A Grade 6 teacher and volleyball coach from Ponoka Elementary School was nominated for 2022 Edwin Parr Award by Wolf Creek Public Schools.
The board of trustees nominated Stefanie Hatala for the award that is given out to a first-year kindergarten to Grade 12 teacher who has demonstrated excellence in teaching.
“Miss Hatala has committed herself to understanding her students’ different needs and learning styles to create a classroom environment that allows her students to thrive in their learning experiences,” said Nathan McEntee, principal Ponoka Elementary School.
“She has demonstrated a unique level of dedication in the classroom where she genuinely strives to support and create lifelong learners of each and every one of her students. Her naturally kind and caring nature has extended beyond the classroom into the hallways and staff room. She quickly built strong relationships within her grade team and around the school.”
Hatala, a local to the rural Ponoka area, said she feels fortunate to be back teaching in her home community.
“To begin my career in the community I grew up in has provided me with the opportunity to form deeper connections and relationships with the individuals within the school. There is something remarkable about creating and being a safe place for students to mold into the best versions of themselves,” said Hatala.
The Edwin Parr Award is annually awarded to one first-year teacher in each zone of the Alberta School Boards’ Association. Each school division nominates one candidate, and then a committee selects one of the candidates to receive the award for the zone.
Award recipients are recognized at the ASBA Fall General Meeting.