New Mom on the Block

18 October 2011Sarah M

Science teacher, advisor, dedicated mom, and juggler extraordinaire, ladies and gentleman: Ms. Susanna Cheung was born in Hong Kong but immigrated to Calgary at the age of six months. This Alberta native is a new face on campus, new to the Science Department, the Cowichan Valley, and the Brentwood lifestyle.

Ms. Cheung grew up in Calgary, attending local elementary, junior high, and high schools, playing field hockey and soccer, and developing a love for biology. It was her high school biology teacher who encouraged her to pursue the subject further than the boundaries of adolescence, so after graduating from high school she discovered her passion for marine biology on the shores of the Pacific Ocean at the University of British Columbia. After completing a four-year Bachelor’s of Science with a major in Marine Biology, Ms. Cheung moved back to Calgary to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in education, finding love along the way.

In the spring of 1999, she met Mr. Robinson and they were married in 2001. Together, they taught for ten years at a Calgary school, and began their family with two boys. Ms. Cheung has always had a soft spot for the West Coast, vacationing with her family during the summer holidays on Vancouver Island, so it was no surprise when she and her husband made a decision to try to move out to the Island.

Fortunately, Ms. Cheung and Mr. Robinson came across an old friend who had taught at the same school as they had back in Calgary, a man who has really “rocked” the geology department at Brentwood: Mr. Doehler, who was able to arrange for them to meet with Mrs. Pennells and some administrative staff. The Cheung-Robinson duo didn’t expect to gain employment until the 2012-2013 year, but after a phone call in May and a whirlwind of packing, they found themselves here, teaching in a place unlike any other, just ten minutes commute from home.

Ms. Cheung is enjoying her first month and a half at Brentwood, where she’s experiencing the private and boarding school lifestyle for the first time. She finds the school “all encompassing,” and is amazed that the students are able to stay awake in such a fast paced environment. As a part-time faculty member, she’s teaching science, is a duty staff member of Mackenzie House, and is the advisor for the grade nine Mack girls. She would like to get back to the games she loves, maybe as a coach for soccer and field hockey, within the next couple of years.

Ms. Cheung is hoping that Brentwood will be a long-term experience for her family, saying “We like the school, we like what it represents, we like what we’re able to do in the classroom, the opportunities to be outdoors when we’re not at school, and the environment” of the Brentwood bubble. She’s also hoping for a much warmer winter here on the Island, and perhaps less snow-shoveling.

Best of luck with your Brentwood career Ms. Cheung, and welcome to the Coast!

Where Students Choose To Be