School since 2000. Originally from Newfoundland's east coast, she moved west after graduating from university. Despite the significant growth and development at CCCS over the years, it remains a wonderful, caring, and supportive learning community, which is why Ms. Kennedy loves teaching there. She has enjoyed teaching Kindergarten for many years and is now happy to be working with grade 2/3 students. She finds young children bring much enthusiasm and creativity to every situation, making each day a new adventure with opportunities for learning.

Grade 2/3 — Sarah Fryer

Ms. Fryer is thrilled to continue being part of the Christ Church Cathedral School community, teaching Grade 2/3. Having worked for many years as an opera and concert soloist (mezzo-soprano), Ms. Fryer's singing career overlapped with various supporting roles at three independent schools, one in England and two in Victoria. She attended an Anglican cathedral school from age 10-18 and was associated with the Winchester Cathedral community in the UK before moving to Canada in 2001. Holding a degree in Theology from Exeter University and a B.Ed from UVic, Ms. Fryer looks forward to another year of sharing her love of books, music, and nature with her students.

Grade 4/5 — Jess Beloded

Ms. Beloded, originally from Victoria, British Columbia, is a proud Peruvian/Canadian who has dedicated her life to traveling and working in diverse and inspirational educational contexts. With over two decades of experience in Canada, Australia, Germany, and Thailand, Ms. Beloded individualizes her teaching approaches to meet the needs of those she works with. She emphasizes integrating social-emotional learning and mindfulness into each day. Having worked in both Primary and Secondary contexts, she has tackled various roles as a teacher, leader, and board member.

Ms. Beloded holds a BA in Education from the University of Victoria and an MA in Educational Leadership & Management from Royal Roads University in Victoria. She is accompanied by her husband Zhenya and her two children Mia and Ellie. Her passions include cooking (without a recipe), outdoor activities such as rock climbing and paddleboarding, personal fitness, swimming, and traveling the world, all while striving for a healthy body, balanced mind, and good heart.

Grade 5/6 — Heather Branscombe & Kristin Meissner

Kristin Meissner: With 16 years at CCCS and counting, Ms. Meissner feels blessed to work at such a gem of a school. The staff, students, and parent community are at the heart of what makes CCCS special. One of her annual highlights is the much-anticipated bike trip, and she looks forward to continuing this tradition in the years to come.

Heather Branscombe: Coming Soon!

Grade 7 Homeroom — Patrick Vincentine

Mr. Vincentine is joining us from Maria Montessori in Victoria. With an impressive educational background and expertise in differentiated learning, he will be the new Grade 7 homeroom teacher, responsible for teaching Science to Grades 7 and 8, as well as Division 8 Math. His extensive experience in outdoor education and passion for climbing promise to elevate students' learning experiences to new heights.

Grade 8 Homeroom — Ann Chow

Ms. Chow, born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, started her career in parish work and youth ministry while earning an M.A. in Biblical Studies from the University of Toronto. Realizing that education was her true passion, she obtained a Postgraduate Degree in Education and went on to teach English, religion, and history in middle and high schools in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore. She is delighted to be the CCCS Grade 8 homeroom teacher and strives to create a caring learning environment where students feel significant and a sense of belonging. Go, go, Grade 8!

French K — 8 and Librarian — Josie Gair

Ms. Gair, a Calgarian who moved to the coast in 2010, graduated from the University of Victoria in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and teaches French from K - 8. She loves working with kids of all ages and enjoys collaborating with inspiring colleagues who make her laugh every day. With a background in French immersion, Ms. Gair understands the value of a second language and is passionate about helping students realize their potential in French and in life. Her position allows her to connect with many teachers, EAs, children, and families.

Art Teacher — Sandi Henrich

Ms. Henrich has been teaching art classes and developing art programs in the community for many years and is delighted to be the art teacher at CCCS. With an educational background in visual art and art history, Ms. Henrich's teaching approach centers on encouraging creative thinking and self-expression through process-based art exploration.

Music Specialists — Kathy Stacey & Ryan Oliver

Ms. Stacey has been the primary music specialist (K-5) at CCCS since 2008 and also serves as the Choir Director for the Primary choirs. In addition to her music degree, Ms. Stacey studied cello and piano at the Royal College of Music in London, England. She has always been passionate about teaching music to children and previously owned a children’s music school in Nanaimo for fifteen years. Ms. Stacey was also the assistant principal cellist in the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra and the Education Consultant for the Symphony’s Children’s Education Concert Series.

