The Board & Staff
Langley Forest School is a non-profit charity that is managed by a Board of Directors and supported by paid staff. The Board consists of a mix of parents and community members who are responsible for the foresight, insight and oversight of the organization, while furthering the school's mission. Educators are certified Early Childhood Educators or ECE Assistants. Many educators are also Certified Forest and Nature School Practitioners.
Carol LaJ
President
Carol began her journey with LFS as a grandparent of one of the children enrolled in the first class.. From the class volunteer and outdoor adviser in 2014, Carol was elected the President of LFS, which also meant she became the Executive Director, Administrator and school Principal. As the school evolved to a non-working board with hired operations staff in 2018 (administrator). Carol's role has become President of the board and she is the current Operations Support Manager (lead on HR and works in tandem with the Administrator managing operations, impact and commitments of the organization)
Teacher Shannon
Administrator & Educator
Shannon is an ECE and Certified Forest & Nature School Practitioner. She has been with LFS since 2018 as the Director of First Impressions. Shannon manages all the day to day operations and is the school registrar. She is an educator and a substitute and trainer when needed. Her faithful companion, Gio (Giorgio) can be found wherever Shannon is.
Miss Ashleigh
Educator
Ashleigh has been with LFS since 2022. She is an ECE and a certified Forest Practitioner. She usually teaches in our Preschool Program in Williams Park for the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class and the Tuesday/Thursday class but she's on maternity leave in the 2024/2025 school year. Ashleigh has one child who attends LFS and a baby due in August!
Teacher Cyndi
Educator
Cyndi is an ECE and a certified Forest Practitioner who has been with LFS since 2020. She works in both the preschool (3-5 yr) and OED (5-7 yr) at the Municipal Natural Park location. She is an educator as well as a mentor and trainer. Miss Cyndi drinks coffee but only on Fridays and only as a caramel Latte. Her favourite colour is purple and her favourite plant in the forest is a mushroom. She wants to be an owl because then her super power would be flying. She is a camper, hiker and loves travel and her 2 kitties. She will be in the forest on Mon and Wed mentoring Kara and on Friday with Mary and the OED class for the 2024/2025 school year
Teacher Mary
Educator
Mary is an ECEA who has been with LFS since 2021. She has worked in the preschool (3-5 yr) and continues to work with the OED (5-7 yr) at the Municipal Natural Park. Mary's favourite treat is dark chocolate and her favourite colour is blue. She doesn't have a dog but if she had a pet, it would be a dog . If she was a super hero, the ability to fly would be her skill! She is in the forest with Cyndi on Fridays for the 2024/2025 school year.
Teacher Jaclyn
Educator
Jaclyn is an ECE who has been with LFS since 2019 and can be found in the Williams Park programme in the Tuesday/Thursday class. She has one kiddo, and 2 big fur kids that woof. Lifesaver popsicles are her favourite childhood treat. Jaclyn will be on maternity leave for the 2024/2025 school year. Baby #2 is due in August.
Miss Rachel
Educator
Rachel is an ECE and a certified Forest Practitioner and has been with LFS since 2020. Rachel is a hunter and fisher and a step-mom. She has 3 big fur babies, Theo, Ellie and Stella. She loves all pastels but sage green is the most favourite. She would be an octopus if she were to be an animal because then her super powers would be to squeeze into tight spots, change colour and be great at problem solving. Miss Rachel is splitting her week between the Municipal Natural Park in the Tuesday/Thursday class and the WP location in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class, with Wendelyn for the 2024/2025 school year.
Miss Wendelyn
Educator
Wendelyn is an outdoor ECE who joined LFS in the 2023/2024 year. Until this year, she has split her work week with an Abbotsford outdoor school. Miss Wendelyn would be a Butterfly if she were an animal because she wants to fly as her super power but also, there aren't many prey to butterflies so its less likely she'd be eaten - that's seems to be good planning! Her favourite plant in the forest is a Trillium and her favourite colour is sky blue. Wendelyn has a fur baby that woofs. For the 2024/2025 school year she will be full-time at LFS, in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday class at WP and the T/Th class at MNP, with Rachel.
Miss Kelly
Educator
Kelly is an outdoor ECE who joined LFS in 2023. She splits her week with a childcare centre in Surrey. Miss Kelly is a Mom of two, one of whom is a student at LFS. She loves spending family time camping, riding bikes , reading and exploring. Ask her about her baking! As an animal she'd be a sea otter so she could explore land and sea. I wonder if she wishes that her super power would be breath-holding? Her favourite colour is pastel pink. Kelly will be in the T/Th class at WP, with Laureen in the 2024/2025 class year.
Teacher Laureen
Educator
Laureen is the founding educator at LFS and has been with the school since 2014. She is an ECE and has completed the Forest Practitioner training. She has a fur baby named Beau. and she can be found running along the river, digging in the garden or generally playing in the mud with him. She splashes in the puddles with her Jeep and motorcycle. Teacher Laureen spends much of her time in remote outdoor resorts battling fish, relishing the wild of BC and finding good books to share with her pack. She's a monster frog finder!! After a two year hiatus, Laureen is returning to the floor in the T/Th programme at WP with Kelly for 2024/2025.
Miss Kara
Educator
Kara joined LFS in 2022/2023 as a behavioural technician and has received her ECEA certification. She is actively working on her ECE and will be mentored by Cyndi in the M/W MNP class for the 2024/2025 school year. Her favourite plants in the forest are fiddleheads. If she could be an animal, it would be an elephant as she loves their empathy and intelligence. As a superhero Miss Kara would like her skill to be communicating with animals - how cool would that be! Kara loves her morning tea, gummy worms and her dog, cat, 9 fish and dwarf frog named Pepper.