Sibling Teachers Win Excellence in Teaching Awards

Kathy McVety-Kavanagh, an elementary teacher and Special Education Program Coordinator with the Limestone District School Board, and Randy McVety, Department Head of Social Studies and Music at Sharbot Lake High School have been selected by Trustees as this year’s recipients of the J.C. McLeod Excellence in Teaching Award.

This “teacher-of-the-year” award recognizes the outstanding contribution of individual teachers to classroom instruction or the improvement of classroom instruction, over a number of years.  This award is presented to one elementary teacher and one secondary teacher on an annual basis. These remarkable master teachers are actually brother and sister!

Randy McVety embodies excellence in a teacher: he models the attitudes he wishes his students to strive for, from philanthropy to empathy; he is an enthusiastic participant in all school activities, from coaching soccer to dancing in a dress with his colour house; he is an innovative teacher who ensures his classes are current, engaging and fun.

He is the kind of teacher who realizes that, to be truly effective, it is important to understand that each and every student is a person outside the classroom. As a result, the students trust that he has their best interests at heart, and respect becomes instant and mutual.

Randy is an outstanding teacher in every way. He is an expert in his field of teaching history, geography, native studies and senior social sciences. As the department head he shares his knowledge, expertise and resources with colleagues and works to support teachers in their own professional and personal growth.

Over his career Randy has developed local courses that have become favorites of students at Sharbot Lake. He is a long time mentor with Queen’s University, helping future teachers develop. He has served with his federation for many years, and various school communities.

Randy is committed to the whole school community, enthusiastically participating in all school events, and often serving as organizer. He is always someone you could count on to do whatever it took to make things happen at the school and within the community. Randy McVety is the heart and soul of Sharbot Lake High School, so much so that he has been named “Mr. Sharbot Lake.”

Staff and students alike state that Randy McVety is honest and honourable in everything he does and says, and is truly a deserving recipient of the J.C. McLeod Excellence in Teaching Award.

Kathy McVety-Kavanagh began her teaching career in 1990 with the former Frontenac County Board of Education. Currently, Kathy holds the role of Special Education Program Coordinator for the district. Previous to this assignment, Kathy was the School-to-Community Program Coordinator at Educational Services and in both roles, a member of the Leadership/Administrative Team. This role also includes being Lead Staff for physical exceptionalities, developmental disabilities, and acquired brain injuries.

Kathy is an exceptional teacher. She is supportive, respectful, intelligent, compassionate and has the very rare skill of making everyone with whom she works feel they are listened to, safe and important. She is visionary – Kathy is the leader who saw the need for a special education program specialist to join the elementary and secondary curriculum program teams. This person supports LDSB teachers as they work with all students in their classrooms to achieve success in their learning.

She collaborates with colleagues, seeking input and feedback, and reaches out to parents and guardians and to diverse local communities inviting them to share their knowledge and skills in supporting effective classroom and school activities. Kathy always keeps the needs of students, their families, and school staff at the forefront of planning and decision-making.

Kathy’s very impressive work ethic has garnered her respect throughout the school district and she is the model of advocacy for special education in the Limestone Board and in eastern Ontario. She has become an integral leader of the administration team at Educational Services.

But not only is she an advocate for special education, she is more now an advocate for the inclusion of special education into the core of curriculum and education – ‘not some place off to the side.’ Kathy is an advocate for educational and social inclusion and her skills have truly allowed the successful paradigm shift from individual special education and curriculum silos to Learning for All students in the LDSB. Kathy will actually be returning to the classroom in September 2011 to continue her path of excellence in education.

Kathy has demonstrated exemplary professional practices throughout her career and is a most worthy recipient of the J.C. McLeod Excellence in Teaching Award.

This award was named for Mr. J.C. (Colin) McLeod, who was the Director of Education for the former Lennox and Addington County Board of Education from 1969 to 1983.  He recognized and rewarded excellence in teaching throughout his time as director.

Recipients receive an honorarium which is donated in their names to their schools for the purchase of resource materials and their names are included on a large plaque at the Limestone District School Board Education Centre, 220 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston.

Trustees will honour both recipients at their November 2011 Board meeting.

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Release source: Limestone District School Board

Tags: award, school

Category: Releases