Red Deer Polytechnic celebrates valued partners at 2023 Community Awards

Red Deer Polytechnic celebrated its 2023 Community Awards which honour the meaningful impact of individuals, partners and alumni who contribute to the success of RDP and its students.

“Red Deer Polytechnic is fortunate have such a strong and vital community of supporters and champions who genuinely care about the future of our institution and its students,” says Stuart Cullum, President of Red Deer Polytechnic. “These awards recognize the individuals and organizations who have helped us deepen our economic and social impact through their selfless contributions and partnership.”

At the ceremony, the following award recipients were honoured:

• Lyn Radford – G.H. Dawe Memorial Award of Excellence

o Lyn Radford is known for her unparalleled and passionate dedication as a community builder and leader. She has contributed to the success of many organizations in support of central Albertans. Her commitment to RDP includes past service as a member of the Board of Governors, and Chairing the 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society, which contributed to the construction of the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. Lyn also received an Honorary Degree from RDP in 2019.

• Gord Inglis – Alumni Legacy Award (awarded posthumously)

o Gord contributed to the Polytechnic community for 32 years in a variety of capacities. He served as an instructor, chairperson, athletic director and volleyball coach. Through his leadership and ability to forge positive connections, Gord made a positive impact on his students, colleagues, student-athletes, institution and community. Gord passed away on May 27, 2023, but his legacy lives on.

• Rieley Kay – Distinguished Alumni Award

o As an RDP alum and co-owner of Cilantro & Chive, Rieley has dedicated his time and expertise to support education, charitable causes and communities. Since graduating from RDP in 2010, Rieley has remained closely connected to the institution in several ways, including as a member of the RDP Alumni Association Board of Directors. Through Cilantro & Chive’s Burger of the Month program, Rieley has contributed more than $140,000 to local charities.

• Hockey Alberta – Community Partner Award

o Through Hockey Alberta and the Polytechnic’s partnership, RDP students, athletes and community members have benefited. When Hockey Alberta relocated to the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, the organization had the opportunity to use an inclusive, world-class space as its Provincial Training Centre. This partnership has also facilitated collaborative programming initiatives, along with practicum and field placement opportunities, for Red Deer Polytechnic learners.

For the past 60 years, community members, alumni and partners have enriched Red Deer Polytechnic and the experiences of its learners, as well as creating a positive impact felt across Alberta and beyond.

Each year, RDP is pleased to acknowledge these contributions during its annual Community Awards celebration. These contributions have come in a variety of forms, including through volunteerism, financial support and offering work-integrated learning opportunities to students.

More information about Red Deer Polytechnic’s Community Awards, including how to nominate individuals, is available online.

Related Topics:#GordInglis #HockeyAlberta #LynRadford #RDPCommunityAwards #RedDeerPolytechnicCommunityAwards #RieleyKay feature

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RDCRS celebrates Gillian Hallam as 2024 CCSSA Excellence in Catholic Education Award recipient

Published on May 8, 2024

Todayville

News release from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is thrilled to announce that Gillian Hallam, a Grade 1 teacher and Faith Coach at Father Henri Voisin School, has been honoured with the prestigious Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta (CCSSA) Excellence in Catholic Education Award.

The CCSSA Excellence in Catholic Education Award is presented annually to teachers who exemplify a deep commitment to nurturing the faith of Alberta’s youth and guiding them to become exemplary Catholic citizens. This recognition highlights those educators who go above and beyond in their efforts to foster spiritual growth and moral development in their students.

Gillian Hallam has significantly influenced both the educational and spiritual environments at Father Henri Voisin School. She embodies the spirit of Saint Matthew’s exhortation, “Let the little children come to Me.” Her initiative, “student faith leadership”, has been pivotal in bringing the student voice into our community, deeply integrating faith into the daily school experience.

Being selected as Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools’ recipient of the Excellence in Catholic Education Award is a huge honour, Gillian stated.

