Our Staff
Most of us can recall a certain teacher, coach or camp counsellor who had a significant impact on us as a child, whether for good or bad! As adults it is easy to forget the influence we have on children’s experience, including how they see themselves. Camp counsellors serve to guide and instruct, but perhaps most importantly, they are role models for campers and they are central to the experience your child will have at camp. All our counsellors are certified teachers. Every group of campers is led by a teacher who holds a Bachelor of Education and is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, and therefore is bound, by law, to look out for the safety of your child. We hire individuals who are experienced, energetic, creative and enthusiastic. We also employ positive and energetic assistant counsellors, who relate well to children and always work under the direct supervision of a counsellor. Our staff are First-Aid/CPR, AED, and Epipen trained, and all participate in an extensive staff orientation prior to working at 5-Star Camps.
Camp Owners and Directors
Sean Hopper, “Papa Bear” and Anita Hopper “ Neats” Directors and Owners of 5 Star Camps. Sean has taught at Venta Preparatory School for over 30 years. He has his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Recreation Management with a minor in Psychology from Acadia University. He was the Director of Operations and Dean of Students at Venta Preparatory School and along with his wife Anita, they are also Sound Therapy Tomatis Consultants.
Sean has extensive experience working with children and has also run recreational programs for physically disabled children in St. John’s Newfoundland, where he met his wife Anita who worked for the City of St. John’s, Parks and Recreation department.
Throughout Sean’s employment at Venta Preparatory School, he has been involved in developing the school’s summer camp programs. He was also actively involved throughout his career coaching soccer and baseball for many years in the local community. Sean has his level 1 and 2 coaching certification. Sean also has extensive background in athletics including football, rugby, baseball, soccer, skiing and is a snowshoeing facilitator. He has his level 2 Ropes Course/Climbing Wall certification along with site specific certification on 5 Star’s own Ropes course and climbing wall/Vertical Playground.
While Anita has worked in finance her entire adult life and was the office manager at Venta for 15 years, she changed her direction to work in a therapeutic setting at the school running the Sound Therapy Listening Laboratory. Here she actively helped children find ways to cope with the stresses and pressures of everyday academic life, along with helping to give the children the tools to tap into their own skills and abilities to reach success in every aspect of their lives.
Sean and his wife Anita currently reside in Carp and absolutely love working with children, they are both First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen, and TSSA certified. They have two children of their own, Justin “Shades” and Angela “Peanut” who are away at University completing their respective degrees. Justin and Angela are both Counsellors during the summer at 5 Star Camps and have very important leadership positions.
Papa Bear and Neats hope to continue to develop the camp into an incredible outdoor experience giving children bonding memories to last a lifetime.
Counsellors
Andrew “Mocha” has been at 5 Star Camps since our first summer back in 2007. His love for summer camps began while working the evening program at Camp Venta at the age of 15. He has a special connection to our wonderful property, where he has been a student, staff, and has even helped to refurbish our famous Fort.
Since starting with 5 Star, he has worked with campers from almost every age group, and leads the development of our leadership program, helping to grow the skills of our young, up-and-coming staff. He is First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen trained. Mocha also has Site Specific Certification on our Low Ropes Course and Climbing Wall.
Andrew completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Science at Carleton University, and moved on to the University of Ottawa where be completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education. He currently teaches high school math and science for the Ottawa Catholic School Board.
Justin Hopper “Shades” has worked at 5 Star Camps since the opening year. He attended Camp Venta from a very young age, and has been around summer camps and camp directors his entire life. He has lots of experience working with children in both an academic and a camp setting. A Venta graduate, he holds an Honours Psychology undergraduate degree from Bishop’s University. He is currently obtaining his Counselling certification from George Brown College.
Having been a part of 5 Star Camps for so long, Justin has experienced and helped to shape many of the different staff positions that 5 Star has to offer. He has instructed Archery, Multi-Sport, Ropes Course, and most recently Junior Staff Leadership programs from both a Counsellor and Assistant Counsellor position, as well as having experienced other positions at camp, from daily maintenance and upkeep, to creating the weekly camp videos for campers to remember their time at camp! He has also had the opportunity to be the camp DJ for several years, providing music for the outdoor activities in the mornings and evenings. Justin has site-specific certification on the ropes course and climbing wall, and is trained in First-Aid/CPR/AED/Epipen use.
