Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
SportsRecreationAwards13TuesdayOctober12013ByMARIACHURCHWithnoshortageoflaugh-terandafewtearstheNWTRecreationandParksAssocia-tionNWTRPAhelditsannualawardsbanquetinFortSmithlastweektorecognizethecon-tributionsofthreeoutstandingrecreationalgures.ForallthreeawardswerelookingforevidenceofchangeintheircommunityasaresultofthecontributionsthattheawardwinnershavemadeGeoffRayexecutivedirectoroftheNWTRPAtoldTheJournal.JacquelineThompsonayouthleaderfromFortSimp-sontookhometheScottMcAdamYouthLeadershipAwardforhercontributionstoherhometownssoccerspringbreakandaquaticprogramsamongothervolunteerefforts.ObviouslyitsreallyclearsheisareallyimportantpartoftheircommunityTimVanDamtheSouthSlaverepresentativeforNWTRPAandemceefortheeveningsawardstoldthecrowd.Thompsonacceptedtheawardandwipedawaytearsasshereadaspeechthank-ingthoseinherlifewhoin-uencedhervolunteerismincludingtheawardsname-sakethelateMcAdam.HavingknownScottper-sonallyasachildandhavingexperiencedwhatagreatrec-reationleaderhewasitiswithgreathonourthatIacceptthisawardThompsonsaidstrug-glingtohideheremotion.Itriedtopracticeitwithoutcryingsheadmittedlaugh-ingalongwiththeaudience.NathanMcPhersonanNWTRPAboardmemberpresentedtheInnovationAwardtoAmandaGrobeckerfromYellowknife.LastyearGrobeckerintro-ducedJumpaBunchtoYellow-knifeatnessprogramusingKangooJumps-similartoarollerbladewithelastic-pow-eredovalsonthebootwhichreboundtoreducethestressonjoints.Sincethentheprogramhastakenoffasanalternativetnessclassforeveryonefromchildrentoseniors.WehaveplentyofprojectsplannedtobringthisintosomeofthecommunitiestoosoImreallyexcitedtoseehowthisischangingeveryoneslivesGrobeckersaid.NWTRPAboardmemberDoreenNitsizapresentedthenalawardoftheeveningtheAwardofExcellencetoHayRiverresidentJillTaylor.TaylorisoneofthefoundersoftheLightsOnprograminHayRiverwhichprovidesyouthwithanalternativetogoingoutpartying.IreallyencourageyouifyoudonthaveaprograminyourcommunityitreallyisworthitTaylorsaidafterac-ceptingtheaward.Whenyoucanget80or90kidstocomeoutonaFridaynightandhangoutinthegymyoureallyaredoingsomethingworthwhile.TheNWTRPAisanon-profitmembership-drivenorganizationthatrepresentstheinterestsofrecreationlead-ersintheNWTandprovidessupportandservicesinareasofleadershipactivelivingtrailsandaquatics.Theawardsbanquetwaspartofathree-dayconferenceandannualgeneralmeetingforNWTRPAmembers.Theconferenceincludedwork-shopsatourofWoodBuf-faloNationalParkandkey-notespeakers.Attendeesincludedmem-bersofNWTRPAyouthsentinpartnershipwithyouthcentresacrosstheNWTandcommunityrecreationalleaders.Theeventisaboutthetrainingandtheworkshopsandtheskillsthatwecanlearnbutmorethanhalfthebenetofhavinganeventlikethisisthenetworkingandthesocialpart.PeoplefromFortLiardtoTuktoyaktuktoFortSmithtoYellowknifecanallbeinthesameroomswappingstoriesRaysaid.NWTrecreationleaderslaudedforexcellenceByMARIACHURCHItsyeartwoofatrailblazingliteracyprogramatWeledehCatholicSchoolinYellowknifecalledInterventionBlockanditsresultsonschool-widestudentliteracyarebeyondpromising.Itsdenitelymakingadif-ferencesaidSimoneGesslerprincipalofWeledehandpro-gramchampionalongwithteacherRachelGauthier.Theprogramseesstu-dentsseparatedintothreetiersoflearningcoveringenhancementextrasupportandspecialneeds.Eachtierdedicateshalfanhouradaytoaliteracyactivity.Newresultsfromyeartwooftheprogramhaveshown80percentofstudentsintheschoolareatorabovegradelevellit-eracyandcloseto100percenthaveprogressed.Thestudentsarereallyex-citedweneverhearstudentssayOhIdontwanttogotointerventionliketheydootherthings.Forusthatsasreward-ingastheprogresstheyremak-ingGesslersaid.GesslerandGauthierwerehonouredlastweekasliteracychampionsattheAdultLearn-ersLuncheonhostedatAu-roraCollegeinYellowknifebytheNWTLiteracyCoun-cil.TheteachersbothreceivedaNWTMinisterialLiteracyAwardforEducatorsoneoffourawardsgivenout.IwashonouredtoreceiverecognitionofwhatwearedoinghereattheschoolbutImacceptingitonbehalfofthewholeschoolbecauseitreallyisourstaffasateamthathasmadetheprogramcomealiveandbeassuc-cessfulasitisGesslersaid.Otherawardwinnersin-cludedBerthaGouletwhowontheCounciloftheFed-erationLiteracyAwardasanadultlearnerKathleenTaylorwhowonintheyouthlearnercategoryandtheTuktoyak-tukPublicLibrarywhichwonaMinisterialLiteracyAwardfororganizations.AwardswerepresentedbyGabrielaEggenhoferdeputyministerofEducationCul-tureandEmploymentECE.JanetGrinsteddirectorofEducationOperationsandDevelopmentatECEcoordi-natedtheawardspresentationwhichhasbeenaninitiativeoftheGNWTsince2002.Literacyisareallyimpor-tantskillforpeopletobeabletofullyengageinsocietyandtoleadproductivelivesandcontributetosocietybothintermsoftheworkforceandindifferentactivitiesinourcommunitiesGrinstedtoldTheJournal.FutureECEliteracyinitiativesCurrentlyECEisrollingoutprogramsacrosstheter-ritoryfocusingonout-of-schoolyouth.TheprogramsinpartnershipwiththeNWTLiteracyCouncilwillworkwithyoungadultsuptotheageof25indevelopingwork-forceskillsoutsideofschool.Changestoadultlearningbeingpilotedthisfallareanadultrecognitionmodelwhichallowsthoseinadulteducationtohavetheircoursesassessedandrecognizedto-wardsahighschooldiplomaandcoursemodularizationwhichwillallowstudentstotracktheircoursesandcom-pletetheminincrementsaroundtheirdailyschedules.Intermsofliteracyandadulteducationitselfitincreasesop-portunitiesforresidentssothattheycanentertheworkforceleadproductivelivesandcon-tributetosocietyandallowsthemtoactivelyparticipateintheircommunityandalsobeapositiverolemodelintheirfamiliesGrinstedsaid.ECEisalsosupporting-nancialliteracyprogramsinpartnershipwiththeNWTLit-eracyCouncilbranchingoutfromthestandardreadingandwritingdenitionofliteracy.Literacyhasabroaderdenitionthanjustreadingandnancialliteracyiscer-tainlysomethingthatisbeinglookedatacrossthecountry.ItssomethingthattypicallyhasnotreallybeentaughtinschoolGrinstedexplained.Whenyouhavepeoplewhoareperhapsenteringthejobmarketforthersttimeandhavingtodealwithnancesitcanbeveryhelpful.WeledehschoolpraisedforliteracyprogramGNWThonourscommunityliteracychampionsEducationLiteracyPhotoMariaChurch13095DA1ThereareNEWVoterIDrequirementsforthemunicipalelections.UpcomingmunicipalelectionsonOctober21acrossAlbertaoerachancetovoteortheutureoyourcommunity.NewVoterIDrequirementsmeanyoullneedtobringproperidentifcationtobeabletovote.Checkwithyourmunicipalityaboutlocalrequirements.Visitalberta.caorcalltoll-free310-0000then780-427-2225formoreinformation.FromleftawardwinnersJillTaylorAmandaGrobeckerandJacquelineThompsonrecieveawardsfromNWTRPAexecutiveGeoffRayattheannualawardsbanquetinFortSmith.