ARCHIVED—Certificate of Achievement Recipients

• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Quebec
• Ontario
• Manitoba
• Alberta
• British Columbia

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Newfoundland and Labrador

Anthony Hillier

Holy Spirit High School
Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador

Anthony Hillier quickly grasped that new tools offer challenges as well as opportunities. In response, he created interesting activities to help students master new technology. These activities allow students to innovate and develop problem-solving skills in a spirit of friendly and respectful competition. He also developed opportunities for fellow teachers to familiarize themselves with software programs in formal, structured settings. Hillier organizes, coaches and mentors students for the Skills Canada Competition and saw his students compete at the national level three years in a row.

Get in touch!

Holy Spirit High School
2694 Topsail Road
Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador A1W 4B1

Telephone: 709-834-1031
Fax: 709-834-1040
Email: scrocker@stemnet.ca

Bruce Lane

Mary Queen of Peace Elementary School
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Bruce Lane believes that students who learn to use the technology of today will be better prepared to learn the technology of tomorrow. He is confident that even very young students can, with direction, learn to apply technology to enrich their learning. In line with his beliefs, he obtained funding that brought technology to his school. As a consequence, all students in grades 1 to 6 create and maintain their own website where they publish a portfolio of their work. While working fulltime as a learning resource teacher, Lane maintains a network of 50 computers, often working after school and on weekends. He opens the computer lab during recess, lunch, and after school so students can complete their projects.

Get in touch!

Mary Queen of Peace Elementary School
137 Torbay Road
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1A 2G9

Telephone: 709-753-7950
Fax: 709-753-4973
Email: bruce@mqp.k12.nf.ca

Norman Littlejohn

St. Francis School
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador

Norman Littlejohn believes that success comes from a positive attitude and good behaviour, from being responsible, and from being adaptable and learning continuously. This philosophy helped him to implement a cable system throughout the entire school with the assistance of a local TV company. As a result, students of all grade levels have the opportunity to broadcast student interest announcements, presentations in lieu of the normal principal's morning announcements, and sports newscasts. Littlejohn also founded an annual robotics competition, led his junior robotics team to success at the provincial robotics competition, taking five out of six trophies, and took another team to a North American robotics competition.

Get in touch!

St. Francis School
P.O. Box 460
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador A0A 2MO

Telephone: 709-596-3452
Fax: 709-596-2154
Email: nlittlejohn@awsb.ca

Howard Lundrigan

St. Peter's School
Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador

Howard Lundrigan believes all children can expand their horizons when given the appropriate environment and support. Applied to mathematics and science, that means showing students how these disciplines can help them to solve everyday problems such as calculating interest on loans, determining beneficial payment options, balancing a cheque book, or figuring out how much flooring to buy for an irregularly shaped room. Lundrigan also makes use of what he calls the "If I were the teacher" method, whereby students are encouraged to teach a concept they have mastered to a group of their peers. He believes that the students remember 80 percent of what they teach.

Get in touch!

St. Peter's School
P.O. Box 100
Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador AOA 3EO

Telephone: 709-589-2464
Fax: 709-589-2210
Email: hlundrigan@awsb.ca

Elizabeth Murphy

Christ the King School
Rushoon, Newfoundland and Labrador

Elizabeth Murphy's life and teaching are driven by a desire to serve others. She went beyond her required responsibilities as school librarian to hold various book fairs to make low-cost books available to all students, even those who could not afford to buy them. She created an outdoor classroom - a learning space where students can undertake environmental projects - and helps colleagues with special needs children to acquire the skills and knowledge required to use assistive devices. She is the founding chairperson of the province's first small school council, which provided the impetus for Memorial University's Diploma in Rural Education and Tele-learning.

Get in touch!

Christ the King School
General Delivery
Rushoon, Newfoundland and Labrador A0E 2SO

Telephone: 709-443-2293
Fax: 709-443-2323
Email: eamurphy@stemnet.nf.ca

Keith Samuelson

Prince of Wales Collegiate
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Keith Samuelson has been able to bring the world to his classroom, and his students to the world. Samuelson's Teaching for International Understanding framework helps students become responsible global citizens by learning to appreciate due process and the rule of law, and that patriotism and multiculturalism are complementary ideas. He led two cross-curricular learning projects that are earning a worldwide reputation for educating young people to become responsible global citizens - the P.W.C. Holocaust Project and the World Youth Manifesto Project. They are now being used by teachers in many schools in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as other provinces and countries.

Get in touch!

Prince of Wales Collegiate
24 Paton Street
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3E7

Telephone: 709-576-4061
Fax: 709-576-4920
Email: ksamuelson@pwc.k12.nf.ca

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Nova Scotia

Gale Lohnes

Bayview Community School
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

With a limited budget and equipment, Gale Lohnes was instrumental in starting a new band program at Mahone Bay School, which later joined another school to become Bayview Community School. In addition to teaching parttime in another school, Lohnes agreed to teach two mornings a week for grade 9 students and run early morning practices. Eventually, this led to the establishment of a full program for all interested students. Lohnes then obtained a $10,000 Band Aid grant from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to purchase instruments, music, and equipment for the school. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of the school's students have been in the music program, the highest participation level in the board.

