Local Retired Teacher With Cancer Ready To Take the Next Step

After being diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer and 30 years of teaching, local teacher Andrew Astrom is going from the classroom to the real estate world.

Astrom has played high school football with NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights insider and Peterborough native Gary Lawless. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom discovered his cancer on May 4 and had surgery on Aug. 5 where his thyroid and several lymph nodes were removed. He has lost most of his voice, has side neck pain and suffers nerve pain when he eats.

He retired from Holy Cross Secondary school in late December after the fall semester of last year following a 20-year tenure. He made his decision due to his cancer and influence from his recently retired colleague Andre Metivier.

Astrom retired from Holy Cross taking with him a lock, pictures of his sons and a Rubik’s cube. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

He spent his first five years teaching in Lindsay then worked at Immaculate Conception School in Peterborough for another five. The rest of his tenure was spent at Holy Cross teaching a variety of subjects but with a focus on social sciences.

"There were some tough days in education but most of it has been great,” reflected Astrom. “The kids you meet, the colleagues you have, just the added experiences of sports and all of those things. It's been an amazing run.

Astrom with his wife Tammie have three sons together with two of them as collegiate quarterbacks. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom is following in his wife’s footsteps as a real estate agent with Bowes & Cocks. He is close to having full certification as the next step of his life. He says he refuses to let his cancer hold him down from being a functional member of society.

“I've just said it's time to get going here,” remarked Astrom. “I'm not a good victim, I'm not a good patient so I had to find a way for me to get back to being useful.”

Astrom is scheduled for a follow-up surgery at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto later this year.

Some of his hobbies include woodworking and playing guitar. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Holy Cross football team during the school’s second season in 2003.

After 30 years of teaching, Astrom says he will miss all the students he has met over the years.

“I will always love being in front of kids,” he said. “There’s a lot of kids that have connected with my style and my personality and a lot who didn’t. I don’t take it personally but I will miss all the kids.”

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Local Teacher Earns NYC Marathon Spot While Outpacing Mental Health

It is an opportunity very few people get but Julie Vallières has been selected as one of six Canadian teachers to run in the New York City Marathon in the fall.

Vallières has been helping her students battle mental health issues since 2015. She serves as the school’s cross-country and track and field coach. Photo Courtesy of Julie Vallières.

She was selected as part of Team Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) who pick 50 North American teachers as representatives.

Vallières submitted her video application to TCS with her story, how running helped her teaching and why she should be picked. She promoted running as a way to help with mental health issues her students were facing at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School.

“I’m glad I get to be with people with the same passion for running,” she said. “It’s nice to gain some mental strength from running long distances.”

TCS supports physical and mental health among children and provided Vallières and other selected teachers with integrated technology education resources for easier teaching.

She learned about Team TCS from Niels Walkau, a local colleague and friend who participated in the marathon two years prior.

Vallières constantly trains, running four to five times a week to prepare for the 26.2 mile-long marathon. She has participated in several running events or marathons as part of her training regime.

The event is not set in stone for Canadians since border travelling is still in limbo from the pandemic. Vallières is hopeful that the world will have enough normalcy to allow her to participate.

“I’m hoping by then, everything will be good,” she explained. “I’m keeping a positive mindset here and we’ll be out of the woods with vaccines and stuff.”

Vallières plans to bring her family to watch her run at the marathon. Her children are eligible to participate in a 5-kilometre run, the day prior to the main event.

Last year, the NYC marathon was postponed but Vallières was able to earn a medal in their digitized version through an app.

“It will be a great experience for all of us,” she said. “It’s about the people that support the community. I know it’s a great experience and I want to be able to share it with my family.”

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Beloved Teacher Receives Video Montage Congratulating Their Retirement

It was a heartfelt moment for the now-retired supply teacher Wadsworth Kulatungam as he received a video montage from former students, friends and coworkers congratulating his retirement sent Wednesday.

PTBOCanada Editor David Tuan Bui with Wadsworth Kulatungam circa 2008 and 2021. Bui was a former student of Kulatungam periodically as a supply teacher since 1998. Photos by David Tuan Bui

Kulatungam — better known as Mr. Wadsworth — said he was touched when he was surprised by the 34 people that congratulated him on his retirement of the video montage.

"It was sort of overwhelming looking at it,” said Kulatungam. “It was quite emotional too.”

He retired in December 2020 after 25 years as a supply teacher. He retired citing that it was his time and he wanted to leave on a good note.

