The Team
Who We Are &
Where We Are
WELCOME
We are located in Eldon Station, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
located in the paradise between Beaverton and Kirkfield.
Our address is: 1304 Prospect Rd, Woodville Ontario K0M 2T0
We meet with students and their families by appointment only.
Please reach out if you would like to book a private tour!
Passionate and highly qualified Educators delivering an exceptional new elementary educational experience in Kawartha Lakes Ontario.
All in-house and Guest Educators as well as volunteers and contractors are Criminal and Vulnerable Sector Checked before stepping foot on the property.
Sarah Smithias
Director/Principal
Following the devastating loss of a family member I made the decision to leave the corporate world and a 25 year career in Corporate Business Development to follow a more meaningful path and bring to life an entrepreneurial idea I had been fostering privately for some time. I am not an Educator by trade, but an experienced business woman with a pragmatic, analytical and altruistic approach to commerce.
I have a Business Administration degree from Durham College, and have focused my professional career in consumer and retail analytics for consumer packaged goods manufacturers. I have also been the Administrative, Sales and Marketing force behind my husbands successful carpentry business (Smithias Contracting Inc.).
Over the past few years, watching my friends and family struggle to navigate the complexities of the pandemic and our changing social-economic circumstances has painfully exposed a need within our communities and a business opportunity for those with eyes open to the vast potential for a better educational experience. I realized that our farm has always been a learning hub for the children in our extended families and friends circle; where we have shared our love for nature, farming and a more traditional and self sufficient lifestyle with the many children we are blessed to have in our lives.
As the Director of Kawartha Farm School; I am responsible for running the business aspect of the school and managing the facilitation of the Life Skills programming. I share my passion for the outdoors with my husband Billy - we are avid hikers and campers who enjoy exploring new trails and forests as well as our own property while foraging for seasonal woodland edibles and medicinal plants. I am passionate about our animals and our gardens; I spend my free time caring for and nurturing my relationships with both on our farm. Self sufficiency and food sovereignty are personal goals for our family and the farm as we expand our pasture raised meat and food gardening projects into the future in collaboration with the school's community of families.
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Kelly Denneny
Lead Educator
We are very excited to introduce our Lead Educator who will be responsible for our core curriculum delivery.
Kelly is an Ontario Certified Teacher who brings 23 years of teaching experience from the public school board. She is working on her PHD with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education; She also holds a Bachelor of Education from York University as well as a Master of Arts & Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
During her public Educator tenure Kelly worked for 8 years for the Province of Ontario's Ministry of Education as a Literacy Leader ("English/Literacy Facilitator").
She has extensive experience and professional development training in education facilitation for Primary through Secondary ages as well as Special Needs learning. Kelly is looking forward to a new accreditation she is working on this summer to become an Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator through the Horse Therapy Center of Canada.
On top of all of Kelly's fantastic qualifications and experience as an Educator; she has a passion for sewing, crochet and knitting which she loves to share with her students and has also turned into a small side business (check it out! Beyond Bags Fabric Studio).
Heritage herb and vegetable gardening, hiking and mindfulness practice are other skills Kelly looks forward to sharing with our students. She is a passionate lover of animals and the outdoors; she likes to spend her free time with her own two horses and hiking with her husband and their dogs. She shares with us her excitement at this new opportunity to combine her passion for teaching with the freedom to be immersed in nature and the farm with our students.
Susan Adams
Educator
Kawartha Farm School is very excited to introduce Susan Adams as a part of our team of Educators. Susan is a dedicated educator with a passion for music, art and fostering community.
With a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from York University, Susan brings advanced skills in music theory, differentiated teaching, and creative classroom management strategies to her role. Throughout her teaching career, Susan has contributed significantly to building a connected, unified community within schools. She has orchestrated large-scale music theatre productions like "Peter Pan" and "The Wizard of Oz," as well as designed individual classroom performances using the Orff method. Her collaborative approach extends to working closely with teachers, students, and parents, developing strategies to strengthen skills and a sense of belonging.
