ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 TO MY FAMILY

I would like to thank my wife Trudy,  and my boys Chris and Scott for supporting my career in education.

Without their patience and understanding, I would not have been able to support my staff and students to the extent that I did. 

I would not have been able to positively influence my educational settings and support the many years of new teacher candidates without their support. 

I am forever grateful ! 

No words are enough to express my gratitude to you. 

TO MY PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES

I have been privileged to have had many supportive mentors and individuals that supported my educational journey. 

This exciting career path would not have been possible without you.  

I would like to publicly recognize you here.

BROCK UNIVERSITY COLLEAGUES

I have had many colleagues that have been amazing mentors and have  given me amazing opportunities.  

The students have been a pleasure to support. 

It continues to be a privilege to stay in touch with many of you.

Dr. Hilary Brown - Methodology Team Leader  

Dr. Brown provided me with the opportunity to teach at Brock. 

For that, I will be forever grateful. 

Professorial Mentors for my Master of Education

Thanks to my academic colleagues and mentors who inspired me and made completing a Master of Education possible:

Dr. Dolana Mogadime

Dr. Mary-Louise Vanderlee

Dr. David Hutchison 

International Education ESL Program Colleagues:

The following individuals have been a constant source of inspiration.  

Cheryl Ende

A very special THANK YOU goes to ESL Course Director Cheryl Ende for her incredible support and leadership.  I owe my success in ESL to Cheryl.  

We lost Cheryl due to ALS in Dec. 2020. 

Thanks also to my following partners for your wonderful collaborative leadership in taking students on international ESL field placements to China.

Paul Logan

James Savelli

Colleagues at the Faculty of Education: 

Dr. Candace Figg - Technology applications for the classroom 

Dr. Ruth Scott      - Leadership Recognition

Dr. Sheila Bennett - Spec. Ed. Leadership

Thanks to these special mentors & colleagues who shared their talents and skills. 

Cohort Partners at the Faculty of Education who were Principals and Vice Principals: 

Thanks to my outstanding collaborative teaching partners who were previous Principals:

Remo Persutti      - Outstanding class act.

Cathy Bauslaugh - Incredible researcher and collaborator 

Ingrid Goertz       - Outstanding collaborator 

Lydia Swanson     - Outstanding experienced partner 

Tony Cafazzo        - My Halton colleague who inspired me to work at Brock

Cohort Partners at the Faculty of Education who were previous consultants or professors:

Giselle Whyte 

Thanks to Giselle who was integral in supporting my application for my teaching awards and recognition received at Brock.  A fabulous partner!

Thanks to these outstanding collaborative partners, who participated in the design and delivery of engaging programming for the Brock Cohorts at the Faculty of Education, Brock University:

Dr. Gail Phillips - Climate Building based on Tribes TLC

Dr. Camille Rutherford - Technology enhanced pedagogy

Dr. Cathy Miyata - Story Telling and Tribes 

Linda Hall - Collaborative partner 

Cathy Rose - The first partner who inspired me to take my Master of Education.

Sharon Abbey       - Sharon brought me onboard to supervise the teaching blocks in

                                 Cape Town, (Athlone) South Africa.  This started my journey into

                                 developing international education opportunities for students. 

Our Librarian and Tech Staff.

I learned a significant amount from each one these colleagues during our collaborations. 

This team ran amazing MakerSpace Workshops that I loved to support.

Dino Giancola - The best "IT" lead you could ever dream of working with.

Kim Pelchat - Role model for participatory leadership

Mary Louise - Phenomenal support during my Master of Education. Thank You!

Shannon Welbourn - Team player 

Mark Walker -  Positive team player and very helpful

Dave Potts - Inspirational technology educator ( and previous student)

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THANKS TO MY HALTON DSB  MENTORS AND COLLEAGUES

They are listed below with their leadership influence.

These leaders were significant role models.  

They taught me how to positively engage all of the stakeholders of the school community.  

Administrative Principal Partners 

Mike Hawkins - School improvement plans based on data

Jeff Blackwell - Co-Principaling; Engaging all stakeholders; Being visible; 

                           Facility management; Using Smart Goals 

Scott Pritchard - Empowering Administrative Partners 

Janice Hambrock - Building School Effectiveness Plans

Special thanks to the following administrators who started me on my way as a VP in the Halton DSB.

