Our Team of Educators

Midori Stewart

Ms. Midori has been working as an ECE for 15 years in Canada. She was previously a Kindergarten teacher in Japan. Midori believes in finding and encouraging each child’s interests and strengths, while supporting their emotional growth in a fun and safe play environment. She believes in customizing her teaching style to suit each child’s needs and personality. As an ECE, she feels she can contribute to a happy, safe society by helping each child grow up to be a kind, caring person. In her spare time, Midori likes to play piano, read and study a variety of interests.

Sierra King

Sierra began working in child care in 2019 as an assistant at a local center while attending Vancouver Island University. In October 2020 she graduated as an Early Childhood Educator with a specialization in Infant/ Toddler and working with children that have diverse abilities.

What she loves most about working as an ECE is being able to see children’s curiosity as they explore and discover the world around them, whether it is navigating a new situation or developing their interest in a particular area. In the new outdoor setting that this center offers, Sierra is looking forward to seeing what activities capture the children’s attention, how the seasons will impact their play, and observing the children’s relationships develop through their play.

Courtenay Carlyle

Ms. Carlyle has been an early childhood educator for the last 16 years. The first 9 years of her career were spent in a non-profit child care program, where she worked with highly experienced educators and mentors. Since moving back to Vancouver Island in 2016, she has completed diploma programs for special needs education and infant and toddler education, and has become a National Geographic Certified Educator. She enjoys spending time outside, camping, and settling down with a good book. She is a dabbler in various arts, from painting to calligraphy to gardening, with a special appreciation for any sort of needlework. Ms. Carlyle believes that learning from and caring for each other is an integral part of being an educator. Her goal is for everyone involved, including children, families and fellow educators, to be better off for having been part of the child care experience. She is honored to be a part of the Into the Woods team and help build its legacy of great educators and early childhood education.

Kimberlee Hystad

Ms. Kimberlee grew up on a farm in Alberta then moved to BC in 2013. She credits her upbringing on the farm, with mud up to her eyebrows and surrounded by animals, for the outdoorsy lifestyle she lives today. Her hobbies include fishing, hiking, camping and crocheting. Before becoming an ECEA, she was a licensed practical nurse. After she became pregnant, she took a break from nursing and found herself drawn to early childhood education. She has been an ECEA since 2022, the same year her son was born. Kimberlee enjoys working in childcare because of all the amazing things she learns from the kids themselves! They have taught her to take a step back and smell the flowers, touch the trees and enjoy the sounds of nature. She looks forward to continuing her education in this field and working at Into the Woods. What could be better than working in a happy, laughter-filled environment!

CJ McIntyre

Ms. CJ is a work integrated learning student at Vancouver Island University, and will be graduating with her ECE certificate in August 2023. She currently has her ECEA, which she completed in 2022. Before working in childcare, she was a high ropes and challenge course facilitator, and ran summer camps and programs for youth through Scouts Canada. She has two energetic boys, ages 5 and 2.5, who both share her passion for being outside and exploring.  Caitlyn is looking forward to co-creating an environment of respect and mindfulness with a focus on social and emotional learning in this incredible nature-based setting. She values the importance of risk play in child development and its role in increasing self confidence in children. She can’t wait to get to know our local trails and community with the children at Into the Woods!

Michaela Albright

Ms. Michaela has been in early childhood education for 3 years, and completed her ECEA in 2021 at Pacific Rim Institute for Early Childhood Education. She loves teaching and learning with kids, especially Science! She brings her love of weird facts and exploring topics in depth to Into the Woods. In the outdoor setting, she’s excited to support free range exploration with the children, allowing them to push past their limits through play and grow. Being a Mindful Educator is extremely important to her. Michaela has lived in the Oceanside community her whole life, where she grew up participating in the 893 Beaufort Squadron Air Cadets and doing volunteer work within the community. She is now raising her daughter with her husband in Parksville. She enjoys visiting her family farm, as well as the many parks and tourist destinations this wonderful community offers.

Rhiannon Biden

Ms. Rhiannon has been working as an early childhood educator since 2015, after graduating from North Island College in Courtenay. Since then, she has worked in a variety of child care settings including daycare programs for 3-5 years, preschool, and working with school-aged children in before and after school programs and spring break and summer camps. Ms. Rhiannon was born and raised on Vancouver Island and has a love for all of the incredible natural beauty that our island has. In her free time she is usually out exploring trails, beaches, rivers and forests with her dog Jasper, or spending time with friends and family. Being a part of the magic and wonder of childhood is one of her favorite things about working with children. She also enjoys working with other educators to create a supportive environment for children to grow and develop. She is looking forward to playing, learning and discovering new adventures at Into the Woods!

Noemie McKay

Ms. Noemie was born and raised in France. She moved to Canada in 2009, and fell in love with the beautiful BC! She became a Canadian citizen in 2015, and moved to Nanaimo with her family in 2021. She graduated with her Early Childhood Education diploma in April 2022 from Northern Lights College, while working part-time in a daycare on Bowen Island. Ms. Noemie is a self-motivated person who enjoys making a difference and feels that supporting children throughout their first years is very important. It is her belief that collaboration between children, educators, and families is essential to the well being of children. Her philosophy is that children and educators work alongside each other and that children are the co-constructor of their knowledge. Using the best of her knowledge, she endeavors to support their development, their culture, and their language. Ms. Noemi is the lucky mom of a 6 year old boy, and in her spare time she enjoys going for walks, bike riding, skiing in the winter, camping, and reading.

Thora Brooks

Ms. Thora grew up on a small northern BC island, where she learned to play outside and explore the outdoors in all weather. As a full-time mother of two kids, ages 6 and 8, and a part-time child care provider she has learned many important skills when it comes to managing multiple children’s needs. She is currently working towards her ECE certification, between gardening, child care, mountain biking and hobby farming. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and enjoys any opportunity to get creative with kids! She is passionate about nature and the relationship of all living things, and is looking forward to exploring these ideas with kids as she is always amazed by how much they teach her. She feels children have a natural sense of wonder and curiosity and loves to see where that leads.

Shirley-Ann Royer – Pedagogist

Shirely-Ann is an Early Childhood Pedagogy Network (ECPN) pedagogist who will be working at Into the Woods for the coming year. Shirley-Ann is a curriculum specialist who has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 30 years. Her diverse life experience and background in visual arts will be a valuable asset to educators at Into the Woods, as she supports their engagement with the BC Early Learning Framework. Shirley-Ann will participate regularly (once a week, every other week) in the day-to-day curriculum at our center. Please be assured that our work with the ECPN pedagogist will focus on collective curriculum engagement and not on the individual assessment of children and educators. Shirley-Ann welcomes any questions you may have, please feel free to communicate with her directly via email: sroyer4@uwo.ca