A month ago we asked you to nominate teachers who’ve gone above and beyond this year in the “Celebrate a Teacher” Contest sponsored by Kumon. Kumon sees teachers as their partner in education, working together towards a common goal: helping children reach their full potential.
Needless to say, you didn’t disappoint. It turns out there are amazing teachers all across the country helping our kids navigate this unprecedented year, making our job to pick finalists really difficult. We sorted through hundreds of entries to pick five winners.
The first winner was submitted by Marion in Spruce Grove who wrote, “I want to recognize my daughter Ella’s grade 3 teacher, Mrs. Wishloff. Prior to the start of the year, she called us to introduce herself and reassure us about the new procedures in place at school. She allowed the kids to sit by their close friends in class (but not too close), she gives super inspirational comments on worksheets, and Ella loves all the cool crafts they do in class. Plus, she always keeps me informed about Ella’s overall wellbeing. We’re thrilled with how the year is going so far under the circumstances and can’t say enough good things about this teacher.”
Julie from Burlington nominated her daughter's teacher. She wrote, “I would like to nominate James Magill at Eastview in Oakville. My daughter has dreaded school for the past 2 years, so I switched her to a new one and hoped for the best. She is a changed child and now can't wait to go to school. When she comes home from school, all she talks about is what she's learned from Mr. Magill. Even when she sprained her ankle, she insisted she had to go to school since she wanted to be chosen to present her work for a project she was working on. I look forward to Mr. Magill's weekly emails that provide an update and insight into what my daughter is being taught. She is so happy and positive about school which I didn't think was ever possible!
This winning entry by Natalie in Langley, BC really tugged at our heartstrings because the teacher she nominated came out of retirement to teach during COVID. Natalie wrote, “Mr. Johnston is a retired teacher who has returned to the school during this pandemic. He has been tutoring my Grade 12 and he has made himself available to support others in grade 12 so they also can be successful. Mr. Johnston is experienced, patient and has a great sense of humour. He also worked with my special needs Grade 9 student and has made a significant impact in his learning as well as building his confidence. It is so important for students to have meaningful connections with adults they can trust and feel safe with. Mr. Johnston is that teacher.”
This winning entry is from Tammy in Smithville who wrote, “Miss Denney is a wonderful teacher. When the March lockdown was extended, she made the time to create weekly homework packages for each of the students in her class. She encouraged the children to use their knitting Nancy’s that she handmade for them to create a friendship garland that stretched around the school. She wrote personal letters to all of the children to encourage them in the time they were separated. She even started making YouTube videos of her singing well-known songs the students sang at school to help unite them while they were apart. She continues to make the kids her priority and her love for what she does shows in all the small things. She may think she is just a teacher, but to my son she is a superhero! We love you Miss Denney!”
This winning entry was submitted by Jennifer in London who wrote, “Mme Trish Grouette is teaching my daughter grade 3 French Immersion online. It was a tough choice for us to elect to do remote learning, but because of this crazy Covid-19 and having several immune-compromised family members, it was the right choice for our family. Mme Grouette has been amazing. She has engaged the students to do everything over the computer screen - gym, music, science, English, and French - the students play games, enjoy breakout rooms in smaller groups to do activities and visit with each other virtually. Mme Grouette is going above and beyond what any teacher is expected to do, even with the extra stress - her daily positive attitude helps my daughter feel normal. There is a lot we will remember about COVID-19 and sheltering in place. My daughter’s school, this year online, will be one thing we look back on with extreme fondness. We owe that to Mme Grouette."
Teachers go above and beyond on a daily basis but C2020 they’ve had to overcome challenges never faced before. Over the past months, teachers have been asked to learn new systems, create and implement online curriculums, learn new classroom rules and regulations, and help support kids from coast to coast.
We teamed up with Kumon, an independent education program that builds a lifetime of math and reading success, to celebrate all the amazing Canadian teachers who have worked so hard to help our kids navigate the changes in their school year and thank them for their hard work during the pandemic.
Kumon wants you to nominate a teacher who has gone above and beyond this year in the Celebrate a Teacher Contest by sharing a story about why you appreciate them and why you want to thank that teacher for everything they do.
Five lucky teachers will be carefully selected to win a $500 Amazon gift card. But that’s not all! The nominating family will get their very own $250 amazon gift card to treat themselves as a thank you for taking the time to share their teacher’s story.
If this year has taught us anything it’s that we need to see teachers as partners in education working together towards a common goal: helping children reach their full potential.
Kumon has been doing that for over 60 years.
Nominate your teacher now!
