Front of the Class

Acknowledging Excellence

Provincial legislators, parents and educators alike have become increasingly aware that society’s goals for student learning depend on good teaching in all our schools. The quality of teaching in our classrooms is the most important in-school factor for improving student achievement. All classroom teachers should be recognized on a daily basis but this is often not the case.

Students continue to reap the benefits from the dedicated educators in our city. This program should provide a unique opportunity for us to celebrate those who, tirelessly and often selflessly, dedicate their lives to securing a future for the next generation. Teaching is an art and science, the most difficult, most rewarding, and most important of careers.

The Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club and TELUS have developed a partnership aimed at recognizing both Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District Elementary teachers. The program entitled “Front of the Class” celebrates students’ recognition of the impact that Elementary teachers have on their academic, moral, personal and social development. The program encourages elementary students to express appreciation through creative writing for one of their current teacher’s dedication and skill.

The “Front of the Class” program is one method of involving children and their parents in recognizing the importance teachers play on the development of children under their care. Most teacher recognition programs are provincial or national and few involve student nominations.  As a result, this program will generate much needed public recognition of the importance of having excellent teachers in Calgary.

The awards do not imply that a recipient‘s contribution is superior to that of other teachers. Rather, these awards signal that students have noticed and appreciated that a teacher has made an important difference to them.

Program specifics

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), TELUS and the Calgary Hitmen will be the partners in this program. This partnership will continue during the 2012-2013 Hitmen season.

The call for nominations will begin in October, 2012. The program will conclude in March 2013. One teacher from the CCSD and one teacher from the CBE will be selected from all nominations received for each of the designated games between October, 2012 and March, 2013. Ten teachers in total will be selected; five from the CBE and five from CCSD. In addition all student nominations not selected as the winning nominations for each month will be eligible for two tickets to an upcoming Calgary Hitmen game.

The teacher selected along with the students in their class and the school principal will each receive two tickets for the designated Front of the Class Hitmen game.  This year’s games will be held on the following dates: Sunday, October 28th, Friday, November 30th, Sunday, December 16th, Sunday, January 27th, and Friday February 22nd. All of the teachers selected will be invited to return for special recognition on Sunday March 16th. 2013. Each teacher will be recognized on the Flames Energy Board and provided with a keepsake of the event. The 10 teachers as well as all of the nominated teachers and their schools will also be featured on the Calgary Hitmen websites under a Front of the Class header.

Deadline for nominations will be as follows:

          

         
     
       
         
         
       




Nominations can be completed online by CLICKING HERE

CLICK HERE to download the application (Microsoft Word Document)

or emailed to dfretts@hitmenhockey.com

Letters can also be sent via Canada Post to:

Calgary Hitmen Front of the Class
Attention: Marketing Department
Box 1540 Station M
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3B9
    
Front of the Class Rules

•    One entry per student
•    Students may only nominate a current teacher
•    Students must complete all nomination information for their nomination to be considered
•    Students are encouraged to complete the nomination on their own but may ask their parents for help
•    All nominations must be accompanied by an entry form
•    All students must return a signed Parent Permission Form to their school to participate.
•    Teachers selected for each month will be notified by a personal telephone call to the school
•    Nomination submissions will not be returned