HPEC Certificate of Commendations
Region 1 | Southeast
Amanda McGarry
Amanda McGarry was awarded the certificate of commendation for multiple reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, she deserves this award because she is working through an extremely difficult staffing situation, working alongside 16 other PE teachers who are all on different schedules. The other PE teachers are in and out of the gym and leave it up to Amanda to help guide them. Understanding the circumstances of her situation, one would realize that this would be extremely tough to plan for while trying to incorporate the curriculum, as well as 16 adult's schedules. Not only does she deal with this on a daily basis but she has managed to earn her master's and coach many different sports that her junior high school offers. Amanda is someone who is very passionate about Physical Education and lives a life that portrays that. She loves being active and helping kids to be active. She is a dedicated HPEC member who cares deeply for the betterment of Physical Education in Alberta and deserves this Certificate of Commendation.
Region 2 | Southwest
Michaela Dilworth-Baum
Michaela Dilworth-Baum has been a Phys Ed/Health teacher in Lethbridge School District 51 for the past 11 years. During this time Michaela has been an ambassador of Health and Phys Ed, leading both her students and her colleagues by example. She has worked very hard to “equip her students with the knowledge, skills and tools to be physically active once they leave school. Michaela believes that her focus on teaching Physical Literacy skills have lead students to have more success and enjoyment in Phys Ed classes through being more confident in themselves and their skills. Her belief in building relationships with students and pushing them past their own perceived limits help her to encourage her philosophy of lifelong participation to her students. Michaela has been a District leader in Health and Phys Ed, receiving a Health and Wellness Grant and working as a High School Wellness coach for 3 years. She has also acted as a District School Health Champion as well as leading PD sessions through Collaborative Communities and Teachers Convention. Michaela has also been very willing to volunteer her time towards athletics both at her school and in the community. She coached basketball at her school for 8 years as well as basketball and soccer in the community for 2 years. She also acted as the manager of her school’s football team for 4 years. For all of these reasons and more I feel that Michaela Dilworth-Baum is an outstanding candidate for an HPEC Certificate of Commendation for the South West Region.
Region 4 | Calgary
Jim Thorne
William Roper Hull School, CBE
Jim is a dedicated, veteran teacher who pushes himself to constantly improve and adapt his practice as he works to provide quality physical education programming for complex learners at William Roper Hull School. Within his learning community, Jim’s tireless work has laid the framework for several long lasting, exceptionally successful events/activities that both staff and students eagerly anticipate every year. These include: The Friday morning hockey program – Jim has nurtured and maintained connections with Comrie’s Sports Equipment Bank, Sport Chek, a couple of City of Calgary arenas, and the Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club to ensure students have all the necessary gear, ice time, and motivation; The annual Calgary Hitmen Be Brave Game – the whole school goes together to the Saddledome, and even those students who usually struggle with crowds, noise, social events, and unique experiences are afforded the chance to go to a hockey game with their friends; The annual Terry Fox Run – Jim has established strong relationships with the Calgary Police Service, who add a touch of flair to the run by leading the run group with cars and lights while showing students who usually have difficult encounters with law enforcement that police can be positive community allies; and The annual William Roper Hull Sports Day – Jim coordinates, creates, and helps facilitate the management of a number of fun physical activities that are accessible to all students.
To quote Jim’s principal “Some people possess an infectious, genuine, instantly identifiable laugh. Jim is one of those people. He is outgoing, gregarious, and kind…He carries himself with a high degree of professionalism, but Jim also knows the need to bring light and fun to our community. The kids – of all ages, Grades 1 through 12, adore him. His enthusiasm and positive reinforcement towards kids reduces the barriers and breaks down the walls that would otherwise impede them from taking part in any physical activity. Jim makes sport, exercise, and teamwork fun for kids, who prior to meeting him detested Physical Education. One cannot overstate what this has meant to the immediate and long-term wellness of our kids. Congratulations, Jim!”