Get in touch!

Bayview Community School
110 Clearway Street, P.O. Box 160
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia B0J 2E0

Telephone: 902-624-2120
Fax: 902-624-2124
Email: glohnes@staff.ednet.ns.ca

Terry Thorsen

Cobequid Educational Centre
Truro, Nova Scotia

Terry Thorsen has pioneered new teaching methods and approaches to tests and exams. For example, he developed a new "cafeteria-style" method of testing that offers students three levels of difficulty for each question, thus challenging top students, and providing doable problems for others. He also initiated a new mathematics course at the school designed for top-level students coming into grade 10. The course ensures that these students have the skills and knowledge to advance to pre-calculus and be successful in science. His ideas have been published in the provincial mathematics journal and have been widely accepted and practised by his colleagues throughout the province.

Get in touch!

Cobequid Educational Centre
34 Lorne Street
Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 3K3

Telephone: 902-896-5700
Fax: 902-896-5707
Email: thorset@staff.ednet.ns.ca

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New Brunswick

Monique Bastarache

École Louis-J.-Robichaud
Shédiac, New Brunswick

Monique Bastarache believes that all students must know about a country's development in order to understand the country well. That is why she helps students appreciate the complex influence that events have on students' current experience, and on their place in our society. She helps students further by providing them with a logbook to use to reflect on the material they are learning, uses simulations to help students see how the law works, and has a panel of young offenders visit her class. Her students have distinguished themselves on several occasions at competitions related to the course. In 2003, her team won the regional law competition, and two of her students were selected as best litigants.

Get in touch!

École Louis-J.-Robichaud
435, rue Main
Shédiac, New Brunswick E4P 2C1

Telephone: 506-533-3314
Fax: 506-533-3371
Email: bastamo@nbed.nb.ca

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Quebec

Daphne Amster

Saint Bernard Elementary School
Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec

Daphne Amster creates a rich, stimulating learning environment at the beginning of each school year by arriving two weeks early to set up her classroom. She supports cross-curricular learning through a variety of creative activities. For example, she uses a nutrition theme across different subject areas of the curriculum. Amster and a colleague also started a collaborative mentorship program between the grade 5 morals class and her kindergarten class, exploring feelings and identifying results and solutions. This contributed to a school-wide peer mediation system to be implemented in coming years. Amster also teaches respect and compassion by involving her class in raising funds to support a foster child.

Get in touch!

Saint Bernard Elementary School
65, avenue Sunshine
Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec H9B 1G9

Telephone: 514-683-3397
Fax: 514-683-1882
Email: damster@lbpsb.qc.ca

Sylvie Blanchet

Collège Saint-Louis
Lachine, Quebec

Sylvie Blanchet focuses on the place of dance in the history of humanity, and on how the arts play a key role in society; developing values such as tolerance, respect, openness to the world and curiosity. Blanchet shows students how to develop their ability in spite of a lack of physical and technical facilities. To help overcome these limitations, she draws from many resources in carrying out her numerous projects. She finds what she needs in her community and involves parents as well as technicians and specialists from outside the school. She also founded a dance troupe, Expression, which is made up of 150 students. It has celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Get in touch!

Collège Saint-Louis
50, 34^e Avenue
Lachine, Quebec H8T 1Z2

Telephone: 514-634-4448
Fax: 514-634-1333
Email: blanchetsylvie@hotmail.com

Stéphane Côté

École primaire Lalande
Roxboro, Quebec

Stéphane Côté is always willing to use a little creativity and make an extra effort to help his students achieve their best. For example, from March to June 2003, Côté launched and carried out the Super Bolides (super racecars) project. His students formed teams to design and build a model racecar from start to finish: the chassis, wheels, suspension, security system, propulsion system (mouse trap), electrical system, reinforcement, body and bumper. This project allowed approximately 140 students to experience success at all levels: intellectual, manual and social, and earned them a spot on the front page of the newspaper Le Devoir.

Get in touch!

École primaire Lalande
50, 3^e Avenue Sud
Roxboro, Quebec H8Y 2L5

Telephone: 514-684-3423
Fax: 514-684-3330
Email: audeladesreves@hotmail.com

Peggy Hoffman

Bialik High School
Côte St-Luc, Quebec

Peggy Hoffman pioneered the Portrait Poetry project, in which students use poetry to reflect on, and express their thoughts about someone who is close to them. The students complement the poem with a piece of visual art and a spoken word piece. This approach has grown out of Hoffman's desire to encourage students to express personal viewpoints and to use personal reflection as they develop their critical thinking and analytical skills. She introduces students to social and psychological issues in literature, and discusses how literature reflects society and culture. She encourages remedial students to participate in the book club she holds daily during lunch hour, and is always available to students or small groups at these meetings.

Get in touch!

