Recipient Bios (wz00795)

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Year: 2001 – Province: Ontario

Certificate of Achievement Recipients

Carl Des Granges

School: Bayside Public School
RR 2
Belleville, Ontario  K8N 4Z2

Principal: Lorna Hanrahan
School Telephone: 613-962-0694
School Fax: 613-962-0035
School website: www.hpedsb.on.ca/bayps
Grades/Subjects Taught: Grade 6, French immersion

Teaching approach:

Together we can make a difference for the one who really counts.

Outstanding achievements:

Creates a learning environment that allows students to thrive:

  • multicultural units expose students to food, culture, art and history of many regions; a Central America unit culminated in a Cajun/Mexican feast for families in the school gym; a study of the West included a Rodeo and Wild West competition
  • art festival featured a gallery of student native art followed by a talent show
  • micro-society project transformed classroom into a small town: elected officials managed the government, the class held job interviews for important business positions, and a mini-economy of micro-dollars funded rental of desks, levied taxes and charged fines for classroom infractions
  • Création 29, a French- and English-language newsletter is written, formatted and assembled by students: the newsletter is sold to raise funds for a class trip, but also provides students with bilingual writing experience, helps them develop teamwork and project management skills, and is fun.

Sparks interest in physical activity with a broad range of sports activities:

  • round robin baseball tournament with other Grade 6 classes ends with Thanksgiving meal
  • football games lead students to re-enact the Superbowl, complete with a tailgate party and Texas chili
  • letters written to professional sports teams resulted in an exciting variety of team gifts, including an autographed hockey stick.

Caps year with an overnight trip to Montréal as a final test of the students' bilingual skills. Students visit several museums, dine in a French restaurant, tour Old Montréal and sing the national anthem in Olympic Stadium.

Rave reviews:

Mr. Des Granges leads a classroom like no other, using his ingenious ability to enlighten the lives of so many children. His work is stimulating, exhilarating and contagious. Parent

His sweet craziness is like a vison of what learning in a school setting should be all about; he concocts activities that are challenging, engaging and authentic. Fellow teacher