Certificate of Achievement Recipients
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Quebec
- Ontario
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Northwest Territories
The 1996 Certificate of Achievement recipients recipients are listed here by province, along with a short write-up about them, their schools and their communities.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Leonard Pitcher
St. James Regional High School, Port aux Basques
Leonard Pitcher has taught science all over the world — everywhere from Malta to Vancouver. Currently, he is at St. James Regional High School in Port aux Basques. Since his arrival at the school, he has significantly increased participation in the district science fair. He has also created new programs for students in environmental science, including a waste reduction and recycling program.
Donald Tulk
Roncalli Central High School, Port Saunders
Donald Tulk, of Roncalli Central High School in Port Saunders, jumped at an opportunity to make a contribution to the local community and to give his students some hands-on experience working with modern technology. A new cable television channel needed community input and Mr. Tulk's students were just the people to provide it. They set up an advertising channel that serves three local towns, taking on responsibility for everything from administration to camera operation. The project has an additional benefit for the students by giving them immediate evidence of what studies in technology have to do with the real world.
Darrin Pike
Ascension Collegiate, Bay Roberts
Darrin Pike is vice-principal of Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts. When he came to Ascension Collegiate four years ago, he set out to make the school a leader in the use of technology for teaching sciences and other areas of the curriculum. He lobbies teachers to use computers at every opportunity because he believes computers help level the playing field for students. The proof has followed in the form of improved performance from all students and a string of successes in national competitions in physics, chemistry and mathematics.
Robert Pittman
Mount Pearl Junior High School, Mount Pearl
When Robert Pittman taught mathematics at the senior high school level, he became increasingly frustrated as he watched students struggle with the transition from math at the junior level. To tackle this problem head on, he applied to be math department head at Mount Pearl Junior High School in Mount Pearl. He developed a math program that provided a greater challenge for these students that has paid off in the form of higher pass rates, increased participation in his classes and greater success for students as they move through the higher grades.
Edward van Nostrand
Holy Heart of Mary High School, St. John's
Edward van Nostrand, head of the science department at Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John's, has a strong belief in the power of integration to motivate and excite students. He has made it his mission to show students who are not normally inclined to study sciences how they can use scientific technology such as computers and the Internet to improve their critical and creative-thinking skills. He then gets students to use these tools in activities that range from creative writing to science fairs. Parents have reported that this approach has brought their children great success in the sciences.
Nova Scotia
Charleen O'Pray
Frank H. MacDonald Elementary School, Thorburn
Charleen O'Pray of Frank H. MacDonald Elementary School in Thorburn has a two-pronged approach to teaching. She creates frameworks for her students to work in that give them a clear set of expectations and goals to which they should aspire. Within those frameworks, she allows students as much freedom as possible. She uses technology as a key part of this strategy. Her approach has paid off with successful projects such as a data bank created by her Grade 6 students that contains information about the life of the Mi'Kmaq before the arrival of European settlers.
Daniel Calder
West End-Memorial School, Springhill
Daniel Calder of West End-Memorial School in Springhill has become an indispensable person at the school. His most visible contribution is the computer program that he built from scratch for the school's 200 students, one-third of whom take a bus to school. The students are very enthusiastic about computers and are learning how useful they can be. Another example of his work is a program in co-operation with the provincial department of natural resources, through which the school takes part in the monitoring of salmon incubators and fish feeding.
New Brunswick
Daniel McKiel
Kennebecasis Valley High School, Rothsay
Daniel McKiel of Kennebecasis Valley High School in Rothsay regularly comes up with new activities to make high school physics more lively and interesting for his students. He works to get his students to understand that uncertainty is nothing to fear and is, in fact, what drives science and scientists. Grasping this idea allows the students to take responsibility for their learning and takes the emphasis off the teacher. For example, he created a "Science Road Show" in which high school students in the enrichment program prepared hands-on activities that they did with students in 11 area elementary schools.
Quebec
Sylvie Beaulieu
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Montreal
Sylvie Beaulieu was nominated by a former student who credits her with inspiring him to go on to a career in science. He singled out as key factors in his decision Ms. Beaulieu's ability to show the practical applications of mathematics and to encourage students to embrace mathematics. Ms. Beaulieu amazes her students at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montreal with her energy and enthusiasm. She teaches a full agenda of courses and is pursuing a master's degree in education. Still, students find she can always arrange to spend extra time working on a difficult concept or helping individuals.
