We are DENSA

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 Rama Indrakumar is an ESL Coach who has been with the Durham District School Board for 8 years. Throughout her teaching career, she has been a classroom teacher for students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. She is passionate about honouring student identity and providing meaningful learning opportunities for students. She instills culturally relevant teaching practices to ensure that every student’s voice is heard. Her goal in education is to empower her students to become lifelong learners who ask questions about the world they live in. Rama’s hope is that DENSA will act as a platform to generate authentic parent and student engagement while providing a strong network for educators to collaborate and celebrate their shared lived experiences.  

Thevitha Kandasamy is an educator with the Durham District School Board, currently teaching Grade 4/5 Gifted at Jack Miner P.S. Her pedagogy is to ensure students’ identities are embraced within her classroom. She believes that classrooms should reflect their diverse cultures and identities, allowing students to see themselves in their learning. This approach helps students make meaningful connections, valuing their education as it resonates personally with their own identities. Thevitha has become part of DENSA in hopes that she can use this platform to bridge parent and student engagement, embracing their South Asian identities, while building a strong network for educators to collaborate and celebrate their shared experiences.

 Kavita Kanavalli is an educator who is passionate about student success and believes that every child has the right to equal opportunities in education.  She has been an educator for 25 years.  Kavita has been with the Durham District School Board since 2004.  During this time, she has had the opportunity to be part of a number of initiatives that helps bring equitable outcomes for students.  Kavita is currently Vice-Principal at Anderson Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Whitby. As a founding member of DENSA her goal is to provide outreach and support for educators, students and families in the community.  

 Tina (she/her) is a Principal with the Durham District School Board.  She believes that all students have the ability to succeed given the correct support.  She is passionate about working in partnership with families and the community to increase student achievement and engagement.  She has a passion for technology and uses technology to provide all students with equitable outcomes.  Tina is excited to be a part of DENSA, working collaboratively with students, the community, and other educators. 

Tharmila Apputhurai is an elementary ESL Coach. She has been a Primary/Junior teacher with the DDSB since 2005. Prior to her role as a coach, she was a Special Education Resource teacher at da Vinci P.S. in Ajax. In addition, Tharmila has experience teaching in South Korea, Macau, China, and Sri Lanka. She is passionate about collaborating with others to create spaces that reflect students' identities and lived experiences. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive, equitable, and caring practices so that learning is meaningful and engaging for all students. Tharmila strongly believes that education provides the opportunity for us to reflect, question, and find ways to improve the world that we live in. As an educator, she is continually learning and unlearning along with her students. Tharmila is excited to be a part of the DENSA network and it's initiatives to facilitate parent engagement, student achievement, and well-being.

  Krrisha Angel Gnanachchandran is currently a Vice Principal at Michaëlle Jean P.S. in Ajax. She has also been a French teacher with the Durham District School board for over six years and has experience teaching grades from 1-8, and experience as a Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT). She firmly believes that student representation at all levels of the education system is vital to student growth and success. When students see themselves reflected in their learning, students feel empowered. Krrisha is excited to join DENSA this year as Co-chair and collaboratively work with other affinity groups in the board to build capacity among educators and promote inclusion and equity.

 Fabiha (she/her) is a secondary school teacher. She is currently teaching English and Social Sciences, both subjects she is excited and passionate about. She has been working with DENSA as an executive member since 2020 when she created the first-ever curriculum resources to celebrate Bangladeshi Heritage Month. She is excited to join the team as a co-chair and share her Bangladeshi and secondary school perspectives. Fabiha pushes her students to be lifelong learners who are curious about learning about themselves, those around them, and the society around them. She pushes her students to always decolonize their thinking, celebrate their identities and become allies to others. Fabiha hopes that with DENSA, she will be able to work with students, parents, educators, and community members to celebrate South Asian identities in our classrooms and in our communities.  

Thibika Thavakumar is an elementary educator with Durham District School Board. Prior to working with DDSB, she taught with New York City's Department of Education for five years. Thibika's goal as an educator is to provide a wide array of opportunities for students to succeed through positive and enriching learning experiences. She is dedicated to creating inclusive learning spaces that allows all students to feel comfortable, appreciated and accepted. She is a firm believer in promoting the trifecta of communication amongst students, families and teachers through consistent parent engagement. Through her passion in modern era technology within the classroom, she hopes to provide enlightening and thought provoking learning experiences. Thibika is a firm believer in empowering student's through education. Through DENSA, Thibika hopes to bring about inclusivity within all learning environments for students and staff.

 Sruthi Abraham is a secondary teacher with G.L Roberts CVI. Her goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for learners, educators and parents. She is also passionate about committing and working toward improving student achievement and well-being. She is looking forward to being a part of DENSA and contributing to facilitating opportunities to engage with students, parents and educators. 

Pragash Senathijah is a chemistry and science teacher at Pickering High School. He is passionate about DENSA to promote and express the rich culture of South Asia. His goal is to provide information about the  diverse South Asian community in DDSB while helping our students, parents, and community members to become more confident with learning our heritage.

Senthuran has been with the Durham District school board for 11 years. He is currently working at Dunbarton High School as a Guidance Counsellor. He is continually refining his skills and practices as such encourage those who surround him to do the same.