Angela Hopper “Peanut” has been very interested in working with children of all ages. “5 Star is a wonderful and welcoming environment for all children which is exactly the type of place I have always wanted to work”. Angela believes that a comfortable and encouraging camp environment is the best place for children to learn and grow as individuals.
Angela has been working at 5 Star Camps for 11 years, and has watched the program develop into what it is today. She has a vast background and extensive knowledge in dance and has been dancing on her own and with teams, since she was a very young child across numerous genres.
You can find Peanut with the Shooting Stars! She has been running the Dance Camp for several years. She is always amazed at the creativity and talent of the 9/10 year old campers, their enthusiasm and excitement. She is always keenly aware of the fact that not everyone arrives at camp with the same dancing skills, but most importantly she knows that Dance camp is more focused on the love of music and movement and the bonding of friendships, which is what camp is all about! Peanut also has developed a new music program just last year! This program teaches the children to listen and work with each other while using the handbells, their voices and drumfit. The children become introduced to the musical alphabet, reading music, and throughout the week they work together to play a song on the handbells as an ensemble! They also learn multiple routines and rhythmic patterns using the drumfit program. It’s an exciting new addition for our 7/8 year olds!
Angela has been heavily involved in all forms of art since she was quite young including Music and Fine Arts. Angela has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Music and Minor in Fine Arts from St. Francis Xavier University. She is currently finishing her first year at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in Halifax.
Angela is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen training, she is also site certified facilitator on the Ropes Course and Climbing wall. She is fully dedicated to 5 Star Camp’s amazing program and cannot wait to see what this summer has to offer!
Alex Budd “Hawk Eye” is entering his 7th year of working at 5 Star Camps. In his opinion, each year of camp gets better and better, and he is sure all 5 Star’s campers agree.
Having been a camper as a kid, Hawk knows how campers can feel anxious and excited on their first day of camp. Hawk Eye does his best to make sure each camper feels welcome on their first day. He is dedicated to making every camper’s experience at camp unforgettable!
Alex has a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, so he understands how scary it can be being a camper with allergies. Hawk Eye makes sure every camper feels safe and comfortable during snack and lunchtime. Alex makes sure each camper in his group that has an allergy or special diet is introduced to the 5 Star Chef, who always has a meal for them, specific to their diet.
Alex is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen training as well as being site certified on the ropes course and the climbing wall. He has worked with the Crazy Comets and has experience running the archery station. Hawk can also be found the “sauna” playing the music for camp dances. Make sure to show him your best dance moves! Hawk Eye looks forward to yet another exciting year at 5 Star Camps!
Zachary MacNeill “Big Mac” was a student at Venta Preparatory School and has known Papa Bear and Neats for over 15 years. He was a boarder at Venta and lived on the property for 5 years where he developed very strong ties to the school community. He was always a fantastic team player and loved the outdoors. Zachary played a huge role in the building of our incredible fort and continues to be very involved in the shaping of the Venta/5 Star Camps property.
Zachary has a great deal of experience working in the cooking industry. He has however decided to pursue becoming an electrician full time and help his wife, Sarah, raise a child who is on the way!
He began to work at 5 Star Camps in 2008 running the Low Ropes and Climbing wall program with Mary Reilly (aka MiMi). Big Mac has the natural gift of risk management and is able to relate to children of all ages, his desire to give the children at camp the positive outdoor experiences he was so lucky to have at Venta makes his job incredibly rewarding. He is an avid climber and loves the outdoors. He is First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen, Fall Protection trained. Big Mac also has Site Specific Certification on our Low Ropes Course and Climbing Wall.
Big Mac is incredibly excited to take on the responsibility of leading our new Outdoor Leadership Camp this summer and is a natural fit for this program. He enjoys the outdoors, any sport, and being active. Go Sens Go!
Hoping to see many returning and new faces at camp this year!
Chrysane Ngo “Bananie” enjoys working with children of all ages. Inspired by their curiousity and imagination, she decided to formally pursue a career in education during her senior year of high school. Since then, her experiences interacting with children in a variety of settings have enabled her to develop a teaching philosophy which is based on fostering an inclusive environment that supports personal, intellectual, and social development.