“My passion for fostering a faith-filled environment at Father Henri Voisin School is inspired by our students’ openness and eagerness to grow in their spiritual journey. Every day, I am blessed to guide these young hearts towards a closer friendship with Jesus, helping them to embody the virtues of compassion and kindness in every aspect of their lives,” she said.

“Gillian’s dedication is nothing short of inspiring. Her ability to integrate faith deeply into her teaching and her unwavering commitment to our school community exemplifies the essence of Catholic education. She doesn’t just teach; she transforms lives through her faith, love, and an infectious zeal for spiritual growth that impacts everyone around her,” stated Father Henri Voisin Principal Shane Chisholm.

“On behalf of the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Board of Trustees, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to Gillian Hallam for her exemplary service and dedication. Her recognition as this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Catholic Education Award is a testament to her profound impact on our community,” said Murray Hollman, RDCRS Board Chair. “Gillian embodies the spirit of this award through her tireless efforts to make Christ known to all, guiding both students and staff with love, patience, and wisdom.”

Gillian Hallam not only leads educational activities at Father Henri Voisin School but also serves as a bridge between the school and the wider community, including local parishes and senior care facilities. Her leadership also extends to professional development within the school and support for new teachers in the Division-wide faith formation program.

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools serves over 10,650 students in 21 schools in Red Deer, Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Innisfail, and Olds. It also supports the learning of over 850 students in a Home Education Program. The Division is committed to serving children and parents with a complete offering of learning opportunities delivered within the context of Catholic teachings and within the means of the Division.

Education

Schools shouldn’t sacrifice student performance to vague notions of ‘equity’

Published on May 8, 2024

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Derek J. Allison

According to a new study published by the Fraser Institute, if Canada wants to remain competitive with emerging economies around the world, we must increase our math, science and reading scores—and not simply pursue high levels of “equity and inclusion” as the primary goal for our schools.

Indeed, highly equitable and inclusive schools—with declining PISA scores, as is currently the case in Canada—do a disservice to students and society at large.

Why? Because higher test scores translate into greater “knowledge capital”—that is, the full body of knowledge available to an economy—and boost economic growth (and, incidentally, the tax revenues that fund our schools).

Indeed, the goal should be equitable access to a quality education. And the most realistic and meaningful way to measure student progress is through PISA tests, which every three years assess the performance of 15-year-olds worldwide in core subjects of math, science and reading rather than the limited curriculum objectives used in provincial testing, which can only show progress or decline within individual school systems. In today’s world, where competition is truly global, we must know how our students and schools perform compared to their peers in other countries, especially the “Asian Tigers” of Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Tiawan whose rapidly growing economies have been driven by rising PISA scores.

Obviously, countries with higher test scores can teach other countries how to improve—although there are limits and some traps here. Attempting to cut and paste Singapore’s or Korea’s much more meritocratic systems of highly competitive student assessment and selection would be impractical and impolitic in Canada. Even so, policymakers should consider reinstating more meaningful meritocratic norms in Canadian schools to encourage and recognize academic achievement. Nothing succeeds like success, except recognized and rewarded success.

Closer to home, other provinces could benefit from considering why Quebec is such a stellar performer in math and why Alberta has the highest overall PISA test score average of all provinces.

But fair warning, recent attempts at school improvement in Canada show that top-down one-size-fits-all changes—including extending compulsory attendance, reducing average class size and tinkering with course content—have had little positive effect on student performance, although they may please teacher unions. If policymakers want to achieve more equitable success for more students, they should introduce more flexibility, school autonomy and choice into our top-heavy centrally regulated school systems. In this respect it may be no accident that the three highest performing, mid-spending provincial K-12 education systems (Alberta, Quebec and Ontario) offer relatively high levels of school choice, although of quite different kinds.

Equity and inclusion are noble goals, but they shouldn’t interfere with student progress. There’s too much at stake, for students and the country.