News Release
5/29/2017
Aurora, ON - Twenty-four outstanding students were honoured at the York Region District School Board's annual Celebrating Student Success dinner and awards ceremony. Students were honoured in the presence of their families, teachers, trustees and Board staff.
"Celebrating Student Success recognizes exceptional students, the work of our teachers and the role of parents and families in supporting students’ accomplishments,” said Chair of the Board, Loralea Carruthers. “These 24 recipients are representative of the 123,000 students who achieve success every day in our Board.”
“Celebrating Student Success honours the impressive achievements of students who are ambassadors, mentors, change makers and leaders. They are students who dedicate themselves to helping others, who overcome personal challenges to achieve success and who make a difference in their schools and communities,” said Interim Director of Education, Kathryn Wallace.
The 2017 Celebrating Student Success recipients included one student from Aurora’s Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School:
Josie Kearney
Dr. G.W. Williams S.S.
Josie initiated ‘Change for Change’ at Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School which inspires staff and students to donate their spare change towards the ‘Toy Mountain’ project, a program run by the Salvation Army that distributes toys to less fortunate children at holiday time. Close to $1,000 was raised through this project. Determined to go further, Josie is now focused on expanding her project to include university campuses by enlisting the help of alumni to make this happen. She hosted the Peer Mentor holiday social at her house (insisting it have a charitable component to it), is part of the Athletic and Music Councils and is a key contributor to the annual Terry Fox Run.
A video and summaries of each student are available on the Board website. Photographs and interviews with students may be arranged.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 123,000 students in 176 elementary schools and 32 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit the Board website and follow @YRDSB on Twitter.
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