News Archives: GPRC Thanks ELCC Educators for their Commitment and Dedication
Friday, May 27th, 2016
GRANDE PRAIRIE –GPRC celebrated and recognized the outstanding contributions, positive impacts, commitment and dedication that educators working in childcare programs and facilities have on our community during the first annual Early Childhood Education Awards at GPRC held last night.
“This evening we are recognizing the dedicated work of early childhood educators and programs and raising awareness for the remarkable work being done in child care every day. These awards publicly recognize those who have made the most outstanding contributions to children, the community and to individual families,” says Terrah Lindsay, GPRC Instructor, Early Learning and Child Care.
A total of 50 early childhood educators were nominated by members of the community for the five awards presented with the top three for each category announced at the ceremony.
“I’m thrilled at the overwhelming response we have had from the northwest region. Many see the work our educators do as just ‘babysitting’ but those who work in this field are trained professionals who care for our most valuable resource at their most vulnerable stage, our children. They definitely deserve this recognition,” says Theresa Suderman Chair of GPRC’s Early Learning and Child Care.
Of the three nominees for the Family Day Home Provider of the Year, the winner was Linda Rhodes of Little Acorns Family Day Home of Clairmont.
According to the nomination, Linda is described as “an enriching part of the children’s lives that she cares for. Her keen observational skills help her relate learning to each child’s interests and equip her to plan for all the children’s developmental needs in a way that is evident in the growth of the children in her care. She is an extraordinary childcare professional.”
Of the three nominees for the Preschool Educator of the Year, the winner was Jenna Smith-Braun of High Level Aboriginal Headstart.
Jenna’s nomination stated that “when she started at the preschool she quickly moved the program from a redundant theme based program to a vibrant, rich, emergent curriculum based approach to planning and learning. She communicates her passion to her co-workers and creates a collaborative working and learning environment for staff, parents and most importantly for the children.”
Of the three nominees for the Early Childhood Director of the Year, the winner was Darlene Firth of Manning Regional Childcare Association.
The nomination for Darlene communicated that “she is passionate about her work and is a firm believer in the importance of quality early childhood development and how that can make a difference in a child’s life.”
Of the three nominees for the Early Childhood Educator of the Year, the winner was Antje Rottmerhusen of Knowledge Tree in Valleyview.
Antje is portrayed by the nomination “as being an amazing asset to the program. She is very flexible and willing to go anywhere whenever a need arises and tries her best to fill the gaps. She has an amazingly caring heart and strives to provide the best care possible for the children.”
Of the three nominees for the Early Childhood Service of the Year, the winner was Building Blocks Daycare.
As stated in the nomination for Building Blocks Daycare, “the service has always been amazing with all staff continuously going above and beyond. This program is described as having a wonderful family atmosphere. They always put the children’s needs first.”
Winners received a plaque and rose as a token of appreciation for their excellence.
More information about GPRC Early Learning and Child Care programs can be found here: www.gprc.ab.ca/programs/early-learning-child-care.html .
GPRC is a comprehensive community institution, publicly supported to provide opportunities in post-secondary education in northwestern Alberta. Established in 1966 in Grande Prairie, GPRC now includes campuses in Fairview and Grande Prairie, and learning centres in Edson, Grande Cache, Hinton and Jasper. GPRC offers a wide variety of career certificates and diplomas, pre-employment and apprenticeship trades, university transfer studies, and several opportunities for on-campus degree completion at baccalaureate and master levels through collaborations with four-year universities. For more information visit gprc.ab.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Mark Evans
GPRC
Corporate Communications
Phone: 780-539-2951