ARCHIVED—Recipient Bios
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Year: 1999 – Province: Alberta
Certificate of Excellence Recipients
Bill French
School: Lansdowne School
Principal: Judy Soper
School Website: www.schoolweb.ab.ca/lansdowne
Grades/Subjects Taught: Grade 4 Academic Challenge, Grade 5 – all subjects, Grade 6 Academic Challenge and physical education
Teaching Approach:
- Share excitement and a true joy of learning with students.
- Create an interesting and stimulating learning environment for students by integrating all subjects around a year-long theme.
- Provide a variety of experiences for students; use tools, technology and information to sustain and expand students' curiosity; look for "teachable moments" throughout the day.
Outstanding Achievements:
Creates year-long themes to unify subjects with a carefully planned, logically organized learning plan for entire year. A new theme every year: 1990-2000 theme is Fantasy Island, touching all areas of curriculum.
Student attendance is almost perfect; students come to school even when sick. Participation is equally enthusiastic: students spontaneously ask questions, bring treasures to class, share own knowledge and perspectives.
Students consistent score high in Grade 6 provincial achievement tests: 50 percent achieve standard of excellence in science, 47 percent in mathematics.
Students with behavioural disorders thrive in his class.
Students participate in school science fair, and win top prizes at the regional science fair.
Rave Reviews:
"Each student is definitely equipped to excel in our fast-changing, technological environment after attending a year with Bill." Fellow teacher
"It's fun how he mixes subjects together. Like when we're making a map, he makes a story about it and we do math problems with it, too." A student