Meg Fox, Principal:
Dr. Fox is a parent and educator of many years' experience in the public, private and university systems, with a special interest in the gifted adolescent. She has lectured for learned societies, the University of Toronto, and York University, and has held the post of Head of English and of Vice-Principal at a Toronto private school. She received her doctorate in English Literature from the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies in 1986, with a dissertation on Political and Social Models in the Works of Philip Sidney. Her special scholarly interests are in Renaissance literature, history and political science. She has also pursued academic work in pedagogy and philosophy as well as fine arts. She has lobbied for the legalisation of midwifery in Ontario, and taken part in numerous amateur and professional theatrical productions. She is a published poet, and the author of five novels. She also sings Gershwin, and accompanies herself on the piano. She has spent many of the happiest hours of her life in the world's great museums.

Sarah Beatty, Guidance Officer
A practicing artist, Sarah Beatty holds a keystone position at Dragon Academy, where she has been teacher/guidance counselor/designer/curriculum innovator/administrator since 2005. She spent a great deal of her childhood developing her imagination in the spectacularly magical and wondrous fields and forests of rural Ontario with her two younger sisters. She holds Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a specialization in Printmaking and Book Arts, from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her commitment to the community at OCAD, now OCADU, led her to accept the position of class assistant to the great George Walker for three years. Sarah has traveled extensively and brings her curiosity and breadth of interests and knowledge to her Dragon students. She makes apple cider at her parents' honey bee farm and likes to ride her bike, play the piano and work in her studio. She feels lucky to work in such a dynamic, supportive environment at The Dragon and dearly enjoys teaching the wonderful students here.

James Shaw, Registrar
After an adolescence marked by interests from rugby and clarinet to literature and politics, James traveled across Canada before landing in Halifax where he took the Foundation Year Program. He graduated from King's with a Double Honours in Contemporary Studies and History. During this period he wrote children's stories for educational software programs and began his love affair with photography on a long trip to India. After graduation, James set off once again, teaching English (he holds TESOL and TESL qualifications as a teacher of English as a Second Language) and gallivanting throughout East Asia and Southern Africa. He has pursued courses at George Brown in Digital Cinematography and Digital Filmmaking. In 2010, James’ work at George Brown led to his selection as a participant in the Rogers TV reality show, “The Film Student”, as he wrote, directed and produced his own short film, “No Hero”.

In addition to anchoring Dragon’s administration, Mr. Shaw teaches social sciences and history, and has inaugurated our innovative film and media studies programme.

Iris Ashkenazy
Iris Ashkenazy has a BA from York University and a M.S. from Daemen College. She is OCT and New York State certified, with teachables in math, history, and special ed., and has taught in both Toronto and Orange County, California. Along with the Ontario curriculum, Iris is experienced in teaching both the Singapore and the Saxon math methods. Iris is most proud of developing a teaching and tutoring method that makes students feel comfortable and motivated about learning math. She is especially experienced in helping students with learning disabilities. In her spare time Iris enjoys dancing ballet and Argentine Tango, and has even taught dance at the Dragon.

Vanessa Alsop
Vanessa Alsop has a Masters in Environmental Studies (York University), Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Surrey University, UK) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) (University of London, UK). She began her work in conservation as a forester in Ecuador in 1987, working on the Rio Mazan Project - an Anglo-Ecuadorian project for forests and the people of the Andes. She has subsequently worked in marketing and communications (agency side) and also spent three years as a biology teacher teaching in inner city schools in London, UK. In Canada she has worked in marketing (Faculty of Education, York University), provided professional development for teachers on sustainability, she is the founder of Idle Free Ontario - a voluntary organisation involved in educating about idling and has been a junior fellow for IRIS (Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability at York University) since 2006.

Daccia Bloomfield
Daccia Bloomfield is a Toronto based writer, editor and painter. For several years, she ran an art gallery called Virus Arts, which was called Now Magazine's Best Deceased Art Gallery upon the occasion of its untimely demise. She grew up as a film set brat and spent her adolescence singing show tunes in cemeteries and caring about things like becoming famous and being able to hold her breath for a very long time under water. Her first novel, Dora Borealis, was published by ECW Press in 2008. This is her first year teaching at the Dragon Academy, and she is very excited about it!