Bialik High School
6500, chemin Kildare
Côte St-Luc, Quebec H4W 3B8

Telephone: 514-481-2736
Fax: 514-483-6391
Email: ddk@bialikmtl.ca

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Ontario

Bernadette Berthelotte

W. F. Herman Secondary School
Windsor, Ontario

During Bernadette Berthelotte's tenure, the music program at W. F. Herman Secondary has grown from one part-time grade 9 instrumental class to a full time program with many instrumental classes for students in grades 9 to 12. Berthelotte is responsible for organizing a yearly feeder school tour that shows prospective students what the music program has to offer. She introduced daily listening journals, in which students research, listen to, and write about a piece of music that is outside their usual experience. Berthelotte has strong ties to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, which provides students with an opportunity to learn from professional musicians, attend performances, and to work with the Symphony's conductor.

Get in touch!

W. F. Herman Secondary School
1930 Rossini Blvd.
Windsor, Ontario N8W 4P5

Telephone: 519-944-4700
Fax: 519-944-3809
Email: bernadette_berthelotte@gecdsb.on.ca

Mary Card

Monarch Park Collegiate
Toronto, Ontario

"When given the chance to apply mathematics to real life situations, students recognize that learning mathematics can be fun," says Mary Card. That is why she has developed activities such as the "derivative dance" to help teach product rule and quotient rule in differentiation. Card also encourages students to participate in extracurricular activities, including the Steps to University program, through which they can achieve a credit from the University of Toronto and an in-school credit in English. She also raised more than $150,000 in scholarships and bursaries over two years for students who would not otherwise be able to attend university or college.

Get in touch!

Monarch Park Collegiate
1 Hanson Street
Toronto, Ontario M4J 1G6

Telephone: 416-393-0190
Fax: 416-393-0834
Email: Mary.Card@tel.tdsb.on.ca

Stanley Jay Dankevy

Mayfield Secondary School
Brampton, Ontario

Stanley Jay Dankevy seeks to establish a learning environment in which everyone can be successful. He adapts subject matter, assignments, exercises, assessment, and evaluations to meet the needs of students, including special needs students who are integrated in his programs. He also encourages gender equity in a male-dominated technology field by establishing a safe learning environment for all students. More than 100 students are placed on the waiting lists for his classes annually. Students in his classes receive immediate and meaningful feedback on a daily basis, providing opportunities for problem solving and the development of leadership skills. He is flexible when faced with equipment and material constraints.

Get in touch!

Mayfield Secondary School
5000 Mayfield Road
Brampton, Ontario L6T 3S1

Telephone: 905-846-6060, ext. 743
Fax: 905-843-9543
Email: stan.dankevy@peelsb.com

Christopher Paul

Gorczynski Hillcrest Community Public School
Toronto, Ontario

Christopher Paul Gorczynski develops and implements creative and innovative cross-curriculum activities year after year. The most notable one may be his grade 6 Modern Motion Pictures unit, which integrates technology, language, drama, and visual arts. Students produced, filmed, and edited a feature motion picture of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. After several months of post-production (editing, sound, special effects), the movie was screened for students, parents, and members of the community. Gorczynski's students' work is celebrated throughout the school board and is used as a model for innovative cross-curricular development. He also spearheaded a lunch-time music club integrating music, performing arts, and technology.

Get in touch!

Hillcrest Community Public School
44 Hilton Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5R 3E6

Telephone: 416-393-9700
Fax: 416-393-1987
Email: chris.gorczynski@tel.tdsb.on.ca

Kernan John

Marc Garneau Collegiate
Don Mills, Ontario

Kernan John ensures students are ready for university by developing effective study, time-management, and note-taking skills. Students attend three university lectures to get the feel of a university environment and to hone their note-taking skills. John's innovative biology projects have included an eight-week cat dissection, from surface to anatomy. John committed much personal time over almost two months preparing for this project. He also includes life lessons in his teaching, and is a positive role model for good manners and professionalism. He encourages students to seek many sources of information to help them learn how to distill the good from the bad and fact from fiction.

Get in touch!

Marc Garneau Collegiate
135 Overlea Blvd.
Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1B3

Telephone: 416-396-2410
Fax: 416-396-2407

Paul Lukacs

St. Edward Catholic Elementary School
Jordan, Ontario

Paul Lukacs nurtures the creative side of his students and teaches old concepts in new and creative ways. Survivor Challenge teams tackle daily grammar challenges for 14 days straight. Creative activities include work in all subject areas, be it tangrams, spelling, physical exercises, or map reading, all based on the Ontario curriculum. Lukac's students are encouraged to develop their creative, dramatic, and speaking skills by participating in the school's annual musical production. They audition for roles and assist in writing, designing costumes, and getting props. Lukacs's School Buddy System sees his grade 6 students help senior kindergarten students with reading, math, and computer activities.

Get in touch!

