Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Recipients of the SRCE Educator Impact Awards Celebrating Educator Excellence
Posted on 06/05/2025
The Educator Impact Award initiative celebrates the excellence of educators in the Strait Regional Centre for Education and honours those who have significantly impacted student learning through their professional practices.
The theme for 2024-2025 is Student Engagement and recognizes educators who know, respond to and engage their students, and provide culturally responsive, engaging learning experiences that enable students to achieve success.
On behalf of the Strait Regional Centre for Education, I congratulate the 2024-2025 recipients of the Educator Impact Awards and thank them for their commitment to student engagement practices. We appreciate and value the significant impact they are making as an educator in fostering student success,” said Paul Landry, Regional Executive Director of Education.
Educator Impact Award recipients will be celebrated at the school level with students whose learning has been impacted by their professional practices.
Congratulation to the following very deserving educators of the 2024-2025 SRCE Educator Impact Awards:
Joanie Kennedy, Antigonish Education Centre
Joanie builds deep, trusting relationships with each of her students, creating a classroom rooted in connection and care. She begins each day by greeting students at the door while seated on a small chair, intentionally placing herself at their eye level to foster a warm and respectful start. Joanie also makes a point of getting to know her students beyond academics. She schedules regular one-on-one lunch visits with each child and holds daily classroom sharing circles, creating safe and structured spaces for students to connect, reflect and be heard.
Kim Warcop, Bayview Education Centre
Kim knows the individual needs, interests and strengths of her students. She builds strong, trusting relationships and creates a classroom atmosphere where students feel safe, valued and motivated to participate. During class, Kim conferences one-on-one with students and offers personalized strategies and feedback. Her ability to engage students, both through her instructional choices and her warm presence, is exceptional.
Jasmin Cameron, Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy
Jasmin exemplifies what it means to truly know, respond to and engage her students. She works tirelessly to create a learning environment that is authentic, inclusive and deeply personal, focusing on students’ learning strengths and needs as well as their life experiences to guide all aspects of her teaching.
Christie Dort, Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy
Christie demonstrates a deep understanding of her students as individuals and as learners. She takes the time to build strong relationships with each child, getting to know their interests, needs and developmental stages. Christie thoughtfully responds to her students by creating a nurturing, inclusive environment that supports emotional well-being and academic achievement.
Marion MacLellan, Dalbrae Academy
Marion creates a learning environment where all students feel respected, included and inspired to succeed. She not only knows and responds to the diverse needs of her students but does so with genuine cultural responsiveness and care. Marion builds strong relationships with students by honoring their backgrounds, identities and experiences. Through engaging, inclusive instruction and meaningful dialogue, she fosters a classroom community where every student feels seen, heard, and, most importantly, safe.
Brandon Dort, Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School
Brandon spends time to get to know his students to ensure his lessons and experiences are engaging for students. Through these lessons and experiences, students get to know themselves better as a learner and future member of the workforce. Brandon is a student-centred educator who consistently holds high expectations for all students, while supporting them to reach their full potential.
Devan Burrows, East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy
Devan takes time to develop relationships with her students, both as individuals and as a classroom community. When you walk into her classroom you see a wide variety of activities happening. Devan’s combination of short, direct lessons, coupled with group problem solving and interactive games keep students learning and engaged. She creates activities and projects that extend beyond the school and into the community. Devan actively listens to students’ voices and builds the projects around their interests.
Chelsey Dakai, East Richmond Education Centre
Chelsey is a passionate, energetic and incredibly creative music and art teacher who truly understands the power of building connections with her students. She believes every student has a unique voice, and she takes the time to get to know each one individually, celebrating their cultures, life experiences and personal growth.
Jeff George, Fanning Education Centre/Canso Academy
Jeff is a dedicated teacher who takes the time to get to know his students personally, understanding the value of building a strong rapport with all students who enter his classroom. Always driven to ensure students have strong programming options, he plays an integral role in bringing Youth Pathways Programs and courses to the school. Jeff’s ability to integrate a multitude of hands-on learning experiences makes his classes extremely engaging for students.
