Principals
Fred Howe
Associate Director
Principal Fred Howe has lived and taught in Toronto all his life, except for a few years when his studies in Post-Colonial Literature and cross-cultural adoption led him to James Cook University in Australia. Fred made a lot of close ties in Oz and still visits when he can. Fred also has a lifelong interest in sports, and when not at WillowWood has been found playing Basketball, teaching Swimming, Golfing religiously, Bowling and Curling competitively, playing Softball and more. See if you can find him on-screen in the curling movie "Men with Brooms".
Fred is a strong advocate for mental health, initiating and supporting wellness programs at the school and leading fundraising programs to the tune of over $1 million in support of the Institute for the Advancement in Mental Health. Fred brings together his passions in his teaching practice: he imbues our Athletics with his thoughtful philosophy and inspires students to use coaching to grow in all areas of development. Fred sees no reason why we have to limit what we can do in life and he encourages our students daily to reach beyond.
It's not earth-shattering; it's simply good teaching to provide an opportunity for students to understand themselves in the context of a world that is constantly changing around them - and to do so in a place that is caring if needed, nurturing at times, firm with guidelines, positive in approach, and always, always challenging students to be their best. My staff and I strive to provide such an environment at WillowWood in our efforts to produce life-long learners fully cognizant of the world around them and the tools they need to establish their place in it."
Fred Howe
Mellissa Grant
Principal Lower & Middle School
.png)
Mellissa Grant has been an integral part of WillowWood since 1999, holding various roles within the lower and middle school divisions. Her extensive experience as an educator across multiple homerooms has allowed her to foster a love of learning among students while creating nurturing and supportive environments for both children and fellow educators. A key contributor to WillowWood’s social skills program, Mellissa played a pivotal role in its development within the foundation program. She later championed its expansion into the primary grades, ensuring that all students benefited from this critical area of learning. Mellissa holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development.
​
Most recently, she earned a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Beyond the classroom, Mellissa is a devoted mother to three young adults and a loving wife to her husband, Conroy. Together, they enjoy watching classic Kung Fu movies and cheering for their respective Premier League teams—Chelsea and Liverpool. She is also deeply committed to community involvement, regularly volunteering and traveling to support her children at their sporting events. In her free time, she finds joy in singing, connecting with others, and sharing kindness.
Her favorite saying, “Today is a new day!”, reflects her unwavering optimism and dedication to uplifting those around her, both personally and professionally.
"I am proud to have been part of the WillowWood community for over 25 years, and I love my job! I am passionate about teaching, learning, and facilitating a program that speaks to our vibrant community of learners. I enjoy collaborating to build a caring and effective teaching team.
I believe in the power of education to transform lives by reaching students where they are and helping them achieve their goals. At WillowWood, we don’t limit ourselves to traditional methods—we persist until we find an approach that meets the diverse needs of our students."
Mellissa Grant
Andy Hall
Principal High School
Andy Hall comes to us from Northern England and has been teaching for 20 years. After studying Earth Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University, Andy worked as a Logging Geologist onboard a variety of offshore drilling rigs in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Enforced redundancy led him to his true path of Teaching. Following training at the University of Nottingham, he taught Social Sciences in a former mining community. After 5 years he made the decision to resign his post of Head of Geography to travel for a while and followed up previous visits to North America, landing in Toronto. Here he met his now wife Cath, fell in love, and made the move permanent in Summer 2007, first gaining Permanent Residency and finally Canadian Citizenship in 2014.
He started teaching at WillowWood in a supply role in January 2009 and became a full-time staff member in September 2009. He became a father of twins, Oliver and Sarah, in October 2010. He has taught numerous subjects including Careers, History, Business, Economics, Leadership, and Cooperative Education to name but a few. In 2017 he was promoted to the role of Vice-Principal. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his own kids, watching real football, occasionally working out, reading, traveling to Europe and the UK every couple of years and time at the family cottage on Manitoulin Island.
Welcome to the busiest small school you could ever imagine! Every day at WillowWood is as unique as all of our students and staff who engage in the wide range of daily activities.
Your son or daughter’s individual needs are at the core of everything we do. We aim to develop the key personal, social, emotional and academic skills needed to flourish in the ever-changing world in which we live.
School days should be some of the best days of our lives and if we can play a part in this, our mission is complete.
Andy Hall