St. Edward Catholic Elementary School
2807-4th Avenue
Jordan, Ontario L0R 1S0

Telephone: 905-562-5531
Fax: 905-562-1847
Email: paul.lukacs@ncdsb.com

Lois McMillan

Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute
Guelph, Ontario

Lois McMillan creates an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable expressing themselves. Students across the board adopt her positive attitude, from the most reluctant learner to the highest achiever. She uses structured dramatic dialogue, asks personal questions in French about issues pertinent to her students, mixes French and English, and has students create structured dramatic dialogues. Props, sets, and drama make a lively and fun-filled classroom. McMillan has students create posters, three-dimensional figures, videos, and paintings. Students are also asked to read French books, watch French television programs and/or listen to Radio Canada. Consequently, students learn that French class extends to everyday life and that they can learn outside the classroom.

Get in touch!

Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute
155 Paisley Street
Guelph, Ontario N1H 2P3

Telephone: 519-824-9800
Fax: 519-822-5962

Meg O'Mahony

University of Toronto Schools
Toronto, Ontario

Meg O'Mahony strives to model social, learning, and problem-solving skills in a safe and caring, yet adventurous environment. And she does this in a way that ensures that students' perception of any of these skills does not include gender, racial, or other discriminatory biases. O'Mahony encourages students to attend lectures at the University of Toronto, and use its libraries for research and assignments. She also implemented a partnership program with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, placing students as volunteers in research labs. Her students make extensive use of information technology, such as online labs and virtual conferencing, tutoring and mentoring. Information on upcoming lectures and competitions is shared with students.

Get in touch!

University of Toronto Schools
371 Bloor Street
West Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R8

Telephone: 416-978-3212
Fax: 416-978-6775
Email: momahony@uts.oise.utoronto.ca

Celiza Ribeiro

St. Therese of the Child Jesus School
Mississauga, Ontario

Celiza Ribeiro insists teachers must believe in change - must know it is possible - because education is a constant process of change. She serves as a special education resource teacher, and as an academic resource for children in the regular program. She develops trust, encourages students to accept their individual learning styles, and establishes a sense of calm before they begin to work. Ribeiro also led the school's special education team and school staff in developing and implementing practices that emphasize teacher accountability, programs geared to students' abilities, objective assessment and evaluation, and honest parent reporting and consulting.

Get in touch!

St. Therese of the Child Jesus School
6930 Forest Park Drive
Mississauga, Ontario L5N 6X7

Telephone: 905-785-0066
Fax: 905-785-0075
Email: celiza.ribeiro@dpcdsb.org

Christopher Smith

J. L. Forster Secondary School
Windsor, Ontario

Christopher Smith aims to help every student become a contributing, responsible member of society. To do this, he conceives of tasks to prepare students for the challenges they will face in the future. His students work in teams to tackle innovative classroom projects such as the Superhero contest, in which students design a product using a Superhero that has special skills with respect to motion; the Spaceship project, in which students design a plan for landing and starting a new colony on Mars; and the News-Presentations project, during which students inform the rest of the student population about innovations in the field of science. Smith's students develop post-secondary writing skills by preparing flow charts, technical lab reports, and scholarly reports.

Get in touch!

J. L. Forster Secondary School
749 Felix Avenue
Windsor, Ontario N9C 3K9

Telephone: 519-253-1166
Fax: 519-253-9787
Email: chris_smith@gecdsb.on.ca

Martin Wilkinson

Collingwood Collegiate Institute
Collingwood, Ontario

Martin Wilkinson seeks to inspire today's youth, who will be tomorrow's leaders, by emphasizing citizenship as something one should "do" everyday, not just as something to study. Wilkinson developed an interdisciplinary course package entitled World Class, focusing on global citizenship. Students took part in online activities with students in other countries, such as Germany and the United States. He also travelled to El Salvador with two of his World Class program graduates to aid a school that the World Class and Amnesty International groups helped establish. Sadly, an earthquake destroyed the school, but Wilkinson started a massive relief drive for the victims, collecting blankets and clothing.

Get in touch!

Collingwood Collegiate Institute
6 Cameron Street
Collingwood, Ontario L9Y 2J2

Telephone: 705-445-3161
Fax: 705-444-9270
Email: mwilkinson@cci.scdsb.on.ca

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Manitoba

Clarence Fisher

Joseph H. Kerr School
Snow Lake, Manitoba

School is not about doing; it is about learning and thinking, says Clarence Fisher. He has initiated many collaborative online projects, including a web-based gallery. Grade 6 and grade 8 students read, draw, sculpt, and listen to music to explore the various ways that artists create a specific mood or emotion. His students also collaborated with students in the Netherlands on two projects: Sustainable Industries and Sustainable Lifestyles. Students used email to share information on matters such as logging, mining, commercial fishing, trapping, electricity production and usage, waste and water disposal, and recycling. Fisher's classroom is one of six in North America featured in William Kist's book New Literacies in Action.

Get in touch!

