The nominees for this year’s Inspiring Success Award of Distinction & this year’s Superintendent’s Service Award for Excellence include École Beau Meadow School (EBMS) Learning Support Teacher, Heather Lewis.
Heather has been an integral part of the Black Gold School Division for many years and has been an essential part of the ÉBMS staff since 2009. She is a lifelong learner who began her education journey as an education assistant, continuing on to university to attain her degree in Education which led to her becoming a classroom teacher. Heather has an unwavering commitment to professional development and has completed her Master’s in Educational Research with an interdisciplinary focus on student mental health and instructional leadership. She has taken on the role of Instructional Coach for BGSD, and currently, she is the Learning Support Teacher, Counselor and WIST at École Beau Meadow School.
Heather is an inspiring educator and a very strong advocate for all students. She makes it her mission to meet the many diverse learning needs of students through differentiated instruction, purposeful planning, developing learner profiles for classes and helping to develop a schoolwide approach to provide multiple pathways to learning.
“Heather provides an invaluable positive impact in our whole school community through her professionalism, servant leadership and drive for excellence. She is an organized educator and leader who shares her well-developed pedagogical skillset,” said one of the nominators, Jennifer O’Brien. “She has led our staff in ongoing professional development activities to provide them with an increased knowledge of inclusive education and has helped teachers reduce barriers within their learning environments.”
Heather helps shape the inclusive education program through her leadership at École Beau Meadow. She works collaboratively with teachers, education assistants and administration in the school, as well as with the many multidisciplinary teams from Black Gold including the SLPs, OTs, Instructional Coaches, psychologists, and Family School Liaison. This collaborative spirit has been important for inclusive programming for our students including those with exceptional needs.