ARCHIVED—Recipient Bios
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Year: 1999 – Province: Nova Scotia
Certificate of Excellence Recipients
Mona MacDonald
School: West Pictou Consolidated School
Principal: Ken Francis
Grades/Subjects Taught: Remedial reading and classroom support through the Learning Centre (all subjects)
Teaching Approach:
- Capitalize on "The Triple A's of Success" — attitudes, advocacy and assistive technology — to help both gifted students and those with learning disabilities.
- Take the role of mentor seriously – the home situation of many students is non-supportive.
- Show sincere interest in students as individuals and be consistently fair in dealing with them.
- Provide a caring and positive atmosphere so students see the classroom as a comfort zone.
Outstanding Achievements:
Established the Learning Centre to provide remedial help for students and to assist teachers working with students requiring remedial study:
- each year, she works with 40 students from Primary to Grade 8, many of whom increase their skill level to the point that they no longer need remedial help
- students participate in activities to increase confidence: prepare and present poems and poetry for special occasions, read the morning announcements or at school assemblies
- students who attended resource classes exceeded expectations on library skills assessment.
Capitalizes on technology to assist students with learning difficulties:
- acquired The Academy of Reading: Autoskills software to help Grade 4 to 8 students with their reading
- with money from grants and fundraising, set up software for varying abilities, from Super Phonics to encyclopedias to Math Workshops, on recycled computers
- the Listening Centre helps middle school student read novels and hones the listening and comprehension skills of special needs students
- procured Internet access for the Learning Centre.