Our Team
At Discovery Academy, our teachers aren’t just instructors—they’re mentors who know every student by name and invest in each one’s growth. With backgrounds spanning multiple countries, disciplines, and decades of experience, our team brings both depth and heart to the classroom.
Staff
The Discovery Academy teachers are a carefully selected group of people who are dedicated to igniting a passion for learning in their students. Extremely talented, hard-working and committed, our team meet the highest standards of their profession. We provide them with the best resources, facilities and opportunities to meet these standards. By fostering excellence in teaching, we are able to offer our students remarkable opportunities to be all they can be.
Faculty
The pride of Discovery Academy is its closely-knit community which comprises students, parents, past-parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Staff are the backbone of our community. This team is highly committed and works extremely hard, both on the front lines and behind the scenes, ensuring that we have efficient administrative systems, engaging classes and friendly environment for the students and parents.
LEADERSHIP
Dr. Marina B.
Founder & Headmistress, Discovery Academy
Dr. Marina B. founded Discovery Academy in 2006 after a distinguished career in physics research, including nearly 20 years at the University of Toronto leading PhD students in Nanotechnology. With over 40 years of teaching experience across three countries—Canada, Israel, and Russia—and at institutions including the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and the University of Toronto, she brings a rare depth of expertise to education.
Dr. Marina personally develops the school’s proprietary curriculum materials and designs individualized learning plans for every student. Her deep passion for science and mathematics led her to create a gifted education program designed for regular students—one that builds the essential skills needed to succeed in our ever-changing world.
Mr. Len
Vice-Principal & Teacher – High School
Len is super excited to begin his second-year teaching at Discovery Academy. Len is a graduate of Ryerson University with majors and minors in Theatre Performance and Classical & Contemporary English Literature respectively. Len has been teaching in private schools for just over 7 years and has a very unique approach to teaching.
Len is both head of Drama and English at Discovery in which he incorporates a very challenging yet rewarding brand of education, one which revolves around responsibility and accountability for one’s actions, a deeper understanding of real-world expectations as well as preparing young adults for their next academic challenge. Len loves to play sports, listen/play music and read books, wear hats and most of all, mentorship. Len doesn’t like phones in classrooms, laziness and excuses.
Ms. Kayla
Guidance Counselor + Teacher
Upon receiving my master’s degree from the University of Toronto, I sought out a profession where I knew I would make a positive impact.
Today, the connotation of teaching has transformed into something greater than the literal meaning.
It’s about establishing a classroom in which students are at their best in attitude and character. My goal is to inspire, educate, and motivate using the skills I have obtained throughout my academic career and professional experiences.
Katya O.
Teaching Staff
I have been an English teacher for more than 10 years. I began to teach at the college level and discovered many skills and talents to make English come alive. Then I moved into teaching the Elementary school level. With children, for me, teaching the English language is just more than learning how to write, grammar, and vocabulary. It is all about being able to express your thoughts, emotions, and ideas with your environment and many different ways. Being able to teach English has been one of the best experiences I have ever had.
I have also been a Social Studies teacher for a few years. I have taught kids the ability to not only memorize information, but to critically analyze, prediction, the ability to research and report, etc.
My education career has been quite extensive and has helped me earn the skills to teach at an excellence. I have gained a child psychology diploma at college, majoring in Sociology and History at the University of Western Ontario, Teaching English as a Second Language certificate at Seneca College, and currently achieving Autism Behavioural Studies Masters at the University of Western Ontario.
Julia P.
Teaching Staff
As an educator I seek to support a child’s natural development and needs through various integrated Montessori approaches, methodologies, and educational philosophy. My goal is also to combine my passion for teaching and languages through various methods to engage learners as well as to foster strong program development in French.
Irina S.
Teaching Staff
Ms. Shiryaeva has completed her BA at a Linguistic University in Pyatigorsk in 1998. She has obtained a PhD degree in Psychology from the same university in 2005. With 15 years of experience as University professor and lecturer, she was researching the field of psychology. Ms. Shiryaeva is a specialized child and family psychologist. She helps and assists teachers with children’s behaviour and gives recommendations to parents when necessary.
Oksana D.
Teaching Staff
Alexander Z.
Teaching Staff
Mr Alexander Zubkov holds the Master’s Degree in Mathematics (Moscow State University) and successfully completed the Web Development and Python Development courses at the University of Michigan. Mr Zubkov has been working at the Discovery Academy since 2016 teaching math, physics and computer science. The old Chinese proverb says “teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself”. Here at Discovery Academy we’ll deal with the door but you should always keep in mind the second part of this proverb.