Dr. S. Lal Mattu BSc MEd PhD Dip Early Childhood Education Psychologist is the founder and CEO of The Third Academy. With over 40 years of experience in education as a teacher, vice-principal, assistant superintendent, and chief superintendant of schools he is the visionary behind The Third Academy. Learn more about Dr.S.Lal Mattu and The Third Academy Story.

Rehana Mattu BEd, Master Teacher is one of the founding Third Academy teaching staff.  She has worked with our students, grades 1-9, over the past 11 years primarily at the Calgary campus.  Rehana has also taught at Third Academy Lethbridge and Third Academy Red Deer and as such sees herself as connected to the broad Third Academy family.  She prides herself in being unconventional in her approach.  She is firm, has high expectations of her students, never gives up, finds ways for them to succeed, and has enjoyed the support of her students and parents over the years having been voted Teacher of the Year by the student body.  Rehana loves her students.

David Lambe, MBA, CMC, CHRP, VP Business & Community Relations, has recently joined our team as our Vice-President of Business and Community Relations. Internally, David will have functional responsibility in the areas of Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, and Finance.  He will also be working with parents and volunteer committees to assist them with planning and delivering their projects.  Externally, David will be involved in developing more awareness of the Third Academy, and a variety of fund-raising projects and marketing/public relations activities.   David has an extensive business background and brings to us a wealth of experience in such diverse areas as project management, marketing, business development, human resources and information technologies.  He earned his Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa.  He is also a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

Sabu Alexander, Senior Accountant.  Sabu holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and is currently pursuing CMA (U.S). He had worked in the field of Finance and Audit for the past fourteen years covering various industries such as Construction, Hospitality, Container Servicing, Trading, Shipping and Gold. He had also been involved in development of software applications for different kinds of businesses and is an authorized reseller for “Tally” Accounting Software.

Blessy Alexander, Accountant.  Blessy holds a Masters Degree in Commerce and also holds a Diploma in Computer Applications, Secretarial works and Travel & Ticketing. She had worked in the finance departments of major companies for the past ten years.  

Kathleen Colmant, Special Events Coordinator. I was born and raised in the French speaking part of Belgium. I have a four year degree in finance and accounting. After university I worked for one year for Ernst & Young in London, England. Back in Belgium, I worked for Coopers & Lybrand where I met my husband who is from Edmonton. We moved to Toronto. There, for two years, I worked for a bank pricing mutual funds. In 1994, we chose to move to Calgary where, for a few years, I worked on several accounting jobs. I am the lucky mother of three wonderful boys. Two have special needs. I was a stay at home mom for 11 years to raise my boys and help them with their challenges. During that time, as a volunteer, I worked for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on numerous fundraising events. I was also the fundraising chair in my two oldest sons' school as well as the treasurer. In my spare time, besides spending time with my sons, I love running, biking, going to the theater and to the opera. I feel privileged to work for the Third Academy, a school that understands students with learning disabilities, gives them hope and a future.

Shannon George, Central Administration Support - bio to follow

Calgary North

Bharati Singh BEd MSc (Chem) MEd, Principal. Mrs. Singh previously taught for ten years at an International School in Saudi Arabia. During this time she was in an administrative capacity for three years. Prior to joining the Third Academy in 2000, she worked for Calgary Immigrant Aid Society as the Team Leader for one of their educational programs. In addition to her duties as the Principal, Mrs. Singh continues to teach Science to high school students. She has completed her MEd with a focus in Mentorship at the University of Calgary and has recently been granted status as a Designated Signing Authority.

Debbie Lamabe BEd, is the Administrative Assistant to the principal, Mrs. Bharati Singh, and staff at the Calgary Campus. Debbie joined the Academy team in the fall of 2005 and brings a variety of experiences and skills to her new role. She has spent a number of years in Calgary's Oil and Gas industry, administratively supported a local entrepreneur and volunteers with children's organizations in her community. Debbie is raising two children and is delighted to be involved with The Third Academy family.

Calgary South

Joe Palashniuk BEd, Principal. Joe graduated from University with a Bachelor Degree in Education in 1995, then began his career working in the child and youth care field. For 8 years, he worked as a Certified child and youth care counselor with Hull Child and Family Services in Calgary. Joe worked as a program coordinator for dually diagnosed teens designing and implementing treatment plans for high-needs young adults. Extensive work with troubled teens led to his next job as a Guidance Counselor in the Public school system. This is Joe's fifth year with Third Academy. 

Tracey LaRocke, Administrative Assistant.  I am a native Calgarian, with two children.  I am just finishing up my diploma in Gerontology.  I have a great passion for anyone who falls through the cracks, and needs assistance.  I volunteer for the Heart & Stroke, and Cancer Societies.   My hobbies are painting, horseback riding, and camping. 

Red Deer

Dr. Ken Marquart BEd MEd PhD, Principal. Ken's teaching and administrative experience goes back 35 years to include the early days teaching in the Outback of Australia, teaching in the United States both at the 1-12 and University levels, teaching at Red Deer College, and with the Red Deer Catholic School systems as a Teacher and a Principal.  During his tenure as Principal for 20 years, Ken was responsible for establishing special needs focused schools in the Red Deer Catholic system.  A Psychologist, Ken also has expertise in psychometrics.   Programming, teacher mentorship, community development, and project development are a few of Ken's other strengths.  An active member of the Red Deer community for many years, Ken has been happily married for even longer.  Ken and Theresa are proud of their three sons and are doubly blessed with grandchildren.

Brigitte Bouchard, Administrative Assistant. Hello.  My name is Brigitte Bouchard.  I was born and raised in Laval, Quebec and worked as an office administrator until 1993.  I then left my home province and ventured to the Northwest Territories on a summer holiday to improve my English.  I loved Yellowknife so much that I decided to stay and enhance my career.  There, I worked as a Core French Educational Assistant, a daycare provider in a French daycare and as a French Legislative Secretary for the Government of the NWT.  I met my husband there and our three girls were born in the 'land of the midnight sun'.  We relocated to Red Deer in 2001 and continue to raise our three girls who attend an all French school in Red Deer and are fluent in both offical languages.  I've been with The Third Academy since September 2006, working as Administrative Assistant to Dr. Marquart, Principal.