Susannah Brower
Susannah, originally from Syracuse, NY, earned her BA in Latin and French from Bryn Mawr College, and her MA and PhD in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. She loves learning languages and traveling, and has previously lived in Rome (as a student) and France (as an English teacher). She is particularly enamored of Rome, as her Latin students will no doubt discover. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the viola, cooking Italian food, apple picking, drinking coffee, reading, watching TV with her roommates, and inundating her Facebook friends with photos of her fabulous cat, Sam. She is very excited to be joining the Dragon Academy team.

Emma Brown
After completing her practicum for her Bachelor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at Dragon, Emma Brown joined our faculty to redesign and teach the Healthy Active Living curriculum, along with other key courses in guidance and career studies, foundational French and Spanish, and to work with Ms. Beatty in teaching Visual Art. Emma received her Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in Sexual Diversity Studies and Fine Art History in 2007, and has spearheaded Dragon’s relevant and respectful Sexual Education Programme, focusing on providing students with the information and critical thinking skills necessary for a healthy and informed sexual identity. Emma Brown is also a photographer and artist, and a committed runner.

Meghan Burke
Ms. Burke guides her students through the fascinating world of mathematics. Her interest in progressive education drew her to the Dragon Academy in the Fall of 2009. Meghan had spent the previous five years working with at-risk youth in New York City where she taught mathematics and science. She holds a Master of Science from Pace University (2006), a Bachelor of Education from Queen's University (2004), and a Bachelor of Science from St. Mary's University (2003).

Meghan has a passion for exploring hidden corners of the world, from riding the Trans-Siberian railway to working at a homeless shelter in Dublin, Ireland. Most recently, she traveled to Turkey, where she visited historical sites and explored ancient ruins. Her spare time is spent playing hockey and rugby, writing songs and playing the guitar.

Stephanie Bushnik
Stephanie Bushnik began as a tutor at the Dragon in 2007, while she was completing an Honours B.Sc. at the University of Toronto. In her undergraduate program she specialized in biology and majored in physics, and became particularly interested in early science education. During her first years at the school she was so impressed by the staff and students - the sense of community, the enthusiasm and discussions, the amazing field trips - that she was thrilled to get more involved, and started working in 2009 as a math and science teacher. She strives to help her students find the same sense of awe and appreciation for the subjects that made her fall in love with science. Some of her students have correctly described her as a 'super geek', and she enjoys knitting, baking and learning strange foreign languages in her spare time.

Philip Enchin
Philip Enchin teaches Music, Computer Science, Earth and Space Science, and Physics at Dragon. He has a particular commitment to topics and methods in music education that will allow his students to explore their own interests within the fascinating world of music around us, and to develop confidence in their own abilities to create music. Outside of teaching, Philip is a pianist, composer, and computer programmer, and does work to incorporate all three of those passions. His composed music is often written by his own computer programs, and performances have required a computer to be on stage from time to time. The remainder of his time is spent in the cockpits of gliders, cooking delicious meals, riding his bicycle and running. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Music with a Minor in Computer Science from Wilfrid Laurier University, and his Bachelor of Education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.

Nick Martin
Since getting his Bachelor's in Chemistry and English, and then Education at the University of Toronto, Nick Martin has spent his time teaching and traveling his way around the world. A native of Toronto, he has spent 4 years based in England and Japan, as well as visiting many other countries to appreciate all of the cultural and natural beauty that this world has to offer. Recently returned to Toronto, he is eager to share his experience and experiences. Besides his passion for exploring the physical and mental worlds, he also loves playing and coaching Ultimate Frisbee, music, puzzles, and kicking back with a good book.

Jaclyn Piudik - On Sabatical
Jaclyn Piudik, a native of New York City, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampshire College, where she studied photography, women's studies and fashion theory. She earned a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the City College of New York. Her poems have been appeared in many literary journals and her first chapbook was published in Toronto in 2005. She did at second Master of Arts degree in Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, where she is currently working toward the completion of her Ph.D. Jaclyn has lived in France and Israel and is skilled in French, Hebrew, and Latin (in addition to other languages). Her tastes and interests have always been very eclectic. Her pastimes include African djembe drumming, going to the opera, reading, writing and listening to poetry, travel and learning about different cultures. She is an animal lover and currently lives with 5 cats.