Chau Ly-Hai
École secondaire Les Etchemins, Charny
Chau Ly-Hai of École secondaire Les Etchemins in Charny is always encouraging students to push themselves a little harder. A self-described conservative teacher, Mr. Ly-Hai argues that many new teaching methods create the impression that students are learning something when they are not. However, he also believes that traditional approaches can be improved. He has put considerable effort into making calculations and directed experiments more interesting for students. One notable example is his chemistry sound and light show, which features explosions, flames, smoke and the odd joke or two.
Françoise Nadon
École institutionnelle Sacré-Coeur, Saint-Donat
Françoise Nadon is a keen environmentalist who uses her enthusiasm to create programs that will excite and educate students. For example, her students at École institutionnelle Sacré-Coeur in Saint-Donat have been working to turn a vacant lot next to the school back into a natural woodland that they will be able to use as a laboratory for environmental studies. This project, called Parc-École, also involved students from a local elementary school and has promoted awareness of the environment in the community.
Luc Prud'homme
École secondaire Hormidas-Gamelin, Buckingham
Luc Prud'homme is constantly on the lookout for stimulating activities that will help his students learn. One example of his efforts is a program that saw mineralogists visit his classes at École secondaire Hormidas-Gamelin in Buckingham to explain what they do. He has also begun setting up a computerized meteorological station at the school. Over his career, Mr. Prud'homme has used this approach in teaching physics, mathematics and, more recently, environmental studies.
Hélène Boucher and Marielle Simard
Polyvalente des Rives, Baie-Comeau
Hélène Boucher and Marielle Simard of Polyvalente des Rives in Baie-Comeau decided to do something about what they saw as a disturbingly high failure rate for mathematics students in their second-last year of high school. After consulting with parents, the two teachers decided the solution was to present their students with a challenge — they would cover their course material in half the time and write the provincial exam in January instead of in the spring. They convinced students to believe in themselves and backed this up with lots of support — 60 of the 65 students passed the exam.
Peter MacLeod
Philemon Wright High School, Hull
Peter MacLeod of Philemon Wright High School in Hull combined technology and a business-like approach to design and implement a new geography program for his students. He consulted with students and his colleagues to define expectations, establish an evaluation process and set deadlines for each project, and then set students to work using technology-based research tools to finish the projects. By playing an active role in decision-making related to the course, his students gained the sense of empowerment that comes from having more responsibility for the success they achieve in the classroom. He has also worked with industry to create a mobile computer laboratory for his school board.
Johanne Simard
École Félix-Antoine-Savard, Chicoutimi
Johanne Simard of École Félix-Antoine-Savard in Chicoutimi makes environmental awareness a key part of her Grade 5 science classes. Her students engage in a wide variety of projects that integrate other subjects with this theme, including work done in co-operation with the local forestry association. She has also played a key role in promoting local and regional science fairs. As a result, her students have acquired a new understanding of their local environment and the role that they and local industries have in maintaining it.
Réjean Tremblay
Centre d'éducation des adultes Le Normand, Sainte-Foy
Réjean Tremblay of the Centre d'éducation des adultes Le Normand in Sainte-Foy teaches students who come to the school with a mission. They have made the very difficult decision to go back to school as adults, and while they understand the importance of science and technology education, they are often unfamiliar with and uncertain about their ability to succeed in the classroom. Mr. Tremblay regularly goes beyond the call of duty to help these students get the academic qualifications they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive world. The best measure of Mr. Tremblay's success is that these same students nominated him for a Prime Minister's Award.
Ontario
Charles Blain
Gregory Drive Public School, Chatham
Charles Blain is an enthusiastic promoter of an integrated curriculum. He sees opportunities to teach science in everything his students at Gregory Drive Public School in Chatham do. In preparation for a class trip to a fairground, for example, students built their own roller coasters. He also coaches students preparing for science fairs, leads the school's rocketry club and has set up a number of projects in which students were asked to create technological devices.
