27 outstanding B.C education professionals including a teacher from Mountview Elementary School have been named as finalists in the inaugural Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education.
Principal at Mountview Elementary, Craig Munroe says they are pretty excited of the announcement of grade 4/5 teacher Shelly Peel being named as a finalist for the Community Engagement Award.
“The requests for nominations came out in the spring and I had seen what Shelly had done with regards to taking care of and working with her students for the community in regards to the wildfire recovery efforts,” he said.
“So having seen that I nominated her for excellence in community engagement.”
Peel’s students according to Munroe set out a goal of raising $1,000 to distribute to affected community members, but in the end raised more than $6,000 which benefited one Mountview family member and another family identified by the Williams Lake RCMP.
“Last year, Peel’s students also attended Christmas craft fairs,” Munroe added.
“All of the students worked with their parents and other community members to build crafts and things that they could sell, and they had all money raised going to support wildfire victims. They ended up raising thousands of dollars through that, and then another student came up with the idea of duct taping me to the wall of the gym.”
To be nominated for the Community Engagement Award, the Office of the Premier said the educator must increase students’ understanding of good citizenship by integrating community involvement within the classroom:
- improved community life by linking students, parents, and the community in innovative and meaningful ways
- coordinated community services to be accessible to students and their families
- actively participates in the community
“When I looked at all of that I thought you know what this fits the bill for all of these criteria that they list out for community engagement and I put together the nomination,” said Munroe noting that was just one piece of it.
“I also got another letter of support from a teacher and another community member that has worked with Shelly over the years.”
The winners of the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education will be named by Premier John Horgan and Lt. Gov Janet Austin in Victoria on World Teacher’s Day on October 5th.
Each winner will receive a $3,000 personal bursary for professional learning and a $2,000 contribution to their school community for professional learning.
“Obviously our fingers are crossed and we’re hoping for the best,” Munroe said.
“I think she’s an amazing teacher and very deserving of the recognition. She’s as humble as can be so she will never toot her own horn so to speak, and I think our community deserves to know these great things that she has been doing.”
“I think it will also be very exciting for the kids to know that their efforts are supporting their teacher and it’s certainly worthy of recognition.”