Nicole Dolson - Interview skills; Time management 

Dianne Vekemans - Persistence 

Special Mention To Principal Colleagues in the HDSB System.

Rick Nodwell - Collaborative leadership 

Peter Milovanovic - Connecting with students; Engaging all stakeholders 

Heather Stewart - Building influential committees

Bryce Leggett - Collaborative leadership; Respect

Special Mention

Special mention also goes to the administrators I had as a teacher who were outstanding role models: 

Ron Beckett - Calm problem solving; Listen and lead.

Bev Bowra - Team Building; Taking risks; Designing relevant affective focussed   

                      curriculum; unit planning 

Susan Busby - Developing a special education team; School Climate

Laura Clarke - Collaborative leadership

Grant Clatworthy - Collaborative leadership

Harv Collison - Developing staff leaders.  

                           Harv deserves special recognition.

                           I student taught intermediate grades with Harv in 1977/78 at John T. Tuck

                           School. He was the most significant role model during my career as an

                           educator.  He was the educator I always aspired to become. He was the

                           most influential colleague in my career with the Halton District School

                           Board.  

                           Harv was also the school principal who put my name forward to become a

                           school administrator in 1998. It was due to his influence of promoting

                           me as a future administrator that I was eventually able to apply to Brock

                           University as an instructor. 

                           No words can express how grateful I am. 

                           Thanks for everything. 

                           With Gratitude, Mark!

Dorothy Fowler - Assessment guides your instruction; leading from behind 

Gail Grant - Special Education Programming

Norm Howell - How to mentor and support new teachers

Carl Hymers - Collaborative leadership

Carol Knill - Programming for and supporting students with learning challenges

Brian Lower - Supporting staff at recess

Barb Rust - Creative leadership and the arts

Gerry Smith - Teaching with Inquiry Based Learning; Integrating technology;

                         Developing a professional learning community (PLC); Developing a vision

Special mention to my wonderful colleagues:

Chuck Phillips 

Thank you to Apple Distinguished Educator and colleague, Chuck Phillips, who has been a constant source of inspiration on the future of technology in schools. 

Chuck still sends me amazing professional development articles to this day for this website. 

Peter Stratford

Thank you to Pete for being an incredibly supportive colleague and friend. Pete was the most talented, high energy educator that I have ever known. An extremely skilled volleyball coach and inspiring physical education instructor who was focused on student wellness.  Every student deserves to be taught by such a talented educator. 

John Cowles

Thanks to John who was a role model of how to use Drama, Music and the Arts to put on school plays that energized a whole student body for the year.  John was one of the best and most talented directors of school productions that Halton ever hired. I would never want to run a school without him.

Jim Berry

I have known Jim, since I was 10 years old. Jim became a Superintendent of Special Education in the Waterloo Regional District School Board. Jim was the first educational colleague to take me to China to teach their educators in Qingdao.  We spent a month there in two locations.  It set the stage for my own educational initiatives in China! I have now been 6 times as of 2021. I continue to be involved in online international academic initiatives and local international summer camps. 

Thanks Jim!

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THE HALTON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

SPECIAL ATHLETE 

TRACK MEET LEADERSHIP TEAM - 1987 to 2017

This team was the most incredible group of educators that you could possibly hope to work with.  I could have not done this meet without you. 

You have forever left an incredible legacy in the Halton District School Board.

The following educators deserve special recognition for making this annual event one of the best ever. 

Corinne Stratford -  Field Event Director

Corinne, was my colleague on the River Oaks School staff. 

My VP, Susan Busby, gave her release time so that she could help me organize and prepare the meet, in 1992. From that point forward Corinne was my right hand. Just an amazing team player.

These incredible colleagues were truly gifts to me and all of the students that participated in the event for 30 years.  

Leslie Davis - Field Event Director

Barry Koepke - Field Event Director

Alison Pabst - Bocce Ball Director

Steve Morrison - Our amazing announcer in our final 5 years. 

Also special thanks to very supportive Halton Board Special Education Staff:

Val Klempa 

Halton DSB Special Education Secretarial Support Staff.

