Northland School Division’s Chelsea Cattroll (Far Right) is this year’s Edwin Parr Award Winner for ASBA’s Zone One. Posing with her are the other nominees from each school division, including (from Left to Right) Taryn Beaupre (High Prairie School Division), Kelly Nelson (Grande Prairie & District Catholic Schools), Taryn Banach (Peace River School Division), Larissa Vant Erve (Holy Family Catholic Regional Division), and Candace Schmidt (Fort Vermilion School Division). (Photo/Peace River Broadcasting)
The Alberta School Board Association (ASBA) recently held their awards ceremony for Zone One at the Bell Petroleum Centre in Peace River.
The big winner was Chelsea Cattroll, who currently teaches at Northland School Division (NSD)’s Peerless Lake School. She won the Edwin Parr Award for Zone One, which is handed out on a yearly basis to first-year teachers who show exemplary dedication and commitment to the education of their students.
“For me, it was a really significant event already in my career,” said Cattroll. “I just completed my first year at Peerless Lake School, and I’m now only into my second year.”
Last year, she taught science to Grade 7, as well as High School Art and Grades 1 to 12 Physical Education. For this year, Cattroll has added ECS Phys Ed to her curriculum.
Cattroll, who originally hails from Edmonton, told the Trending 55 Newsroom why she chose to teach at Peerless Lake.
“I wanted to work in a community that was a little smaller,” she said. “I actually ended up having a couple of other job offers, but Peerless Lake was a community that was the best fit for me.
“It just ended up being just one of those spots, that, as soon as you go visit, it’s such a beautiful place to be,” Cattroll continued. “And to me, it just spoke like it was home. It just seemed like a community where all of the work you do would be valued and appreciated.”
NSD Official Trustee Lois Byers says the division is very proud of Cattroll’s accomplishments.
“From the time I met Chelsea, I knew that she just had that way with teaching the students,” said Byers. “We’re very pleased for Chelsea. We’re proud of her commitment to the community, and if you listen to her, you can clearly see that she loves being where she is, and wants to stay there.”
ASBA President Mary Martin says it’s always a great day when they get to celebrate their new teachers.
“Each nominee teaches a community that is uniquely diverse,” said Martin. “Each has their own challenges, and within those, each nominee found a way to succeed, and to create the circumstances for their success for their students.”
Cattroll’s win puts her in contention with the rest of the Zone winners for the Provincial Edwin Parr Award.
Other nominees from Zone One include Worsley Central School’s Taryn Banach (PRSD), Larissa Vant Erve from Peace River’s Good Shepherd School (HFCRD), Candace Schmidt from La Crete’s Hillcrest Community School (FVSD), Taryn Beaupre of Kinuso School (HPSD), and Kelly Nelson from St. Joseph School in Grande Prairie.
– Posted by BET