Mr. Oliver, a Juno-nominated saxophonist and music educator, has performed and taught worldwide. He has appeared as a clinician and adjudicator for numerous music festivals, including the West Coast Jazz Festival and the BC Music Educators Association. Mr. Oliver worked professionally as a saxophonist for over 20 years in Toronto and New York City before returning to the West Coast. He has toured globally with the Canadian jazz group the Shuffle Demons and has been featured on CBC and JazzFM. Mr. Oliver holds a Masters Degree in Music from Rutgers University and is excited to be a faculty member at CCCS, where he encourages our middle school students to have fun making music.

Physical Education Specialist — Tyson Michaud

Mr. Michaud joins CCCS from New Brunswick, where he began his teaching career in physical education and gained experience teaching Math, Science, and Humanities at the middle school level. He is an educator with boundless energy and a strong passion for coaching, particularly in soccer, cross-country running, and basketball. Mr. Michaud will teach PE for Grades 4-8 and Math for Grade 7, in addition to coordinating the Athletics Program.

Religious Education / Faith Development / Chaplain —Ms. Kate Newman

Ms. Newman has been teaching faith and arts to children for 20 years. She is the principal developer for the Anglican Church of Canada’s Sunday School curriculum, Compendium of the Church Mice. Ms. Newman was baptized and confirmed at Christ Church Cathedral. Kate has her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Masters of Special Education, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, and is currently in the Doctoral Program of Curriculum and Instruction at UVIC.

Aisha Mullen

Aisha has been a member of the Cathedral School community, on and off, for almost 20 years. An alumna of the school, she attended middle school at Cathedral School. She volunteered at Lux Mundi Summer Camp as a teenager and became an Out of School Care worker when she was 18. A few years later, she was hired as an Educational Assistant and has worked in that role for many years. Her passion for educating and nurturing has grown immensely over the years. While she enjoys working with all ages, she particularly appreciates working with the early primary years. She values social-emotional learning and educational approaches that embrace diversity and inclusivity.

Believing in education based on connection, she strives to individualize and differentiate based on the needs of each student. Aisha greatly enjoys working in Special Education and takes pride in her ability to support all children in their educational journeys.

Allie Szwender

Allie attended CCCS as a child and has been working at the school for nine years, starting with the summer program before transitioning into an EA role.

She enjoys the social-emotional aspects of working with children and helping them develop both academically and personally, which led her to complete a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology. Considered a light-hearted individual, she enjoys the outdoors, sports, and fostering an inclusive, diverse, and safe environment for all.

Katie (Hyunwoo) Kim

Katie was born in Seoul, South Korea, where she studied and grew up. She moved from Korea to Canada in 2007. Before coming to Victoria, Katie most recently worked in the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School District. She has a creative mindset and likes to share her creativity with students.

Holding a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Chemical Engineering, she loves working with students and helping them reach their fullest potential. Katie enjoys exploring new places and learning, and she is always willing to try new things.

Adrien Leduc

Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Adrien Leduc holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Carleton University and is currently pursuing his Education Assistant certificate. With more than five years of experience working and volunteering with numerous community service organizations and over ten years of experience as an educator in various capacities (from private tutor to youth soccer coach), Adrien brings positivity, dedication, and enthusiasm to the CCCS team.

Patricio Espinoza

Patricio Espinoza joined CCCS in September 2010 as an Education Assistant. He holds an Education Assistant and Community Support certificate. Patricio has worked with all age groups at the school as well as our Out of School program. He provides one-on-one support for children to enhance learning skills and organizes group activities through music and sports.

Leone Leighton

Leone Leighton comes from Ontario, where she graduated with a double major and then earned an honors degree in Education from the University of Toronto. After working as a high school English teacher in Calgary for a few years, Leone was drawn west to Victoria, where she started a family and a tutoring business. Helping students with learning challenges succeed was extremely rewarding, and she found she was particularly effective at engaging even the most reluctant learners.

Leone is passionate about STEM programming and works in the middle school with the most dedicated education team. In her spare time, Leone enjoys daily walks in nature with her two dogs, singing and creating music with talented musicians including her daughter, and drawing comical autobiographical cartoons, some of which she has published.

Trevor Zonneveld

Trevor is enjoying his fouth year at CCCS as an Education Assistant. Trevor enjoys playing games, teaching students, and helping kids realize their full potential. Trevor holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Kinesiology and brings years of experience working with children in various settings. You can find him outside on the playground after school in our OSC program most days.