Joseph H. Kerr School
100 Poplar Avenue
Snow Lake, Manitoba R0B 1M0

Telephone: 204-358-2281
Fax: 204-358-2116
Email: fish@mail.jhk.mb.ca

Miro Gawinski

Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School
Brandon, Manitoba

Through the co-operative education program, Miro Gawinski has placed students in jobs that provide an opportunity to contribute to the design of several major projects in Brandon and other locations in Manitoba. These designs include the student lounge/cyber café at Brandon University, and parks and playgrounds for the City of Thompson. He has volunteered to organize New Media Master Classes for Western Manitoba, providing students in rural Manitoba with an opportunity to learn from new media professionals. Gawinski is a leader in the use of technology for design, and is often asked to provide industry training in the community.

Get in touch!

Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School
1930 First Street
Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6Y6

Telephone: 204-729-3900
Fax: 204-727-2162
Email: gawinskim@brandonsd.mb.ca

Nicole Labossière-Clark

École Héritage Immersion School
St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba

Nicole Labossière-Clark promotes cross-curriculum reading in a variety of situations. She demonstrates how reading will help students become better at the things they love to do. She lobbied to get the funding for Animated Literacy, a new reading program in her classroom. Labossière-Clark also developed new strategies in her classroom to help hyperactive children direct their energy to learning. For instance, she has equipped some chairs with bungee cords so that students who cannot focus without moving can swing their legs against the cord. She spearheaded a school-based project to create student profiles that allow teachers to share important information about how each child learns best.

Get in touch!

École Héritage Immersion School
P.O. Box 489
St. Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba R0A 1V0

Telephone: 204-433-3460
Fax: 204-433-7175
Email: nclark@rrvsd.mb.ca

Gerald Negrave

Rossburn Collegiate Institute
Rossburn, Manitoba

Gerald Negrave's teaching practices include a blend of humour, the ability to talk with students at their level, and the ability to maintain high energy levels in both himself and students. He adapts to any situation. For example, when a new chemistry lab encountered construction delays, he chose lab exercises that could safely be done in a classroom. He has energized students by organizing an Easter egg treasure hunt, complete with clues that are hidden throughout the school, and incorporate mathematical formulas to scramble locker numbers and lock combinations. He developed a drama program and has written and directed many musical productions, complete with music, song, and dance.

Get in touch!

Rossburn Collegiate Institute
P.O. Box 370
Rossburn, Manitoba R0J 1V0

Telephone: 204-859-2383
Fax: 204-859-3044
Email: rci@pwsd.ca

Landa Sweet

Donwood Elementary School
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Landa Sweet's commitment to child development and literacy leads her to nurture reluctant learners. She uses materials and strategies from a language development workshop, and implements guided reading, interactive writing, phonological awareness, non-fiction writing, and cross-grade programs to assist in this endeavour. She has written and published an article on balanced literacy, used for primary grade professional development sessions in schools in the division. She has designed programs based on children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical levels of development, and is recognized for her outstanding accomplishment in the successful completion of the Family and School Together (FAST) program. Sweet also builds strong community connections, and encourages parents to play an active role in the learning of their children.

Get in touch!

Donwood Elementary School
400 Donwood Drive
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2G 0X4

Telephone: 204-668-9438
Fax: 204-668-9269
Email: lsweet@retsd.mb.ba

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Alberta

Craig Brenan

Victoria School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Edmonton, Alberta

Craig Brenan ensures that students do not just play music, but rather they understand how music works and why they play it. He uses music as a vehicle for communication, and developing keen listening skills, since listening is as vital to a musician as expression. Brenan employs problem-solving games such as the 60-Second Club: to become a member, a student has to play all 12 major scales in less than a minute. He encourages students, in their own research, to further ignite their passion for music. Brenan's musical activities also include private lessons, province-wide conferences, instrument choirs, provincial ensembles, and the Yardbird Suite Jazz Club, where he volunteers.

Get in touch!

Victoria School for the Performing and Visual Arts
10210-108 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 1A8

Telephone: 780-426-3010
Fax: 780-498-8727
Email: craig.brenan@epsb.ca

Frances Burke

Old Scona Academic High School
Edmonton, Alberta

Frances Burke insists that students be organized, focused, hard-working, and consistent, as well as mindful of how many talents it takes to produce a successful concert, play, or debate. In return, she ensures that students get recognition for these efforts, whether they work backstage or take centre stage. She emphasizes the importance of teamwork, stressing responsibilities towards the group. Students nurture the qualities of commitment to one's best work and dedication to the success of the group. Senior students with experience lead teams in areas such as singing, set design, lighting, and sound. This approach gives the students a sense of ownership of their work.

Get in touch!

Old Scona Academic High School
10523-84 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2H5

Telephone: 780-433-0627
Fax: 780-433-4994
Email: frances.burke@epsb.ca

Annie Foster

McNally High School
Edmonton, Alberta

Annie Foster celebrates the culture of each language. One day, she will have students partner up for Spanish dance lessons with a guest dance instructor, and another day they will craft piñatas to celebrate the festive season. In her French class, one may find the classroom transformed into a French café, complete with checked tablecloths, croissants, and café au lait. In 2003, more than half of the school's student population was studying second languages. This is remarkable, given that a second language is not required for a high school diploma in Alberta. Students of all backgrounds and abilities are encouraged to participate in the second language program at McNally.

