FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2003

Great Place Award recipients—the best of the best!
Congratulations are in order for some Hastings and Prince Edward citizens who help to make the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board A Great Place to Learn and A Great Place to Work!

The second annual Great Place Awards were presented at last night’s public Board meeting. The distinguished awards recognize and reinforce outstanding contributions by Board staff, parents and community partners and are the highest form of recognition within the Board.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I offer congratulations to all Great Place Award recipients. These people have made meaningful contributions to students, school communities, or their peers, helping make our Board A Great Place to Learn and A Great Place to Work!” says Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board.

Awards recipients are:
• Hank Deline and Eve Hyndman, Volunteers at Moira Secondary School from the Belleville Garden Club
• Heather Doyle, Head Secretary, Kente Public School
• Vicki Lott, Volunteer, Sir MacKenzie Bowell Public School
• Paul Pickard, Secondary Teacher, Bayside Secondary School
• Lynne Shorey, Elementary Teacher/Primary Literacy Team
• Janice Walker, Attendance Counsellor, Education Centre
• Christine Walker-Bird, Principal, Centre Hastings Secondary School
• Anne Whitfield, Special Education Coordinator, Education Centre
• Susan Unger, Volunteer, Deseronto Public School

Nominations were accepted for individuals and groups from a cross-section of students, all employee groups, parents and community partners. Submissions addressed the following questions:
• What activities has the individual or group been involved in which have contributed to the organization as a Great Place?
• How has the individual or group contributed to the Great Place vision?
• Which elements of the Great Place definition are touched upon by these activities?
• Who has benefited from the activities?
• What are the measurable outcomes of the efforts?

A total of 35 nominations were received through 60 nomination letters. The Awards Committee had the challenging task of evaluating all entries to come up with the best of the best.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has 54 schools serving 18,900 students and employing 1,083 teachers. The Board covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, and Quinte West to the West.

For information contact:
• Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board, (613) 921-3203, or 1 800 267-4350 x2354 (to leave a message)
• Jackie St. Pierre, Awards Committee Chair, (613) 966-1170 x2236, or 1 800 267-4350 x2236