The Lakeland Catholic School District has announced their nominee for this year’s Edwin Parr award for outstanding first year teachers.
Jessica Billingsley will represent LCSD for 2017. The Alberta School Boards’ Association will pick six winners out of the pile of nominees in total.
“I am humbled by this nomination and feel honoured to be acknowledged,” says Billingsley. “As a first year teacher and employee of Lakeland Catholic School District, I am so grateful for the dedicated leadership and mentorship I have encountered both within my school and the district. This support has made my first year of teaching truly enjoyable and memorable.”
Jessica’s hometown is a little south of the Lakeland, being born and raised in Vegreville. She always desired to teach in a rural setting completing her teaching practicums at schools in Vegreville and Mundare. She is a kindergarten teacher at Light of Christ Catholic School in Lac La Biche. Kindergarten students work hard and learn a lot in a short period of time. These students have great energy and enthusiasm for learning.
Jessica says, “In our classroom, the children have the opportunity to grow and develop through a play-based learning environment incorporating different learning modalities to engage them and promote their achievement. I encourage students to explore, discover and interact with each other throughout the day as they learn just as much from their peers as they do from me. I ensure a safe and caring space where students are encouraged to celebrate their successes with myself and with each other. We explore the world around us and we have a lot of fun doing this.”
Billingsley has already gone above and beyond usual classroom duties, starting an Art Club for upper elementary students at her school this year. She is also the Religious Education Representative for her school. Jessica said, “I took the position at Lakeland Catholic because I was excited to be part of a brand new school where we can all grow together; I was also attracted to the culture of the district, everyone is so welcoming and supportive.”