Page 5 - July 2024 News On 7

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