Bonnie Bunkis and Ruth Dunlop
Russell D. Barber Public School, Brampton
Bonnie Bunkis and Ruth Dunlop believe it is never too early to get students started with science. Their senior kindergarten students at Russell D. Barber Public School in Brampton have taken apart appliances to figure out how they work and have grouped the pieces according to function. The students have also built a model of a working farm based on their visits to real farms.
Elaine Bursztyn
Prince of Wales Public School, Barrie
Elaine Bursztyn of Prince of Wales Public School in Barrie integrates mathematics and science into all areas of the curriculum, even history and sex education. She discovered a vocation for teaching science to young adolescents after spending some time as a working scientist. She has put her experience to work, doing research in four countries and contributing to some 20 scientific studies, inspiring all of her students — especially girls — to consider careers in the sciences.
Tom D'Amico
Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School, Gloucester
Tom D'Amico of Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School in Gloucester believes students should have the opportunity to use recent technology in real-life applications. To make this possible, he created a course where students run an imaginary company called Multimedia Manor. The students fulfill company "contracts" to do projects in animation, desktop publishing, sound recording, graphics creation and video. His students also successfully completed a project to make historical documents about World War II available over the Internet.
Peter Giordano
St. John's College, Brantford
Peter Giordano, head of the science department at St. John's College in Brantford, is a science booster both inside and outside the classroom. One example of this is his work with the school's science club. When the club had very few girls as members, he asked other teachers to introduce promising female candidates from their classes, and actively recruited them. The number of girls in the club increased dramatically as a result, and the past two presidents of the club have been girls. Mr. Giordano has also encouraged graduates to continue contributing to the club. He is building on this success by creating an electronic database of former students and the careers they have pursued in science, technology or mathematics.
Micheline Grondin
Rockcliffe Park Public School, Ottawa
Micheline Grondin has devoted much of her time to developing, teaching and supporting integrated curricula at her school, Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa. The school's Grade 1 to 6 classrooms have often resembled workshops, as parents, students and teachers, under Ms. Grondin's direction, experiment, discuss, build, evaluate and, not incidentally, learn about science, technology and math. She has also run an environment club at the school, organized a science and technology fair, and computerized the school library.
Michael Harris
King City Secondary School, King City
Michael Harris of King City Secondary School in King City organizes a marine biology field trip to the Florida Everglades for his students each year. This trip offers his students a chance to see exotic ecosystems. Students do not have to make the trip to see unusual wildlife, however. They can study rare fauna, gerbils, fish, iguanas, African frogs, a cockatiel and an African Congo Ray in an artificial ecosystem at the school that is maintained and monitored by students.
Christine Hoekstra
Victoria School, St. Catharines
Christine Hoekstra has a two-pronged teaching approach. She begins by setting very high standards for her Grade 4, 5 and 6 students at Victoria School in St. Catharines and then provides them with an enjoyable and interesting learning environment that offers many opportunities to excel. Her students, who often work together in a peer-tutoring program, face a variety of problem-solving challenges, ranging from learning how to use computers to constructing drawbridge and jack-in-the-box mechanisms. Perhaps the most impressive result of her efforts is that all her students have improved, including those who previously found themselves at a disadvantage compared to their peers.
Joseph Hogan
Heritage Park Public School, Scarborough
Joseph Hogan emphasizes problem-solving in his teaching of design and technology at Heritage Park Public School in Scarborough. Students are never simply assigned development and construction projects, but instead are presented with challenges with no obvious solution. The students are required not only to develop a proposed solution to each problem, but also to follow up on their work with extensive assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of their solution.
Howard Isaacs
Woodland Heights Public School, London
Howard Isaacs created a special learning environment that makes a big difference for 16 students at Woodland Heights Public School in London. Before coming under Mr. Isaacs' wing, these students had not had much success in the education system. Before long, his colleagues noticed that these students were performing more like gifted students than students at risk. They responded very enthusiastically, in particular, to new units featuring computer technology created by Mr. Isaacs.
John Kullman
Madonna Catholic Secondary School, Downsview
John Kullman of Madonna Catholic Secondary School in Downsview has never missed a day of work. His colleagues attribute this to his endless enthusiasm and dedication to teaching. His students respond by filling his classroom to overflowing and by lining up to take part in extracurricular activities, such as the math leagues and science olympics he organizes. This past year, he played a key role in organizing the school's first technology expo.