At the reception tent, Chrysane warmly welcomes campers and their parents to 5 Star. She will be there to greet you with a cheerful, “Good morning!” or say a friendly, “Don’t forget about crazy hat day! See you tomorrow!” at the end of the day. Her ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both children and adults ensures that the children are excited to be at camp and that the parents feel at ease! As the Counsellor responsible for running the Archery and Climbing Wall stations, Chrysane’s priority is ensuring that the children entrusted in her care are learning new skills and having fun in a safe space. She is First Aid/CPR, AED, and Epipen trained, in addition to having Site Specific Certification on our Low Ropes Course and Climbing Wall.
Chrysane graduated with honours from the University of Ottawa, where she majored in English and minored in Psychology. She then received her Primary/Junior teaching certification upon completion of the Bachelor of Education Program at Queen’s University, where a highlight was completing a three-week placement at an IB International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. To further develop her professional learning, she completed the Kindergarten Part I Additional Qualification course in 2016. She is an OCT certified teacher with 3+ years of teaching experience teaching a wide range of grades, from JK to Grade 6.
Dana Ciresianu “Small Fry” started working at 5 Star Camps her first summer after graduating from high school. It was that summer when she discovered her passion for working with children. This newfound passion drove her to get her Bachelors of Education from University of Western Ontario in London, once she finished her Honors of Biology at University of Ottawa. It is safe to say that 5 Star Camps has forever changed her life. This upcoming summer will be Dana’s 9th year of working at 5 Star Camps and she can’t wait! The best time of the year, according to Small Fry, is camp time!
Small Fry has experience working with all age groups from the Little Dippers to the Super Novas, as well as, running the Archery and Ropes stations. To ensure the safety of her campers, Small Fry is First Aid/CPR, AED, and Epipen trained. She is also certified on the low ropes course, Cliff the Climbing Wall and Valerie the Vertical Playground.
Dana is currently a private tutor; she works hard to find the best way to teach her students. Her passion for teaching is visible to her students and in turn drives them to want to learn more.
Mary Reilly “Mimi” found her calling in life in September 1989 when she started teaching Music for Young Children, Frances Balodis Limited (MYC). This program is a Canadian, keyboard-based music course that teaches children between the ages of 3-10 music theory and how to play the piano. For the past 8 years, Mary has been a classroom music teacher for both the OCCSB (grade 7 & 8) and a private school. In the middle of that 8 year period she had the unique experience of teaching music to students from Grade 1 to 10 at Venta Preparatory School. There she taught voice, theory and concert band instruments.
Mary is blessed with a special gift that allows her to relate well with children and youth of all ages. She relays one experience that happened recently in one of her grade 8 classes. The guest speaker asked the students who their role model was and one young lady said, “Ms Reilly!” When asked why, she responded by saying, “Because we always laugh in class. We have fun and I hope to have the sense of humour when I’m a teacher!” Then, a 14 year old boy said, “I feel safe in Ms Reilly’s classroom. She makes me and everyone else feel comfortable.” When Mary heard him say this, she realized that “hanging with kids is the job for me!”
Outside of teaching, Mary enjoys running long distances and cycling. She has recently learned to swim and has started training for a triathlon. One of her favourite things to do is to play guitar and compose songs. Mary has a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education. She is First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen trained. Mini also has Site Specific Certification on our Low Ropes Course and Climbing Wall.
Julie Kelly “Duckie” like a mother duck treats children like her little ducklings. Always aiming to make sure children are having fun, yet are in a safe and nurturing environment, Julie has as much fun being with the children as the children have with her.
Julie has always known that a career with children is where she is meant to be. Currently a student of Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Julie is enrolled in the Concurrent Education program in the Primary/Junior division while majoring in Psychology. Julie will be entering her fifth and final year of the program in September. She hopes to remain in the Ottawa Valley area after she graduates. She is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED, Epipen training, she is also site certified on the Ropes Course and Climbing wall.
Working with children is something Julie has done all her life. She has been exposed to many different settings, including the classroom, intramural teams, and the Special Olympics. Although she has enjoyed working with all age groups, her heart belongs to the primary children.
