Next week (May 9 to 15) is Catholic Education Week and the Prince Albert Catholic School Division a will be paying tribute to all staff, healthcare workers, essential workers, emergency services, frontline workers, service providers, bus drivers and essential workers in Prince Albert.
In the year of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the division’s Board of Education is honouring all of its staff for the work they have done to keep learning going during uncertain times.
“Our school division is going to honour all staff with an honourary achievement award in terms of recognizing their commitment and dedication to Catholic education and our Catholic educational community. And it is really because of the efforts of all of our staff during the pandemic that supported our children and our families in the best way they could. So our board felt that would be an appropriate way to recognize the efforts of our staff,” director of education Lorel Trumier said.
“We are also honouring all of our essential workers, frontline workers, our healthcare workers, our clergy. We are taking an extra bit of focus on letting the community them know how much we appreciate that they supported us as well,” she added.
Each school will also display their thanks by lining the fence lines and/or school windows with student art and messages of thanks.
“You will see along our fence lines and our school windows different acknowledgements of support,” she explained.
With 3,000 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 and 350 staff the board felt this was a great acknowledgement of the efforts of those who are supporting staff, students and families during the pandemic.
Each year during Catholic Education Week the board of education selects and honours individuals who made significant contributions and positively impacted staff, students and the Catholic education community with the Catholic Education Service Award. In 2020 the winners were Louise Kerzinger and Mark Phaneuf.
“We might be small but we hope to have an impact in terms of what is happening,” Trumier said.
The theme of Catholic Education Week this year is “Nurturing Hope” and this recognition acknowledges how all of these people have been doing just that.
“We know that our staff have done their best to provide hope to our students and staff, their colleagues and their families,” she added.
“Next week though we are also honouring all of our essential workers, frontline workers, our healthcare workers, our clergy. We are taking an extra bit of focus on letting the community them know how much we appreciate that they supported us as well,”
According to Trumier, there will also be a national day focused on Catholic education on May 13 with a special virtual mass at 10 a.m. with Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon presiding. For more information see www.saskatoonmass.com.
“We are excited about that,” Trumier said.
“We are forever grateful for the commitment and dedication that these very special people in our community. They have persevered through the pandemic and supported our Catholic educational community so much,” board chair Suzanne Stubbs said in a release.
“Whether it be healthcare workers, service providers, our Bishop, clergy, teachers, support staff, religious, caretakers, administrators, SCC volunteers, bus drivers, frontline workers, students in the workforce and all essential workers, our Board of Education is proud to be a part of this community. They have all done a tremendous job in serving us. They are inspirational and nurture so much hope. May God bless them all.”
