November 27, 2009 (Catholic education, Catholic schools)

Waterloo Region, ON –

Each year Barrday, a Cambridge business, salutes ten inspirational teachers in the City of Cambridge with ten $1,000 Teacher of Excellence awards. The recipients consistently demonstrate:

• Excellence – motivating students to achieve their best;
• Integrity – consistently thinking, saying and doing what is right;
• Respect – treating each student as valuable and full of potential; and,
• Innovation – inspiring students to explore and make choices.

This year John Malnerich, Student Success Teacher at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School and Lesia Zinkann, Grade 8 Teacher at St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School, of the Waterloo Catholic district School Board received the award.

John Malnerich

St. Benedicts Secondary

Student Success Teacher

Number of Years Teaching: 13

John believes that all students can learn if you can find the right pathway for them to learn on. On a daily basis John interacts with students who need extra help in finding their way to success–students who are struggling with life both inside and outside of school. He sees his role as doing whatever he can to help students become their best whether that means calling them in the morning to get them out of bed and into school, providing a safe place for them just to come and say ‘hi’ and talk about what is going on in their lives, advocating for them with their other teachers and administrators and celebrating both the big and small victories they have.

John teaches with a ‘never quit attitude’. He will do whatever he has to to help his students. He models to his students to give life their best. He seeks to build relationships with them that are based on fairness and respect. He is always there for them and his student population appreciates knowing that there is a caring adult who has their backs. With John’s students books are secondary. What is important to John is building up their character, accountability, life skills and the ability to succeed in life.

One of John’s colleagues nominated him. Ildi wrote:

John Malnerich respects all of his students and in turn they respect him. He never judges them. His enthusiasm for teaching cannot help but rub off on the students. The students know that he will stand behind them and support them. In turn they also know that he has expectations and they are willing to meet them. John tries to find the students’ strength and uses that as a strategy to help them become successful. .

John has high expectations of all students. He challenges them to keep taking that extra step. With each success the students build on confidence and self esteem and begin to believe that they have the ability to achieve their goals no matter how small or how big they are. He makes students feel important and valued and they learn to be proud of themselves. John doesn’t believe in giving up on any of them, no matter how they fight learning and school. He is a wonderful teacher and colleague and is supportive to all.

Lesia Zinkann

St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary School

Grade: 8

Number of Years Teaching: 8

Lesia describes a good day of teaching as a day where her students realize that they can do something they did not think they could do, where there is an increase in confidence, where they are taking risks and where students say that they are happy to come to school. As her students gain confidence they begin asking more and more questions which leads to more and more success and self-confidence.

Lesia loves being in the classroom. She gets to know her students both as their teacher and their coach and seeks opportunities to watch them succeeding outside of school. She cares deeply for her students and won’t give up on them. Each day is a new start the past is the past. Lesia believes in the power of a smile and encouraging word. She has always wanted to be a teacher and enjoys seeing her students succeed each day.

Mark, a student in Lesia’s class, created a nomination package of letters from other students about Lesia. Here are some of the comments from Mark and his fellow students:

My grade eight year had to be a fresh start and I was going to work really hard and do everything I needed to be successful and get on the right track. I realized my attitude was great and I had support from home but the most important thing was that I had Mrs. Zinkann as my teacher. She helped me to be successful. She encouraged me to always do my best; she pushed us and was always there for help any time of the day. She made me feel good about myself and that I could do anything if I set my mind to it.

Mrs. Zinkann instills in us to reach for the stars and that it is all within our reach. She reminded us to respect the feelings of others especially when we make choices that could involve or impact our peers. She was an individual who motivated her students and encouraged us always to do our best and believe in our abilities. She encouraged us to remain true to ourselves and not to fall victims to peer pressure.

Our futures are her priority, and she lets us know that. What touches me the most is that she believes in me and in all her students. Her faith alone is motivation. We never want to fail a great woman such as her.

The students, staff and Trustees of Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools congratulated John and Lesia on their outstanding achievement.

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