At last Thursday's (March 16) Rocky View School Board Meeting, the board announced that their nominee for the Alberta School Boards Association 2017 Zone 5 Edwin Parr Award Nominee is Bow Valley High School's Joey Pihrag.

The Edwin Parr Award is handed out every year to a first year teacher in the province. That teacher needs to have worked a minimum of 100 full-time equivalent days, and can't have previously taught outside the province.

Pihrag was selected by RVS out of three nominations submitted by various schools in the division. Trustee Fiona Gilbert was on the committee that selected Pihrag as the nominee.

"I think what jumped out at us with this particular candidate is that she really is a first year teacher in the sense that she graduated last year and has jumped right into teaching."

In an email, Pihrag told us that she was both surprised and grateful, not only for the nomination but also for the support of her school and division.

"I was just really grateful that I am part of such a wonderful school, working in such a wonderful environment. I feel that this has greatly contributed to my successful first year of teaching. The fact that my admin and colleagues are invested in what I am doing in the classroom and are so supportive, has really made me feel like a valued member of the staff here at Bow Valley High," said Pihrag, "Actually getting to be the first-year teacher chosen by Rocky View is just amazing! I love what I do, and being recognized by the school division as a whole is so incredible."

Trustee Gilbert explained that Pihrag still has a ways to go to get the award. She is now part of a pool of nominees for Zone 5 and if she's selected from that pool, she will have a shot at winning the Edwin Parr Award.

 

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