PSD's Edwin Parr Nominee Announced

March 7 2024 - Parkland School Division is proud to announce Ms. Isabela Ramos (Graminia School) for the Edwin Parr Teacher Award.

Ms. Ramos has a unique and rare combination of a Bachelor's degree in Music and Physical Education as well as an After Degree in Secondary Music and Health allowing for a unique and varied teaching assignment at her first school. Her teaching assignment speaks to this ability teaching grades 1 - 5 music, kindergarten Music/PE, Gr 7 Math, and Junior High Physical Education. This assignment works to all of her strengths. In her elementary music classes she has established with ease lessons that meet the developmental needs of the students in front of her. The activities she plans keeps her students engaged, laughing and learning. Each class has physical elements of dance, active music creation and students willing to take risks to actively learn from each other. She is exceptional in establishing creative, collaborative and inclusive environments for all of her students.

The Edwin Parr Teachers Awards are presented annually by the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) to honour outstanding first-year teachers. The awards are bestowed upon a maximum of six teachers, each representing a different provincial zone. School boards may nominate any first-year kindergarten to Grade 12 teacher who has taught in an Alberta school jurisdiction that is a member of the ASBA. Parkland School Division is within Zone 2/3.

School boards must select one teacher to serve as their official nomination for their zone’s award. On March 5, at the Board’s Regular Meeting, Trustees recognized Ms. Ramos and further announced her to be PSD’s entry for the Zone 2/3 award.

"The physical education and music combination is a very rare combination," explained Deputy Superintendent Mark Francis. "Her strong classroom management techniques have her students listening, signing and playing collaboratively. Her music inspired physical literacy class focuses on supporting the littlest learners ability to move, sing and play all at the same time. She has also been coaching both the volleyball and basketball teams."

Ms. Isabela Ramos (Graminia School)
Grades 1-5 Music, Kindergarten Music/Physical Education, Grade 7 Math, Junior High Physical Education

“My time at Graminia has been filled with an abundance of learning and personal growth. I am very fortunate to have wonderful teaching peers who I am able to learn from and lean on as I navigate through my teaching assignment," explained Ramos.

"I'd like to consider a strength of mine is building and maintaining strong relationships even though I am in multiple classrooms at any given day. I carry this with me into my extracurricular activities like coaching.”

About the Edwin Parr Teachers Awards

In 1964, the Alberta School Trustees’ Association (the ASBA’s predecessor) established the Edwin Parr Teacher Award to remember the long and meritorious service of past President Edwin Parr. Nominees of the award are selected based on their:

• Knowledge of student learning styles;
• Skill in utilizing a variety of student evaluation methodologies;
• Skill in diagnosing the entry knowledge and/or skill of students for a given set of instructional objectives;
• Skill in assisting students to develop a positive self-concept;
• Involvement in professional development;
• Involvement in extracurricular and community activities; and,
• Interpersonal skills with students.

For more information, contact:
Parkland School Division
Email: DivisionOffice@psd.ca