Prime Minister's Awards for teaching Excellence

ARCHIVED—Recipient Bios

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Year: 1997 – Province: Nova Scotia

Certificate of Achievement Recipients

Janice Farrell , Stephanie Krszwda

Janice Farrell and Stephanie Krszwda, two remarkable teachers at the Colby-St. Joseph Complex in Sydney, amazed local business people and parents by turning their Grade 1 and 2 charges into budding entrepreneurs. In 1996­97 about 55 six and seven year olds learned how to run a business, and then actually did it. The Grade 1 class produced a cookbook of recipes requiring no cooking. The Grade 2 students created the Slappy Happy Card Company, making all-occasion greeting cards, and another company that made peel-and-stick labels promoting fire safety. Ms. Farrell and Ms. Krszwda provided guidance only as the children negotiated a loan from the school principal, set up shop, and decided how to market their products and what to do with the profits. The young students learned about teamwork, partnerships, informed risk-taking and commitment to a project, and were responsible for their own decisions.