June 7, 2022 (Brockville, ON) – The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) recognized excellence in members of its staff on Monday, June 6, during the 2022 Celebration Night awards ceremony.
Held at North Grenville District High School (NGDHS), the night recognized recipients of the UCDSB Service Excellence Awards, the newly created UCDSB Director’s Red Apple Awards, and the Ontario Principals’ Council Award of Character.
Award recipients and their guests were entertained by performances by the NGDHS African drumming band, big baNG and Tagwi Secondary School’s dance group, Fusion of Styles.
2021-2022 Service Excellence Awards
The UCDSB Service Excellence Awards are a peer-to-peer employee recognition program that was created in the 2015-16 school year. These awards were created to recognize exceptional service to our students, their families and our co-workers.
A selection committee determines the top nominees following a detailed review of how the nominees demonstrated the UCDSB’s Six Qualities of Service Excellence, showed leadership in the area of service excellence and made an impact within our system.
Recipients of the 2021-2022 Service Excellence Awards are as follows:
- Diana Kingston, Comptroller of Finance, Board Office
Diana received this award for bringing her best self to work each day, being dedicated to ensuring those around her are well taken care of and leading a team in a seamless transition from office to home during the pandemic. - Ron Pilon, Custodian, Sweet’s Corners Public School
Ron received this award for going above and beyond in his job to build a culture of care at the school, collaborating with his colleagues and taking extra time to interact with students to make a positive school experience. - Tracey MacTavish, Educational Assistant, Duncan J Schoular PS
Tracey received this award for going out of her way to check in with colleagues, celebrating student success and showing selflessness by purchasing supplies for students in need. - Danielle Ouellet, Principal, Brockville Collegiate Institute
Danielle received this award for helping staff and students through tough times, prioritizing quality education, and understanding the resources and needs of students to be successful. - Tracy Moorhouse, Teacher, Iroquois PS
Tracy received this award for recognizing student needs and differentiating her instruction accordingly, prioritizing quality education and being helpful and caring towards her colleagues. - Sandy McInnes, Principal, TR Leger School
Sandy received this award for contributing to the growth and success of TR Leger programs, spending extra time to onboard new employees and providing opportunities that have been recognized provincially. - Special Designation Program Team, TR Leger Cornwall Campus
The SDP team, comprised of Cameron MacPhee, Lise Walker, Shawn Roach, Amanda Young, Monique Favreau, and Steve Mallet, received this award for their expertise, devotion and authentic desire to connect with students in a genuine and meaningful way. - Jennifer Perry, Superintendent of Wellness and Mental Health
Jennifer received this award for her teamwork and extreme care in everything she does, collaboration, bringing colleagues together in a collaborative way and making sure everyone around her feels supported.
Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC) Award of Character
This award, also known as the Ted Kennedy Award, is given annually to a school administrator who demonstrates the values of integrity, character, and commitment to preserving the values and beliefs of the council.
The 2021-2022 OPC Award was presented to:
- Mhairi Rowland, Principal, Russell Public School
2021-2022 Red Apple Awards
The Red Apple Awards are given by Director of Education Ron Ferguson to individuals that stand out for their deeply-rooted dedication to our school board’s top priority – the students. Their day-to-day impact on those around them branches far & wide, planting seeds of inspiration. This is the inaugural year for these awards.
The 2021-2022 Red Apple Award recipients are as follows:
- Erin Hurford, Local CUPE President
Erin is an award recipient for having the best interest of staff in mind, while keeping student impact front and centre during this pandemic. Erin went far beyond expectations when assisting in medical emergencies on more than two occasions since the start of the pandemic. - Debbie Banks, Principal of Special Education, Oxford Office
Debbie is an award recipient for her dedicated years of service with the UCDSB and specifically, her work with the development of the Power Up Program, which was designed to increase inclusion in our school board. - Jane Veninga, Teacher, R. Tait McKenzie Public School
Jane is an award recipient for her mentorship of new teachers, dedication to her students and heightened focus on literacy, ensuring all students in her class have the best opportunity to learn how to read. - Bridgewood Public School Power Up Program Team
Erin Muir, Laura MacDonald, Nadia Benton and Lauren Bertrand are award recipients for their dedication to the Power Up Program at their school and their students. They volunteered their time in the summer to learn about the program and continue to be excited, sharing their learning during and after school hours with each other. These educators have literally given their students a voice by teaching students how to speak, and providing programming to them that allows them to attend school each day. - Larry Berry, Trustee Ward 7
Trustee and retired principal, Larry Berry, was diagnosed with ALS shortly into his term, which has come with some significant challenges. Trustee Berry continues to be determined to ensure that his family is taken care of and to finish his term as trustee for our school district, with the attention and dignity that his office requires. He remains positive, courageous, and resilient while dealing with this difficult and life-changing diagnosis - Lynda Johnston, Executive Assistant
Lynda is a long-serving office administrator in the school board, currently working within the teaching and learning department. Lynda is known to many as the moral center of the schools she’s worked in, both elementary and secondary, and is a strong advocate for disadvantaged students.
