Hello! This is Ellen Polegato (aka, Ms. Elly). I am thankful to be in my 4th year at the FMCS. I teach Grade 1 - 9 Physical Education, Grade 7 Science and Junior High Personalized Learning Pathways. Previous teaching experience comes from teaching physical education across the grades and various other subjects in elementary and middle school (grade 1, 4, 5, 6, 7) and post secondary.

Although I have over 10 years of teaching experience, I began teaching permanently later in my career. A long story short, after graduating from St.F.X.U, there were few teaching opportunities in Nova Scotia so I went on to complete a M.Sc (UofS); however, job prospects were still not good without moving away from home (I’m a Cape Bretoner!). Sometimes life has other plans! Like many people from the east coast, after I completed graduate studies, I headed west, working in Calgary in public and private organisations, mostly in the oil and gas industry, related to health and wellness. Along the way, I volunteered in my community and sons’ school. Highlights were aligning afterschool programs with the Alberta curriculum and working with other parents to help prevent the closure of an inner-city community school. Somewhere in there, I did a certificate in Supervisory Management, started working toward a Ph.D at UofC and home-schooled my oldest son (of two) for grade 7 and 8. My family and I volunteered to help an Amazon tribe adopt a more sustainable and healthier way of producing light. A couple of years prior to full-time teaching, I was with the Nova Scotia government, helping municipalities create and implement physical activity strategies in their communities. 

For most of the summer you can find me - in Cape Breton of course! - either renovating a house with my husband or digging in the dirt. I love the God-given earth and every living thing He’s created.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6