Excellence in Teaching Awards (2006) finalists recognized
134 Alberta teachers will receive certificates acknowledging their contributions to education
Edmonton...The 2006 Excellence in Teaching Awards Program is recognizing 134 Alberta teachers as award finalists, celebrating their outstanding creativity and innovation in our province’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system.
“Being named a finalist in the Excellence in Teaching Awards is a significant honour for any teacher or principal in our province,” said Alberta Education Minister Gene Zwozdesky. “The nomination itself is an acknowledgement from their local school community that they are held in high esteem, since finalists were selected from hundreds of submissions.”
This year’s finalists were chosen from 446 eligible nominees by a selection committee of representatives from Alberta’s education community. Finalists will receive an award certificate, which will be presented to them at local ceremonies held in their schools or communities.
From this group of finalists, 20 will be selected to receive a Provincial Excellence in Teaching Award and three will be recipients of the SMARTer Kids Foundation Innovative Use of Technology Award. The 2006 recipients will be honoured at a dinner and awards ceremony in Calgary this May.
“I am very pleased to see more and more teachers being nominated each year,” said Zwozdesky. “The awards program is a terrific way to publicly recognize, thank and celebrate the fantastic work teachers do in classrooms throughout Alberta.”
The 18th annual Excellence in Teaching Awards is presented by Alberta Education with the support of the Alberta Home and School Councils’ Association, the Alberta School Boards Association, the Alberta Teachers’ Association, the Edmonton Journal, the SMARTer Kids Foundation and XEROX.
Backgrounder
2006 Excellence In Teaching Awards Finalists
Ashmont
Ayres, Rod, Ashmont Secondary School
Athabasca
Kucey, Sharon, Edwin Parr Composite School
Blackfalds
Steeves, C. Jay, Iron Ridge Elementary and Junior Campus
Blackie
De Maere, Karen Lynn, Blackie School
Buffalo Head Prairie
Hewson, Kurtis, Blue Hills Community School
Calgary
Allard, Paul André Jean, Bowness Senior High School
Belanger, Nancy Tia, St. Bede School
Blayone, Carmen, Mother Mary Greene School
Chorney, Rick, Sir William Van Horne Senior High School
Cocking, Robert William, Chinook Park School
Cottrell, James McIntosh, Crescent Heights High School
Crawford, Donna, King George School
Daniels, Tobey, Bearspaw School
de Nance, Joy Anne, The Hamptons School
Everett, Esmeralda, William Aberhart High School
Jarvis, Sandy Marie, Bishop O'Byrne High School
Kivi, Sandra Diane, Scenic Acres School
Lavoie, Theresa, St. Patrick Elementary School
Mann, Gillian, Bearspaw School
Papas, Katherine, Sunalta Elementary School
Poirier, Martin, William Aberhart High School
Robertson, Leslie Dawn, Tom Baines School
Roth, Lisa, Ernest Morrow Junior High School
Sawatsky, Marianne, Bearspaw School
Schwartz, Ronald J., Dr. E. P. Scarlett Senior High School
Townsend, Peggy Lee, Sir William Van Horne Senior High School
Whiteford, P. Gail, National Sport School
Wilberger, Kristl May, École Holy Redeemer School
Williamson, Walter John, Bishop Grandin High School
Camrose
Edwards, Marlene Louise, Learning Together Program
Cold Lake
Dusyk-Johnson, Jennifer, Grand Centre High School
Walker, Dustin Cole, Cold Lake Off-Campus School
Didsbury
Heywood, Sandy, Grimmon House
Edmonton
Adrian, Lindsay Jayne, Tevie Miller Heritage School Program
Alba, Dan, Anne Fitzgerald Catholic School
Andrews, Karlus, L'Académie Vimy Ridge Academy
Appleby, A. Jeuline, Princeton Elementary School
Argent, Kenneth James, H. E. Beriault Catholic Junior High
Aura, Kyoko Leanne, St. Leo School
Banks, Tom, McNally High School
Bezubiak, T. Scott, Ross Sheppard High School
Brooks, Ray, Blessed Kateri Catholic Elementary School
Burkinshaw, Daniel John, Don Bosco Academy
Butler, Danny Boyce, Jasper Place High School
Cavanagh, Dan, Anne Fitzgerald Catholic School