Region 4 | Calgary
Michael Murray
Mike Murray has been teaching with the Calgary Catholic School District for 11 years and is currently the physical education lead at Our Lady of Grace School and is an active member of HPEC. Mike consistently demonstrates kindness, compassion and understanding for the students in his care, the parents who he engages meaningfully in school activities and the colleagues who he collaborates with daily. Mike was awarded with a Calgary Catholic School District Shepherd Leadership Award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the district as a Shepherd Leader in 2017. Mike is a man of integrity who puts a ton of energy into creating the most meaningful activities for the students. Everything that he plans for the school community, he puts 110% effort into because he wants to create lasting memories and a legacy for the school community. From planning athletics for the school and arranging for coaches, to planning and executing big school events like Terry Fox Runs, school-wide winter and summer activity days, mud runs and much more, Mike puts his heart into everything that he does, and the students know it. He has initiated rich and experiential physical education and outdoor education programs at each school that he has taught at. Mike has the natural ability to instill confidence in students when trying out new activities and is truly a man who walks the talk when it comes to imparting the benefits of daily physical activity in his students. In 2016, when Mike moved to a brand-new school, he was instrumental in its start up. He worked tirelessly to get the gyms set up, order the school wear and get the school teams up and running so that the students wouldn’t miss out on anything. Mike is a creative thinker and excellent problem solver and is always willing to be involved in tasks at the district level. He has helped and presented at many district PD sessions and coaching clinics, along with always being one of the first to share many of his ideas and skills with our Calgary Catholic School District colleagues.
Region 5 | Central
Dan Cormier
Dan is a passionate and enthusiastic HPE teacher in a k-9 French immersion school with Red Deer Catholic for very, very, very long time. He brings a wealth of energy and knowledge to all aspects of teaching & coaching. Dan's enthusiasm for teaching PE is evident in the excitement and joy he brings to every class. Dan is very team oriented and will share his time and resources with fellow colleagues and is especially enthusiastic if it includes omnikin. Dan has the best interest of his students at the forefront, always encouraging them to be moving and active. Dan is a key member of the division PE cohort and athletic team and is always willing to share his gifts and talents. This is evident especially during Track and Field with all the time and effort he puts forth to provide students with an amazing experience...... His love of teaching is radiated to his students, as seen by their energy and enthusiasm at school activities. He is a great ambassador and voice for everything HPE.
Dan est encourageant envers tous! Il supporte ses élèves, peu importe leur niveau d'athlétisme. Chaque élève est vu comme un de ses enfants. Sa joie de vivre est de modéliser une vie active en étant un modèle pour les jeunes et les profs pareils. Il n'est pas un "rookie" par rapport à l'enseignement, mais les stratégies employées sont inclusives et motivantes, même aujourd'hui. Félicitations Dan, Tu le mérites.
Region 6 | Central East
Katherine Wagner
Katherine Wagner is dedicated to the profession of teaching quality physical education at the elementary level. Katherine finds many fun and exciting ways to deliver the curriculum for all levels of students to learn. Katherine is on of the first people to pick up a team and coach them when needed and is often running extra curricular activities for the students to participate in. Katherine is currently our health champion in the school and has created a very positive and supportive work environment through different aspects of mental health well being. An example of one of her initiatives is the 'Merry"thon winter run we will be having for the students to promote active living even throughout the colder months. Katherine always treats her staff and students with respect and has built a very positive rapport with them because of this, she is always providing positive feedback to students and encouraging them to try their personal best. She uses countless games and activities to keep the students actively engaged and promotes the "Do it Daily" for life concepts in the classroom.
Region 8 | Edmonton
Jackie Koval
Jackie Koval is a leader and innovator that is dedicated to each of her students. Jackie has embraced the challenge of a physical literacy project using the Physical Literacy Observational Tool (PLOT) to assess growth in our Preschool Classrooms. Jackie presented the project to our school’s staff and created a cohort of teachers that are implementing PLOT within their classrooms. This journey has allowed the teachers to utilize and assess the impact of high quality Physical Literacy lessons. Jackie has researched and prepared an early physical literacy program that will be used across our schools which consist of 13 sites and over 400 students. The results of the program will be shared with our district with the aim to promote intentional physical literacy across all of our school programs and eventually district wide. Jackie’s dedication and passion for physical literacy is unmatched. The journey she has taken us on will forever change our teachers understanding for the importance of developing the whole child.
