Rideau DHS Math Department Wins Prestigious Award

(Elgin) – The math department at Rideau District High School (RDHS) has been honoured this year with the Kenneth D. Fryer Award, the top award for high school math departments in Ontario.

The award, granted by the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education (OAME), is given annually for a secondary math department that fosters collegiality, teamwork and excellence in classroom teaching. It also honours departments that contribute to the overall development of students and that demonstrate leadership in the mathematics education community. 

RDHS Math Department Program Leader Kelly Blair said she and her colleagues were delighted with the recognition. Winning the award along with Blair were teachers Greg Horne, Jen Horne, Grace Lloyd and Sean O’Donnell. 

“It was just fabulous,” said Blair of the news. “We were so excited about it. The focus is on collegiality and excellence in teamwork, and I feel that’s what we do here every day at Rideau.”

“It’s wonderful to win but I think this also shows that while we are a small school, we can compete with any school across the province,” added RDHS Principal Sharon Halladay. 

The school was selected for the honour for several reasons. Rideau was one of the first high schools in the Upper Canada District School Board to truly embrace the value of SMART Board technology in mathematics education. As early as 2007, the department was using SMART boards for a variety of engaging lessons. Department teachers also led courses in the board’s Summer Institute teacher training initiative on how to use SMART boards in math class – training close to 100 teachers.

The department has run a SMART professional learning community and transition workshop for teachers from Rideau’s elementary feeder schools to further share their expertise and truly prepare students at the intermediate level for the high school experience.  

Realizing that students are the most important focus of all their efforts, department members also make themselves available every lunch hour to offer extra support for students struggling with math.

Department members will accept the award May 13 at the OAME annual conference in Windsor. 

For more information please call:

Sharon Halladay
Principal
Rideau District High School
613-359-5391