Pearl Lorentzen

akeside Leader

Robin Oxleyn is the new vice-principal of Slave Lake Koinonia Christian School. He has been teaching for about 20 years.

The other new teacher this year is Kiley Deleeuw (pronounced deloo). This is her first teaching job.

Robin Oxleyn
Along with being vice-president, Oxleyn will be teaching gym (Kindergarten to Grade 12), social studies, drama, and health. He has run a theatre company with friends, taught in public schools, adult education and lots of drama. He has also worked as a coach.

“We just moved from New Brunswick,” he says.

‘We’ refers to himself, his wife, and two kids, who attend Koinonia.

Asked why they moved, Oxleyn says, “Mostly, I wanted to work in a Christian environment. There’s a lot of misconceptions about what the Bible says, and I wanted to teach students what it actually says.”

In eastern Canada, private schools and especially Christian schools have very little funding, he says. A teacher at a Christian school out east gets about half of a public school teacher.

The east coast doesn’t have “the same support that there is here,” he adds.

Oxleyn and his family moved from a community near Moncton, New Brunswick.

Oxleyn grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia. He studied history and education at Crandall University (Moncton), he did a masters in education at the University of New Brunswick, and is working on a leadership quality standard at the University of Alberta.

Asked why he became a teacher, he says, “I’ve always sort of been wanting to see other people succeed.”

Asked about his hobbies, Oxleyn says basically any sport and writing.

Kiley Deleeuw
Deleeuw is teaching the Grade 3 and 4 class.

“This is my first year,” she says. “I just graduated from the University of Alberta in April.”

Deleeuw went to university “straight out of high school,” she adds. “Then I did half of my degree online, because of COVID.”

In May, Deleeuw and her husband moved to Slave Lake. He works for Birch Tree Services. She was looking for a small community to pursue her love of fishing, swimming, hiking, and other outdoor sports.

“I’m also the coach for the senior volleyball teams,” says Deleeuw. “I’m a very sporty person.”

She started playing volleyball in Grade 6 in her hometown of Edson. She played throughout junior high, high school, and university. At university, she played competitive rec volleyball.

Asked why she applied to a Christian school, says Deleeuw. “Christianity is a big part of who I am. And being in a Christian school, I don’t have to hold any of my true self behind, so I guess I can be my true authentic self.”

“I’m looking forward to this year,” she adds. “I want every child to be able to reach their own true potential.”