Region 8 | Edmonton
Aaron Corsaro
Aaron has been readily involved with HPEC since 1st becoming a member last year. He is in the beginning years of his teaching career, but is always a familiar face at local drive-in workshops. Aaron is currently teaching Physical Education at Bessie Nichols School in West Edmonton. He also is heavily involved in the coaching realm as he was the head coach for Sr. Boys Volleyball coach and Flag Football. He also has helped with the Track & Field program. Aaron has also worked hard to create an on-going intramural program that serves his Jr. High students during lunch hours. Aaron is an extremely kind-hearted teacher that always puts his students first. He is dedicated to trying new things with physical activity as the main focus. Aaron is passionate about coaching and giving back to his students. What Aaron does best is have fun with his students. When he speaks about what he does, there is always a smile! Students are lucky to have Mr. Corsaro as their teacher!
Region 9 | Central West
Megan Jones
Please accept this letter in support of Miss Megan Jones to receive the Certificate of Commendation from the Health and Physical Education Council. Megan has provided exceptional time, volunteerism and professionalism to the her work to advance Health and Physical Education at a local and provincial level. In Megan’s role locally and with Ever Active Schools she has spent a great amount of time connecting with teachers and has always been a mentor with a wonderful sense of people and the inner workings of being a teacher. She has provided countless opportunities for her student specifically around outdoor learning and creative methods of play. Megan’s natural ability to connect with people on a personal and professional note has been felt by schools and specifically with Enoch First Nation where she supported staff and students in physical literacy in the 2017-2018 school year. Her genuine approach to that project engaged teachers, students and community members.
Region 10 | Northeast
David Hurley
David Hurley has been working as an elementary Physical Education teacher and Cricket instructor in Fort McMurray for five years. David is very well known and respected in our teaching community and in athletics, and he the reason we have such a wonderful and successful elementary sports program in Fort McMurray and Anzac. Before David had arrived in Fort McMurray five years ago, the schools in Fort McMurray and Anzac had very few elementary athletic tournaments and games, and there really wasn't much of a formal league for our young athletes. As a first year teacher, David took it upon himself to build an elementary grades 5/6 sports league that includes 4 volleyball, 4 basketball, badminton, indoor hockey, and a track and field meet for the two districts in Fort McMurray, as well as the close by rural community of Anzac. This elementary athletics program has improved every single year, as David is constantly improving and tweeking each tournament. Aside from all of his hours spent creating this elementary athletics program, David also runs a very successful PE program at a brand new school in Fort McMurray, St. Kateri, and is very involved in the Physical Education and Health community in Fort McMurray. David has created an incredible athletic culture in elementary athletics, which has resulted in so much joy and fun for our young athletics in our community. All of his hard work and dedication proves that David is very deserving to be nominated for the HPEC Certificate of Commendation for the Northeast Region.
Region 11 | Northwest
Neil Ashworth
Neil Ashworth has been a tremendous advocate for Health and Physical Education in the Grande Prairie area. His involvement with the HPEC Council for a number of years as a Regional Representative, Conference Chair, and Presenter truly represents his passion for the field of Health and Physical Education but also highlights his desire to provide the best for his colleagues and grow the profession to the highest level possible. Neil is a glowing example of what the Certificate of Commendation represents: A leader in the field who has dedicated their time and demonstrates a passion to improve the field. On top of the amazing work Neil has done provincially in Health and Physical Education, Neil is also a leader locally with his involvement in many areas such as the youth basketball programs at the Grande Prairie Composite High School (at one point was coaching as many as three teams in order to ensure as many students can experience the sport of basketball) and has presented to teachers on the importance of quality physical education classes. Neil loves the outdoors and shares that passion to his students everyday and it is an absolute honour to nominate Neil for the HPEC Certificate of Commendation for the Northwest Region.
