Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Education: 2020 Recipients
Province | Community | Name of setting | Name of educator | Type of setting | Highlights |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alberta | |||||
Certificate of Excellence |
Sherwood Park |
BriarPatch Community Preschool |
Meghan Hetherington |
Charitable not-for-profit community preschool for children ages 2.5 to 6 years |
Guided by the principles of community, empathy, literacy, creativity, kindness, movement and laughter, this well-known educator focuses on children's hearts and brains through play-based activities and by meeting individual children's needs. |
Certificate of Excellence |
Fort McMurray |
Fort McMurray #468 First Nation Childcare Services Department |
Jennifer Vardy |
Aboriginal Head Start and daycare for children ages 12 months to 5 years (Brighter Beginnings Academy) |
A passionate advocate for early childhood education for Indigenous families on reserve, this educator believes Indigenous children deserve the support their parents and grandparents were denied—three times the hugs, cuddles and understanding. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Edmonton |
Rio Terrace Community Preschool |
Shaylene Saxton |
Preschool/playschool for children ages 3 and 4 years |
Plenty of professional development and a study tour to New Zealand have helped sharpen this educator's focus on children's social and emotional development being as just as important as their academic, cognitive and physical skills. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Lethbridge |
Westminster Elementary School |
Lynn Wytrykusz |
Early education program for children ages 3 to 5 years |
Children build their sensory, motor and creative skills through hands-on play, while also improving their executive function through games that foster impulse control, flexible thinking and other abilities. |
British Columbia | |||||
Certificate of Achievement |
Burnaby |
Burnaby French Language Preschool |
Naima Amalou |
Preschool for children ages 3 and 4 |
Carrying on a 40-year tradition of offering French-language early childhood education to children from non-French families, this educator places the children at the centre of everything she does through active listening, reciprocity and collaboration. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Victoria |
La Pré-maternelle Appletree Preschool |
Carole Trudeau |
French-immersion preschool program for children 30 months to school age |
Having one-on-one time with each child every day helps this educator understand each child as an individual. She incorporates what she learns about their interests into class activities and helps children resolve their own conflicts. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Burnaby |
Simon Fraser University Childcare Society |
Ines Tuzlukovic |
Group childcare centre, infant-toddler program for children ages 0 to 36 months |
This educator's background helping pregnant and parenting teenagers finish their high school education makes her an excellent resource for families. She fosters fellowship among parents, engages with new Canadians and launches community projects. |
Manitoba | |||||
Certificate of Achievement |
St. Theresa Point |
St. Theresa First Nation School |
Arlene Flett |
Kindergarten for children ages 4 and 5 years |
Fluent in both English and the local Indigenous language, this educator fosters Kindergartners' pride in their heritage. From setting up classroom snares for imaginary rabbits to organizing a pickerel fish fry, she engages children with familiar, age-appropriate activities. |
New Brunswick | |||||
Certificate of Excellence |
Roachville |
Lisa's Playhouse Inc. |
Lisa Brown |
Child care centre for children ages 0 to 12 years |
This educator cares for children in the town where she grew up, seeking to share the joys of spending plenty of time outdoors, while ensuring children are nurtured and loved, and have a chance to learn and grow in ways that suit them. |
Northwest Territories | |||||
Certificate of Achievement |
Yellowknife |
N. J. MacPherson School |
Jennifer Kravitz |
Junior Kindergarten for children ages 4 and 5 years |
Taking the lead from the children in her care, this educator helps children learn and grow, even when they're having a bad day. A whole day of pirate-themed activities resulted from children building a pirate ship out of a box; engaging learning centres give children their choice of activities. |
Nunavut | |||||
Certificate of Excellence |
Pond Inlet |
Pirurvik Preschool |
Leah Kippomee |
Preschool program for children ages 3 to 5 years |
This adored community child caregiver now advocates for early childhood education across Nunavut, sharing a child-centred approach based on traditional knowledge and enriched with Montessori materials and practices—all to help overcome the legacy of the residential schools. |
Ontario | |||||
Certificate of Excellence |
Barrie |
Maple Grove Public School |
Kim Posluns |
Designated early childhood educator in a Kindergarten classroom for children ages 3 to 6 years |
In a "comprehensive Kindergarten" (30 percent of students have a behaviour disorder or regressed development), this experienced educator builds student relationships to promote oral communications, engages students with outdoor learning and art therapy, and champions overall wellness. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Barrie |
Discovery Child Care Centre |
Brittney Bobbitt |
Licensed child care centre for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years |
Even the youngest children in this educator's care (younger than 12 months) develop communications skills and life skills such as dressing themselves, all while spending the majority of the day outside having sensory experiences and developing their curiosity. |
Certificate of Achievement |
Barrie |
Discovery Child Care Centre |
Pietra Salemi |
Licensed child care centre for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years |
Toddlers enjoy activities as diverse as rock climbing, gardening and yoga in a large outdoor space. Individuals receive the particular care they need to develop, while those with special needs are treated equitably and participate fully. |
Quebec | |||||
Certificate of Achievement |
Québec |
Centre de la petite enfance La Frimousse |
Jacinthe Côté |
Daycare for children ages 3 to 5 years |
Over 40 years of experience and still has the same passion and dedication. The little ones in her care are her focus and she does whatever it takes to create fun environments that are conducive to learning. |
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