George Bonner Elementary School

3060 Cobble Hill Road

Mill Bay, B. C. V0R 2P3
Phone 250-743-5571
Fax 250-743-4871

Dear Parents and Guardians,

You may have heard from your child that there is a student teacher in Ms. Swift’s grade 4 class.
Hi, my name is Léah Chandler and I will be assisting in Ms. Swift’s class for the semester. I am
currently a fifth year Post-Baccalaureate Bachelor of Education student at Vancouver Island
University in Nanaimo. I am very excited to be at George Bonner Elementary for my spring
practicum. This is my second of three terms finishing up my teaching degree this coming
December. I will be with the class full-time for five weeks this spring from April 9 to May 11,
2018. So far, I am enjoying getting to know the students, their interests and passions.

Who am I?
I have returned to university after almost a decade away- spent teaching outdoor education to
youth. After graduating from Montreal’s Concordia University with a Ba in Geography and
Sociology with a strong focus in the French language, I moved here to the Pacific Northwest
where I have been teaching outdoor education for youth in BC’s backcountry. My drive for
teaching has been fueled by the curiosity and passion of young learners. My life-experiences
and playful energy has led me into the teaching world where I hope to continue to share in the
magic of the natural word and beyond. I believe that every child offers unique strengths that
play an integral role in creating a holistic classroom community. So far, the program at VIU has
served to facilitate my growth as an educator, encouraging me to deepen my thinking into the
complexities of teaching, I am loving it!

In February, I was excited to co-teach for a week alongside Ms. Swift, getting to know the
students as individual learners as well as community members. During my five-week practicum,
my teaching time will gradually be increased over its duration. With the help and support of my
sponsor teacher Ms. Swift, my practicum supervisor Ted Zinkan, and all my peers from VIU, I am
confident this experience with positively shape my future as an educator.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss anything specific about our learning, you can
contact me by email at leah.chandler@gsuite.viu.ca. I look forward to joining your learning
community for the next few months.

Sincerely,

Léah Chandler
VIU University
Student Teacher