Members of the Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) board of trustees took home some hardware at the Alberta Catholic School Trustee Association (ACSTA) banquet.
Trustees from school boards across the province gathered in Edmonton for the celebration on Nov. 19.
LCSD board chair Mary Anne Penner was the first to receive recognition after being selected for the Faithful Steward Long Service Award for her 29 years of dedication to the board.
“I was humbled and very appreciative when I received the award. It's always nice to be recognized by your peers, but when I think back, it really doesn't seem that long. Time seems to fly by,” expressed Penner.
She was proud of the advancement's the district has made since she joined the board, and looks forward to continuing the process of making students' lives better.
Penner's colleague and current trustee Vicky Lefebvre echoed her statement after being recognized for 15 years of service.
Overjoyed by the chance to follow some students for their entire school career, Lefebvre expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as trustee.
“I'm honoured to receive this, and I've been honoured to work with the board for the past 15 years. I've been there to see students start in Kindergarten and finish in Grade 12, to see those young ones graduating just makes me tear up,” Kelly Henderson was the final trustee to earn recognition, as she received the Meritorious Service Award. Henderson spent nine years on the LCSD board of trustees, after working within the district as a student assistant and a youth minister.
Expanding on her colleague's comments, Henderson expressed gratitude for being given the opportunity to instill faith in students' education.
“I love that Catholic values can be taught in our schools. Faith is permeated in all subject areas and we are able to pray together as a school community and a parish community,” said Henderson in a release.
In addition to the trustees, the ACSTA recognized Lac La Biche-based teacher Jessica Billingsly with the Edwin Parr Teachers Award.
While proud of their achievements, each of the recipients reiterated when it comes down to it, it's all about the students.
“In the years that I've been a part of this board, I've seen many changes that have certainly ensured the students in our district have the very best opportunities available to them. It's always amazing to me to see how well our district does in so many different ways,” expressed Penner.
