June 13, 2025 – The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) recognized outstanding employees on Monday, June 9, during the annual Board Celebration Evening held at North Grenville District High School. Twenty-two staff members were recognized for their outstanding work and contributions to the UCDSB with one of four awards – Service Excellence Award, Ontario Principals’ Council Award of Character, Creativity & Innovation Award, and Director’s Red Apple Award.
Service Excellence Award
The UCDSB Service Excellence Awards recognize staff who provide exceptional service to the board’s students, their families and co-workers. Five individual winners and one group award were handed out. This years’ Service Excellence Award winners are as follows:
Sue Hart – Office Administrator, South Crosby Public School
Sue embodies the very best of service excellence. Her welcoming presence sets the tone for the school, making students, parents, and staff feel valued and supported. Her desk, covered in thank-you notes and pictures from grateful students, speaks to the deep connections she has built within the school community. Sue is the bridge between families and the school, fostering relationships that strengthen the entire community.
Stephen McGrath – Custodian, Oxford-on-Rideau Public School
Steve’s greetings and daily check-ins create a welcoming atmosphere where students and staff feel valued and cared for. Whether ensuring classrooms are clean and safe, offering a helping hand, or simply sharing a kind word, Steve's positivity makes a difference every single day. His attention to detail, willingness to go above and beyond, and steadfast reliability make a meaningful difference in the daily experiences of staff and students.
Terri-Lynn Merpaw – Early Childhood Educator, Caldwell Street Public School
Terri-Lynn truly carries out the qualities of service excellence naturally by fostering a culture of care in her classroom, providing individual attention, seeing things through and going beyond the daily expectations. She brings out the best in every child by meeting each of them at their development level and providing the support and encouragement they need to thrive. She takes time to get to know each student - their interests, strengths and needs - creating engaging, play-based learning activities tailored to their passions. She approaches each day with enthusiasm, positivity, and with a wonderful sense of humour.
Lisa Seed – Early Childhood Educator, Rideau Vista Public School
Lisa greets her Kindergarten class with a bright demeanor every morning, and ensures students feel safe and secure while at school. She makes the effort to develop special connections with each student, ensuring they feel recognized and valued by praising their work, guiding them, and making corrections in a fun and humorous way. She is caring and empathetic in her communications with children, parents and co-workers, and she is steadfast in her support, with parents commenting that they have seen their children's confidence, emotional development and leadership skills grow with her continuous encouragement.
Sarah Harvey – Teacher, South Branch Elementary School
Sarah is an invaluable member of the South Branch family. Her ability to foster a culture of care is reflected in the joy her students feel whenever they see her. She doesn't just teach - she forms lasting connections, remembering the details that make each student feel valued. Time and time again, students say that Sarah is their favourite teacher - an undeniable testament to the impact she had on their lives. Beyond her role in the classroom, Sarah leads with unwavering dedication. Whether stepping up as principal designate at a moment's notice, revitalizing school resource space, or her tireless dedication to the school's inclusive intramural programs, she continuously finds ways to enhance the school community.
Pam Thompson – Special Services Counsellor
Pam is truly committed to creating a culture of care, seeing things through from start to finish, and being a leader in her area of expertise. Pam sees strength where others might see struggle. She listens without judgement, acts without hesitation, and always makes sure that every voice - no matter how quiet - is heard and respected. Pam supports countless families each school year, holding their stories of hardship with compassion while delivering nothing but kindness.
Jill Miller – Teacher, and Nicole Dunn – Early Childhood Educator, Caldwell Street Public School
Jill and Nicole exemplify service excellence in every aspect of their work. Their classroom is a warm and inclusive space where students feel valued and supported. They go beyond simply teaching - they foster a culture of care, recognizing individual needs and providing tailored support, particularly for students with learning and health challenges. Both serve as true leaders in their school community: Jill's expertise in literacy education and commitment to improving reading instruction make her a valuable mentor to fellow educators, while Nicole's contributions to staff morale and community-building bring colleagues together, creating a positive and collaborative environment.
