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MAPLE BEAR GLOBAL SCHOOLS I The best of Canadian education for a global future.

NewThe Bear Magazine
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About Maple Bear

Maple Bear schools offer full Canadian programs utilizing Canadian methodology and curriculum developed by our own experts from the ground up for preschool, elementary, and high school.
The head office of Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd. is located in North Vancouver, Canada.

The economies of Eastern and Central European countries have been developing at a rapid rate for the past decades. Local companies have expanded into international markets and international corporations are setting up offices locally. This dynamic has enhanced the cultural identity of the region and increased the demand for educated, locally-based global citizens who are fluent in English.

Maple Bear leaders believe that education is the cornerstone institution that will have the most positive impact on the future of the CEE region – not only from an economical point of view but with regard to addressing the main challenges humanity faces as well.

The Story of Maple Bear

The idea to develop Maple Bear Canadian schools grew out of the work of the Canadian Education Centre Network (CECN), a non-profit organization supported by the Government of Canada and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada which was mandated to market Canadian education abroad to attract foreign students to study in Canada.
Maple Bear was born after CECN managers overseas recognized there was a domestic demand for high quality, bilingual Canadian education from parents, many of whom had studied outside of their own countries in general and in Canada in particular.

The first Maple Bear Canadian School to open was in Indirapuram (New Delhi), India in 2005.
In 2007, Maple Bear became a privately owned company with a dozen schools operating in Korea, Brazil and India. Those numbers quickly changed as news of the excellence of Canadian immersion and bilingual education spread, especially among parents who could see the positive outcomes in language, learning and behaviour of their children.

We invite you to join the Maple Bear global family as an owner, a student, a parent, a teacher or a member of the Canadian faculty.

Founders

Rodney Briggs

Co-Founder & Board Member

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Gerald Macleod

Co-Founder

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Maple Bear Global Team

José Henrique del Castillo Melo

CEO

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Martine Lewis

Chief Academic Officer

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Sunil Sudhakar

Chief Operations Officer

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Justine O Grady

Director of Curriculum

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Patti Rodger

Director of Training and Quality Assurance

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Tammy-Lynne Peel

Director of Academic Projects

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Renan Avanci

Director of Finance

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Rebecca Manning

Director of Operations

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Raissa de Freitas Calvette

Legal Manager

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Maple Bear CEE Team

Yann Bidan

Maple Bear CEE General Manager

Pavel Lekov

CFO

Irena Korbabicz-Putko

Academic Director

Denis Bonningue

Development Director

Denitsa Getova

Financial Manager

Nadya Kostova

Procurement and Office Manager

Shawna
Gates

VAD MB GS

Mateo
Cuadras

Franchise Expansion
Director

Andreea Necsulea

Operations Director

Virginia Momtchilova

Director of Communications

Beata
Pankowska

Project Manager

Mariya-Viktoriya
Veleva

Project Manager

Ralitsa
Petrova

Marketing Manager

Maple Bear Faculty

The Maple Bear Faculty is a distinguished team of expert Canadian educators, responsible for writing the specially designed and proprietary curriculum, faculty members continually update the material to reflect the latest in research and Canadian educational practices. Every year, the Maple Bear Global Schools team of educators also goes out in the field to Maple Bear locations around the world as trainers to help teachers deliver the program, and as Quality Assurance evaluators to ensure that schools are meeting standards.

Full List of Faculty Members

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MAPLE BEAR GLOBAL SCHOOLS

Mission & Vision Statement

The Maple Bear mission is to deliver a student-focused learning system in a safe, secure and stimulating environment that prepares students for success at the post secondary level and that instills a passion for life-long learning.

Read the full statement >
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Quick Links

Quick Links

Contact Us

Find a School near you and enroll your child through our regional website links.

Interested in owning a school?
Please visit our school ownership website.

For all other enquiries, please fill out our contact form.

© 2024 Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd.


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Rodney Briggs

Co-Founder & Board Member

A graduate of the University of Manitoba with an MA in Political Science, Rodney served as a Canadian diplomat from 1981 to 1996 with postings to Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Kingdom of Thailand, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. He also served as President of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.

In 1996, he joined the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as the Vice-President responsible for the Canadian Education Centre Network project and in 1997 became the first President of the newly-formed non-profit company, the Canadian Education Centre Network. In this capacity he was responsible for building the network from three centres in the Asia-Pacific region into an entity with a presence in 17 countries spanning the globe. While with the CEC Network, Rodney conceived and developed the Maple Bear education system. In March 2007, he purchased Maple Bear from the CEC Network.

As President of Maple Bear Global Schools he traveled extensively, expanding Maple Bear’s global footprint to over twenty countries.

In March 2021, Rodney retired from his operating role as President & CEO of Maple Bear Global Schools. He remains active as Board Chair and a shareholder in the company.

