As the new school year unfolds at STMC, we have the pleasure of acquainting ourselves not only with the new Grade 8 students but also with fresh additions to our staff and faculty. This academic term introduces three new faces to our team. We are genuinely excited to extend a warm welcome to these exceptional individuals, now part of the ever-growing STMC family, as they contribute their distinctive skills and knowledge to our institution.
Please join us in welcoming:
Martin Pagcaliwagan
Martin Pagcaliwagan is ecstatic to join the STMC community this fall. Martin grew up in the Philippines and graduated from Cambie Secondary in Richmond. After receiving his Chemistry Degree from SFU, he attended UBC to receive his Bachelor of Education and St. Mark’s College for his Graduate Certificate in Religious Education. Currently pursuing a Master of Science Education at UBC, Martin brings a wealth of experience from his time at Notre Dame, where he taught Science and Math, served as Campus Minister, an outdoor educator, dance coach, and choreographer. Outside of school, you might find him on stage or behind the scenes at Science World, where he works as a Science Facilitator.
This summer, Martin attended World Youth Day in Portugal to meet with Pope Francis and 500 000 other pilgrims. Inspired by the Gospel, Martin aims to foster a dynamic and engaging learning environment where students experience the beauty and wonder of the created world.
Adam Walker
I trained at the University of Birmingham in Dance, Drama, and Music. After a couple of years in the industry, I chose to retrain in Drama Education and gained a PGCE from the University of Warwick. I worked in London as an A-level and GCSE teacher for 3 years before moving to Hong Kong and becoming a Head of Arts whilst teaching IB MYP and DP Theatre. I remained there for 13 years, becoming an MYP workshop leader, DP examiner, and ISTA artist. In 2022 I undertook further study at Trinity College Dublin on their Master’s education course with a thesis focused on how drama education techniques can create Agency in young people. I plan to use this experience to cultivate a dynamic and collaborative drama curriculum at STMC.
I love working with new and exciting texts and combining these with movement-based experiences to create post-modern theatre with powerful messages. On the other side of the coin, I love clowning with the broad characters from British Pantomime and telling as many double entendre jokes as possible. I’m very excited to be joining the team at STMC.
The photo is where I first performed on stage in Birmingham aged 6.
Steph Walker
As an alumna of STMC, I am excited to be returning to this community. I have been working in the field of education for over 15 years as a Learning Resource Coordinator, Behavior Analyst and former Behavior Interventionist. I am passionate about the science of learning and focus my work with students to build skills related to self regulation, self advocacy and executive functioning. I welcome and see great value in collaborating with students, parents/guardians and teachers to develop meaningful goals to help students further their development and growth. At home, my husband and I keep busy chasing after our daughters, learning how to garden and going on family adventures.