Elizabeth Carrigan, Felix Marchand Education Centre
Elizabeth goes above and beyond to create a vibrant, inclusive and dynamic classroom environment where every student feels seen, heard and valued. She meets students where they are in their learning and believes that each child can learn and thrive in various ways. She understands that some students need a little extra attention and support, which she provides on a daily basis.
Sarah Floyd, H.M. MacDonald Elementary School
Sarah has an exceptional ability to know her students on a personal level, which allows her to tailor her teaching practices to their individual needs. She takes the time to understand each student’s academic strengths, challenges, interests and life experiences. This deep understanding enables Sarah to create lessons that resonate with students, making learning more relevant and meaningful. Sarah’s classroom is a place where every student feels seen and valued, and she consistently finds ways to connect the content to their unique backgrounds and experiences.
Jesse Fraser, Inverness Education Centre/Academy
Jesse Fraser, the Options and Opportunities (O2) Lead at the school, does an exceptional job of getting to know students and engaging learners in his classroom. He builds strong relationships and creates meaningful, practical and engaging hands-on learning opportunities that speak to students’ interests and strengths. Jesse keeps students connected to school by showing them that their skills matter and that there is a place for them to succeed.
Samantha Martell, Richmond Education Centre/Academy
Samantha gets to know each and every student in the school. She is incredibly diligent in engaging students and adapting programming to fit their individual needs. Samantha is involved in nearly every facet within the school including coaching volleyball coordinating sports, hockey and safe grad committees; as well as serving as school lead for organizing major events such as the Unified Sports Basketball event. She does a wonderful job of encouraging students to participate and having all students involved.
Kelly Delorey, St. Andrews Consolidated School
Kelly demonstrates an exceptional ability to know, respond to and engage her students through a combination of personalized instruction and interactive learning strategies. She builds strong relationships with students by taking the time to understand each student’s unique interests, strengths, and challenges, fostering a supportive classroom environment.
Mike MacDonald, SAERC
Mike has high expectations for all students. He is a leader in promoting student participation in the Nova Scotia Skills Trade Competition. Mike encourages students to participate and excel in non-traditional roles. He plans his classes and co-constructs criteria with students to help them meet the individual outcomes in a project-based environment. Mike incorporates student interests in projects and activities making learning engaging for all.
Erin Breen, St. Andrew Junior School
Erin strives to build strong relationships with her students and is a role model in the school for acceptance and inclusivity. She uses art to engage students and offers a safe space for students during lunch break. Erin creates a welcoming space for all students and works closely with the school Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) to support students to be an ally to others. Through her instructional practices, she makes curriculum content relevant to students.
Jordan Vosman, St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy
Jordan exemplifies the essence of student engagement and inclusion through his dynamic leadership and innovative initiatives. Committed to individualized student support and engaging students, he demonstrates an unwavering dedication to fostering a nurturing and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. Jordan encourages creative engagement with initiatives like the Spartan staff and student challenge, which promotes friendly competition and strengthens relationships in the school.
Nicolle MacIntyre, Tamarac Education Centre
In her role as School Counsellor, Nicolle starts each day by greeting students and doing wellness checks. She communicates concerns with school staff to ensure students have the support necessary to navigate the day. Nicolle is constantly engaging students in the school environment. She gets to know their learning styles and through the school counseling center, helps students develop study habits, advocacy skills, regulation strategies and organizational skills; all of which are at the core of student success.
Nicolle creates a space where students feel welcomed and have a place to go and connect where they can share life experiences, share cultural traditions with peers and staff, a place where they feel seen and valued.
Lori Shaw, Whycocomagh Education Centre
Lori maintains high expectations for all students, fostering a positive and disciplined learning environment where effort, perseverance and improvement are highly valued. Her belief in students’ potential inspires them to push themselves physically and mentally, leading to meaningful progress and greater self-confidence. Lori consistently designs lessons that accommodate all skill levels so every student can participate and feel successful.