The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education:

Speaker, I want to take my opportunity in this Honourable House to recognize primary, elementary and secondary teachers in all disciplines who have demonstrated exceptional innovation in instruction or compassion in teaching. Last week, the Premier and I announced the first-ever recipients of the Premier’s Award for Teaching Innovation and the Minister of Education’s Award for Compassion in Teaching.

The Premier’s Award recognizes teachers who have demonstrated innovation in instruction and who have gone above and beyond to find innovative ways to deliver the curriculum resulting in greater educational outcomes for their students.

The Premier’s Award recipients are:

Colin Barry, St. Matthew’s
Matthew Grant, Holy Trinity High
Stacey Hopkins, Leary’s Brook Junior High
Lindsay Janes, Crescent Collegiate
Céline Monnier, École des Grands Vents
Sam Paterson, Brookside Intermediate

The Minister of Education’s Award for Compassion in Teaching recognizes inspirational and compassionate teachers who have gone above and beyond to support the social, emotional and mental health of their students, colleagues or school community as a whole.

The Minister of Education’s Award recipients are:

Pamela Avery, Swift Current Academy
Kim Bonnell, Eric G. Lambert School
Nathalie Brunet, Macdonald Drive Junior High
Erin Coates, Mount Pearl Senior High
Dustin Rideout, ConnectED
Gail Spicer, St. James Regional High
Catherine Tansley, Mount Pearl Intermediate
Sara Toope, Beachy Cove Elementary

Speaker, I ask all members of this house to join me in recognizing recipients, and all educators across the province, for their dedication and contribution. Like the rest of us, teachers have been impacted considerably by COVID-19 and I commend them for their adaptability and willingness to put students’ needs first. Thank you.