Faculty & Staff

Experienced, Knowledgeable and Caring

John Eta

Co-Founder, Head of School

What I love about King’s College School

To be able to make a magnificent difference in the world is my life’s purpose. I was raised in Cameroon, West Africa, and came from two houses of chiefs – one on my mother’s side and one on my father’s side – both of whom believed in being contributors to our shared world, not takers from our world. As I was growing up, the question that I was always asked was, “what have you added to the world today?”, and this is the question that I always ask the students at King’s College School. I believe that we can, always, anywhere, regardless of our age, make our shared world a better place, and that is what King’s College School is all about.

Background

I came to Canada to attend the University of Toronto and graduated with a B. Sc. and Certificate in Public Health and a Masters in Social Work. 

Barbara Lord

Co-Founder, Principal Emerita, and Director of Admissions

What I love about King’s College School

I absolutely love seeing young minds waking up to the wider world and starting to sparkle as they make connections. The continuous achievement of ‘aha’ moments is endlessly joyful and renewing. I love the relationship of mutual caring, respect, and deep affection that exists between the adults and the children at King’s College School. We become a large, extended family with many adults – teacher and parents together – working to raise each child to become the very best that he or she can possibly be. 

Background

Prior to founding King’s College School, I worked as an economist with Wood Gundy Ltd. and as a market research analyst with Philips Electronics. I then founded my own business consultancy and worked with companies such as Fisher Price Toys, Sunbeam Electronics and GSW Water Heaters.

Laura Bassaragh

Principal

What I love about King’s College School

I believe all children can flourish in academics with the right nurturing and guidance, which is something I found to be missing in other schools. At King’s College School the staff put all their efforts into the independent excellence within each student, offering personalized support and curriculum that caters to each students’ learning process.

Background

I am a graduate of Niagara University’s Master of Science in Education program and have a Bachelor of Arts in English, Philosophy and Classical Civilization from the University of Toronto.

Sean Dawson

Art

What I love about King’s College School

At King’s College School, my focus is not just on art techniques, but also on the mindset and mental approach towards art.

Background

I am a practicing professional artist who, since receiving my Fine Arts Degree from Georgian College in 1998, has participated in over 70 exhibitions throughout North America. In 2004 I started my own in-class, art education business “Art for Art’s Sake”, where in each and every year I reach on average 3,000 students. Over the course of 18 years, I have designed, developed, and delivered art programs for such institutions as The City of Barrie, Muskoka Place Gallery, The Township of Bradford/ West Gwillimbury, Martha Street Studios (Winnipeg, MB), the Art Gallery of Woodstock, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Iris Dinnick

Office Administrator

What I love about King’s College School

The small community here at King’s enriches my behind-the-scenes work with the human connection of working with parents and students alike.  It is a pleasure to be involved in all aspects of our school’s life.

Background

With over 10 years experience at King’s, I have played an integral part in a variety of roles.  Committed to my career and challenging myself, I enjoy taking a variety of courses to fulfill my personal need for growth.

Jason Dinnick

English, Physical Education, History and Geography

What I love about King’s College School

I enjoy helping the young students at King’s College School acquire a firm grasp on all the fundamentals of English – grammar, spelling, literature, and composition, and love the joy and imagination that the students at King’s College School bring to their learning.

Background

I am a graduate of York University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from the Faculty of Professional Arts and Liberal Studies. I am a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award and have volunteered with Scouts Canada for over 10 years, achieving several training, first aid, survival, and service awards during that time. I love working with young people and have a special passion for English and History.

Kamalpreet Kaur

Senior Maths and Sciences

What I love about King’s College School

Teaching is my passion, so working at King’s is a chance to affect a student’s life for the better. I feel proud to be part of this wonderful team at King’s. I respect and value the philosophy of King’s which always results in a child becoming extremely self-reflective, self-confident, and comfortable in his or her own learning.

Background

I have an experience of 10 + years in teaching secondary school. I have a Masters in Mathematics and Computer Applications. From my past experience, I learned how to manage students of various skill levels. I love teaching and inspiring students’ minds to become creative thinkers and independent learners.

Avreen Manaktala

Elementary Core Teacher and Drama 

What I love about King’s College School

King’s recognizes the potential and capabilities of every individual. With students being the owners of their learning, it allows them to explore. I believe in the holistic growth of the child, which is something King’s College School caters to very well. Keeping in mind that every student is different, King’s provides one-on-one support, and a customized curriculum to support their learning needs. Students and teachers alike understand the true joy of learning here at King’s.

Background

A member in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers, I hold a Masters and Bachelors of Arts (Hons) degree in English from the Delhi University, India. My passion for teaching led me to pursue a Bachelors in Education. With over six years of teaching experience across different grade levels, I have worked with over five different learning institutions, and have been fortunate enough to learn their best practices, which in turn might benefit the students. My curiosity in the field of Advertising led me to complete a certificate course in Advertising from University of Toronto.

Anna Moore

Languages

What I love about King’s College School

I greatly value human connections and putting people at ease. King’s has allowed me to combine these values with both my love of languages and working with children. Learning to speak another language can be intimidating and embarrassing for children and adults alike. King’s nourishes and expects respect and compassion from all its members. This creates a wonderfully supportive environment, where children feel at ease and willing to be a little vulnerable around their peers when learning.

Background

I am a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature, and Italian Language Studies. Prior to my career in teaching, I worked in the Human Resources department of a large greeting card manufacturing company for 10 years. The company closed its manufacturing operations in Canada, which inspired me to make a career change. I am grateful every day that I chose education and have now been teaching French for over 20 years.

Dawna Sandher

English and Humanities

What I love about King’s College School

I love that King’s College School focuses on making a difference in the students’ lives by teaching them more than just academics. Supporting the growth of children and fostering them into well-rounded individuals is a passion of mine. I am also part of a school community that feels more like a family, and it brings me joy to engage in a reciprocal learning journey, where the students are learning how to fulfill their goals and dreams, and I am learning from them as well.

Background

I graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) with a Masters in Social Work and a Certificate in Psychology. I obtained my Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Windsor.