New awards honour teachers who go above and beyond
GUYSBOROUGH — An annual award to honour local educators who go above and beyond is part of a new effort to improve student achievement and outcomes in area schools, says a spokesperson for the Strait Regional Centre for Education (SRCE).
Guysborough County teachers Alicia Mills, (Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy), Renata Bouchie (Fanning Education Centre/Canso Academy) and Ruth McGinn (St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy) each won SRCE’s inaugural Educator Impact Award earlier this month.
According to SRCE Coordinator of Communications Deanna Gillis, “Further to input received through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [EECD’s] Ideas for Education initiative, the theme for this year – equitable assessment practices – recognizes the tremendous efforts of educators who are implementing these practices and fostering equity and inclusion in the classroom and their work practices.”
The SRCE news release highlights that junior/senior high school math teacher Mills “fosters a growth mind set in her teaching and encourages students to take ownership of their learning. Meanwhile, Grade Primary/1 teacher Bouchie “can be heard encouraging students to do their best work and to be proud of it.” Finally, Grade 1 teacher McGinn “provides a multitude of learning opportunities promoting growth and development, both academically and socially.”
Launched in the 2023, EECD’s Ideas for Education initiative asked educators and school administrators across the province for their suggestions for making “students’ lives better.” The SRCE system improvement plan sets three objectives: “Foster student well-being through the creation of positive, safe, equitable and inclusive learning environments; improve student achievement in literacy; and improve student achievement in mathematics.”
Gillis said school administrators or a regional staff supervisor will continue to nominate candidates for the award. “Going forward, [it] will be presented twice a year based on a theme that aligns with the SRCE system improvement plan and Nova Scotia teaching standards.”
Alec Bruce, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
