GNS: Exceptional First Year Teachers Recognized

Attendees at February's Public Board Meeting were able to see why first-year teachers Mack Holden (pictured eft) and Paige Ekdahl (pictured right) caught the attention of their principals, Jillian Hammer from Sheldon Coates Elementary in Grande Cache, and Darcy Reynolds from Mary Bergeron Elementary School in Edson.

Each year, the 61 school boards in Alberta select first-year teachers to be considered for an Edwin Parr Award. The 61 boards are divided into six zones; each zone selects one candidate from all the divisions within that zone. In total, six Edwin Parr Teacher Award winners will be chosen from across the province - including two from Zone 2/3 - where GYPSD is located.

The Alberta School Boards' Association established the Edwin Parr Teacher Award in 1964 to honour Edwin Parr, a respected and loved teacher from the Athabasca area, who had instituted an “Annual Teacher Award” in his school system. The process is intense and comprehensive, requiring the beginning teacher and their nominating principal to provide extensive documentation from the year; then the candidate had to present their most effective lesson, including a reflection of their learning journey, at the public board meeting.

Congratulations to both Mack and Paige for sharing their classroom excellence, and additional kudos to Paige who was selected by the Board as GYPSD entry for the Zone 2/3 Award! The six provincial ASBA Edwin Parr Teacher Awards will be presented to the winners at the 2024 ASBA Fall General Meeting.