I am thrilled to share some monumental UA news with you all. This week, the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Board officially confirmed our school’s acceptance as a full member of CAIS. This significant achievement marks a milestone in our school’s history and reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in education, leadership, and community building. This is something we should all be proud of!!
For the past 3 years, we have been on the journey to full accreditation. It has been a collaborative effort that involved the dedication and hard work of so many within our school community. I want to extend a huge thank you to our incredible staff, who worked tirelessly to meet the rigorous standards of accreditation. I am also very grateful to our students and parents who engaged and supported our efforts throughout this process; your contributions have been invaluable. Additionally, to our Board of Directors, your vision and leadership helped guide us to this achievement. Finally, I would like to single out and thank Ms. Déborah Dumortier, who has acted as our Self-Study leader, guiding us through the accreditation process, including the Peer Review Team visit in January, ensuring that timelines were met, and documents were prepared and ready for inclusion in the final accreditation submission.
This distinction not only elevates our school’s standing among the top independent schools in Canada but also reinforces that Urban Academy provides a world-class education in a nurturing and inspiring environment.
Let us take a moment to celebrate this accomplishment together, as it belongs to every single member of our community. Thank you for helping us reach this remarkable milestone!
Faculty Updates for 2025-2026
As usual at this time of year, I am able to update the community on changes to our faculty for the next school year. I am excited to introduce several new faculty members who will be joining us in the fall, as well as share some transitions within our current team.
We are thrilled to announce the addition of these outstanding educators to our faculty:
- Richmond Garcia – JK
- Jade Baird – Grade 1
- Navreet Saini – Middle School
- Amanda Taylor – Senior English
- Bradee Procillo – Senior Humanities
- Céline Foucher – Junior French
- Stephane Peltier – Senior French
- Thanh Vo – Student Services
- Gaston Beaucage – ADST
We also have a familiar face returning after being on leave:
- Tricia Jacques – Middle School
As we welcome new and returning faces, we also prepare to say goodbye to a few members of our teaching team who will be embarking on new adventures:
Lauren Davies (JK) and Rhea Loffstrom (Middle French) will be on maternity leave next year. We wish them all the best as they prepare to welcome new additions to their families!
Deb Creighton (Student Services) will be retiring from UA after an amazing career in Learning Resources. We have been so fortunate to be able to benefit from Ms. Creighton’s experience and wisdom for the last several years.
Ashley Bayles (Senior English) will be leaving to pursue another teaching opportunity at a fellow ISABC school. Ms. Bayles has been an exceptional leader and has further developed a variety of areas at UA, including Senior English, Ed Tech, ADST and Indigenous Education for our staff and students.
Michelle Dall (Junior French) is also leaving for another ISABC school for a new teaching role. Ms. Dall has demonstrated versatility in her time at UA, teaching Kindergarten and then moving into teaching Junior French. She brought innovation to our French program, and we are grateful for her care for our junior students.
We wish them both all the best as they continue to serve as incredible educators in their new roles.
We are deeply grateful to all of these departing and transitioning teachers for their dedication to our school and students.
Yours in education,
Mr. Slinger
Head of School