Our founding team understands the importance of strengthening the thread that connects young generations with the homeland of our ancestors. We come from different walks of life but share a common vision for a school we’d be proud to call “НАША ШКОЛА”. Read our school’s story here.
Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Elementary School is a registered not-for-profit corporation. All project members are volunteers and members of the Serbian community. Ontario Ministry’s Board School Identification Database (BSID) number is to be issued upon the school opening date in 2025. The school would then be added to the list of operating private schools in the Ontario Ministry’s system.
Board of Directors
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Jovana Popović
Chair
Jovana is a dedicated mother of four whose commitment to advancing a brighter educational future for children, grounded in Christian Orthodox values, reflects her profound sense of purpose. With nearly 15 years of diverse leadership and educational experience in the healthcare sector, she brings invaluable insights and expertise to her leadership role in this project.
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Jovana Vujinović
Vice-chair
A mother and Ontario Certified Teacher looking to enrich children’s learning and guide them to become valuable members of our society. Jovana is the lead teacher in our project. She is contributing by working on various assignments, with her main focus being on school administration, teaching curriculum/program and classroom design.
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Aleksandra Papić
Treasurer
Having grown up in the GTA's Serbian Orthodox community, Aleksandra is passionate about preserving Serbian culture, language, and heritage for Serbian youth in Ontario. With her years of experience as a sales executive and strategy consultant, Aleksandra is using her business acumen to define and execute on an organizational strategy for the school.
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Neven Vujinović
Director
A dedicated father and a management professional. Neven has been involved with many Serbian charity organizations through the years. He takes great pride in his Serbian Orthodox roots and aspires that his and other children will have the opportunity to learn and cherish our language, traditions and culture. His role for this project as a project member is marketing/sponsorship and overall project involvement.
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Dejana Bajić
Secretary
Dejana, a mother of three school-aged children, is committed to the realization of this school’s vision. She’s delighted to see how this project is already bringing our community closer, and is determined to unlock this school’s tremendous potential. As a software engineering specialist, Dejana channels her 20 years of professional expertise towards the development projects that are key to school’s establishment.
Education Committee
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Emilija Lafond, MA, M.Ed
Emilija is a passionate educator with experience in teaching and school leadership in both Canada and the US, and a graduate of Harvard University. As a practicing Orthodox Christian, she values integrating faith and learning in meaningful ways. Her focus has been on building the enhanced curriculum for our school, ensuring it aligns with both academic excellence and deeper values. Emilija is grateful to collaborate with such an empowered team, working together to create transformative educational experiences for the incoming classes.
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Teodora Ivanović, OCT
Teodora is an Ontario Certified Teacher with several years of experience teaching Math and French. She is focused on enhancing the Mathematics curriculum at our school. Having grown up in Canada, Teodora appreciates the importance of our cultural and Christian Orthodox heritage, and she is excited that this project gives students the chance to balance these values with their academic pursuits.
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Danijela Stanojević
Danijela is an accomplished educator and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with young children. As a dedicated professional and mother of two, she is passionate about inspiring a love of learning in her students. Danijela has extensive experience in curriculum planning and development, as well as organizing collaborative efforts among children and educators.
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Branislava Nujić, RECE, BA ECE
Branislava is a mother and a Registered Early Childhood Educator. She works full-time as the Director of a Child Care Centre. Passionate about high-quality education, Branislava brings her expertise in early childhood education, along with her experience in developing policies and procedures for our school.
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Miroslav Radošević
Miroslav is a theologian, graduated from the Faculty of Theology of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the University of Belgrade. He is a religious education teacher with many years of experience working with children. For ten years he was a teacher in Belgrade at the “Đura Daničić” elementary school, and for three years he also worked at the “Jovan Cvijić” elementary school. As a religious education teacher, he taught at the Serbian School “St. Sava” in Mississauga. Today he teaches religious education classes at the Holy Trinity Church in Kitchener. His main preoccupation in working with children is to use modern methods to bring the basic truths of Orthodox Christianity closer. To lead children to the practical application of Christian ideas in everyday life through active and experiential participation in liturgical life. Miroslav teaches religious education and Orthodox catechism to adults as well. He participated in the work of the commission for the adoption of proposals for a new curriculum for religious education in elementary schools in Serbia. He has received numerous awards for his work.