Matt Russo
Matt Russo holds a B. Mus. for Jazz guitar, a B. Sc. in Astrophysics and an M. Sc. in Physics, all from the University of Toronto. He is currently a PhD student at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics where he is working on relativistic jets launched by rapidly rotating neutron stars. He teaches physics at the Dragon Academy, developing the students' faculties in understanding the mathematical nature of the universe, critical and skeptical thinking, and areas of modern physics such as relativity and quantum mechanics. Mr. Russo has apassion for scientific literacy which he inherited from Carl Sagan and enjoys teaching at the Dragon Academy immensely. In his spare time he plays in a live hip hop band.

Lorin Schwarz
Dr. Lorin Schwarz teaches Humanities and Social Science courses at the Dragon Academy, and English Education at York University. His Doctoral dissertation, "The Opposite of Reading," involved psychoanalytic and aesthetic readings of the challenges of literature teaching. He has lectured widely across Europe and North America, published many articles on poetry, literature and teaching, and remains fascinated by the diverse and creative ways people live their lives.

Taylor Sutherland
Taylor Sutherland teaches piano and works in theatre. He holds his M.A. in Text and Performance from King's College London and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, his B.Sc. in Human Biology from the University of Toronto, and his A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Taylor is an associate actor with Studio Six in New York, the American studio of the Moscow Art Theatre. His work in theatre and music has taken him throughout North America and Europe, most recently as an actor in Gorod.ok, a Russian-American co-production premiered at the 2011 Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Moscow. Taylor was the recipient of a 2008 Playwriting Fellowship with the Edward F. Albee Foundation in New York. He has spearheaded the programme in dramatic arts at Dragon since 2006, offering inspiring direction for our year end productions.

Faculty Emeritus

Claudia Carolina
One of Canada’s foremost flamenco teachers, choreographers and dancers, she has taught for the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music, Appleby College, and the University of Calgary as well as teaching music at The Dragon. Artistic director and principal choreographer of Theatre Flamenco, she has shared the soul of Flamenco through classes, workshops and concerts with leading artists, in addition to her many outreach programmes through the Arts Council and Toronto area schools.

Ms. Carolina’s early studies included dance at the National Ballet School and music at the Royal Conservatory of Music. After university studies in music composition, she lived in Spain for 10 years, and studied with such famous artists and teachers as La Tati, Manolete, Ricardo "El Veneno", Paco Fernandes and the late Maria Alba. She has worked and toured extensively in the tablaos of Spain and the concert halls of Europe, the Middle East, the U. S. A. and Canada, along with a two year stint at the New York City Opera, and appearances at New York’s famous flamenco gathering place, le Chateau. She now travels throughout Canada performing, choreographing and teaching, most recently bringing her Misa Flamenca, the first Flamenco Mass to be realized in Canada, to sold-out audiences in the west.

Dan Giang
Dan Giang holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics (Toronto, 2009), an M.Sc. in Physics (Toronto, 2003), and a B.Sc. Honours in Physics with a minor in Fine Arts (Calgary, 2002). His Ph.D. thesis covered cosmology, singularities, extra dimensions and braneworld theory. His artwork attempts to cover much of the same topics (to varying degrees of success). He has worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto earning the Van Kranendonk Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Ashleigh Ingle
Ashleigh Ingle is a PhD student in Physics at the University of Toronto. Her work involves simulating vegetation in global climate models and has applications to land-use and climate change, as well as development planning. She completed an Honours BSc with a Specialist in Astronomy and Physics. Her undergraduate thesis, published in the International Astrophysical Journal, studied the interaction between relativistic pulsars and the interstellar medium.

Tammy Manor
Tammy Manor is a teacher as well as a lifelong student. She attended McMaster University where she completed a Bachelor of Sciences, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Mathematics. Always having had a passion for mathematics and music, she decided to pursue teaching both subjects at the high school level. She received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto in 2007. She enjoys helping people overcome challenges, which is why she is passionate about teaching. Other interests include spirituality, human behaviour, humour and the arts.

FACULTY