OPC Award of Character
The Ontario Principal’s Council (OPC) Award, also known as the Ted Kennedy Award of Character, is an award given annually to a UCDSB Principal who embodies the spirit and character of the late Superintendent Ted Kennedy. During his career with the UCDSB, Kennedy was dedicated to advancing children's success, particularly by finding alternative graduation pathways for those struggling with traditional methods. The 2024-25 award winner is: Trevor Wheeler - Principal of Char-Lan District High School
Creativity & Innovation Award
The UCDSB Creativity & Innovation Awards shine a light on individuals who show ingenuity in their classrooms and workspaces, sparking positive and lasting change in their students and colleagues. This year’s winners are as follows:
Tim East – Teacher, South Grenville District High School
Tim's Grade 9 Communications Technology class launched a newsletter for the Township of Edwardsburg/Cardinal. This initiative resulted in a student-led publication that covers local events, recreation news, and township stories that has had a measurable impact on residents by helping them to stay informed about community happenings. A key element of this project's success is the partnership Tim has cultivated with the township of Edwardsburg/Cardinal, which has resulted in other community-based projects with students as well.
Kathleen McDougald – Teacher, Eamer’s Corner Public School
Kathleen is an inspiring educator whose passion for environmentalism sparked a transformative learning journey for her Grade 4 students. Through her leadership, students created a school-wide composting system and built a medicine wheel garden, blending curriculum with Indigenous knowledge and real-world action.
Many of Kathleen’s students face academic or personal challenges, but in her classroom, they found purpose and pride. She empowers every learner through authentic, hands-on experiences that build confidence and community.
Turner Onion– Teacher, Carleton Place High School
Turner worked with his senior Recreational Leadership students on a project to enhance accessibility in physical education in the UCDSB. After learning that visually impaired students often miss out on the joy of physical education with their peers, the class designed and piloted adapted games to create activities that would be fun and inclusive. With Turner's guidance, the students wrote lesson plans and assembled 22 physical education kits with modified equipment that included multiple games and activities. These kits, tailored for Kindergarten to Grade 6 students, are now shared across the district. This project not only helped our blind and low-vision students, but it also educated sighted students about inclusion and empathy.
Kathleen Rios – Teacher, Russell High School
Kathleen is a creative and community-driven educator whose leadership has empowered her Grade 7/8 students to launch Thrifty T’s—a student-run upcycling initiative that transforms discarded materials into clothing, quilts, and high-end paper. Through this project, students develop financial literacy and social responsibility while running sub-businesses under the Thrifty T’s umbrella. Profits are reinvested or donated to local shelters, and free clothing is made available to students in need. Kathleen’s guidance has allowed this project to flourish, giving students the confidence to lead, create, and take initiative.
Megan Connolly – Teacher, Perth & District Collegiate Institute
Megan undertook a transformative Black Canadian History project with her Grade 7 French Immersion class that turned into a public, interactive experience. Students created life-sized cutouts of Black Canadian trailblazers, paired with student-produced podcasts accessible via QR codes. These displays are now featured at the Perth Museum and OPP East Region Headquarters.
Stacy Schwendemann and Kim Noble – Teachers, Pleasant Corners Public School
This bilingual teaching team guided their Grade 1 students through the creation of two published books - one about their autumn experiences, and another focused on social-emotional learning. The second book includes QR codes linking to videos of students demonstrating calming strategies, making it an interactive tool for readers at home and in schools. Students learned the publishing process and developed their writing skills while honing their own self-regulation strategies, promoting both reading and well-being. The books extend beyond the school and has been shared with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ronald McDonald House.
Director’s Red Apple Award
The Director’s Red Apple Awards are presented to individuals that stand out for their deeply-rooted dedication to our school board’s top priority – our students. This year, Director of Education Ron Ferguson chose six award winners:
Lissa Greenwood, Special Services Counsellor
Throughout her career, Lissa has continually put in extraordinary efforts to help our most vulnerable students. She’s been an unofficial coach and mentor to many people, including principals and superintendents, throughout our district. Lissa is being awarded a Red Apple to honour her consistent compassion and dedication to students and ensuring they get what they need.
Robert Matheson – Learning Partner
Robert is a long-time teacher with the UCDSB who has always been dedicated to physical education. Now in the role of Learning Partner and intensely focused on the All-In Sports initiative, Robert has taken his efforts to new heights to keep students active and get more students involved in physical activity. Robert is being awarded a Red Apple for always making student physical and mental health a top priority.
David Clark, David Love, Ryan Metcalfe and Chris Waite – USDSB Information Technology Team
On Christmas Day, 2024, it was noticed that something seemed off with the UCDSB technology systems. While the cause wasn’t known the time, they went to the board office and took immediate measures that played a significant part in limiting the damage caused by the cyber-attack that ensued. They are each being awarded a Red Apple for their quick thinking and dedication to the board and our students.