Daniel Malric
École secondaire catholique Mgr-de-Charbonnel, Willowdale
Daniel Malric has taught in Quebec, Africa and, now, École secondaire catholique Mgr-de-Charbonnel in Willowdale. A long-time champion of technology, Mr. Malric has created computer-based teaching programs for mathematics that allow students at Mgr-de-Charbonnel to brush up on particular skills and evaluate their progress in the subject. His fellow teachers report that the programs have allowed them to evaluate students' progress and better serve the individual needs of students. He has been no less creative in developing new teaching methods.
Ann McIlmoyle
Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational School, Peterborough
As head of the science department at Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational School in Peterborough, Ann McIlmoyle encourages students to undertake projects that emphasize the relationship between mathematics and technology. This has paid off particularly well in science fairs, as students from Adam Scott Collegiate have had considerable success at the local, regional, national and international levels.
Robert Stringer
Mary Hopkins School, Waterdown
When Robert Stringer first arrived at Mary Hopkins School in Waterdown, the school's computer system was in disarray. An aging group of computers, connected to an outdated network, sat unused most of the time. Mr. Stringer has revitalized the system by introducing newer computers and technology, and by promoting greater confidence in computer use in both teachers and students. As a result, the school's computers are now in constant use.
Barbara Szatanski and Cecilia Wall
Blossom Park Public School, Gloucester
Barbara Szatanski and Cecilia Wall are experts at responding to students with a wide variety of needs. Their school — Blossom Park Public School in Gloucester — has students from 44 different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The two teachers have turned this daunting situation to their advantage with a teaching approach that puts students of different grades, abilities and sexes together into six-member learning teams. This environment is very stimulating for students, a number of whom arrive before school begins and skip their breaks to keep working.
Sidney Ellen McKay
Hillmount Public School, North York
Sidney Ellen McKay of Hillmount Public School in North York uses a wide range of strategies to build students' interest in and knowledge of science. For example, she has created a "Sign-out Science" program through which students take science projects home overnight and do experiments with their parents. Ms. Ellen McKay has also involved students in various projects in co-operation with local businesses, museums and other schools.
Genevieve Bailey
Brier Park School, Brantford
Genevieve Bailey of Brier Park School in Brantford has a gift for designing new course units that get students excited about science — beginning with chemistry units in the 1980s and now continuing with integrated units such as one on theme parks that brings together math, science and technology. Ms. Bailey brings in professionals from the community and encourages students to apply the collaborative methods of these professionals to their own work in the classroom. The result is increased self-esteem as students produce work they are proud to talk about for years after.
Paul Cadieux
École St-Joseph, Russell
Paul Cadieux of École St-Joseph in Russell has his students working at a level well beyond the norm for grades 5 to 8. He has introduced them to a robotics program that he designed, got funding for and implemented. The program gives students far more opportunity to use their analytical abilities to solve problems on their own than typically would be the case for students their age. By being exposed to and facing up to the risk of failure, Mr. Cadieux's students are able to take advantage of important learning opportunities.
Andrew Cherkas
Stouffville District Secondary School, Stouffville
Andrew Cherkas is the founder of the "Society of Bubbleology." This group of distinguished scholars at Stouffville District Secondary School in Stouffville learns about mathematics and art using soap bubbles. Other students have been introduced to cryogenics through a study of ice-cream making. These are only some examples of a hands-on approach to problem-solving that Dr. Cherkas has successfully used to excite students, particularly girls, who may not normally be interested in science.
Hella Comat
Heritage Glen Public School, Oakville
Hella Comat of Heritage Glen Public School in Oakville is no stranger to pioneering new fields: she is Canada's first female aeronautical aerobatics champion. Ms. Comat brings the same careful and thorough approach she uses to meet daunting challenges in the air to her classroom. She has integrated computer technology into all parts of the curriculum for her Grade 6 students. They have responded by completing a wide variety of exciting projects such as working with electronic pen pals in Mexico on mathematics assignments.
