Our Team

Hua (Jennifer) Lan - 蓝华

Founder and Music Director - owner

Jennifer is the founder of Zida Academy and provides music instruction to children at our school. As an international acclaimed musician with over 35 years of teaching experience, Jennifer has cultivated the talent of thousands of enthusiastic young musicians. Many of whom have achieved top results at music exams, recitals and competitions both in Canada and internationally. Under Jennifer’s leadership and vision, Zida Academy continues to be the educational leader in combining music education as part of early childhood development which unlocks children’s potential and allow them to have the best start possible!

Juwayriya Hashi, RECE, RBT

Supervisor - acting

Juwayriya is our acting Supervisor at Zida Academy. She is a dedicated and compassionate professional with over 10 years of experience working with children, specializing in early childhood education and child development. She holds an Early Childhood Education (ECE) diploma, a degree in Child Studies from Carleton University, and is certified as a Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT). Currently pursuing a Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis, she continues to expand her expertise in supporting children with a wide range of developmental and behavioral needs.

Beyond her academic and professional qualifications, Juwayriya has extended her passion for children to her home community in Somalia. In 2019, she co-founded the Bahnano Autism Center, a non-profit organization committed to providing essential support for children with developmental disabilities. Through this initiative, she has made a profound and lasting impact on families and children, demonstrating her dedication to advocacy and care for children, regardless of geographic boundaries.

At Zida Academy, Juwayriya is highly regarded for her approachable leadership style, exceptional communication skills, and ability to inspire and empower her team. She fosters a collaborative and positive work environment, ensuring that each team member feels supported, valued, and equipped to succeed. With her deep expertise in child development, behaviour analysis, and team leadership, Juwayriya plays a pivotal role in driving both individual and organizational success, all while prioritizing the well-being of the children and families served by Zida Academy. Her contributions make her an invaluable asset to the team.

Abbey Gauthier, RECE

Registered Early Childhood Educator - lead

Abbey is our lead Registered Early Childhood Educator at Zida Academy. She graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Early Childhood Education. She is registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. Abbey has always had a passion for working with children since a young age; she has grown up with her mom running a home daycare and that is where her passion has started. She is passionate about helping children strive to reach their full potential. Abbey is also passionate when it comes to letting children learn through play and experiences to help expand their curiosity. Abbey believes that nature is our third teacher and want to include as much of the outdoors into children’s learning. Abbey has a great understanding of child development and looks forward to supporting and collaborating with her team to create a welcoming and nurturing environment for each and every child enrolled at Zida Academy. Abbey is eager to showcase her strong leadership skills and continue building positive relationships with families and the community!

Elisa Parkins, RECE

Registered Early Childhood Educator

Elisa is one of our Registered Early Childhood Educators at Zida Academy. She graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and is registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. Elisa loves to work with children. She is an aunt to 12 nieces and nephews and has experience with all children’s age groups. Elisa is also a mother of a young daughter. She knows all about the joy of having children. Elisa enjoys spending time outdoors doing various activities with her family. She has a very fun and bubbly personality. Elisa believes it is important to build a personal relationship with both children and parents. She wants the parents to feel that their children’s needs will be met leaving them with a welcoming environment.

Moumina Houssein, RECE / EPEI

Registered Early Childhood Educator / Éducatrice de la petite enfance inscrits

Moumina is one of our Registered Early Childhood Educators at Zida Academy. She graduated from la Cite Collégiale with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and is registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. Working with kids was something Moumina had always wanted to do. During her first few years of elementary school, she used to help with the daycare that was located within the school and used to express her desire to work with children. Moumina’s passion is dancing, and she attends a class every Thursday. She is also a mother to a beautiful and smart little boy who is turning 2 in May 2024 and have 10 beautiful nieces and nephews. When they all unite, you’ll probably see her playing and having fun with the kids instead with the adults. Moumina understands that for kids to learn, they must have fun. Dancing, singing and getting messy are ways she makes learning fun. Building strong professional connections with the parents is also a priority for Moumina. In addition, she is fully bilingual and graduated from a French college. Moumina is enthusiastic about taking care of your little ones and welcoming them each morning with a big smile.

Moumina est l'une de nos éducatrices de la petite enfance agréées à l'Académie Zida. Elle est diplômée de la Cité Collégiale avec un diplôme en éducation de la petite enfance et elle est inscrite (EPEI) à l’ordre des éducatrices et des éducateurs de la petite enfance de Ontario. Travailler avec des enfants était quelque chose que Moumina avait toujours voulu faire. Durant ses premières années d'école primaire, elle aidait à la garderie située au sein de l'école et exprimait son désir de travailler avec les enfants. La passion de Moumina est la danse et elle suit un cours tous les jeudis. Elle est également maman d'un beau et intelligent petit garçon qui aura 2 ans en mai 2024 et a 10 magnifiques nièces et neveux. Lorsqu’ils seront tous réunis, vous la verrez probablement jouer et s’amuser avec les enfants plutôt qu’avec les adultes. Moumina comprend que pour que les enfants apprennent, ils doivent s'amuser, danser, chanter et se salir sont des moyens par lesquels elle rend l'apprentissage amusant. Elle accorde une grande importance à établir des liens professionnels solides avec les parents. De plus, elle est entièrement bilingue et diplômée d'un collège français. Moumina est enthousiaste à l'idée de prendre soin de vos petits et de les accueillir chaque matin avec un grand sourire.

