Four educators in the southeast have been recognized provincially with Excellence Awards.
The four, along with five others from our province have received Manitoba's Excellence in Education Awards in recognition of their exceptional contribution and commitment to educational excellence. Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt made the announcement Friday.
The award recipients were chosen by a selection committee made up of representatives from the Manitoba School Boards Association, the Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools, and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning.
Jenna Desilets, a Grade 5/6 teacher from Ste. Anne Elementary School has received a Teaching Excellence Award. As a recipient of the award, Desilets was singled out for personifying excellence in the teaching profession through her child-centered focus and ability to make all learners successful. According to a press release, Desilets provides a caring and safe environment in her classroom with flexible seating, cozy corners, soft lighting, music, plants, and a cereal station. From 2018 to 2024 she served on the Seine River Teachers' Association and chaired its Indigenous education committee for four years. She also supervises music and sporting activities and co-facilitates the student leadership group.
The other three teachers from the southeast are all from Green Valley School in Grunthal and won an Outstanding Team Collaboration Award. Katelyn Hart, Kelly Mikkelson, and Rachel Novak are Grade 5/6 teachers, who worked collaboratively to implement 'looping' at the school, a practice by which teachers advance from year to year with the same class. In a press release, the province states that to ensure successful implementation of this approach, these teachers teamed up to learn from and build on each other's strengths in developing cross-curricular learning activities that include effective differentiated teaching strategies related to numeracy and literacy. Through the co-development of their looping practice, these teachers were able to build greater rapport with their students, respond more effectively to their individual needs, and enable a more seamless transition from one school year to the next.
"Every day teachers make a huge impact in the lives of their students and today I am honoured to acknowledge these exceptional educators who create inspiring environments in which to learn," says Schmidt. "Teachers work tirelessly to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life while also nurturing their social, emotional, and physical growth. Congratulations to this year's recipients."
Schmidt says since 2006, Manitoba has recognized exceptional educators who have a special connection to students and whose teaching style has a deep and lasting impact on student achievement, engagement, and well-being.