George Holland
Glebe Collegiate Institute, Ottawa
George Holland is head of the science department at Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa. He is always encouraging students to take up new challenges and, more importantly, providing an example of the sort of energy and commitment they need to meet them. Through his efforts, his students have conducted an advanced workshop on research strategies and were the first in their area to compete in an international robotics competition. Mr. Holland's support and encouragement have paid off for his students, who have consistently placed in the top three in the Sir Isaac Newton Physics contest.
Mary Ann Holman
St. Patrick Catholic School, Markham
Mary Ann Holman of St. Patrick Catholic School in Markham has worked to improve the curriculum at her school so students can learn more organizational skills and be exposed to more science and technology content. To do this, she put planning, designing and building at the core of her teaching program. In turn, her students have planned, designed and built everything from wagon trains to tools for handling radioactive materials. These efforts have occasionally brought them awards in science competitions, and have always brought a deeper understanding of science and technology.
Mary Hurley
Peel Board of Education, Mississauga
Mary Hurley is a resource teacher with the Peel Board of Education in Mississauga. She developed a program for female, Aboriginal, visible minority and physically challenged students that matched them with mentors from science and applied science faculties in universities. The students took part in six- to eight-week programs that allowed them to gain experience in practical research techniques and, more importantly, allowed them to prove to themselves that they had what it takes to pursue higher education in science.
Wilfred Lajoie
Fort William Collegiate Institute, Thunder Bay
Wilfred Lajoie, assistant head of the science department at Fort William Collegiate Institute in Thunder Bay, put his 31 years of teaching experience to work developing two new programs. His Grade 9 technology course and the design and communications technology courses for grades 10 through 12 have drawn rave reviews from students and teachers alike for their diversity, organization and well-written course materials. As a result, students have learned new problem-solving skills and, in the case of the latter course, produced a stream of quality projects for local non-profit organizations.
Louis Meneguzzi
St. Charles Garnier Catholic School, North York
Louis Meneguzzi of St. Charles Garnier Catholic School in North York is responsible for teaching design and technology to students at 12 elementary schools in the Metropolitan Separate School Board. He has worked with academically challenged students and students learning a new language as they study technology. By teaching students hands-on activities such as mining and rocketry, he has impressed faculty, parents and, most importantly, his students.
Ron Richards
J.S. Woodsworth Senior Public School, Scarborough
Ron Richards of J.S. Woodsworth Senior Public School in Scarborough set out to recreate the co-operative atmosphere typical of a research laboratory in his classroom. He emphasizes teamwork, respect for others' opinions and practical, hands-on work. He enables his students to meet the extra challenges this approach entails by teaching them the research and work techniques used by professional scientists. His efforts have paid off in the form of greater interest in science among the school's Grade 7 and 8 students.
Caroline Rodriguez-Rosenbloom
Donview Middle School, North York
Caroline Rodriguez-Rosenbloom has been a mentor to both new and experienced teachers at Donview Middle School in North York. She has been instrumental in integrating mathematics, science and technology at the Grade 8 level and has developed hands-on and computer-based programs for teaching mathematics and geometry. Ms. Rodriguez-Rosenbloom has also made a significant contribution to the educational system, having prepared and presented workshops to teachers throughout the board, and appearing on Ontario's educational television network.
Ron Swintak and Vicky Giroux
Walkerville Collegiate Institute, Windsor
Ron Swintak and Vicky Giroux of Walkerville Collegiate Institute in Windsor have integrated technology into their mathematics teaching. Their students have created computer programs to graph mathematical information, as well as a teaching video. Their most recent project was to create a website for the school's mathematics department. The site will be used by students to download their assignments and to collect data needed to complete those assignments.
Michael Taylor
Churchill Heights Public School, Scarborough
Michael Taylor of Churchill Heights Public School in Scarborough believes that teaching is like marketing. Every year he sells his students on the merits of science, mathematics, technology and art. He convinces them that these are worthwhile pursuits by showing them how important mathematics is to architecture and how much science there is in everyday pursuits such as photography or living in a city. He is no slouch at marketing his school and its projects to the community either. One integrated studies unit on Mayan civilization ended with a field trip to the Yucatan, which was made possible by the support of local businesses.
