Local teachers recognized by prime minister for excellence

Teachers from Grimsby and Dundas are being recognized by the prime minister for excellence in their fields.

Pieter Toth, a grades 9 through 12 business and social justice teacher at Dundas Valley Secondary School, received a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

Lee Martin, who teaches language, math, science, arts, social studies and makerspace at Central French Immersion Public School in Grimsby, was awarded a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM.

Both men were awarded a Certificate of Excellence from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony in Ottawa.

The awards honour outstanding and innovative elementary and secondary school teachers in all disciplines and carry cash prizes of $5,000 along with a pin, letter and certificate signed by the prime minister.

Toth connects student thinking to curriculum expectations and finds ways to link what happens in the classroom to the school’s vision of building an empathetic culture of respect and learning through a human rights lens.

Martin creates community in his classroom and “he won’t hesitate to drive a car full of student-collected bottled water to a community in need, or be inspired by a trip to the North to partner with a school there,” according to a government profile.