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Šarčević Zlatko - Šarac
Professor of physical education with specialization in martial arts, Mr. Šarčević has extensive experience in working with young people in sports and education. Long-term teacher in state and private schools and founder of "Junak Sports School", which since 2001 has been helping in the formation of healthy and successful young athletes in the Serbian community. Proud of his roots and tradition, he deeply believes in the value of physical activity in the psycho-physical formation of a child. Mr. Šarac is incorporating his experience and knowledge into the foundations of the Serbian elementary school.
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Mirjan Krstović, M.Ed, HBSc, OCT
Mirjan Krstović is an experienced educator with over 20 years in the field of education. He began his career as a high school science teacher, where he taught for 10 years, fostering a deep passion for student learning and engagement. Mirjan then transitioned into the role of Instructional Coach within his district, where he was responsible for advancing professional learning across K-12 schools, supporting teachers in their development and improving instructional practices. Mirjan further expanded his impact as the Head of School Transformation at Peel Alternative School, where he led efforts to redesign and innovate educational experiences to better meet the needs of diverse learners. Currently, he serves in Leadership Development and School Partnerships at the Peel District School Board, leading the implementation of various systems partnership programs to enhance collaboration and educational excellence. With his broad experience in teaching, coaching, and leadership, Mirjan continues to be a driving force in advancing educational quality within his community.
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Tatjana Mandić
Tatjana is the principal and teacher of the private "St. Sava" Serbian language school at our Community Center in Mississauga. She holds an elementary teaching diploma from Serbia and has over 20 years of experience teaching Serbian as a second language in Mississauga. Her focus at our school is on developing a curriculum that fosters reading and writing skills while creating a friendly environment where children can learn about Serbian history, culture, and traditions.
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Maja Vojinović
Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade in 2012 with a major in pedagogy, completed her professional practice at the Elementary School "Braća Baruh" and continued her work at the school of the same name. Long-term associate of non-governmental organizations and founder of the non-governmental organization "Center for Positive Parenting". Participated in the implementation of the Institute for Pedagogical Research project - "From encouraging initiative, cooperation and creativity in education to new roles and identities in society." Maja is a member of the Pedagogical Society of Serbia.
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Mila Semeniuk, OCT, M.T., BKIN (Hons)
Mila is a dedicated teacher with over 15 years of experience working with children. With a background in healthcare, she began her educational journey by instructing anatomy and mathematics before obtaining her O.C.T. qualifications. Specializing in Health and Physical Activity, Mila aims to inspire children to learn through movement and make health-conscious choices. As a mother of two, she is passionate about creating communities that promote and uphold Serbian Orthodox traditions and values for future generations.
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Suzana Miletić, RECE, BA ECE
Suzana is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with over 25 years of experience, specializing in family support and community practice. With a deep understanding of child development, play-based learning, program development, and educational philosophies, Suzana is passionate about creating positive impact, by focusing on building responsive relationships and fostering high-quality, stimulating learning environments for children and families.
2025 Active Committee Members
Jasna Ilić - marketing
Jelena Ilić - fundraising
Jelena Radulović - budget
Maja Borić - fundraising
Milica Tomić - marketing, fundraising
Milica Živković - event planning
Mirjana Ventresca - policy
Nikol Marković Tcherkacheninova - HR
Ognjen Višnjevac - budget
Suzana Knežević - admissions, event planning
Join the team
We're thrilled to announce that our team is expanding as we gear up for the upcoming year. We’re looking for dedicated volunteers to join us.
Contact us — let's build something incredible together!