Annual awards recognize valuable contributions
It is the beginning of awards season not only in Hollywood, but also at the P.E.I. Home and School Federation as January marks the first in a series of deadlines for nominations for the provincial awards the federation uses to recognize excellence in public education.
The Extra Mile Award recognizes teachers and staff who exemplify going the extra mile, above and beyond the call of duty to support the total wellbeing of the Island’s youth. Two awards are given annually, one in the east and one in the west (last year Kate MacSwain at Souris Regional and Barbie MacQuarrie at Spring Park Elementary were recognized). The deadline for nominations for the Extra Mile award is Jan. 15; nomination forms and criteria are online at peihsf.ca/extramile. The awards are presented during Teacher-Staff Appreciation Week in February.
At the federation’s annual general meeting in April the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Life Membership Award will be presented. The Volunteer of the Year Award goes to a Home and School member who has made an exceptional contribution to the work of his or her local association or to the federation. One award is presented annually; in 2015, Tara Hill Burke and Shelly Keenan of Souris Regional were the co-recipients. The nomination form and details are online at peihsf.ca/volunteer.
Life membership in the P.E.I. Home and School Federation may be conferred on any person for outstanding service to the federation. There is no limit to the number of life memberships that may be presented and no requirement to make an annual award. Criteria for nomination and the nomination form are online at peihsf.ca/life.
Nominations for both the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Life Membership Award are due on March 4.
Later in the spring, nominations for the School Bus Driver of the Year award (details at peihsf.ca/bus) and the new School Crossing Guard of the Year award (details to be announced) will be accepted; nominations for both will be due on May 15. Members are encouraged to discuss bus drivers and crossing guards worthy of recognition over their winter meetings.
The Family of Schools District Advisory Councils will be holding their first meetings early in the new year. If your school has not selected a representative yet, read the guidelines at peihsf.ca/councils and work to select someone from your school immediately so that your school can be represented.
Teacher-Staff Appreciation Week, happening Feb. 14-20, is the week each year when home and schools recognize the contributions administrators, teachers and staff make to the lives of Island children. Local associations are encouraged to find ways of saying thank-you during this week. Contact the federation office for inspiration.
A reminder that the deadline for policy resolutions to be considered at the 2016 annual meeting in April is Jan. 31.
Assistance with writing resolutions is available online at http://peihsf.ca/agm/resolutions, from the federation office at peihsf@edu.pe.ca or by telephone at 902-620-3186 or, tollfree, 1-800-916-0664. Peter Rukavina, president of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation, lives in Charlottetown with his partner and their son. His column appears in The Guardian
during the school year on the first Wednesday of the month. He welcomes comments from readers and information for the column. He can be reached at peihsf@edu.pe.ca or 902-620-3186.