Get in touch!

McNally High School
8440-105 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T6A 1B6

Telephone: 780-469-0442
Fax: 780-465-5958
Email: Annie.Foster@epsb.ab.ca

Mark Heinricks

Eagle Butte High School
Dunmore, Alberta

Mark Heinricks makes himself available to his students by arriving at school early in the morning, spending his lunch break in class, and giving students his home phone number should they need help in the evenings. He initiated a Math Club for students who were dropping by his classroom and doing fun math activities on their own. He also initiated a Math Night to prepare students for the departmental exam. Heinricks has his students set realistic but challenging goals at the beginning of each semester, and they discuss what it will take to achieve these goals. Each student signs the goals, and Heinricks follows up during the semester.

Get in touch!

Eagle Butte High School
P.O. Box 281
Dunmore, Alberta T0J 1A0

Telephone: 403-528-1996
Fax: 403-528-1997
Email: mark.heinricks@prrd.ab.ca

Ellen Hilton

Hunting Hills High School
Red Deer, Alberta

Ellen Hilton shows students, including an increasing number of girls, that they can "get math" and become successful. She created the homework hotline, a voice mail system through which her homework assignments are always readily available to students. Hilton also offers daily tutorials at lunch and before school. She has created a very low-key, relaxed, and comfortable environment where students are welcome to bring their lunches and get the help they need. She has helped colleagues develop a policy of sharing materials, lesson designs, and binders among staff, especially for those teaching a subject for the first time.

Get in touch!

Hunting Hills High School
150 Lockwood Avenue
Red Deer, Alberta T4R 2M4

Telephone: 403-342-6655
Fax: 403-341-4335
Email: ehilton@rdpsd.ab.ca

Bill Howe

Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts
Edmonton, Alberta

Bill Howe ensures that the potential of every student is met, and the curiosity of every student is sparked. He instituted a Buffet Friday to make his classes feel more like a community. Howe is the founder and leader of the Victoria Social Justice Club, in which students are invited to discuss issues. Under his guidance and support, the group has raised thousands of dollars for the construction of schools in Nicaragua, and has educated other students on issues such as domestic violence. One hundred percent of his students have reached the acceptable standard in both their final grades and their provincial achievement exams.

Get in touch!

Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts
10210-108 Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 1A8

Telephone: 780-426-3010
Fax: 780-498-8727
Email: Bill.Howe@epsb.ca

Justin Kool

Foundations for the Future Charter Academy
Calgary, Alberta

Justin Kool helped the Foundations of the Future Charter Academy grow from 375 students in a single building to more than 1400 students in four campuses. He is a qualified teacher-trainer in the PEAK student motivation program, and trained 25 teachers in positive motivation and discipline, supervising and evaluating staff skills in these areas. Kool also developed assessment tracking sheets, new units for his grade level, learning materials, and resources. Aside from his core teaching assignments, Kool learned content, developed and taught middle school design, food studies and physical education - subjects outside of his expertise.

Get in touch!

Foundations for the Future Charter Academy
315-86 Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta T2H 1Z2

Telephone: 403-243-3316
Fax: 403-287-7367
Email: justin.kool@ffca-calgary.com

Susan Moleski

Banff Elementary School
Banff, Alberta

Susan Moleski develops individual plans and goals to meet the needs of every learner, regardless of their placement or ability. She is committed to mentoring and supporting children through the "unwritten curriculum" - lessons that are part of every school day. Moleski implements teaching strategies and designs units based on research, dialogue with professionals, intuition, and knowledge of her students, as well as integrates technology into learning. Her lessons connect to life in the local community, the country, and the global village. Moleski developed the Naturalist-in-Residence program, which involved teaming a naturalist with a classroom teacher to deliver the Alberta science curriculum outdoors. She also developed the Mountains as Water Towers international conference, and the international Wolf Congress.

Get in touch!

Banff Elementary School
P.O. Box 748
Banff, Alberta T1L 1K1

Telephone: 403-762-4465
Fax: 403-762-4036
Email: smoleski@crsd.ab.ca

Jacqueline Vincent

Ernest Morrow Junior High School
Calgary, Alberta

Jacqueline Vincent engages learners emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. She addresses readers at their skill level to help them become independent readers. Vincent spearheaded the Ernest Morrow Literacy Program, designed to enhance the reading of all students through an active daily program of instruction. Students are tested in the spring, and placed in literacy classes according to their reading levels. Begun as a pilot project, the Morrow Literacy Program became a permanent fixture under the supervision and guidance of Vincent. The success of this program has sparked interest and inquiries from other schools in the area.

Get in touch!

