Staff Directory

alva.holliday@wolfcreek.ab.ca 

Being the Principal of West Country Outreach School is incredibly rewarding. Our school prides itself on offering an excellent educational environment within the richness of relationships and a sense of 'family'. Our mission/vision statement is "To instill hope and inspire success for all learners".  We invest our time and hearts into every student at WCO.

After obtaining my Bachelor of Education, I taught in both Alberta and Nunavut before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology; Native Studies) and a Master of Education in Leadership.  Every day, I am thankful that my path led me to Rimbey and this incredible group of students, educators, and families. 

I enjoy travel - locally, nationally, and internationally!  My summers are usually spent in the Yukon, hiking, and sightseeing with family and my little dogs, Scout & Lizzie. People who know me well would describe me as someone who loves a strong cup of coffee, great conversation, and laughter – especially if those 3 things go together with a student or colleague, or friend.  Those same people would say, "Alva loves her work, and is proud of the school." They would be right. I do, and I am.  

kim.beierbach@wolfcreek.ab.ca 

I have been the Administrative Assistant at West Country Outreach since September 2013. Every year I enjoy getting to know the students and staff better, it truly is like a second family. My husband and I grew up in Rimbey and stayed here to raise our family. We have a daughter, a son, and now a brand new daughter-in-law, who are the lights of our lives! When I'm not at work, I enjoy traveling, reading a good book, camping, spending time with my family, enjoying live music, and socializing with my friends.

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." Princess Diana

samantha.chick@wolfcreek.ab.ca

My name is Samantha Chick and I am the School Social Worker at West Country Outreach School in Rimbey, Eckville Jr. Sr. High, and Eckville Elementary. I have been with Wolf Creek School Division since March 2018 starting in Eckville and adding WCOS in October 2020. Prior to this, I worked in numerous roles at the Outreach Center in Red Deer focusing on women and children affected by domestic violence. In 2020 I received my full certification as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner through Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute. Working with children and youth was always a dream of mine and with a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck I was able to lock down this amazing job and make so many positive connections with children and youth over the years. “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Marc Anthony. On a personal note, I have been with my partner since 2013, married in 2023. We LOVE animals and our house motto is the more paws the merrier! Camping, paddle boarding, traveling, spending time with my niece (she is my favorite person), and snuggling in a blanket with a good book are my favorite pastimes.

natalya.agafonov@wolfcreek.ab.ca

In my opinion, being a teacher is the best job ever!   

My name is Natalya Agafonov, and I have been working in the Wolf Creek Public School Division for more than 20 years. I am privileged to meet and teach children who really love math, children who may be scared of math, or others who are not sure what to think about it. Every day is different in West Country Outreach. It may be filled with a lot of laughter and learning, or we may just sit and have heart-to-heart talks. One of my favorite moments is when a student says, “I got it! It is so interesting, and I can see how I can use it in my life.”  Yes, math could be very abstract, often straightforward, but always applicable to real life.

26 years ago, I came to live in Canada, the best country ever. I grew up and completed my education in Ukraine, married my best friend whom I've known since grade one, raised two children, and learned that life is always full of surprises. I really enjoy a good book, romcom, and a long walk with my dog. And there is always the hope to travel more and see other countries.

marg.brookwell@wolfcreek.ab.ca

Hello! My name is Marg Brookwell, and I teach JH Math and Science, HS Biology, and Science 14/24 at West Country Outreach School. This is my 26th year working for Wolf Creek Public Schools! Although I have seen many changes to public schooling, I have appreciated the constant emphasis on improving the lives of our students as the focus of all we do as educators in Wolf Creek. It has been a privilege to spend my career with an incredible family of skilled and committed educators all across the division, but especially with my colleagues at West Country Outreach. We are a tight-knit group with a shared vision that anyone can learn, given the support and care every student deserves.
In my home life, I am a mom of two grown daughters and share my home with my sweet
German Shepherd Lily, and my enthusiastic Australian Terrier Tova. I enjoy walking with my dogs, seeing live theatre and music, and always learning and experiencing new ideas and skills. I love traveling and visiting museums wherever I go.

