Meet Our Team
While we are certainly proud of our classrooms, which are fully equipped with authentic Montessori teaching materials, we believe our team is what truly sets us apart from any other school in the Yukon.
Anna Klinova
Anna moved to Canada seven years ago. Before finding her home in Whitehorse, she lived in PEI and Montreal, where she was learning French. She joined Yukon Montessori School in 2022 and fell in love with the atmosphere the team has created.
Anna is AMI assistant trained and holds a bachelor’s degree in Pedagogical Psychology. She strongly believes in an individualized approach to education, fostering independence, and encouraging freedom of choice in a thoughtfully prepared environment. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, painting, and spending time with her dog, Tuna.
Dominic Bradford
Dominic holds a BA (English and History) , B Ed. and M. ED. He is trained at the Casa, Elementary and Adolescent levels through AMI Montessori and has taught in a Montessori classroom since 1995. He has taught in Calgary, India, Alaska and has been teaching at YMS since 2006. Dominic is bilingual in French and English and enjoys working with students on large group projects as well as regular day to day activities in the classroom. He is a founding member of the Yukon Montessori School and enjoys outdoor pursuits and sports such as running, hiking, skiing as well as indoor activities such as yoga, theatre and singing. Dominic is passionate about bringing Shakespeare to all ages in classrooms and is trained to work with students for the Montessori Model United Nations. Dominic lives in Whitehorse with his wife and twin teenagers.
Erin Schultz
Erin was born and raised in the small village of Mayo, about 5 hours north of Whitehorse. She is a proud member of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun. At age 6 she and her family moved to Whitehorse, where Erin went through her schooling and graduated in 1999 from F.H. Collins Secondary. She enrolled in the Yukon First Nation Teacher Education Program at Yukon College and graduated in 2005 with her Bachelor’s of Education.
In 2006 Erin enrolled her son in Montessori Borealis and got to know more about the Montessori philosophy. She began substitute teaching in the preschool and immediately fell in love with how different it was from other centres she had observed. It was then that she realized she wanted to be a part of Montessori education in the Yukon. In 2008 Erin was hired to run Montessori Borealis’ first summer camp and from there became an assistant until 2019. In 2019 Erin made the choice to take her AMI training in San Diego and graduated with her AMI Montessori diploma in 2020.
Together with her husband Cliff, they own and operate Avalanche Athletics, a local fitness facility here in Whitehorse. With their 5 children, they love to travel, paddle board at their cabin and spend time with their Newfoundland puppy, Mike, and Burnese Mountain Dog, Gus. Erin also loves to paint, bead, sew and learn about her culture.
Miiku Kawashima
Miku was born and raised in Japan and moved to Canada at 18. She graduated from Yukon University with a diploma in Early Learning and is AMI Assistant trained. Along with a passion for working with children, she enjoys playing guitar, ukulele, piano, and Taiko (Japanese drum). Miku is also an active member of two nonprofit organizations supporting the Japanese Canadian associations combining their love for community and culture
Josée Fortin
Born in the small village of Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Josée grew up there in the heart of the boreale forest. In 2009, Josée decided to try a different “borealis”, and arrived in the Yukon. Montessori Borealis was fortunate to have Josée join us as Summer Camp Director in the summer of 2010. Since then, she has been our French Teacher, Assistant Teacher, and After School Care Supervisor.
Josée’s creative nature shines in her lessons as she includes art, music, outdoor time and nature in her French lessons, along with the basics of reading and writing the language. Josée’s paintings, poetry and more have been featured in local art shows. She is also a dancer, and even does fire dancing for Whitehorse events! Her background includes a major in Theatre and Arts, as well as a Bachelor in literacy, cultural animation, and psychosocial intervention.
Allu Maria Johnson
My name is Allu Maria Johnson, and I’m originally from the vibrant province of Kerala in southern India. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English, I moved to the Yukon in 2019, driven by a passion for early childhood education. I graduated from Yukon University with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and have since made the Yukon my home alongside my husband. Since 2020, I’ve been dedicated to my role as an educator, and working in Montessori since 2023. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, crocheting, and digital illustration.
Erica Hunter
My name is Erica Hunter and I just recently moved to Whitehorse. I am excited to embark on this new Northern adventure and explore all that the Yukon has to offer. After years of working with children in daycare settings and teaching English abroad, I discovered the Montessori philosophy and fell in love with this approach to education. I worked as an Assistant at a Montessori school in Squamish, BC for 5 years before deciding to take the training myself. I completed the AMI Training in Portland Oregon. I can’t wait to watch your little ones grow and thrive as they discover how capable and confident they are.
Jaismeen Kaur
I am Jaismeen Kaur. I was born and raised in a small village in Punjab, India. I moved to Canada in 2021 to pursue my studies and earned an ELCC diploma. It’s been an incredible adventure to work with children. The most thrilling thing I learned was patience. Every day is a fresh beginning, and I look forward to learning more with our tiny ones.
Erolyn Benitez
Hi my name’s Erolyn. I am from the Philippines and I came to Whitehorse during the summer of 2023 to study Early Learning. I love going out in nature and discovering new things, and the Yukon Territory has so much of that to offer. I have been exploring activities I can do in the North such as kayaking, polar dipping, hiking, and skiing, among other things
Eva Slana
Eva was born and raised in Czechia (formerly Czechoslovakia), where she earned her Master’s degree in Secondary Education, specializing in German Language and Social Sciences.
She moved to Yukon in 2009 and has called it home ever since. Captivated by the stunning natural beauty of Yukon and nearby Alaska, Eva enjoys spending time outdoors with her partner and two children. In the winter, they can often be found skiing, while summers are filled with biking, canoeing, boating, climbing, camping, and hiking. Indoors, Eva’s favorite pastime is mending her children’s clothing.
Before joining the Montessori team, Eva worked as a substitute teacher for a year. She now supports Dominic’s class and is passionate about education, always eager to help children explore and realize their potential.
Eva’s motto is: “Learning is a lifelong journey—there is always something new to discover, no matter your age.”
Puneet Kaur
My name is Puneet Kaur. I moved from India to Canada in August 2021 after my high school. I graduated from Yukon University in Early Learning and Child CareProgram in 2023. I have been in this field for the last 3 years. I started working at Montessori in 2022 while I was a student. I have been greatly influenced by Maria Montessori writings about the leaders in the class and I strongly resonates with the image of children as “leaders” in Montessori environment. I am excited to meet all of you and ready to work with all of you
Chloe
My name is Hyo-Chang Ko. You can call me Chloe. I have previously worked with children at a private educational institute in South Korea where I came from. I had found myself from that experience.
I love to spend time with children because they always amuse me with all the inspirations and have so much potential and the greatest imagination, they all have individually.
Also, it’s a joy seeing children learn and develop a sense of curiosity and desire to learn more throughout the years as they grow.
I would like to play outdoor activities such as soccer and ball games and all indoor activities too.
This year will be filled with educational opportunities that will guide the children’s growth!”