May 10, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced the 2000-2001 recipients of the
Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence (PMA) at a gala event on
Parliament Hill in honour of national level winners. Fifteen teachers from
across Canada received national recognition from Prime Minister Chrétien.
"These teachers are the best of the best," said the Prime Minister.
"Men and women who have not only answered the call to teach but have done
so in a singular and innovative way. They have been moved by the conviction that
their students can learn and succeed beyond expectations and, by inspiring a
love for learning, have helped them make that discovery in themselves."
This year’s recipients teach many different subjects, ranging from science
to Spanish and music to mathematics, to children of different grades and
differing ability levels. However, all share an innovative spirit in their
teaching philosophies and methods which enrich their students learning
experience, greatly increases class attendance and improve student performance.
Many of tonight’s winners are also leaders in integrating information and
communications technologies into their curricula.
The Prime Minister was joined at the ceremony by the Honourable Robert
Thibault, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), along with
Marilies Rettig, President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and
representatives of the PMA program’s corporate partners: Bell Canada, Canadian
Learning Television, GE Canada, Kraft Canada, Microsoft Canada and the Royal
Bank Financial Group. Minister Thibault thanked these partners for their
continued commitment to the program.
A total of 65 awards were announced at the ceremony (15 national and 50
local). Awards are worth $5,000 at the national level and $1,000 at the local
level. Funds are given to winning teachers’ schools to be spent under the
recipients’ direction. Highlights about the 2000-2001 PMA award winners are
attached.
For more details, please contact the PMA Program Office at:1 (800) 575-9200
or visit the PMA Web site at www.schoolnet.ca/pma.
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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
Industry Canada: (613) 998-7168