melissa.marois@wolfcreek.ab.ca

Another summer of fun leads us to another School year of memories and opportunities! I’m Melissa Marois - the resident English Language Arts Teacher here at WCOS. Within the building, my joy comes from helping students realize that little by little, a little becomes a lot and they really CAN do it! I love connecting with students through games, books, and conversations. Outside of the building, my husband and I love adventuring with our three children aged 2, 5, and 7. We are currently in our ‘activity era’ and take in a lot of dirt bike races, hockey games, and children’s books. It’s a joy to be a part of the team at West Country Outreach!

casidy.martens@wolfcreek.ab.ca 

Hi! I'm Casidy Martens and this is my third year at the Outreach where I get to teach HS Science and coordinate the Off-Campus programs. This is my 11th year with Wolf Creek Public Schools. I received my Bachelor of Education at Canadian University College in 2013.
Going all mad scientist happens to be one of my passions, which is fairly helpful when teaching science! I began my academic career in Pharmacy where I was able to take almost every science under the sun! But teaching was my true calling and where I find the most gratification.
I grew up and live on a cattle farm in Rocky Mountain House. I love to go quading and camping where I can sit around a campfire exchanging stories with my grandfather. I get to test my carpentry skills when I get wrangled into building my sister's home or helping my grandmother in her carpentry shop. At the farm, I get to act as foreman and mechanic where I am either wrestling calves or repairing the skid steer. When I get some time to myself I love to read and learn something new.

david.robertson@wolfcreek.ab.ca

If I ever slip into my Scottish accent, please understand that I come by that very honestly. My parents were both born in the Glasgow area, and my dad still sounds like he left Scotland yesterday. I was born in Dover, England, and lived there until just shy of my third birthday when my parents moved to Nanaimo, BC. My little brother (also a teacher) was born a couple of years later, rounding out the Robertsons. I grew up in a small Vancouver Island town called Nanoose Bay, graduating high school at Ballenas Secondary in Parksville. After many years of university that had me studying at Malaspina College, UVIC, and Simon Fraser, I became a certified teacher.

I will never forget my first subbing job in Campbell River, BC. It was Halloween Day, and I was in the Drama room. Chaos ensued. In my first three years teaching I taught Math, Drama, SS, Science, and French, took a couple of turns as Santa, and once supervised an entire school dance in an Easter Bunny costume.

I moved to Alberta in 1998, where I taught grades 3-5 at Zama City School. The following year I was hired as the principal in Zama, and taught grades 4-7 with 9 students. That was an eye-opening experience that helped prepare me for what was to come. After that year, I taught at a predominantly Mennonite school in a community called Blue Hills. While there I had my first experience driving on an ice bridge. There are things people are meant to do, and that is NOT one of them. In 2001, I started working at Rimbey Junior-Senior High School, where I stayed for 4 years. And in 2005 I moved to West Country Outreach School. I feel like everything I’ve learned throughout my career about working with kids, adjusting to the student’s needs, and meeting people where THEY are at, is finally serving me and the community perfectly. I love our little school, and the thought of being anywhere else pains me.

Outside of school, I have three wonderful children who fill my life with love and joy. We enjoy reading together, going to movies, Broadway theatre, baking, Shakespeare in the park, concerts, and anything that makes us laugh. Top of our list though is a love of reading. We keep the town library hopping with all of our requests and will share our favourite reads with one another. We can spend hours in Chapters just wandering.

For fun, I enjoy soccer, baseball, travel, and listening to my records or CDs. There is always music playing in my house.

darlene.schroeder@wolfcreek.ab.ca

As a lifetime learner, building skills and refining abilities, has always been a core value. Believing in the uniqueness and value of each individual keeps me challenged. I appreciate working together with the WCOS team. It is challenging and exciting for me to be part of a network of excellence, where the best possible happens for each student. 
Across the outback, equator, oceans, forests, everglades, and savannahs; From "Up North" to "Down Under" and from mountain peaks to caves below: I still happily call Rimbey home.