SUBMITTED PHOTO
Medicine Hat Catholic board of education chair Kathy Glasgo presents Sarah Kerr with her nomination for the 2022 Alberta School Boards Association Edwin Parr Award at the MHCBE's meeting Tuesday afternoon.
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The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education recognized some of its own Tuesday afternoon.
At the MHCBE’s public meeting the board honoured its nominee for the Edwin Parr Award, handed out in the province for an outstanding first-year teacher, and recognized the winner of the Face of Christ Award for an outstanding support staff member.
Sarah Kerr, fine arts teacher at St. Mary’s School, was chosen to represent the division as the 2022 Alberta School Boards Association nominee for the honour.
St. Mary’s principal Nick Gale said he received emails from parents that outlined how Kerr was a highlight in their child’s day and made school more enjoyable.
“Someone who is absolutely a ray of sunshine absolutely every single day she comes to school,” Gale said. “Our job as administrators is to figure out who are the very best teachers coming to our building … it’s those people that are ecstatic to see their children every single morning and the kids are so excited to see them. Miss Kerr is absolutely that.”
Each year, the Alberta School Boards Association honours six outstanding first-year teachers for the Edwin Parr Teacher Award, one from each zone across the province. Kerr, as well as the other Zone 6 nominees, will be acknowledged at a banquet later this spring. ASBA zone winners are then honoured at an annual fall conference in Edmonton.
Diane MacDonald, business manager at Monsignor McCoy High School, was named the Face of Christ Award winner for 2022. MacDonald has worked for Medicine Hat Catholic schools for 19 years. She was emotional when accepting the award Tuesday and reflecting on her career.
“This is very, very humbling but thank you all very much,” MacDonald said while accepting her award. “I am reminded daily when it comes to the students and the contact they make with other students and how they are reacting in today’s world and the blessing that I have from the memories of working in the education system. I’ve been here since 1993 and my rewards are huge.”
The Face of Christ Award is a division honour acknowledging a support staff member for providing outstanding support to their school community.
Two other staff members were recognized at the meeting as “Ambassadors of Catholic Education” by the Board of Trustees. Face of Christ nominee Melanie Unser, Mother Teresa School learning assistant, and Edwin Parr nominee Kyla Stroh, a Grade 2 teacher at St. Michael’s School.