Grant Wardlaw
Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, Mississauga
Grant Wardlaw of Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School in Mississauga is an expert at motivating people to tackle big projects both inside and outside the classroom. In recent years he has completely re-thought his approach to teaching, so he now functions more as a coach and facilitator than as a lecturer. This approach has allowed him to effectively introduce computers and the Internet into his classrooms. He has also convinced private industry to form partnerships with the school, producing such worthwhile initiatives as a health information kiosk at the school.
Manitoba
Walter Funk
Grant Park High School, Winnipeg
Walter Funk of Grant Park High School in Winnipeg realized that more than just introducing students to computers, it is vital to get them excited about what computers can do. As a result, he created a Grade 10 computer course which is now used across the province. It emphasizes programming, but also introduces students to some of the more spectacular applications of computers. The students complete projects such as creating their own computer games complete with graphics and scoring systems. He gives part of the credit for the course's success to some experts he turned to for help — his Grade 12 computer class.
Dawna Hales-Massé
École Margaret Underhill, Winnipeg
Dawna Hales-Massé of École Margaret Underhill in Winnipeg accepted the challenge of leading the school's first multi-age classroom. In addition, she regularly brings students together with their parents to focus on learning. Her students lead conferences for their parents during which they discuss their progress in the classroom. Ms. Hales-Massé has also developed a series of take-home science projects for her Grade 7 and 8 students to do with their parents. These efforts, combined with before- and after-school help, have enabled Ms. Hales-Massé to bring out the best in her students.
Dennis Kuzenko
Grant Park High School, Winnipeg
Dennis Kuzenko of Grant Park High School in Winnipeg has established a reputation for helping advanced students launch careers in the sciences by demonstrating to them the importance of science in their everyday lives. He uses this approach in his advanced placement chemistry and physics classes as well as in the Young Scientists Club that he runs for students from across the city. Mr. Kuzenko has also introduced innovative teaching tools such as multimedia to his school.
Judith Lawrence
Phoenix School, Headingley
Parents of Grade 4 and 5 students at the Phoenix School in Headingley were amazed at how quickly the children who had initial doubts about math were won over by Judith Lawrence. Not content with just exciting her students, Ms. Lawrence soon was sharing the province's new math curriculum with entire families at special math nights at the school. Her students have gone on to win a number of mathematics awards and other honours. Her science students, not to be outdone, are enthusiastic participants in science fairs — 100 percent of the Grade 5 class and 75 percent of the Grade 4 class.
Akapelwa Mweemba
Westpark School, Portage La Prairie
Akapelwa Mweemba of Westpark School in Portage La Prairie sets such a high standard for his students that many begin the year thinking they will not succeed. Instead of failing, however, they are surprised to find out that they can meet, and often surpass, his expectations. Many have also gone on to superior performance in math contests. Mr. Mweemba and his students also overcome the challenges posed by having students of different levels studying together. He has turned this into an advantage for them by making extensive use of peer tutoring.
Lloyd Roche
Evergreen School Division No. 22, Gimli
Lloyd Roche is co-ordinator of technology for the Evergreen School Division No. 22 in Gimli. In this position, he is responsible for all technology used in teaching at three high schools and five early-year and middle-year schools, as well as for special teaching done in places such as the Stony Mountain Penitentiary. He has shown the leadership and commitment necessary to enhance teaching throughout the division by introducing new technology. Through his work with teachers, members of the community and business leaders, his students have access to a network of computer labs, interactive television and a related curriculum.
Norman Roseman
Grant Park High School, Winnipeg
Norman Roseman of Grant Park High School in Winnipeg is the chair of a program aimed at gifted and talented students. Before Mr. Roseman challenged them with his varied courses and extra-curricular activities, many of these students had failed to meet their potential. Mr. Roseman has also been able to show many disadvantaged students that they can perform at levels that far exceed their expectations and those of others. In recent years, he has been working to develop a distance-learning program to extend his approach to students in smaller schools.
Emanuel Sylvester
Jameswood School, Winnipeg
When Emanuel Sylvester of Jameswood School in Winnipeg is not providing extra help for his own students, he is conducting an endless campaign to improve the education system as a whole. Being firmly convinced that no one teacher can do everything his or her students need to succeed, he has distinguished himself as a team player who has worked with his fellow teachers to improve teaching for students at all levels. He is constantly on the lookout for new techniques for teaching science and has strongly encouraged all students to work together through activities such as the school's homework club.