What sets Susan apart is her remarkable ability to be fully present, cheerful, and supportive for her students each day, creating an engaging and nurturing learning environment. Her dedication to their well-being and growth extends beyond her job description, evident in her active involvement as a musician in various groups, choirs, and orchestras throughout the community.
Susan's extensive experience in both public and private education, include running her own homeschool Orff-based music class alongside working full time as a teacher for the Toronto District School board for over 25years.
Passionate about the transformative power of music, Susan believes in its ability to enhance intelligence, self-esteem, confidence, and teamwork skills. Her commitment to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment reflects her belief in the importance of music education in nurturing well-rounded individuals.
Kawartha Farm School is so very fortunate to have such am amazingly talented expert sharing her time with us! Susan also runs a private music school called Kids Rhythm Band in a public building with a beautiful view of the lake in her current hometown of Sudbury; . In her spare time she enjoys cross country skiing, skating, hiking, kayaking, yoga, and mindfulness meditation. She loves to make delicious food for her family and spending time with her two granddaughters.
Jessie France
Educator
It is our pleasure to introduce Jessie France as a part of our Educator team here at Kawartha Farm School. Jessie is an avid outdoorswoman and naturalist with a passion for working with children.
She holds an Honours diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services from Seneca College. She comes to us from the private childcare sector where she has over 15 years experience in design and implementation of exciting and educational programing for children of all developmental stages.
She is studying to expand her knowledge in all aspects of homesteading, herbology and bushcraft.
Jessie holds a certificate in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine as well as a variety of certifications in emergency first aid; including Mental Health First Aid and Advanced Wilderness First Aid training. She is a certified Level 1 Hiking Field Leader and trained in Fundamental Movement skills by the Coaching Association of Canada.
Foraging and plant identification, Tincture & tea making, hiking, gardening, and preserving what she grows are all activities Jessie loves to do in her free time on her little homestead here in Kawartha Lakes. She enjoys cooking & baking as well as all types of mixed media art projects while spending time with the many children in her large family.
She is eager to lead many nature-based learning adventures on the farm for our students and share her extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna to be found across the property as well as collaborating with the rest of the Kawartha Farm School Educator team in the delivery of the core curriculum.
Savanna Quiring
Educator
The administration at Kawartha Farm School is proud to announce another highly qualified and passionate Educator who is joining our Team.
Savanna is an Ontario Certified Teacher who graduated with her Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. She brings more than 10 years experience teaching in classrooms across several public sector boards. Savanna's Educational training offers additional specialization in teaching French at both Junior and Intermediate levels. She also holds Special Education and Instrumental Music instruction qualifications.
Savanna has a passion for languages and much of her Educational focus has been on both French and English language instruction. She spent her third year of university in Spain and fourth year in Guatemala. Since beginning her teaching career, she has spent most summers involved in a French teacher program in Quebec or New Brunswick to practice her spoken French. She has spent time teaching English in Taiwan twice and in China once.
In her spare time she enjoys coaching riptide volleyball, and also teaches art classes to adults. She also sells her art fora charity she created called "Art for animals". This year she has launched a program teaching baking in French at schools across Ontario.
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Kelly Baker
Educator
Kawartha Farm School is extremely fortunate to have the diverse talents of this highly qualified Educator join our team.
Kelly brings with her, a wealth of expertise and experience as a licensed Montessori teacher having over 20 years of teaching experience and 30 years experience working with children. She obtained her Montessori credentials through the Toronto Montessori Institute and also holds a B.A. in Sociology & Special Student certification from the University of Western Ontario.
Kelly is also an Entrepreneur; as the Owner of Infinite Wonder Learning Academy - her business develops unique curriculum solutions for private schools and educational programs blending the Montessori approach with Emotional Intelligence and a nurturing of children's love of the great outdoors.
Kelly is a Mom of 3 beautiful daughters and enjoys an active lifestyle. She is very musical; she plays the ukulele and djembe and loves to share these instruments with her class and sing educational songs with her students.
Contact Us
Address
1304 Prospect Rd
Woodville, Ontario
K0M2T0
Contact
647-892-9621
Hours
By Appointment Only
