| Year Started at WPGA: 1996
| First Position Title: Teacher
| Current Position Title: Head of School
READ BIO
| First Position Title: Teacher
| Current Position Title: Head of School
READ BIO
JENNIFER GUNASEKERA
Looking back, what’s a moment at WPGA that has stayed with you—one that shaped who you are today?
Looking back, one moment that has really influenced me happened during my first year of teaching with Ms. Kirsten Skarsgard (now Ms. Bowles!) We rallied the school community to sponsor a new campaign designed to raise funds for the education of children living at the Hope of a Child Orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The two of us were lucky enough to travel to the orphanage to deliver the funds in person and meet the children who benefited. What began as a single trip grew into something much bigger. The following year, the program continued, bringing senior school students to visit orphanages across the Dominican Republic.
Of course, a lot has changed. The faculty has grown, the campus has expanded, and there have been countless improvement projects along the way. I remember a time when if you needed an extra chair, you had to go searching the basement (we called it the dungeon!) for one yourself. Now, our operations are far more sophisticated and supported. Yet through all that growth and change, the heart of the school has remained the same. That sense of connection and belonging has never changed, and that’s what matters most to me.
| Year started at WPGA: 1998
| First Position Title: Grade 5/6 Teacher
| Current Position Title: Director of Enrolment
| First Position Title: Grade 5/6 Teacher
| Current Position Title: Director of Enrolment
Looking back, what’s a moment at WPGA that has stayed with you—one that shaped who you are today?
Looking back, one moment that has really influenced me happened during my first year of teaching with Ms. Kirsten Skarsgard (now Ms. Bowles!) We rallied the school community to sponsor a new campaign designed to raise funds for the education of children living at the Hope of a Child Orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The two of us were lucky enough to travel to the orphanage to deliver the funds in person and meet the children who benefited. What began as a single trip grew into something much bigger. The following year, the program continued, bringing senior school students to visit orphanages across the Dominican Republic.
What struck me most at the moment was recognition, the realization that all kids are the same at their core, regardless of upbringing, background, or circumstance. Watching our older students form genuine connections with the younger children was incredibly powerful. There was so much love, joy, and mutual respect exchanged, often without a shared language yet full of understanding.
What does the WPGA community mean to you and why?
When I first started here, I had just moved to Vancouver from the East and was beginning a new chapter. It was within this community that I met many of the friends I’m still close with today. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to build lasting connections with parents, students, and people I’ve taught. These are relationships that have continued well beyond the classroom. Some of the students I once taught have become colleagues, including Lindsay Haider, Shaun Lum, and Chris Loreth, while others have returned as parents, with their own children now thriving in the very same hallways where I once taught.
To me, the WPGA community means friendship.
To me, the WPGA community means friendship.
How have you seen WPGA grow or change over the years—and what has remained the same?
In many ways, so much has remained the same. I taught here until 2008, then left, and returned in 2022. Coming back, I was excited to see so many familiar faces, but what stood out most was that the feeling of belonging—of being part of this school and its culture—was still there. It felt immediately familiar, like coming home.
Of course, a lot has changed. The faculty has grown, the campus has expanded, and there have been countless improvement projects along the way. I remember a time when if you needed an extra chair, you had to go searching the basement (we called it the dungeon!) for one yourself. Now, our operations are far more sophisticated and supported. Yet through all that growth and change, the heart of the school has remained the same. That sense of connection and belonging has never changed, and that’s what matters most to me.
What’s one lesson or value from WPGA that you carry into your life beyond school?
One lesson I carry with me beyond school is the importance of belonging and of finding joy in the work you do. Being part of this community taught me how powerful it is to be a nurturing, caring adult in the lives of children. That understanding didn’t stay in the classroom; it has shaped how I show up as a parent, as a friend, and as a member of my wider community.
I’m grateful to be part of an organization that truly values care, connection, and joy, and that models those values every day. Being surrounded by people who believe in nurturing others has reinforced those lessons in my own life, both personally and professionally.
As we celebrate 30 years, what’s your hope or vision for the next 30?
As we celebrate 30 years, my hope for the next 30 is that WPGA continues to honour the traditions that shaped it while building thoughtfully on everything that has been accomplished so far. I hope we remain rooted in the values that have always defined this community, even as we grow and evolve.
My vision is that we continue to be respectful participants on this land, in whatever form our building or campus takes in the future. More than the physical space, what matters most to me is that the essence of this community—its warmth, vibrancy, and deep sense of belonging—is preserved. As long as that carries forward, the walls around us matter far less than the people within them.
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Stephen Anthony
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Ciara Corcoran
| Year Started at WPGA: 1996| First Position Title: Grade 4 Homeroom Teacher| Current Position Title: Head of Junior School
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Jonathan Pike
| Year Started at WPGA: 1996
| First Position Title: Socials and English Teacher| Current Position Title: Director of Operations -
Charlotte Anthony
| Year Started at WPGA: 1996
| First Position Title: Gr 2 Teacher| Current Position Title: STEM/Brainbreakers -
John Pope
| Year Started at WPGA: 1996
| First Position Title:
Grade 3 Homeroom Teacher, Music Teacher K & Gr 1, PE Teacher| Current Position Title:
Materials Design Teacher (Woodwork, Woodturning, Jewellery)
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Kirsten Bowles
| Year Started at WPGA: 1997
| First Position Title: Grade 2 Homeroom Teacher| Current Position Title: Counselling Department Head, Junior School -
Warren Lee
| Year Started at WPGA: 1998
| First Position Title: Part-time Swim coach and Instructor| Current Position Title: Vice Principal, Student Life -
Niamh McAllister
| Year Started at WPGA: 1999
| First Position Title: Grade 5 English Teacher| Current Position Title: Senior Drama teacher, play director. -
Jennifer Gunasekera
| Year started at WPGA: 1998
| First Position Title: Grade 5/6 Teacher
| Current Position Title: Director of Enrolment
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Devin St-Amour
| Year Started at WPGA: 2002
| First Position Title: PE Teacher and Swim instructor| Current Position Title: Teacher Librarian -
Lindsay Haider
| Year started at WPGA: 2006
| First Position title: Assistant debate coach 2006
(Grade 3 Student number 265 - Bonny Woo homeroom - 1996)| Current Position title: Social Studies Department Head,Coordinator of Global Discourse and Reasoning
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JUNIOR SCHOOL
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Since 1996, West Point Grey Academy has gratefully resided on the Jericho Lands, the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation. Honoured to learn and play on these beautiful lands, we endeavour to be a leader in Indigenous education. In creating shared understanding and opportunities, we hope to help foster a more equitable society for all.
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West Point Grey Academy
4125 West 8th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C., V6R 4P9
Tel: 604-222-8750
Vancouver, B.C., V6R 4P9
Tel: 604-222-8750
