A pair of school divisions in the Medicine Hat area have nominees for the Edwin Parr Award

She teaches at a school she used to attend. Something she says has made the transition into teaching smoother.

“It’s been really great to be back,” Stephanie said.

“I feel like I have a great support system, and part of that is having those relationships already built with the teachers. A really big chunk of them were there when I was there as a student,” she added.

“I feel very comfortable going to them and asking questions or asking for support. I feel really at home at Notre Dame.”

Stephanie knew she would be a teacher at a young age, having both her parents as educators in the city and growing up around it.

“I saw the relationships that they have with their students and their co-workers, and it was just something that felt natural to me,” Stephanie said.

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Stephanie Laing teaching at Notre Dame Academy. (Image Credit: Submitted Photo/Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education)

Her father, John, teaches at Medicine Hat High School, and her mother, Janice, who teaches at Monsignor McCoy High School, has coached Basketball for as long as her daughter can remember.

Something Stephanie also took on with the B girls basketball team at Notre Dame this year.

She had gotten into coaching, helping her mom when she was in Grade 11, as an assistant coach for a club team.

“I think that coaching and those relationships with my athletes were kind of a natural transition to hop into education and becoming a teacher because I get to see those kids every single day,” Stephanie said.

“I coached some of them, and now I teach them, which is really kind of cool.”

Building those relationships, Stephanie says, has been the most rewarding part of the job.

“Having those strong connections with my students and being that safe person for some of them. Being a mentor, and I know it kind of sounds cheesy, but being a bit of a role model for some of them who are maybe thinking of following the same path,” Stephanie said.

“I can ask them how their sports went, or they’re excited to come in on Monday morning and tell me how things have gone, or they had a big game the night before, and they come in and let me know how it went or just kind of big things in life or even the little things.”

She added that her relationship with the students, especially while teaching outside her major, has helped create a collaborative classroom environment.

“I know the content, that’s not what I’m figuring out, but kind of figuring out the flow of everything and my students are very open with me about what they like, and they don’t like,” Stephanie said.

“We change and adapt from there.”

Stephanie was surprised to learn she had been nominated for the award by her principal, Neal Siedlicki, and even more so to be selected as the division’s representative.

“I was really excited and honoured. I was also really shocked because I just show up, I do my job, I try and make those connections with my kids,” Stephanie said.

“I have so many great staff members at my school that I think sometimes I don’t recognize that maybe that’s not what a first-year teacher does, or maybe it’s something that I’m doing well, but it’s kind of the norm at my school.”

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Stephanie Laing receives her nomination for the Edwin Parr Award from the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education. (Image Credit: Submitted Photo/Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education)

Notre Dame Academy principal Neal Siedlecki said that from the very beginning, Stephanie demonstrated an exceptional ability to build meaningful, trusting, and authentic relationships with her students.

“Students feel valued, supported, and motivated in her classroom, which is evident in both their engagement and their willingness to challenge themselves academically and personally,” the Notre Dame Academy principal said in a statement from the MHCBE.

“Her classroom culture is welcoming, structured, and positive – an environment where students know they are cared for and expected to succeed.”

Stephanie has a twin sister, Jillian, who also works in the Catholic School Division with St. Mary’s. She teaches Grade 6 Math and Science.

The two completed most of their schooling together, from kindergarten through university, and both helped their mom coach the Monsignor McCoy senior girls’ varsity basketball team this season.

“My sister was also nominated by her principal, and I knew that, so I was like, oh, this could be awkward, but it’s also kind of neat to be like, hey, my twin sister is also being recognized by her principal as well,” Stephanie said.

“I think that I was pretty honoured that they chose me. I also felt for my sister. I see how hard she works. So I felt a little bit conflicted,” she added.

“She was like, you know what, you earn it. You’re teaching outside your subject major. You deserve this.”

The sisters have supported each other as they navigate their first year in the profession.

“It’s really unique,” Stephanie said.

“We’ve hit all those milestones together.”

Stephanie will attend an awards banquet in Taber on May 20, where nominees from across southern Alberta will be recognized, with one winner announced for Zone 6.

She said she is looking forward to connecting with other educators, regardless of the outcome.

“It’s exciting to just be in with that group of people who are also very passionate and talented in their jobs,” Stephanie said.

Another educator in that group is the nominee for Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS).

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Sarah Abouali is the Prairie Rose Public Schools nominee for the Edwin Parr Award. (Image Credit: Prairie Rose Public Schools)

Sarah Abouali teaches at Akram Jomaa (AJ) School in Calgary.

CIS Akram Jomaa Campus, along with sister school CIS Omar Bin Al Khattab Campus, joined Prairie Rose Public Schools last summer.

A school she attended as a student from kindergarten through high school, and now works alongside some of her former teachers and remains part of that school community.

“AJ has always been a part of my world,” Sarah said in a statement to PRPS.

“My family is connected to the school, and now coming back as a teacher feels really special.”

Sarah is in her first year as a certified teacher; however, she brings several years of experience working with youth through camps, programs, and volunteer work.

She says that those experiences helped guide her decision to pursue a career in education.

“I always knew I wanted to study English because of my passion for literature,” Sarah said.

“As I gained more experience working with youth, I realized I loved teaching. It just made sense to teach what I love.”

At AJ School, Abouali teaches Grade 9 Humanities along with English Language Arts for Grades 10 and 11.

Her students begin each class with quiet reading or reflection before moving into lessons and encouraging discussion, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

“I love hearing students’ perspectives,” Sarah said.

“Those conversations and connections are what make teaching so rewarding.”

Sarah has taken on several tasks to support students beyond regular classes.

Overseeing weekly student gatherings, supervising athletics, helping lead an upcoming student exchange trip, and teaching a journalism course where students work together to create a digital school newspaper.

She is aware of the responsibility that comes with the role.

“You are preparing students for their future, and that is always on my mind,” Sarah said.

“It is a lot of responsibility, but it is also what makes the work meaningful.”

She credits her colleagues for creating a supportive environment where staff share ideas, resources, and guidance.

When she learned she had been nominated for the Edwin Parr Teacher Award, she was both surprised and grateful.

“I did not even know what the award was,” Sarah said.

“I feel very grateful. It is nice to be in a place where there is so much room to grow.”

Principal Ramy Elhamalawy says Abouali stood out early in her first year.

“Sarah brings a level of care and intention to her teaching that is not common for someone in their first year. She builds strong relationships with students and creates a classroom where they feel comfortable sharing their thinking and taking risks in their learning,” the AJ School principal said in a statement to PRPS.

“She is reflective, open to feedback, and always looking for ways to improve her practice. Combined with her strong connection to the school community, those qualities made her an easy choice for this nomination.”

The Calgary-based schools serve approximately 1,600 students.

There is no nominee this year for the Medicine Hat Public School Division.

Edwin Parr Award winners from each ASBA zone are honoured at the Annual Fall Conference in Edmonton.

by Jesse Gill

A pair of school divisions in the Medicine Hat area have nominees for the Edwin Parr Award

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