Northern Lights Secondary School receives Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
The James Bay Lowlands Secondary School Board Chairperson Bruce Morrison, Board Trustees, and Supervisory Officer Tom Steele congratulate the entire staff team atNorthern Lights Secondary School in Moosonee, Ontario for receiving the Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence – the Chair’s Award for Community Contribution. NLSS is honoured to be the first school of the 5,000 schools in Ontario to ever receive this award.
On May 4, 2011 Premier Dalton McGuinty thanked the teachers, the principal, and the support staff of Northern LightsSecondary School for inspiring students to succeed and to reach their full potential. Staff members at the high school are some of the most hardworking professionals in the province. The Northern Lights school community has faced incredible hardship in family life and student well-being. These issues impact daily on student life and are incredibly complex, heart wrenching, and largely unknown to most in the south. Working together in the remote and unique environment of Moosonee, the NLSS team has improved morale at the school, has nurtured students’ self-esteem, self-worth, and self-perseverance, and has provided opportunities for students to thrive academically. The teachers and support staff have developed many specialized programs in the arts, in sports, in outdoor education, in service to Elders, and have fostered a welcoming atmosphere that encourages the 180 students to come to school, to feel safe, and to engage in the wide range of student‑focused activities.
During the fifth annual awards ceremony in Toronto, seventeen Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence were awarded. Mrs. Angela Tozer, Principal,coordinated the nominationof the NLSS team for the “Team of the Year Category” – traditionally defined as a team made up of two to ten individuals who have worked together to achieve a common goal. The 2010-2011Selection Panel created a new award to recognize the dedicationof the thirty-membered team at NLSS. NLSS offers grade 9 to 12 programs for Moosonee students and off-reserve Moose Factory students. The school population is mainly Aboriginal; Moosonee and Moose Factory (approximately 5,500 people) make up the largest Cree community in Canada.
The NLSS team will be honoured during a co-celebration of the Student Husky Awards and the Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence on Wednesday, June 15, 11:00am. Please join us in recognizing the wonderful achievements of students and staff.