Special thanks also goes to the secretarial staff at the Halton Board office. 

I can never thank you enough for the endless time and effort you put into the event. 

Hilary Francey

More being added soon.

Halton DSB Volunteer and Parent:

Linda Leppek:

Linda was one of the original founders behind developing this event.  

She and Sue Amos had developed a test event in 1987 with 12 physically challenged athletes.  

Linda was also a parent of 2 special athletes that eventually participated.  

She helped me integrate this event into a Junior able bodied track meet at that time for the first 20 years.  Linda independently ran the scoring for the meet until 2008.    

Little did she know in 1987, when we started this track meet for physically challenged athletes, that she would be developing an event that would become part of the Halton District School Board forever.  

We lost Linda in January 2023. 

What a legacy she has. 

Halton DSB Coordinator:

Sue Amos:

Sue Amos was one of the original founders behind developing this event along with Linda Leppek in 1987.  It was Sue that I contacted in the summer of 1987 and said, "I have an idea!!"  She organized the events and taught me the ropes that first year.  Sue organized the secretarial staff who prepared the paperwork.  Sue also officiated the track events for both the able bodied and physically challenged athletes until she retired.  She was the kind of leader that would plant a seed and watch it grow, and not want to take any of the credit.  

The three of us supported each other and ran the event until it got too big.  My VP at the time (Susan Busby) recognized that perhaps I needed help and invited Corinne Stratford to help me in 1992.

What an incredible legacy Sue and Linda have left for future generations in Halton. 

I was privileged to be part of that team. 

In 2008, I received the Halton Award of Distinction for my work in developing and running the Special Athlete Track Meet for 21 years.  

Special Thanks goes to the Halton Senior Administration Team:

Halton DSB Directors

Each of you always found time, during your busy schedules to support the student Athletes at this event:

Dusty Papke

David Euale

Wayne Joudrie

Stuart Miller

Jeff Blackwell - Assistant Director 

Halton DSB Superintendents

Brenda Kearney: 

She saw the value of the event when introduced to it by Deb Wood around 1995. 

She immediately started to fund it and released her whole Special Education Department to work on the event. 

Other supportive superintendents of Special Ed. were:

Al Greyson

David Boag

Mark Zonnevelde

Halton DSB Coordinators of Special Education

Deb Wood:

Deb was the first Co-ordinator that took interest in the event and helped develop it from year 10 to 20 with Superintendent Brenda Kearney. This lead to total support from the entire Special Education Department. Quite Phenomenal. 

Susan Pritchard: 

She carried the torch after Deb Wood retired. A very positive collaborative leader. 

Halton DSB Coordinators of Physical Education

Joanne Walsh:

Joanne was always a positive force behind this event!  Thanks Joanne.  

Halton DSB Principals of Special Education

Sue Roszell, Jane Lewis, Sean Marks:

Special thanks to Sean. 

He attended and supported the event for years when he was a principal and continues to do so in a lead administrative role as of 2022. 

Halton DSB Physical Education Convenors 

Sue McBay and Mike Harrison:

Phenomenal colleagues that worked with us for over a decade to ensure we integrated our event successfully into their able-bodied Halton Track Meet.

Halton DSB Communications Officer 

Jason Misner:

Thanks to Jason for producing the annual video posted to our Halton Board of Education Website and posted multiple photographs every year of the event. 

Halton DSB Past Chair of the Board 

Ethel Gardiner: 

Ethel was Chair of the Halton Board, and helped us with "Ethel's Run" to raise money for Physically Challenged Athletes. 

Halton DSB Trustees and SEAC Members

Thank you  for supporting this venture and for always coming to support the students at the event. 

There are so many of you to thank.  

Please  know I am very appreciative to everyone one of you. 

I would like to especially thank the following:

Bruce Jones

Jennifer Hlusko

Dianna French-Bower

Peggy Russell

Donna Danielli

Educational Assistants

Thank you to the 100's of Educational Assistants and Support Workers that assisted students over the 30 years I was involved in the event. Your passion for coaching students for success will never be forgotten. 

Students Officials 

Thank you to the 100's of incredible students officials that ran every event.  

You truly made the event what it was. 

30 officials annually for 30 years!  You were Amazing!!!!

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