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Kevin J. Benoy

Social Studies Department, Sutherland Secondary School, District 44 (North Vancouver).

A long-time resident of North Vancouver, I was born in Hertfordshire, England, in 1956 and immigrated to Canada as an 8 year old. I am the youngest of five children, only two of which moved from Britain. I am married to Kathryn, a Vancouver physician, and have two children – Nicholas and Elizabeth.

My education includes stops at Roebuck Junior School, St. Edmunds, Queensbury and Brooksbank Elementary schools and grades 7-10 at Sutherland. I graduated from Argyle in 1974.

I attended UBC, completing a double major in English and History, along with Education training, graduating in 1979.Prior to teaching and while a student, I worked on construction sites, as a dishwasher, as an expediter in a machine shop, as a store shipper, and delivered Chinese food. I worked as a substitute teacher in North Vancouver and Burnaby early in my career, including work at Burnaby’s Youth Detention Center. Since catching on in North Vancouver, I have taught at Handsworth, Carson Graham, Seycove, Carson Graham again, and am now a lifer at Sutherland.

Raised a Roman Catholic, I am now a member of St. John the Evangelist Anglican church in North Vancouver, where I am a reader, sidesman and counter. St. John is small, which suits Kathryn and I perfectly.

I have traveled extensively in 38 countries, completing a European grand tour in 1977, circumnavigating the globe in 1980-81, traveling extensively in Australasia in the early 1980’s, and revisiting the South Pacific in the mid 1980’s. Children and a mortgage restricted travel for some time, but the whole family visited the UK and France in 2003 and returned to England and Wales in 2005. In 1988 I escorted a student tour of England, and in 2006 participated in a student exchange with students in Rae-Edzo, Northwest Territories. North American travel includes most of the West Coast, a bus trip from Vancouver to Quebec City and back, BC & Alberta, Ontario, New York and, of course, a short mid-winter sojourn in the Northwest Territories. In the summer of 2007 my family & I drove from Montreal to and through the Maritimes, via the Gaspe. In the summer of 2010 I visited the Western Front battlefields -- The Marne, Verdun, the Somme and Ieper, before travelling more extesively in the Isle de France, Loire, the Lot, and Burgundy.

I am an avid reader, taking particular delight in reading History and 19th and 20th century European literature – particularly British and Eastern European. I also have a huge interest in Art History – especially Architecture. I am an avid photographer, specializing in travel photography and documenting my kids’ music performances, and my daughter’s dances. I like to watch hockey, football and soccer and love rugby – though my playing days were cut short by injury. I enjoy squash and tennis and love table tennis – but generally lack partners and venues – at least that is my excuse.

School involvement includes more than 15 years work on Sutherland’s Scholarship Committee, a number of years as staff representative on our School Planning Council, and sponsorship of the 86% Club and Sutherland Senior Girls’ Rugby team. I serve the Social Studies Department as department head (well, I did so until all department head positions were cut to save money) and regularly brew coffee in the Social Studies department. I have taught Social Studies 8, 9, 10, 11, Comparative Civilizations 12, History 12, Geography 12 and English 8, 9, 10,11 and 12. In recent years I have taught mostly senior Social Studies courses and Social Studies 8.

In times of madness I compiled teaching resources, including PowerPoint presentations, a Social Studies 11 Geography text book and a Social Studies 10 text. I am now experimenting with using the Internet as a teaching resource through blogging my lesson plans and producing this website. During the school year, most of my waking moments are taken up by marking and preparation, as well as serving as a parental support unit for my two children. I have also worked extensively with student teachers – primarily from UBC – because I feel strongly that it is necessary that talented new blood infuse the teaching profession as demographic trends point toward shortages in all professions in the coming years.

I do not shave.