Page 5 - July 2024 News On 7
P. 5

IN THE NEWS





              MADOC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER WINS 2024 PRIME MINISTER’S AWARD



      On July 3, 2024 the Township of Madoc Council held a presentation for Angela Burr who is a Grade 3 and 4 teacher, at the
      Madoc Township Public School.  Angela won a Certificate of Achievement in the 2024 Prime Minister’s Awards.  Burr teaches
      mathematics, language, social studies, science, physical education and the arts.
      Some of the achievements listed are building a greenhouse in the classroom and later having the class work with a local farmer
      to move the plants into his garden, and bringing her class to a local municipal meeting to ask for support to organize a garbage
      clean-up in the township to teach students about how litter can harm the environment and wildlife.
      According to a description on the government’s website, Burr’s approach to teaching includes “inclusivity, patience and the
      ability to cultivate and grow students’ natural curiosity.”    Congratulations Angela!

      Angela Burr: Making learning an adventure
      Madoc Township Public School
      Mathematics, Language, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education and the Arts, grades 3 and 4 - Madoc, Ontario
      "As a creative and innovative teacher, Angela transforms each lesson into a world of possibilities. She goes beyond teaching
      facts—she sparks curiosity and fosters a love for learning."
      Principal, Madoc Township Public School
      Angela Burr's calling cards are inclusivity, patience and the ability to cultivate and grow students' natural curiosity. She has an
      aptitude for building a classroom that feels like a community and family, where every student feels valued and included.
      Teaching approach
      Angela focuses on her students' natural curiosity—not just encouraging and feeding it, but harnessing it to ensure learning
      becomes an adventure. Approaching each school day through a lens of inquiry, she emphasizes active listening and uses her
      students' ideas to engage them in developing the curriculum. The result is an educational experience that reflects her students'
      voices and interests.
      In the classroom
         Views her students not just as receivers of knowledge, but architects of their own learning, adapting the curriculum to their
         interests
         Looks beyond academics to ensure the holistic development of each student
         Recognizes each student's capacity to learn and contribute regardless of diverse learning and behavioural profiles
         Teaches students how to navigate the digital world with knowledge and confidence
         Draws on innovative techniques to foster a love of reading, even among reluctant readers
         Blends different subjects (such as art, science and literature) to help students understand how everything connects in the
         real world
         Brings in experts from the community to share their knowledge
      Outstanding achievements
         Launched a project aimed at encouraging students to reconsider their self-perceptions and celebrate themselves just the
         way they are by bringing a professional photographer into the classroom to capture the children's "genuine" beauty
         Forged  a  professional  relationship  with  an  Indigenous  lead  teacher  to  create  opportunities  for  her  students  to  explore
         Indigenous learning
         Helped her students create a Google survey to discover what their peers would be most interested in reading to better
         understand why some children might be reluctant readers—then used the data to create Google Jam boards tailored to the
         preferences of not only the students in the class, but in another class and even in another school.
         Raised enough money to buy 10 additional Chromebooks to support the school's goal of ensuring that all students have
         equal access to technology
         Connected  students  to  a  paleontologist  after  they  found  real  fossils  on  the  school  playground,  leading  students  to  use
         scientific and language lenses to unravel the mysteries of fossils
         Built a greenhouse in the classroom and later had the class work with a local farmer to move the plants into his garden
         Brought her class to a local municipal meeting to ask for support to organize a garbage clean-up in the township to teach
         students about how litter can harm the environment and wildlife
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