Brittany Rich “Jazz” has been connected to the 5 Star community for over ten years. She began her journey here as a Counsellor in Training and has remained an integral part to the programming, specifically with our youngest campers, the Little Dippers (5-6 year olds). She has a special ability to make connections with these campers and makes them feel right at home on our campgrounds. Her love for 5 Star and its campers is the reason she returns each year. If you see little campers tip-toeing pretending to be invisible with 5-Star’s special dust or walking around with binoculars searching for treasure, Brittany will definitely be there! Whether she is telling stories about living on a pirate ship or playing a game of tag, she believes with all her heart that these connections and special moments in a child’s life are where memories are made. Every year, she looks forward to meeting new campers and welcoming them to the 5 Star family.
Brittany has channeled her love for leadership and education into the cooperative and creative environments she creates for our young campers. Her passion for fostering an engaging learning environment has led her to pursue post-secondary education at Nipissing University. Brittany has completed her Honours Bachelor of Physical and Health Education and her Bachelor of Education. This combination of a child learning pedagogy along with a deeper understanding of the benefits of daily physical activity helps Brittany promote and teach young campers through active play-based and inquiry learning.
When Brittany lives life outside of 5 Star, she’s actively involved with sports and physical and health education, where she encourages and teaches athletes the fundamentals of sport and helps to build young players into leaders. This commitment to developing the whole individual, as a young child or adolescent, is evident in the programming she implements for 5 Star. She hopes to start a career in the field of kinesiology while incorporating her education degree.
Brittany has First Aid/CPR, AED, and Epipen training, and is site-specific trained on our Low Ropes Course, Vertical Playground, and Climbing Wall.
Gillian Mattock “Arty-M” My qualifications and experience are in residential social work in the United Kingdom, working with spirited and challenging children and teens, as well as adults with special needs. I have used my love of art throughout my career to reach out to, and enrich the lives of the different client groups I have worked with. My skills include the ability to help people feel at ease quite quickly, and I like to encourage those with little confidence to try and have a go, no matter what we are doing. I enjoy the company of youngsters and can tell a good yarn to captivate my audience. You will find in me, a compassionate person with a great deal of common sense.
I have enjoyed working as the Junior School art teacher at Venta Preparatory School for the past 13 years. It is a super team to be a part of.
I live near Kinburn in the middle of nowhere, with my husband and pets, and my son and daughter come back to spend weekends regularly. I love being outdoors, summer or winter, it doesn’t matter, swimming, cycling, snowshoeing, or walking with dogs. What does matter is spending good times with family and friends doing things together.
Cameron Ford “Whiskers” Be who you needed when you were younger. This is the motto that Cameron lives by with children. Working closely with children for 9 years in education, as well as camp based settings; Cameron thrives off of the energy, and enthusiasm that youth bring. 5 Star Camps has progressively become the love of Cameron’s life in a sense. With a profound understanding of “meeting every child where they are at,” and a plethora of knowledge about 5 Star Camps, Cameron truly embodies the role of a camp counsellor.
Cameron has facilitated the multi-sport station, been Counsellor, and Assistant counsellor. Cameron has experience working with youth as young as 3, and youth as old as 16. Cameron is also First Aid/CPR Certified, as well as AED and epipen trained.
Cameron’s greatest strength that he brings to a challenge by choice setting is patience. Cameron believes that validating a child’s feelings, giving your time, and being a person in their life who listens will grant them lasting memories at 5 Star Camps.
Nate Legault-Roth “Norse” is a former student and staff member of Venta Preparatory School. He has known Papa Bear and Neats for over 30 years. He started as a boarder at Venta and lived on the property for many years. After graduation, Nate continued to be involved with the school by working as a summer counselor for several years before moving on to run the dormitory program for three years with his future wife. They had their wedding on the property and have been married for over 18 years. Their son is also a regular 5 Star camper!
Nate is the founder of his own audio recording company where he and his wife narrate audio books (mostly children’s books!). He also works with youth everyday through the Ottawa Safety Council as a Crossing Guard and Walking School Bus Leader.
Nate has been with 5 Star Camps since 2017 and this will be his third year leading our Outdoor Leadership Camp program. He is certified in First Aid/CPR, AED and Epipen trained, and is site-specific trained on our Low Ropes Course, Vertical Playground, and Climbing Wall, and is site-specific trained on our Low Ropes Course, Vertical Playground, and Climbing Wall.. Nate loves working out at the fort – he also has fond memories of helping build it in his younger years. He has always enjoyed working with youth and believes it’s therapeutic to be able to give back to the younger community, especially in a place that had such a positive impact on his own youth.