HPEC Distinguished Service Award
Sonia Sheehan |
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As a member of the FFCA family, Sonia has been a guiding light and innovator for health and physical education within the FFCA school board. Over the past 14 years she has acted as our curriculum lead, facilitator of many professional development opportunities, organizer of five very successful FFCA Physical Education Symposiums and has been our connection to the greater world of health and physical education around the province, country and internationally. Within her school Sonia hosts family nights to encourage active participation within the family unit, staff wellness opportunities and serves as a mentor for generalist teachers instructing Physical Education. She is reflective in her practices and pedagogy, continually observing others, questioning and refining to achieve a program which can best support students. Sonia is a kind and reliable colleague, always willing to step up for what is best for students in health and physical education. Sonia is active in physical literacy research and grant opportunities in conjunction with local universities such as Mount Royal University in Calgary. She actively seeks out professional learning opportunities and on multiple occasions has shared her learnings at conferences through North America. Sonia is a SPARK trainer, a member of the Curriculum Working Group that is responsible for the design of the Wellness Curriculum with Alberta Education, and most importantly she is keen to share her knowledge and experience with anyone who is interested. Sonia is passionate about her profession and she ignites passion in those around her to better the field of health and physical education. Sonia has been a leader in Health and Physical Education within Alberta. Having served over 20 years as a member of HPEC, Sonia has done it all. She has served as a Regional Representative, Vice President of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Vice President of Communication, President-Elect, President and Past-President. Sonia has also been on the organizing committee for 2 very successful HPEC Annual Conferences. Sonia holds HPEC and all its members close to her heart. Leadership is defined as “the action of leading a group of people or an organization” and “the state or position of being a leader.” Looking at synonyms for the word leader, one might find words such as “pioneer, innovator, trailblazer, leading light, originator, initiator, developer and architect.” Sonia consistently demonstrates each of these descriptions. |
PHE Canada Dr Andy Anderson Young Professional Award
Kimberly Bates |
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Kimberly is an HPE Champion and advocate of Quality Daily Physical Education and a deserving recipient of the 2019 PHE Canada Dr Andy Anderson Young Professional Award. Kimberly is currently employed as a Learning Leader at G. W. Skene School in the Calgary Board of Education, where she is developing a progressive PE program utilizing best practice. She has shown her dedication to her students through the extra effort she puts forth on a daily basis. An example of this is her effort to provide students with programs which expose them to activities they may not have had the opportunity to experience, such as off campus learn to skate lessons. Kimberly has demonstrated that she values lifelong learning, seeking out professional development as the recipient of the HPEC Pre-service teacher grant and the HPEC PHE Canada Student Leadership conference grant. She regularly attends professional development events and has been a participant of multiple HPEC conferences and workshops, Ever Active Schools Shaping the Future Conferences, the PHE Canada Student leadership Conference, Dancepl3y kids instructor training and school board PD days. Kimberley has demonstrated leadership in the field of Health and Physical Education through her involvement with the Health and Physical Education Council of the Alberta Teachers Association (HPEC) as a Table officer serving as council Treasurer, and as a member of the, 2018, 2019 and 2020 HPEC Conference steering committees. Her leadership is also highlighted in her initiative to lead professional development opportunities for others, for example her contribution to the HPEC E-Sprinter through an ATA book/resource review and presenting at Shaping the Future in 2016. Another avenue where Kimberly demonstrates her initiative and leadership is her use of social media, engaging in professional learning discussion, sharing resources and advocating for Quality Health and Physical Education. Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to great places. You're off and away! ~ Dr Seuss |
Robert Routledge Address
Barb Young |
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Barb is a caring wife, mother, teacher, mentor, volunteer, advocate and coach. She loves to hike, play tennis, play golf, downhill ski, cross country ski; one look at her Facebook page and you can see how active she is. She is a role model, practicing what she preaches. Barb started her teaching career at Eastview Jr. High and then transferred to Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive in Red Deer. She has given thirty five years of servant leadership to the youth, teachers and school division during her career. Barb provided leadership in the field of Health and Physical Education serving as the HPEC President in 2010, chairing HPEC Conferences in 1991, 1997 (co-hosted with CAPHERD), and 2003, and serving as the HPEC-ASAA liaison. Barbs HPEC peers describe her as calm and cool, a pleasure to work with, an excellent mentor and always there to help whenever it was needed. Barb is well-loved and respected by all who have had the privilege to work with her Barb has been recognized for her passion and dedication to Health and Physical education as an HPEC Certificate of Commendation Award winner in 1984, HPEC Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and her induction as a friend of HPEC upon her retirement. In 2011 Barb was induced into the ASAA hall of Fame for her contributions as a coach. Barb has been a successful HPE advocate, teacher and coach because she has a philosophy that promotes positive attitudes and behavior in all of the athletes and students she works with. She is confident and has the ability and skill to develop confidence in others. She truly loves what she does and the countless students, athletes and colleagues whose lives she has touched are a reflection of that.
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