Sylvain Bastien is a high school teacher/guidance counsellor at École secondaire catholique Renaissance in Aurora, Ontario.  He is a proud franco-ontarian, born and raised in northern Ontario who enjoys the little things in life, or "petits bonheurs" as he likes to call them.  Former camp counsellor, gymnastics coach and national-level athlete, Sylvain spent most of his time growing up in a leadership role or working with kids.  He knew from a young age that he would become a teacher and continues to be a leader in his school community.  

For the first part of his career, Sylvain was a physical education teacher and shared his passion for a healthy and active lifestyle with students in courses like Fitness and Kinesiology.  He then moved to a guidance position before the pandemic and, with the help of his colleague, is continuously finding new ways to improve student well-being, student engagement and school spirit, all with the end goal of helping students become the very best version of themselves. 

Sylvain coaches the cross-country and track and field teams, works with the student council and helps with many other clubs and activities at the school.  He leads the SHSM program at the school and has been a department lead for many years.  He is always seeking personal and professional growth by running, reading and balancing the demands of a chaotic life with three kids in sports! 

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Sam Demma is a best-selling author and one of the most in-demand keynote speakers in the Education and Association sectors. He co-founded the volunteer organization PickWaste, delivered two TEDx talks, and—as a result of his exceptional contributions to Canada—was awarded the prestigious Queens Platinum Jubilee Award.

His work is often featured on national news shows like Marilyn Dennis, Breakfast Television, and most notably, his mom’s Facebook profile. Sam delivers hundreds of programs across North America annually, and his entertaining presentations address the topics of Mental Health, Leadership and Kindness. www.samdemma.com

Want to join the High Performing Educator Network: www.highperformingeducator.com