Champagne, Lorraine, École St. Stanislaus School
Chassé, André P., St. Jerome Catholic Elementary School
Cheng, Shou-Lan, Londonderry Junior High
Chiarello, Pina, Ross Sheppard High School
Cimino, Maureen, Jasper Place High School
Coleman, Claudine, Ross Sheppard High School
Cooper, Monique Noella, Sir John Thompson Catholic Junior High School
Copeland, Paul Bruce, McNally High School
Cunningham, Donna Joan Marie, St. Francis Xavier High School
Douziech, Karen, McNally High School
Driscoll, Paula Cecelia, Our Lady of the Prairies
Dupuis, Michelle, St. Jerome Catholic Elementary School
Eddy, Lynn Margaret, Mee-Yah-Noh School
Ennis, Robert L., Inglewood Elementary School
Esler, Barbara, George P Nicholson School
Espejo Harasimiuk, Jennifer Ellen, St. Francis Xavier High School
Forest, Daniel, Archbishop MacDonald High School
Garner, Marian Louise, Ross Sheppard High School
Graham, Stacey, Callingwood School
Grassick, Jennifer, St. Edmund School
Hall, Terry, Callingwood School
Homan, Anita, McNally High School
Jenkins, Gail, St. Boniface Catholic Fine Arts Focus School
Johnson, Jeffrey, St. Brendan Catholic School
Kuebel, Peter, Ross Sheppard High School
Lafrenière, Nicole Monique, Father Michael Troy Catholic School
Letwin, Karen, St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School
Levasseur, Marilynne, St. Benedict Elementary School
Lipkewich, Arlene Evelyn, Westmount Junior High
Loder-Stephen, Tracy, Centennial School
Marlen, Michale, Archbishop O'Leary High School
Mayne, Carol, Louis St. Laurent High School
Edmonton continued
Joy-McGill, Tracey Lynn, St. Thomas More Junior High School
Molstad, Howard Duncan, Ottewell School
Monteith, Erlene Marie, Ben Calf Robe / St. Clare School
Montemurro, Raffaella, Virginia Park School
Mykituk, Shirley, Ben Calf Robe / St. Clare School
Richardson, Bryan Kayle, Ben Calf Robe / St. Clare School
Rossol, Edward, Ross Sheppard High School
Schooler, Shannon Eileen, St. Clement Catholic Elementary / Junior High School
Shewchuk, Jessica Marie, Westmount Junior High
Simington, Elana Jill, St. Elizabeth Seton
Simpson, Charlene, Westmount Junior High
Sosnowski, Clifford Leonard, Louis St. Laurent High School
Stevens, Nina, St. Brendan Catholic School
Stirrett, Deborah Jayne, Ross Sheppard High School
Swinnerton, Christina, St. Alphonsus Catholic Elementary Junior High School
Symons, Carol, S. Bruce Smith Junior High School
Trumier, Lorel Marie, St. Vincent School
Warawa, David, Archbishop O'Leary High School
Workun, Mike John, Austin O'Brien Catholic High School
Foremost
Gairns, Kent, Plainview Colony School
Fort McMurray
Danielson Gerriets, Dawn, Fort McMurray Composite High School
Grande Prairie
Lachapelle-McLevin, Diane, École St. Gerard School
High Level
Burke, Sandra, Spirit of the North Community School
Calp, Shannah Lee, Spirit of the North Community School
La Crete
Hancock, Ian, Sandhills Elementary School
Lacombe
McRae, Donna, James S. McCormick School
Uhrbach, Corvin, Lacombe Composite High School
Leduc
Brenneis, Morag Kathleen, Storefront School
Nahrebeski, James Donald, Leduc Composite High School
Manning
Gurtler, Willemina Teresa, Manning Elementary School
Olds
Fisher, Hélène Marie Anne, Olds Elementary School
Peace River
Tang, Karen, Glenmary School
Red Deer
Crawford, Glenda, École Oriole Park School
Jacobsen, William David, Hunting Hills High School
Van Hollen, Angela Loreen, Joseph Welsh School
Sherwood Park
Reinich, Diane, Wye School
St. Albert
Akins, Christopher Lawrence, Robert Rundle School
Burton, Dennis Stephen, Keenooshayo Elementary School
Dubé, Eugénie Jeannette, École Father Jan School
Pawsey, Richard, Leo Nickerson Elementary School
Strathmore
Davidson, Cheryl, Strathmore High School
Sundre
Hawthorne, Linda, Sundre High School
Taber
Kubik, Dianne Carol, Dr. Hamman School
Tofield
Schaade, Maria, Tofield School
Vauxhall
Fast, Andrew Stephen, Vauxhall High School
Wainwright
Allen, Brent, Wainwright High School
Grosky, Kjirsten, Wainwright High School
Whitecourt
Balzer, Philip Edward, Pat Hardy School
SMARTer Kids Innovative Use of Technology
Busby
