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Head of School
Andrew Cross
Administration, Senior Leadership Team
Andrew has served in various teaching and leadership roles at several international schools before returning home to Canada with his family in 2021. He is delighted to be back home and able to experience the four seasons of the year. Andrew believes deeply in the power of collaboration to change lives. In leveraging the collective knowledge and experience that we find among our faculty and staff, students, parents, alumni and Board, we are on an exciting path to growth and continual improvement. Fun fact: Andrew plays the tenor horn (in his basement!).
Chief Administrative Officer
Vince Haines
Administration, Senior Leadership Team
Vince began his career in the private sector, working for a number of multinational consumer goods firms such as Nestle, General Mills and Colgate-Palmolive. He has extensive experience in finance, strategic planning and marketing, His interest and passion for education resulted in a career path change and a subsequent move to a large CIS school, where he spent over a decade helping them implement transformative change. With his move to Lauremont in 2019, Vince has continued to immerse himself fully in school life, coaching multiple sports teams at both the Lower and Upper schools. Fun fact: Vince is a pianist and aspiring pilot.
Executive Director, Community Development
Jennifer Shaw
Community Development, Senior Leadership Team
Jennifer has worked in Development with a focus on Education for over 20 years. Beginning her career at UBC, she enthusiastically found her way to Independent Schools. Connecting people with meaningful ways to support the school is why she loves doing what she does. Jennifer is excited to pair her fundraising experience with her marketing background to help lead our Community Development team into this new phase of our school’s growth. Fun Fact: Jen packed up her two 90lbs dogs and drove across Canada alone to get to Lauremont: forest fires, torrential downpours and blown tires on the 401 couldn’t keep her away!
Head of Toddler and Children’s House
Carolyn Reid
Children's House Faculty, Lower School, Senior Leadership Team, Toddler Faculty
Carolyn knew she wanted to be a teacher from an early age and follow in her big sisters’ footprints of educating young children. At university she was introduced to the Montessori pedagogy which drew her to expand her education at Toronto Montessori Institute under the watchful eye of Renilde Montessori (Dr. Montessori’s granddaughter). She began teaching at Lauremont School immediately upon graduating in 1988. She transitioned into the position of Academic Head in 1998. Carolyn receives immense pleasure watching students she taught walking their children through the halls of Lauremont School! Fun Fact: Carolyn’s favourite sport is curling!
Deputy Head of School
Rachel Marks
Lower Elementary Faculty, Lower School, Senior Leadership Team, Upper Elementary Faculty
Rachel has spent the past 28 years guiding and supporting TMS/Lauremont students and their families. Her expertise in Montessori philosophy, combined with her research into innovative movements in education, keep her motivated as a leader. Rachel is one of the facilitators for the CAIS Women’s Affinity Group and co-leads the Women in Leadership module for the CAIS Leadership Institute. She is also the co-founder of the LiftUp/Uplift initiative that supports women leaders across the independent school landscape. Rachel believes strongly in the power of building positive relationships. Fun fact: she welcomes any opportunity to capture moments on camera!
Head of Upper School
Peter Hill
Diploma Programme (DP) Faculty, Middle Years Programme (MYP) Faculty, Senior Leadership Team, Upper School
Peter began his teaching career in independent school education and has been fortunate to hold teaching and administrative roles in four CIS schools before coming to Lauremont in 2018. Peter believes strongly in the importance of building strong teacher-student relationships as foundational to student success. He has worked throughout his career to champion all students and build rich programs and experiences that support students’ pursuit of their passions in and out of the classroom. Fun fact: Peter completed his first and only marathon in the Spring of 2019.
Assistant Head of Upper School
Jody McLean
Diploma Programme (DP) Faculty, Middle Years Programme (MYP) Faculty, Senior Leadership Team, Upper School
Jody began her teaching career in northern Saskatchewan before relocating to Ontario, a move she has never looked back on. With a wealth of experience in both teaching and administration across various independent schools, she joined Lauremont in 2017. Jody is deeply committed to student success, inspiring students to develop strong work habits while pursuing their personal passions for growth. Outside of work, Jody and her family share a love for travel. Fun fact: If she could have any superpower, it would be the ability to teleport anywhere in the world instantly!
Board of Trustees – Chair
Jayson Rainone
Board of Trustees
Jayson has extensive experience in both the Financial Services and Professional Services industries and looks to bring his successes and learnings to the Lauremont School Board. Jayson currently heads up Workforce Management for PwC Canada, where the team provides resourcing, workforce planning and people insights for its client-facing lines of service. Prior to PwC Canada, Jayson built successful transformation practices at BDO, RBC, and was part of a cross-industry consortium that modernized the Canadian payments infrastructure. Jayson’s passion is making an impact on both organizations as a whole and on individual people which has led him to the Lauremont School Board. He has a keen interest in the Future of Work and believes strongly that the Lauremont students of today will be our leaders of tomorrow, through the acquired skills and experiences they have received as part of the Lauremont School community. Jayson is the proud parent of his daughter, a recent alumna at the Lauremont Upper School.
