Jean is a motivator to hundreds of girls

Jean has been passionately involved in gymnastics for a very long time.  A fixture on the Kawartha and COSSA girls’ high school scene as far back as I can remember, she contributed as a coach, judge, convenor and organiser.  But I think her greatest impact was as a motivator to the hundreds of girls she critiqued after their competitive performances. ” Make sure you get feedback from Jean”, I would say after my girls’ rounds on floor and beam, knowing they would hear the important tips they needed to hear and heed.  They may have heard them before, but there is nothing like hearing them again from a different, respected, caring voice. She made each girl feel important.

Best of luck in all your current endeavours, Jean, and stay well!

Pat Castonguy

Ms. Winter is an amazing teacher

I am an international student from China, and I have to say learning English is hard for me. I am always having trouble with my word choice and grammar. I keep trying and trying, but it is just impossible for me to achieve alone. I am a straight A student in other subjects, but not in English. English always dragged my marks down, and I wasn’t proud of that.

It came to the point that I was about to give up on English. My English teacher asked me to talk to guidance to see if they could do anything for me.  At that time, I had an English tutor outside of school plus some extra help from my school English teacher: however it was still too hard for me to get what I wanted. I was glad that when I went to my Guidance office, I was told, “Oh, you are a lucky girl! Ms.Winter comes to our school quite a lot so she can give you the help that you need.”

After that, I started to meet Ms.Winter every week. She helped me a lot with my English: checking my grammar, word choice and going over the text with me.  She doesn’t put on those typical teacher personas. Ms.Winter treats me as a friend. We talk about all the projects together, and I never feel nervous when I am around her. She is really easy going, nice and straight forward. Ms.Winter has the working experience as an English teacher, and she knows how to narrow down to the meat that I needed.

She has given me a lot of useful tips for school, formal debate and public speeches.  I found all her tips really helpful, and my marks increase by 5% after working with her for a month.

Thanks to her help, I got into the university I wanted, and got into the program I wanted. I really thank her for everything she did, and she is an amazing help and support.

You will appreciate her work after you get to know her. Ms.Winter is an amazing teacher.

Angel Cai

Jean is fantastic and an inspiration to me

I first got to know Jean two years ago, when she started volunteering at the high school where I work. Since then, she has helped numerous students who were struggling to get credits that they would not otherwise have gotten without her help. She is a vastly skilled person with expertise including, but not limited to English, special needs, guidance, math, and music.

She is a very gentle and open-minded person, who doesn’t judge anybody, but always looks through diversity and adversity to see a student who can succeed with help. She enjoys helping students, and goes out of her way to do so. On two occasions, students who were routinely getting help in the Resource room from Miss Winter, needed help with their math when she was away. When I offered to help, they declined, and said they preferred to wait until Miss Winter returned. Jean doesn’t just help students with their academics, but she also addresses their underlying low self-esteem through her patience, wisdom and great sense of humour.

One day, after my daughter had expressed an interest in singing, and I asked around the resource room, “Does anybody know a singing teacher?”, Miss Winter said, “Yes, me!” I thought to myself, “Is there anything you can’t do?” I decided to sign my daughter up, and she did a series of voice lessons with Jean. My daughter really enjoyed her lessons, developed her singing skills, and learned how to take care of her voice, but most importantly, she reported that “Miss Winter improved her self-esteem”.

Jean is a fantastic person, and is an inspiration to me. My life is better for knowing her.

Alex Massett

Former Head of Special Education
Earl of March Secondary School
Ottawa, ON

Jean is wonderfully encouraging

Jean was my mentor during teacher’s college. I found her to be supportive, caring and wonderfully encouraging. I saw firsthand how much she cares about those in her life and her former students. Definitely an individual who helped inspire me to continue to pursue special education.

A. W.

Jean is deeply caring and makes a difference

I cannot think of anyone who has touched the lives of more young people than Jean. In my world, it is not about pressing a life from your body, but ensuring you’re there and present and caring, as they unfold over time. Without doubt, that has been and continues to be who Jean is: a deeply caring, willing and most able presence in the lives of our children. I thank her for the great difference that she has made.

L. L.

Jean helps you discover your potential

I have had the immense pleasure of knowing Jean Winter over the past 6 years as a participant in programs I have run, as a facilitator and as a fellow Affiliate of the WEL-Systems Institute.

She has a depth of caring and a deep passion that she pours into all she does. She is a woman of great integrity and respect for herself and all that she engages. Her hunger for learning and sharing her wisdom is definitely contagious. Whether you work with her, learn from her, read her blogs or just simply speak to her in the grocery store, you will be touched by her and discover more about your own potential.

Naomi Irons Hill

Jean can always see possibilities where others may not

I know Jean to be radically committed to her own personal transformation and evolution – first and foremost, as her chosen way of life – such that her perspective always looks beyond solving a problem to, instead, transforming a life. As a result, she naturally emanates the force of her essence into the most practical applications of living. This is her great gift to others.

Jean is a willing, organized and caring mentor; music and words are her passion and bring joy to her life. Her presence provides a safe and secure scaffolding for Self expression, inviting all of those who will, to courageously give voice to their own. Grace lies in Jean’s ever-expanding view of her world; she can always see possibility where others may not.

Jean is a joy to consult with.

With appreciation,

Sheila WW

Chelsea, QC.

Jean is committed to evolution, discovery and curiosity

Over the many years that Jean and I have spent time together, I have never known her to run from a challenge or back away from compelling moments of her own Self-discovery.  It takes great courage to stay the course when it becomes uncomfortable to do so and her commitment to evolution and discovery takes precedence over entrenched habits of mind.  In this, I can better appreciate the great gift she has been and continues to be to those with whom she engages.  It is rare to find someone who can effectively model the legitimacy of curiosity in a world determined to enforce the status quo.

Louise LeBrun

Founder
WEL-Systems Institute
Ottawa, ON.

Jean offers real constructive advice on improving

For approximately one and one-half years of singing lessons, I have to say working with Jean Winter has been a pleasure and very constructive.  Jean has a unique way of explaining various scenarios in different ways in order for me to better understand singing technique.  Jean always listens intently and offers real constructive advice on improving.

Jean and I have become friends.  We laugh and share stories.  She is a very interesting person.

Thank you Jean.

Brent Melbourne

Jean was there to help me out

I’ve known Jean so long that it’s all just second nature. When something good happens we talk. When something bad happens we talk. I listen, or she listens and it may or may not solve the problem but we both feel better after. When I was diagnosed with melanoma I freaked and called her. She came to Toronto, went to the doctors with me and sat through the surgery with me. It was a great source of relief to know she was there. The same thing happened when Louie had his stroke and my aunt Fay figured she wasn’t going to come in second and fell. I couldn’t be in 2 places at once plus look after the dog and apartment. I called Jean and once again she was there to help me out.

She is the closest thing I’ll ever have to a sister and for that I am grateful.

Love her.

Fang

[our nickname for each other]