<p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/5bea230b-a409-4dba-82c1-f0da82aa0b70" alt="Edwin Parr 9" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/e7c4ad98-c485-46e2-a63b-566063f6862a" alt="Edwin Parr 4" width="369" height="369" style="width:369px;height:369px;display:inline-block"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img src="/images/a27b58a3-7db1-4c7f-b15d-66c503cdc301" alt="Edwin Parr 3" width="359" height="359" style="width:359px;height:359px;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Black Gold School Division is pleased to announce it has nominated Willow Park School (Leduc) teacher and former Black Gold student, Hannah Mitchell, for the Edwin Parr Award for outstanding first-year teachers. </span></p><blockquote class="editor-quote" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“From her very first day, Hannah has proven herself to be a profoundly dedicated professional, whose lessons effectively meet the unique needs of every individual in her classroom,” </strong></b></i><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Greg Luchak, Principal, Willow Park School.</em></i><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Hannah is a special teacher. Just watching her in action is impressive. Being a teacher is what she was born to do.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i></blockquote><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s pretty surreal and humbling,” </strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Mitchell. </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s amazing to be considered for this award. Teaching is such a challenging and rewarding profession. I can see why people dedicate their lives to being an educator. This is something I really love.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/83407d08-206c-4117-9b82-47b07add0713" alt="Edwin Parr 7" width="254" height="254" style="width:254px;height:254px;display:inline-block"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img src="/images/ced4d20d-de74-45af-8eeb-20dd1b519d20" alt="Edwin Parr 20" width="252" height="252" style="width:252px;height:252px;display:inline-block"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img src="/images/2881527e-a908-498a-8581-9f04c2c6f6d2" alt="Edwin Parr 16" width="252" height="252" style="width:252px;height:252px;display:inline-block"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitchell grew up in Leduc and graduated from Leduc Composite High School. Before that she attended École Leduc Junior High School and École Corinthia Park School. She was active on sports teams throughout her K-12 school years, especially basketball, and also went on to play basketball at the post-secondary level. She is the current assistant coach of the Leduc Composite girls basketball team which recently won silver at provincials.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I think my background in sports has been a great help to me in teaching,” </strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Mitchell. </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Athletes need patience, creativity, and to live in the moment, which are all qualities teachers and learners need at school. And it’s pretty great to be back in Leduc, giving back to the community that has given so much to me.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitchell has two degrees - a Bachelor in Psychology from the University of Alberta through the Augustana Campus, and a Bachelor of Education from Concordia University. Mitchell says she decided to obtain an education degree and become a teacher after working at a school and supporting students with disabilities. </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I loved that experience and working with the students,”</strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> she says, and that experience inspired her to put her psychology background to use in a classroom as the teacher.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/c568a548-a122-410a-8523-7a47be9b59f7" alt="Edwin Parr 1" width="382" height="382" style="width:382px;height:382px;display:inline-block"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><img src="/images/3bc4e0e9-45de-465c-915d-d493923e495c" alt="Edwin Parr 11" width="378" height="378" style="width:378px;height:378px;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitchell says, “</span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Success in learning really comes down to having a relationship with each individual student, and knowing what they need, so that they feel known and comfortable. While each child’s needs will be different, a good relationship with the teacher is at the foundation of student success.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></p><blockquote class="editor-quote" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I hope my students feel loved. I want them to know that what they say and think is important, and I hope that contributes to their confidence. I hope my students will know they are loved and feel confident in who they are," she says.&nbsp;</strong></b></i></blockquote><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Principal Luchak says the skill of valuing individual students and knowing their needs is a big part of Mitchell’s success. </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“She knows her students inside and out,” </strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">he says.</span><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </strong></b><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hannah motivates them so they can achieve their best, and she knows where that bar is for each individual child in her class. That is impressive,” </strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Luchak.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Students can describe how Mitchell’s priority on relationships makes them feel.&nbsp;</span><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“She’s a great teacher. I love how she is so sweet,” </strong></b></i><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Adrielle M. </em></i><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I love what she teaches and the way she treats us. She treats us like we’re her kids.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“When I come to school, she makes me feel happy and great,”</strong></b></i><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> says Blaire H. </em></i><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“She loves us. She’s a great, great, great teacher.”</strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“When I come to school, my teacher makes me feel like the school is our home,”</strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Alanna C.</em></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I feel like she’s the best teacher in the world.”&nbsp;</strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The students also appreciate that Miss Mitchell challenges them as they learn.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I like it when she teaches science and math. She gives me hard things to do and I can do hard things,”</strong></b></i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </strong></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Blaire H. </span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“I think she has earned this award,”</strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">concludes Adrielle M.&nbsp;</em></i><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><img src="/images/5a6e1d6d-e50d-4aae-8b92-907cdc6aa117" alt="Edwin Parr 19" width="441" height="441" style="width:441px;height:441px;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitchell’s influence has also rippled outside of her classroom.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Luchak says, “</span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Hannah has been a fantastic addition to our teaching staff. She is enthusiastic, patient, and kind, and incredibly hardworking.” </strong></b></i></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">He notes Mitchell’s involvement as a basketball coach at LCHS as well as at Willow Park School, and her coaching the school’s floor hockey team as well. </span><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hannah is the first to pitch in for coaching and to help out around the school, and the staff appreciates that about her. They love her and they value that she is a team player."</strong></b></i><br><br><i><b><strong class="editor-text-bold editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">“Congratulations to Hannah, and thank you to her for making a difference in our school,” </strong></b></i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">says Luchak.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Edwin Parr Teacher Award goes to six outstanding first-year teachers in Alberta’s public school system annually, and is presented by the Alberta School Boards Association.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/15fbb794-15e1-4b26-aabe-04c559b28ef3" alt="Edwin Parr 8" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p>