Saskatchewan
Susan Brooks
Caswell School, Saskatoon
Susan Brooks of the Caswell School in Saskatoon organized a space simulation project and worked as part of a network of teachers from other schools to interest students in space sciences. She also took advantage of a local controversy over a proposed casino to introduce her students to urban planning. A number of working professionals, including architects and surveyors, visited her class and explained how city planning is done. Afterwards, her students prepared their own plans for the proposed development site.
Alberta
Carlee Hurl
Uncas Elementary School, Ardrossan
Carlee Hurl is just the sort of multi-talented teacher willing to go the extra mile that Uncas Elementary School needed. Rural communities such as Ardrossan, where the school is located, require someone who knows how to work independently and make the best use of local resources. Ms. Hurl has filled this role admirably, creating, among other things, a program based on meteorology that led to the school receiving a weather station from Environment Canada and becoming part of a weather reporting network.
Daniel Leskiw
Victoria School, Edmonton
Daniel Leskiw of the Victoria School in Edmonton noticed that students going on to non-science careers tended to take biology as their one and only science option. In order to expose these students to a wider range of scientific study, he developed two courses, called Science 20 and Science 30, that cover various science topics such as chemistry, biology and earth sciences. In addition to this, he has created many other learning opportunities involving local industry and using the Internet.
Barry Mudry
Bowness High School, Calgary
Barry Mudry has recently returned to physics teaching after spending a number of years as a guidance counsellor. He has used a new understanding of teaching from that experience to develop a Grade 10 program that gives students more responsibility for their education. Mr. Mudry has also played a key role in helping other teachers at his school. He has assisted staff members with limited science backgrounds to prepare to teach courses, and he was instrumental in getting the science department at Bowness High School in Calgary working together after a recent major turnover in staff.
Ernie Paholek
Londonderry Junior High School, Edmonton
Ernie Paholek has had an impact far beyond the walls of Londonderry Junior High School in Edmonton, where he teaches. His methodical approach to teaching mathematics has been incorporated into a series of textbooks for grades 7, 8 and 9 that are used in more than 750 Canadian schools as well as in foreign schools as far abroad as Puerto Rico. Both his students and the teachers who use his textbooks praise his approach of setting clear expectations for what students should achieve.
Jeannette Borstad
Hillside Community School, Grande Prairie
Jeannette Borstad of Hillside Community School in Grande Prairie is a long-time community activist. Inside her classroom she has created a mini-community in which students work together and benefit from the assistance and emotional support of others. Programs, such as the class' study of animal life cycles, are run democratically. By offering a range of choices and having the entire class work together to make decisions, Ms. Borstad has given her students a sense of responsibility for their learning.
Samia Khan
Steele Heights School, Edmonton
Samia Khan of Steele Heights School in Edmonton has changed the focus of her science classes from the textbook to the real world. Her students take part in hands-on activities in fields such as forensic science, rocketry, playground design and research laboratory work. She also spends a lot of time discussing with her students what occupations in the sciences are like, and the reasons why they might pursue a science career. Two of the many benefits of this approach are that her students have a positive role model and they can see how a woman can plan for a career in the sciences.
British Columbia
Paul Grey
North Oyster Elementary School, Ladysmith
Paul Grey of North Oyster Elementary School in Ladysmith specializes in creating learning opportunities. For example, he has developed a World Wide website where students and teachers can work together electronically. The site is set up so that more interaction is possible as students gain experience with the system. Mr. Grey has also developed other activities so students can get hands-on experience with technology, such as designing and testing meteorological instruments, and collecting data from the Hubble space telescope through the Internet.
Northwest Territories
William Belsey
Leo Ussak Elementary School, Rankin Inlet
William Belsey brought the global village home to Leo Ussak Elementary School in Rankin Inlet. After taking over the school's computer program, he challenged his students to make their school the first in the area to have Internet access and to be the first school in Canada's Arctic to have a World Wide website. Although the struggle to provide ongoing funding to support this initiative continues, the students met the challenge. The website has received international recognition as well as several awards.