Ernest Morrow Junior High School
1212-47 Street SE
Calgary, Alberta T2A 1R3

Telephone: 403-777-7800
Fax: 403-777-7809
Email: javincent@cbe.ab.ca

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British Columbia

Ruth Blasner and Heather Ratcliffe Hood

Westshore Centre for Learning and Training
Victoria, British Columbia

Ruth Blasner and Heather Ratcliffe Hood create learning opportunities for students, make learning joyful and stimulating, and create a supportive learning environment that challenges staff and the community at large to achieve their potential. To this end the teacher team developed applied learning models and strategies for integrating employability skills into school curriculum. The two teachers developed a variety of offline and online lesson plans for their classes, encouraging students to work in teams. They serve at-risk students and promote First Nations literacy via reflective processes such as journal writing and learning logs.

Get in touch!

Westshore Centre for Learning and Training
3143 Jacklin Road
Victoria, British Columbia V9B 5R1

Telephone: 250-391-9002
Fax: 250-391-9007
Email: rblasner@sd62.bc.ca and hratcliffehood@sd62.bc.ca

Glyn Davies

Henry Anderson Elementary School
Richmond, British Columbia

The theme projects Glyn Davies has integrated into the classroom have proven effective and inspiring in engaging students. The projects make living and learning inseparable. Student-created castles, undersea worlds, pirates, ancient Egyptian tombs, jungles, and a cartoon town result in a three-dimensional learning environment. In one project, Davies' class built a five-metre mini roller coaster for the school's foyer. He empowers his students by letting them choose a topic of interest and become the leading expert in it. Students are responsible for researching their topic, contacting community experts, sharing the knowledge with their classmates, and applying their newfound expertise.

Get in touch!

Henry Anderson Elementary School
9460 Alberta Road
Richmond, British Columbia V6Y 1T6

Telephone: 604-668-6355
Fax: 604-668-6354
Email: anderson@richmond.sd38.bc.ca

Marvin Dodds

Esquimalt High School
Victoria, British Columbia

Marvin Dodds' students are involved in creating and establishing class content and lesson plans. The guiding principle behind his lessons is asking questions to elicit real, honest responses. Students learn co-operatively, teaching each other through role playing. Dodds also brought eight groups of students and parents to Russia, including teachers and students from other schools in the district. He is passionate about learning of other cultures through travel, and seeks to extend the opportunity to all students within his reach. The Russian trip provided students with an incredible cultural immersion, as they were billeted in Moscow with Russian students and their families.

Get in touch!

Esquimalt High School
847 Colville Road
Victoria, British Columbia V9A 4N9

Telephone: 250-382-9226
Fax: 250-361-1263
Email: esquimalt@sd61.bc.ca

Ted Gilbert

Kwalikum Secondary School
Qualicum Beach, British Columbia

Ted Gilbert secured a computer-numerically-controlled Plasma torch for his program, which not only increased interest among students, but has also generated business from shops in the community. The program includes building and selling fully fabricated truck trailers. The trust and respect of the school administration and parent organizations enable Gilbert to push his program to greater heights. One project involved the creation of ornamental knives made with exotic woods. Extraordinary safety precautions are built into their production. His network of contacts in business, industry, and post-secondary institutions provides classroom benefits and job placements. Former students are often seen returning for advice.

Get in touch!

Kwalikum Secondary School
266 Village Way
Qualicum Beach, British Columbia V9K 1T3

Telephone: 250-752-5651
Fax: 250-752-8604
Email: tgilbert@sd69.bc.ca

Michelle Hamilton

Belgo Elementary School
Kelowna, British Columbia

For Michelle Hamilton, French immersion is more than just teaching a language; it is teaching another culture. She ensures that resources are always available in the classroom and in the school, building a bank of richer, more current, and relevant resources for French reading, social studies, and math. She created a daily weather project, La Météo, with Environment Canada, that was highlighted on Global TV. Hamilton created a car-rally website project in which her students used a city map to direct parent chauffeurs to the shortest route possible from one location to the next in Kelowna. Students answered questions related to their website journey and shared their experience with four other British Columbia schools via the Internet.

Get in touch!

Belgo Elementary School
125 Adventure Road
Kelowna, British Columbia V1X 1N3

Telephone: 250-765-8900
Fax: 250-491-0458
Email: mhamilto@sd23.bc.ca

Michael Haworth and Graeme Wilson

Fraser Valley Distance Education School
Chilliwack, British Columbia

Michael Haworth and Graeme Wilson pioneered a new synchronous online technology called the Radio Play Project with Wilson's grade 7 class and Haworth's grade 6 class. The students use an online virtual classroom to both read and write their own radio plays. Haworth also designed a secondary website template for all Fraser Valley staff, enabling them to develop online courses, and created an online spelling contest for students. Wilson also created Everest Trek, an online creative writing adventure, and an electronic grade book for teachers that generates report cards, certificates, office forms, and comments.

Get in touch!

Fraser Valley Distance Education School
49520 Prairie Central Road
Chilliwack, British Columbia V2P 6H3

Telephone: 604-794-7310
Fax: 604-795-8480
Email: mhaworth@k12connect.ca and gwilson@desconnect.com

Carolyn Marcotte

D.W. Poppy Secondary School
Langley, British Columbia

Carolyn Marcotte instituted several new social studies courses at D.W. Poppy Secondary. The social studies department has branched out to offer a wide variety of social studies courses, such as psychology, law, and human services. Marcotte promotes personalized instruction by organizing assignments in such a way that students can explore areas of particular interest while stressing the importance of teamwork. She also developed a student self-evaluation sheet and rubrics that are currently being used in several other disciplines within the school and other districts in the province. In promoting lifelong learning, Marcotte is constantly developing questionnaires and evaluations that force students to think about their own learning and thinking.

