Waterloo Region District School Board

We are very pleased and proud to announce that Brent Pavey, a History teacher at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, is one of only seven teachers from across Canada and two in Ontario who are recipients of the 2009 Governor General's Awards for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History.

Laura Hodgins, Superintendent of Education for the Waterloo Region DSB has been awarded an Honorary Life Membership by the Ontario Principals' Council. The award is given to those who have provided exemplary service by advancing or upholding the purpose of the OPC. Laura has been a teacher and principal for the past 23 years and served as president of the OPC from 2008-09. The OPC is a voluntary professional association representing 5,000 principals and vice-principals in Ontario's public elementary and secondary schools.

For several nights ahead of Hallowe’en and again on Hallowe’en night many of our Facility Services Department staff volunteer to help keep our schools and streets a little safer. These employees, driving fully equipped Board vehicles, work closely with Regional Police patrolling school properties and responding to calls from night custodians who need assistance.

At their Celebration Dinner in June, the Waterloo Region chapter ETFO recognized local elementary teachers for their hard work and dedication. Eight awards were given out. Below is a detailed list of the awards and recipients.

Distinguished Teacher Award
Sue Andersen from Clemens Mill PS
Bryan Rankine from MacGregor PS
Senta Ross from Lackner Woods PS
Judy Wagler from Grandview PS (New Hamburg)
Patricia Wilson from Lincoln Heights PS

Waterloo Region Teacher and editor of ETFO INFO John Payne has been presented with the Newsletter Editor's Award. This award recognizes the outstanding work of done by the editors. John works hard to incorporate events that happen in the classroom and within Waterloo Region schools. ETFO INFO is published four to six times a year depending on the events and issues happening locally.

Waterloo Region's Elementary Teacher's Federation has handed teacher James McCormack the Federation's Local Leadership Award. The award recognizes outstanding service and leadership, demonstrated high standards of personal and professional ethics during the previous school year. James is currently serving his seventh year as President of the ETFO in Waterloo Region which represents 2,500 public elementary school teachers.
In addition to receiving this award, James was elected to the excutive of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.

Congratulations to Shari Nicholas and Pat Lankveld from Glenview Park SS for their article, Success With Reluctant Readers. The article is published in the current edition of the OSLA magazine, The Teaching Librarian.

Each year, the Ontario Council for Technology Education recognizes an individual who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the promotion and furtherance of Technological Education at the school, board and provincial levels. This year's recipient of the Technological Education Leadership Award is Gary Berscht. Gary is the Project Manager for the Waterloo Region District School Board's Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). Gary has been serving in this role since 1998 and is a former Tech. Director and Transportation Technology teacher.

The 2009 Stewart Award winners were celebrated on May 5 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kitchener. Each of the three awards are named after a former minister or official at the church. Ron DeBoer, Vice Principal and English teacher at Eastwood CI is the recipient of the Finlay G. Stewart Memorial Award. Linda Hendry, head of the Languages Department at Forest Heights CI is the recipient of the Douglas W. Turnbull Memorial Award. Murray Cloutier, Science teacher and co-ordinator of the co-operative education program at Waterloo CI is the recipient of the Grant R. MacDonald Award.

Ron DeBoer from Eastwood CI is one of this years recipients of the Stewart Awards. The award is designed to recognize the excellent teaching in secondary schools and to thank teachers for their contribution to the growth and development of young people. This is the third year in a row that a teacher from ECI has won the award.