Jieyu (Nox) Chen, RECE (they/them)

Registered Early Childhood Educator

Nox is one of our Registered Early Childhood Educators at Zida Academy. They graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and are registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators. Having always been surrounded by children, Nox finds great joy in engaging with them through various types of play, whether caring for relatives’ children or volunteering as an assistant at tutoring centres for elementary students. Nox has had a strong passion for music and art all their life, and this love for creativity and expression inspires them to incorporate artistic activities into their work with children, fostering a welcoming environment where young minds can freely explore, express, and grow. They believe that messy and natural play is essential for children’s physical and mental health and is skilled in guiding young minds through emotional regulation, providing strategies for building their social behaviour. With a solid understanding of child development, Nox is committed to creating a positive and safe environment where children and families from all backgrounds feel embraced and supported.

Gökçen Aydin

Educator

Gökçen is one of our Educators at Zida Academy. She is a holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Translation Studies from Istanbul University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Beykent University in Turkey. Gökçen is currently pursuing the Early Childhood Education program at Algonquin College. Gökçen worked as an Event Manager in Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra for 8 years, where she planned, coordinated and supervised every preparatory and operative stages of the domestic and international concerts in several countries including Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Chili, and Peru. She had several opportunities to work with the most gifted children of musicians on exclusive occasions held every year such as the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day and Commemoration of Ataturk Youth and Sports Day concerts. Since her first day at Zida Academy, where she started as the School Chef after completing her Culinary Skills Program from Algonquin College, a bond of love was immediately formed between her and the children, which turned into a passion to be an educator for her. Gökçen believes that being together with children is an endless source of energy and happiness, and she feels lucky to be with them every day as their educator and friend.

Katherine Horth, RECE / EPEI

Supervisor / Superviseure - currently on maternity leave

Katherine is the Supervisor at Zida Academy. She completed her Early Childhood Educator training in Quebec in 2020 and is registered with the Ontario College of ECE. She is currently pursuing a certificate in Pedagogical Support in Childcare Center at the university. Since then, she has become very passionate about children's development and tries to further her knowledge of the latest studies on the subject. Katherine uses a caring and positive approach with children. Their health, safety and well-being are at the very heart of her interventions. In addition, her leadership and organizational skills encourage and support all members of the Zida team. Her approach also inspires positive energy. Katherine values collaboration and cooperation with all Zida Academy families. She feels very privileged to be able to work with your children and wants to make a difference in their day-to-day experiences at Zida Academy.

Katherine est la superviseure à Zida Academy. Elle a complété sa formation d’éducatrice à l’enfance au Québec en 2020 et elle est inscrite (EPEI) à l’ordre des éducatrices et des éducateurs de la petite enfance de l’Ontario. Elle poursuit actuellement ses études à l’Université en soutien pédagogique dans les services de garde. Depuis, elle est réellement passionnée par le développement des enfants et tente de se tenir à jour sur les plus récentes études faites à ce sujet. Katherine utilise une approche bienveillante et positive avec les enfants. Leur santé, leur sécurité et leur bien-être est au cœur de ses interventions. De plus, par son leadership et son sens de l’organisation, elle encourage et supporte tous les membres de l’équipe Zida. Par ailleurs, sa présence inspire à cultiver une énergie positive. Katherine accorde une grande importance à la collaboration et la coopération avec toutes les familles de Zida Academy. Elle se sent d’ailleurs très privilégier de pouvoir travailler avec vos enfants tous les jours et souhaite faire une différence dans leur quotidien à Zida Academy.

Naile Gulen

Educator - currently on maternity leave

Naile is one of our Educators at Zida Academy. Children call her as “Nina”. She graduated from the Istanbul University’s Faculty of Gifted Children Education in Turkey. Naile is currently pursuing the Early Childhood Education program at Algonquin College. She has had educational experience with many children with different intelligence and talent types. She likes to create and play games that will develop children's intelligence. She knows many mind-enhancing games from her past education. She loves spending time with the children. She thinks that the most enjoyable and fulfilling moment in school is when she does circle time, because during this time, she gets the chance to communicate with each of the children one-on-one in the circle and supports them in revealing their talents. Naile enjoys dancing, imitating animals, and pretending to be mini mouse and it makes her feels like a kid by being with children. It makes Naile very happy to see that her hard work has paid off by watching the children's development. At the end of the day, Naile always looking forward to a child’s hug and this gives her more energy even after a long day of work. Naile is excited to be spending her days with all the wonderful children at Zida Academy!