Meinczinger, Doris, Busby Elementary School
Calgary
Boutin, Michael Frederick, Crescent Heights High School
Marconi, Bonnie-Jean, Our Lady of Peace Elementary / Junior High School
Edmonton
Voigt, Gregory, Archbishop Oscar Romero High School
Fort McMurray
Espejo, Virgilio (Gil), St. Gabriel School
Kitching, Deborah, École St. Paul School
Stettler
Fleischhacker, Darren Lorne, Wm. E. Hay Composite High School
Vermilion
Watt, Ielah Jean, Vermilion Elementary School
Wetaskiwin
Dorosz-Sieg, Patricia Patsy, Sacred Heart Catholic School
Selection Committee
The selection committee is made up of representatives from:
- Alberta Education;
- The Alberta Home and School Councils’ Association;
- The Alberta School Boards Association;
- The Association of Independent Schools and Colleges;
- The College of Alberta School Superintendents;
- The Council on Alberta Teaching Standards;
- The Universities Co-ordinating Council;
- The Alberta Teachers’ Association.
Awards
- Each eligible nominee will receive a certificate in recognition of his/her nomination.
- Of all eligible nominations, 134 award finalists, including nine SMARTer Kids Foundation award finalists will be presented with a finalist certificate at a school or community event. Finalists will be announced in April, 2006.
- Twenty Provincial Excellence in Teaching Awards and three SMARTer Kids Foundation Innovative Use of Technology Awards will be given in 2006. Each recipient will receive a commemorative pin and award certificate. The school of each recipient also will receive a certificate honouring the school’s role in fostering teaching excellence. Recipients will be announced in May, 2006. Award recipients will be honoured at a dinner and ceremony in Calgary on May 6, 2006.
Eligibility
A nominee must be an individual who:
- holds a permanent Alberta teaching certificate at the time of nomination;
- teaches (or supports the teaching of) courses as outlined in the Program of Studies or locally developed and approved courses for Kindergarten to Grade 12 during the 2005-06 school year; and
- works directly with students in a school setting on a daily basis (may be a principal or other certificated staff member).
NOTE: A former finalist is not eligible for nomination for three years after receiving a finalist award. A former provincial recipient is not eligible for nomination.
Criteria for Selection
The criteria for selection applies to all award categories. The selection committee will look for specific examples of:
A. How the nominee’s teaching or leadership excels at:
- fostering the development of students and their intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth
- establishing a stimulating learning environment
- motivating students to exceed their own expectations
- attending to individual student needs
- working collaboratively with colleagues
- demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of subject matter and curriculum
- being involved in professional growth activitiesachieving positive results in student learning
- demonstrating care for the well-being of students and colleagues, thereby contributing to a positive school climate
B. How the nominee’s teaching or leadership is innovative or creative in supporting student learning in one or more of the areas identified above.
Innovative or creative teaching that supports student learning may refer to:
- introducing or applying successful or proven practices or approaches new to a classroom or a school
- adapting approaches advocated in the literature or elsewhere for specific contexts of teaching and learning
- championing a successful or proven approach throughout a school or school district/division
- developing teacher resources or materials that complement an existing approach
SMARTer Kids Foundation Innovative Use of Technology Awards
The selection committee will look for specific examples of how the nominee excels in meeting the selection criteria through the use of electronic technology. All nominations submitted may be considered for the SMARTer Kids Foundation Award.