Gerald Macleod

Co-Founder

Gerald Macleod held both a B.A. and B.Ed from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Masters of Education (second language and immersion specialization) from the University of Manitoba. In addition he held a Diplôme d’études françaises from the Université de Poitiers, and a Diplôme d’études internationales et du développement from the Université de Toulouse, France. He also received numerous academic awards, including the Government of France scholarship for Graduate Study in France.

His education credentials were extensive, beginning as a teacher in Montreal, Saskatoon and Winnipeg; as Vice-Principal and Principal at all levels of the Winnipeg school system and as a university professor of Education Administration at the Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface, Manitoba.

Gerald served as School District Director of International Education in Winnipeg; Director of International Education in the Department of Advanced Education for the Province of Manitoba, and as a consultant in international education globally. He frequently presented on international education topics to teachers, principals and school boards.

Gerald passed away in early 2021.

José Henrique del Castillo Melo

CEO

José has invaluable experience in the education sector that spans over three decades. With a proven track record of excellence and achievement, Jose’s career encompasses a comprehensive history in education, from classroom teaching to holding various senior management positions in renowned organizations, in countries like Brazil, Canada and Spain, where he played a pivotal role in expanding global presence and establishing companies as prominent players in the industry.

Martine Lewis

Chief Academic Officer

Martine is an accomplished leader with over 30 years’ experience in education, curriculum implementation, change management and strategic operations. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and has worked as a teacher, Principal and most recently as a Superintendent of Schools for a large public school board. As an educational leader, she is committed to building trust, developing relationships and fostering a culture of collaboration while upholding equitable and inclusive values.

Sunil Sudhakar

Chief Operations Officer

With a remarkable track record spanning over 25 years, Sunil brings extensive expertise working with globally recognized brands, achieving substantial growth on a global scale, and in various locations, such as Dubai, US and most recently in Vancouver and Toronto.
His strategic thinking consistently delivered outstanding results in various areas such as sales, profit, people development and customer satisfaction. He understands the intricate dynamics of managing both multi-unit operations and pan-regional scopes encompassing both business management and development.

Justine O Grady

Director of Curriculum
Justine holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University. She has over 34 years of experience in education, as a science/biology/chemistry teacher and a school administrator. Justine also has training in conflict management, equity, and anti-racism, including a certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation from Conrad Grebel University and a Certificate in Instructional Rounds practices from Harvard University. A seasoned educational leader with extensive experience in school administration, curriculum development, and school improvement planning, Justine excels in fostering positive work environments and driving organizational improvements. Her key strengths lie in team building, conflict management, and strategic thinking, which have enabled her to mentor staff effectively, enhance instructional practices, and improve student outcomes. Justine has a deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to creating school environments that foster student well-being and success.

Patti Rodger

Director of Training and Quality Assurance

Patti Rodger, B.Ed., M. Ed., spent 30 years as an educator and administrator in the Saskatchewan education system. She was a classroom teacher, a special educator and finally a principal for over 19 years.

Tammy-Lynne Peel

Director of Training and Professional Development
Tammy-Lynne Peel is a leader and educator with over 30 years of experience in Ontario schools. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University with a focus on mentoring and training, and holds certificates from Harvard University’s Creating Cultures of Thinking program, and from John Hattie’s Visible Learning Institute. Tammy-Lynne has led professional development initiatives in classroom management, literacy instruction, mathematics, and equitable education. As a Superintendent of Education, she directed professional learning communities focused on Teaching and Learning Critical Pathways and chaired system-level improvement teams. Her responsibilities included developing mentoring and professional development opportunities for educators and leaders and establishing performance appraisal criteria.

Renan Avanci

Director of Finance

Renan has over 15 years of experience in key areas such as FP&A, Controllership and Business Finance, specializing in the education and technology sectors. He has a degree in Accounting and two MBAs in Controllership, Finance and Business Management. His background includes finance projects, business planning (Budget, Forecast, 5YP), automation, finance transformation, M&A, Plug and Play, and the implementation and integration of systems. He has contributed to Grupo SEB as FP&A Manager for 12 years and recently worked as Global Business Finance Manager at Hotmart.

Rebecca Manning

Director of Operations

Rebecca’s career in education has spanned 15 years and included experience as an English Language Trainer, Academic Coordinator, Academic Manager, and National Service Manager. She has lived and worked in South Korea, Hungary, Japan, Russia, and Brazil. In 2017, she opened the Canadian office of Maple Bear Latin America in the city of Toronto, where she now works as Operations Director for Maple Bear Global Schools.

Rebecca holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph, with a minor in Mathematical Science. She completed her Human Resources Management Certificate with the Sprott School of Business and holds the designations of Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) in the province of Ontario and Certified Talent Management Practitioner (CTMP) with the Canadian HR Academy. Additionally, Rebecca has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). She is currently an Executive MBA candidate with Kellogg-Schulich.

Rebecca speaks English and Portuguese.

Raissa de Freitas Calvette

Legal Manager

With over 11 years of extensive experience in corporate law, specifically in franchises, retail, and the service industry, Raissa brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will undoubtedly benefit our organization. Her background and skills make her a valuable addition to our team, and we are excited to have her on board.