2013 Winning Teachers

September 25, 2013

On September 24, 2013, three Ontario teachers were recognized with the OTIP Teaching Award for Excellence at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites. The awards recognize the great work that teachers are doing daily in our schools. This was the tenth year for the awards.

The following educators received the OTIP Teaching Award:

2013 Winning Teachers

September 25, 2013

On September 24, 2013, three Ontario teachers were recognized with the OTIP Teaching Award for Excellence at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites. The awards recognize the great work that teachers are doing daily in our schools. This was the tenth year for the awards.

The following educators received the OTIP Teaching Award:

Beginning Teacher Category

Kerri Lyn Grainger

St. Columban Catholic School, Dublin

Kerri Lyn Grainger received the OTIP Teaching Award for excellence in the Beginning Teacher category.

In three years, Kerri Lyn has become the recognized teacher in the Huron-Perth District Catholic School Board for her use of 21st technology in the classroom. She recognizes the importance of incorporating technology into student leaning. Kerri Lyn’s success with her students is reflected in one parent’s observation that Kerri Lyn took her shy, insecure daughter and helped her to be all she could be. Kerri Lyn’s belief in her students encourages them to believe in themselves. Kerri Lyn has earned the respect of colleagues and parents alike.

“She is a great listener who is sensitive about how the other person might feel in a given situation,” states one colleague.

Elementary Teacher Category

Nancy Dye

Hearing Itinerant Department, Toronto

Nancy Dye received the OTIP Teaching Award for excellence in the Elementary Teacher category.

A teacher for 25 years, Nancy has devoted her career to improving education for early years and preschool deaf and hard of hearing students. Her home school is Wexford PS. Nancy developed a preschool program for deaf and hard of hearing students from the ground up – the space, the staff and the materials. This program started with 8 pre-schoolers and has grown to 14. She also created the Parent Lending Library which provides support materials to assist parents in all aspects of their child’s learning. She started the Captioned Library of closed captioned materials which is used extensively by teachers across the board. Parents, administration and colleagues supported Nancy’s nomination – a true indication of her contributions to our profession.

Nancy’s love of children, her imagination in dealing with learning challenges and her desire to go the extra mile in helping students and parents have been the hallmark of her career.

Secondary Teacher Category

Catarina Vindasius

East Elgin Secondary School, Aylmer

Catarina Vindasius, was honoured with the OTIP Teaching Award for excellence in the Secondary Teacher category.

Catarina has been the driving force behind ASPIRE, the Arbeit Schule Program in Rural Elgin, an innovative alternative education program to assist high-school aged Mennonite students to achieve their OSSD while staying true to their cultural traditions of working for and in the family. Her enthusiasm and drive has resulted in a program that has grown from 100 students to 240 over the course of one year. Catarina worked with parents, board personnel and colleagues to ensure the success of the program. She is constantly finding new programs and innovations to meet the individual diverse needs of the students. Catarina has established a partnership with the local YMCA and Farmtown Canada which offer counselling and support to teenagers. As well, she has worked with local businesses to encourage co-op and volunteer placements for students in the program.

“Catarina feels it is her job to carry out her students’ dreams until they can carry it for themselves,” stated one of her nominators.