The montage was started by former colleague Colleen Crawley, English teacher at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School. It was Kulatungam’s last place of employment.

She started an open campaign on Facebook to allow anyone to send video clips of their well-wishes to Kulatungam.

“He is so well-loved by students and staff alike that I always imagined his retirement would call for a big celebration,” said Crawley. “Since the pandemic did not allow this, I decided to make the group video to allow people the opportunity to wish him well.”

Colleen Crawley’s recruitment of people to give videos to Kulatungam was shared 89 times on her Facebook post alone. Photo Courtesy of Colleen Crawley.

Kulatungam believes his attitude is what resonated with the students and staff. Telling jokes and smiling is what helped keep everybody positive he said.

“Never put down anyone,” explain Kulatungam. “Everyone has their talents, good and bad. None of us are perfect. I don't think any student is useless. I don't use that word at all. Everyone has capabilities and goodness in them. That was my philosophy. Criticism doesn't carry you anywhere.”

Kulatungam was a teacher and a vice-principal in his home country of Sri Lanka until he immigrated to Canada in 1993.

He is the second oldest of five children with an older brother and his sister as the youngest. Kulatungam says he will spend his spare time either reading or gardening.

"Don't be shy about being wrong,” said Kulatungam.

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Local Teacher Uses Running to Aid In Students' Mental Health Issues

Running not only maintained teacher Julie Vaillères’s physical health but her mental well-being and uses her story to help students with similar issues since 2015.

Vaillères has taught core and French immersion classes at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School. She has also taught drama, religion and science classes with some as part of the immersion program. Photo Courtesy of Julie Vaillères.

Vaillères suffered a major depressive breakdown in 2014 where she believed she could never teach again. During her time off work, her psychiatrist suggested running again, an on-and-off hobby throughout her life.

Since returning to St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School in the fall of 2015 after having time off recovering, the French teacher shared her stories with students. Vaillères’s pupils were inspired to open up about their mental health problems to her as a result.

“I use running to explain how it manages my mental illness,” said Vaillères. “It helps you with self-confidence, energy and how physical health goes hand in hand. It’s my me time and my way of meditating. I love nature and it’s my way of grounding myself.”

The group was unable to run in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but with in-person learning returning in the fall of 2021, the “Change Your M;nd’s” revival is the plan for Vailleres. Photo Courtesy of Julie Vaillères.

Students would confide in Vaillères and then be redirected to professional help from the school board or a social worker for further treatment.

The group became known as “Change Your M;nd” for students to have weekly meetings to open up about their mental issues. They would do collaborations with organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and Peterborough Memorial Centre to raise money for mental health awareness.

Since forming the group back in 2015, Vaillères and students are helping erase the stigma of having mental health issues, creating awareness while promoting healthier choices.

Photo Courtesy of Julie Vaillères.

Vaillères volunteers her time as the school’s cross-country and track and field coach and shares her story to inspire the student-athletes.

“The students that we get are so strong mentally and the perseverance they show and support that they give to one another is amazing,” she said. “We’re all in this to better ourselves.”

Photo Courtesy of Julie Vailleres.

Vaillères says when she was a child, mental health was highly stigmatized but when she was admitted for treatment, it was a huge relief. It is a message she wants to spread to anyone suffering from any issues.

“There’s a positive story behind painful times,” said Vaillères. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel when you reach out for help. We shouldn’t be feeling ashamed. Now I feel the need to share my story because if I’m able to help others, it’s the best reward I can get.”

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Local Teacher Introduces Indigenous Issues High School Course

Kevin Robinson, Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute teacher, introduces a course called "Indigenous Issues in Film”.

Find out more about Robinson’s experience with the class and its impact it has had on the school. David Tuan Bui has the story in the video above.

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Local Teacher Creating Positivity Despite Virtual Classroom

Teaching virtually has not stopped Bradley Conlin, a teacher at Highland Heights Public School, from creating a positive learning atmosphere.

Find out more about Conlin’s challenges and joys from teaching Grade 1 students since teaching online in March 2020 by watching the YouTube video above. Our David Tuan Bui has the story.

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Look At What A Peterborough Teacher Gave To Her Students To Make Reading Fun

This is awesome. A teacher, Wendy Thompson, made these for her students. What a great idea. It's amazing teachers like this that empower students, and make learning and reading fun. Bookworms for life. Literacy rocks.

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