ARCHIVED—Recipient Bios
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Year: 2001 – Province: British Columbia
Certificate of Excellence Recipients
Bradley Talbot , Douglas Grunert
School: Rutland Senior Secondary School
650 Dodd Road
Kelowna, British Columbia V1X 2X3
Principal: Hugh Gloster
School Telephone: 250-765-1407
School Fax: 250-765-4783
School Website: www.sd23.bc.ca/schools/secondary/rutland.html
Grades/Subjects Taught: Grades 10 to 12 - science, environmental science, biology, chemistry, career preparation.
Teaching Approach:
- To create opportunities for students to gain real-life experiences they may not normally receive.
- To create activities out of the classroom and even out of the country that require students to participate with community leaders and environmental agencies.
- To help reduce student stress during exams and scholarship testing with special tutorials along with a significant dose of humour. I always tell my students they are going to forget 80 percent of what I teach them. That's why I teach them 180 percent more than they will be tested on. Bradley Talbot
Outstanding Achievements:
Created Environmental Sciences 12, which combines biology, chemistry and the province's Work Experience program. Originally an enrichment course, it is now available to all students.
Through this course, students, in partnership with a wide variety of organizations, are active participants in numerous environmental clean-up projects, including the following:
- Mill Creek Restoration Project to reconstruct a local stream bank and bring back indigenous flora;
- Kokanee in the Classroom, which gives students the responsibility of breeding kokanee salmon for release in the spring in local streams;
- Project COOL (Clean our Okanagan Lake), in which students with scuba-diving experience clean up an estimated seven tonnes of debris from Okanagan Lake annually.
Mr. Grunert, Mr. Talbot and their students have received a number of special commendations, such as the Frank Shannon Junior Conservation Award from the B.C. Wildlife Federation, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada Environmental Award, a Provincial Minister of Environment Award and first place in the regional Environment I Know environmental knowledge contest.
Rave Reviews:
The most important thing I learned from these two teachers is to have a positive attitude and to try my hardest whether I like the project or not. These guys helped me grow and develop into a hard working and committed adult. Former student
I'm a single mom, so my kids never had many male role models. Now my son and daughter know that men can be sensitive, empathetic and loving but still disciplined and firm. Parent