www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 14, 2014 | 22 Oakville family sets sail for a world of adventure by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff There's a saying the greatest teachers inspire. For Oakville's Paul and Jennifer Turner, they're hoping a tour around the world for a school year will do just that for their children -- Elizabeth and Jack -- and perhaps for each other too. Paul and Jennifer, teachers themselves, have spent the last five years planning their family's world tour, which departed on Sept. 9 and returns back to Oakville on July 21, 2015, in an effort to set their children on paths to become more "wellrounded, worldly individuals." "Both as educators and people who travel, we really recognize the value of travel in developing a person and making them a more well-rounded individual," Paul, a 47-year-old English teacher at Streetsville Secondary School in Mississauga, told the Oakville Bea- Teachers Paul Turner and wife Jennifer along with their children, Jack, 7, and Elizabeth, 10, are on an adventure of a lifetime, travelling around the world and homeschooling their children while globetrotting. They left in September and will return in July 2015. | photo by Graham Paine Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) ver a day before his family began their global adventure. "The very fortunate opportunity to take our kids on this trip allows us to really give them some groundwork in understanding the world, on problem solving, critical thinking and really just enjoying the world as a marvellous place. "And we're trying to instil a sense of adventure and a longing for knowledge in our children so they can take that into later life and become well-travelled themselves." Paul's wife, Jennifer, 40, is also an English teacher and head of the languages department at Mississauga's Port Credit Secondary School. She said as a parent, a big reason she wanted to take this trip with her family was to give her children a firsthand understanding of how different people's lives are outside of Oakville, and in a larger sense North America. "We are incredibly privileged to be able to see what a good portion of the world is like and develop their social conscience, to develop their (Elizabeth and Jack's) understanding of other cultures," said Jennifer. "And I think for me, it's the excitement to be able to spend some quality time with my kids and husband." Paul and Jennifer were able to take a teacher-funded leave from the Peel District School Board (PDSB) for the 2014-15 school year. Paul explained the PDSB encourages its teachers to take this leave because it believes "the more wellrounded and worldly the teacher is, the better the outcome for the students they teach," he said. After gaining permission from the school board to start the process for their leave, the PDSB then garnishes part of the teacher's wages to make up for the time they will be away, Paul noted. While the trip will be an adventure of a lifetime for the Turners, it will also be educational too, particularly for Elizabeth, 10, and Jack, 7, who will be homeschooled by their parents while on their trip. see Family on p.26 Do you have the CorreCt insuranCe Coverage? CNJ INsuraNCe & rIsk MaNageD solutIoNs Inc. has The soluTions! Jon-Paul Deerin · Home Owners Insurance · Small Business Insurance · Commercial Insurance · Automobile & Collector Cars Insurance · Wine & Art Collection Insurance MVL LEASING LIMITED 1064 SOUTH SERVICE RD. 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