Get in touch!

D.W. Poppy Secondary School
23752-52nd Avenue
Langley, British Columbia V2Z 2P3

Telephone: 604-530-2151
Fax: 604-530-5034
Email: cmarcotte@sd35.bc.ca

Hajime (Eddy) Matsumoto

Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School
Vancouver, British Columbia

Hajime (Eddy) Matsumoto established the first elementary school computer lab in British Columbia at Shaughnessy Elementary in Vancouver, and was instrumental in setting up computer labs in four other elementary schools. He also implemented the Accelerated Math Program at Lord Byng, his former school, where students completed Math 8, 9, and 10 in two years, allowing them to take Math 12 in Grade 11 and Calculus in Grade 12. Matsumoto created a co-operative teaching technique that allows students to collaborate and reinforce each other's learning, and The Random Homework - a homework checking method that helps students learn and be organized, reinforcing the idea that the more you practise, the better you become.

Get in touch!

Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School
419-24th Avenue East
Vancouver, British Columbia V5S 2T9

Telephone: 604-713-8233
Fax: 604-713-8232
Email: Mathmats@hotmail.com

Gregory Thomas Miyanaga

Pinetree Way Elementary School
Coquitlam, British Columbia

Gregory Thomas Miyanaga teaches by example, creating outdoor activities for school trips, as well as sponsoring and coaching teams and clubs. Miyanaga shows flexibility, both by working in a team and developing programs indepen-dently. He has established a reputation among administrators, teachers, and support staff as a skillful teacher and compassionate human being. His students are given ownership and governance of their classroom. Miyanaga has condensed Robert's Rules of Order so students can understand and use them. Students learn to conduct class meetings, pass motions, and second, amend, and put forward questions. He also wrote a new program for social studies called Internment and Redress: The Story of Japanese Canadians.

Get in touch!

Pinetree Way Elementary School
1420 Pinetree Way
Coquitlam, British Columbia V3E 6A3

Telephone: 604-945-7011
Fax: 604-945-7006
Email: gmiyanaga@sd43.bc.ca

April Nelson

Rocky Mountain Elementary School
Elkford, British Columbia

April Nelson spearheaded and now leads school-wide social responsibility programs called Second Step (kindergarten to grade 3) and Steps to Respect (grades 4-7). Nelson makes learning very meaningful for students by drawing on their past knowledge and experiences. Thinking and processing skills are emphasized. Students love receiving "brain gems" (shiny bathroom beads) when they have made an important thinking connection. The approach allows everyone to achieve success. Nelson is involved in many extracurricular activities, such as coaching badminton, volleyball, cross country, and basketball, sponsoring safety patrol, organizing and supervising primary noon hour activities, co-sponsoring the student council, and coordinating both the school's winter carnival and reading program.

Get in touch!

Rocky Mountain Elementary School
2400 Balmer Drive, P.O. Box 460
Elkford, British Columbia V0B 1H0

Telephone: 250-865-4625
Fax: 250-865-4451
Email: april.nelson@sd5.bc.ca

Corinna Stevenson

Stelly's Secondary School
Saanichton, British Columbia

Corinna Stevenson established the Vancouver Island Experiential Wilderness Program. This program is designed to provide struggling teens with an alternative to traditional, classroom-based teaching. It allows them to complete their secondary school diploma, obtain certification in eco-tourism skills, develop healthy lifestyles, and connect with their community in a positive way. She also developed the Global Perspectives Program, a career preparation course designed to provide learning and work experience in international development. She teaches the course outside of the school timetable on a volunteer basis. Stevenson engages students in the educational process by helping them find positive roles in society.

Get in touch!

Stelly's Secondary School
1625 Stelly's X-Road
Saanichton, British Columbia V8M 1S8

Telephone: 250-652-4401
Fax: 250-652-4404
Email: corinna@outreachonline.ca

Sally Stubbs

University Hill Secondary School
Vancouver, British Columbia

Sally Stubbs created a performing arts program that welcomes, encourages, and nurtures all young people, fostering a strong and abiding sense of self-worth, community, and ownership. She creates diverse and exciting opportunities that take the students beyond the school and into the community. She encourages, creates, and legitimizes opportunities for students wishing to pursue studies and work in the performing arts when they graduate. She also implemented many large-scale projects that draw on student interests and strengths, and integrate various disciplines. She initiated the Myth-Takes project, based on myths pertaining to racial stereotyping. Stubbs is currently working with the Playwrights' Theatre Centre to develop a course for Vancouver student playwrights.

Get in touch!

University Hill Secondary School
2896 Acadia Road
Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1S2

Telephone: 604-713-8258
Fax: 604-713-8257