Board of Trustees – Co-Vice Chair
Denise Luckie
Board of Trustees
Denise is qualified as a Corporate Commercial Lawyer who has specialized in general corporate and commercial law and securities law with a focus on mining and exploration. She practiced with a prominent international law firm in the UK as a corporate and commercial solicitor, focusing primarily on take-over bids, mergers and acquisitions, reverse take-overs and corporate governance, and providing general advice on directors’ duties and responsibilities before joining a prominent law firm, Hennan Blaikie LLP, located in Toronto where she practiced securities law in the mining group. In her current role, Denise has switched focus and now heads up the Compliance and PMO Department for a prominent international organization. She has also recently been nominated for the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women – 2022. Denise and her husband Nigel have a son at Lauremont School.
Board of Trustees – Co-Vice Chair
Rishi Kapur
Board of Trustees
Rishi Kapur is a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Finance Committee. In addition to being a Lauremont School parent since 2013, Rishi is the CFO of the Global Wealth and Asset Management Business of Manulife. Rishi leads all financial accounting, management reporting, planning, forecasting and analysis, and internal controls for the global business. Rishi also leads the strategy team, aligning the strategy resources across the business to build a cohesive vision for the organization. Prior to Manulife, Rishi worked in various parts of the financial services industry across Asia, Europe and North America, working in finance, risk, business development and strategy roles. Rishi is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Certified Financial Analyst (CFA).
Board of Trustees
Joseph Bishay
Board of Trustees
Joseph Bishay is a seasoned educator with a rich background in science and technology. A licensed Ontario Certified Teacher, Joseph has an extensive career in teaching K-12, having worked in both public and private schools. Currently, he is a professor at Seneca’s School of Biological Sciences & Applied Chemistry and a lecturer at Tyndale University. His teaching expertise spans various subjects, including microbiology, molecular genetics, cell biology, and general chemistry. Additionally, he is a professor in Tyndale’s Bachelor of Education program, where he specializes in preparing future high school science teachers by imparting effective teaching methodologies to ensure they are well-equipped to deliver rigorous and engaging science instruction. Beyond the classroom, Joseph is committed to advancing education as he serves on the Board of Directors for the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario and as a judge at the annual York Region Science and Technology Fair.
Board of Trustees
Gary Chow
Board of Trustees
Gary has served in Senior IT Executive roles at leading wealth management firms. His career highlights include pivotal contributions to launching a Charter 1 bank, where he established robust IT infrastructure and operational frameworks. Throughout, he has focused on securing and streamlining IT operations, optimizing business processes, and driving transformative solutions. With the latest technological advancements, Gary is eager about aiding Lauremont School in identifying secure avenues to capitalize on these changes. Gary has a daughter currently attending the Upper School.
Board of Trustees
Angela Groza
Board of Trustees
Angela is a certified accountant with over 25 years of experience in accounting and finance. For the last 15 years, she has been working in the retirement and long-term care industry. Angela became an active member of the Lauremont School Financial Committee in 2017 (finding many similarities between the retirement/long-term care industry and managing an independent school). In the professional world she is fascinated about the use of technology and its application in financial systems which enables day-to-day operations to become more efficient. In her personal life, she enjoys travelling, attending live theater, and entertaining friends and family. Angela is the proud parent of a Lauremont School Graduate (who graduated in 2019). She was a parent ambassador and was involved in different volunteer roles with Lauremont over a period of 12 years.
Board of Trustees
Kyle Kotack
Board of Trustees
Kyle is a familiar face within Canadian advertising and charitable circles. As the President of Skylar Media Group, a powerhouse integrated digital agency, Kyle leads a formidable team known for building data-driven and award-winning strategic, creative and digital solutions for forward-thinking clients in a variety of sectors such as energy, land development, food/beverage and NFP on an international scale. Kyle prides himself as a connector of organizational leaders where he can identify positive potential impact, and he continues to prioritize the development of content meant to make our digital experiences better, safer, and more inclusive. Kyle is a Lauremont School Alumnus, and a current parent.
Board of Trustees
Laveena Munshi
Board of Trustees
Laveena Munshi and her husband, Anand Doobay, have had two children at Lauremont School since 2016. Laveena is an Assistant Professor, Critical Care Physician, and Clinician Investigator at Sinai Health System/University Health Network in the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is the co-founder of the Critical Care Oncologic Investigative Network – an initiative established to improve quality of care of critically Ill patients with cancer. Her research spans the areas of acute respiratory failure, critical care of patients with cancer and COVID-19. She previously sat on the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
Board of Trustees
Monika Samant
Board of Trustees
Monika joined the Lauremont School Board of Trustees in 2019. She currently leads Southlake Regional Health Centre’s Adult Crisis Team, specializing in providing crisis intervention and mental health services. Monika volunteers for York Region’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team providing debriefing services to 911 responders. With expertise in mental health and crisis management, Monika sought to contribute to the school community which she and her family have belonged to since 2002. Both her sons joined Lauremont School from the Toddler program with the eldest now a Lauremont Alumnus.
Board of Trustees
Cookie (Siyuan) Wu
Board of Trustees
Cookie is a CPA, CA, and LPA, and serves as a partner at Klasner, Solomon and Partners LLP. With over 10 years of experience in public accounting, she brings extensive expertise in accounting, business consulting, and strategic tax planning. In her role leading the audit team, she collaborates closely with non-profit organizations, fostering a deep understanding and a wealth of knowledge in their operations and intricacies. As a Lauremont School parent since 2016, Cookie maintains an active involvement within the community. In December 2023, she furthered her commitment by joining the Board of Trustees, aiming to contribute to the continued support and development of the school.