2011 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Laurie Crain-Anez
Carousel Players is pleased to announce that Laurie Crain-Anez, a teacher and arts coach in visual art and drama in Catholic schools across Niagara, is the 2011 winner of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. On January 25th at the Niagara Catholic District School Board meeting, the Norah Morgan Award presentation was made to Mrs.Crain-Anez by Debra McLauchlan, Chair of the Carousel Players Board of Directors. Mrs. Crain-Anez selected St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School in Niagara Falls to receive a free Carousel Players performance of Peg and the Yeti on April 4, 2011.
Two educators who nominated Laurie (Nadine Riddle and Christine Rotundo) said, “Laurie Crain-Anez has shared her love of the Arts by engaging students, staff members and members of the arts community as part of her daily life throughout her teaching career. As a classroom teacher Mrs. Crain-Anez used the arts daily in her teaching. They say to teach is to touch a life forever and Mrs. Crain-Anez has touched so many lives by introducing them to the world of the Arts.” Mrs. Crain-Anez has been a member of the Niagara Catholic District School Board’s Arts Curriculum Council, has participated in the revision process of the Arts Curriculum Document for the Ministry of Education, conducted Arts workshops for the Niagara Catholic District School Board Professional Activity Days and also volunteers on the City of Niagara Falls’ Arts & Culture Committee.
“This is a great honour to win this teaching award named after Norah Morgan, said Crain-Anez. “I had the privilege of learning from Norah at Brock’s Faculty of Education when I completed my Dramatic Arts certification. Norah was so inspiring – I’ve used her book as a teaching resource so often that it’s now in pieces.”
2010 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Sharon Hellinga
Carousel Players is pleased to announce that Sharon Hellinga, an art teacher and librarian from Lakeview Public School in Grimsby is the 2010 winner of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. Mrs. Hellinga received the award on February 9, 2010 at the Board meeting of the District School Board of Niagara. Lakeview School received a free performance by Carousel Players of Danny, King of the Basement for students in Grades 4 to 8 at Mrs. Hellinga’s school in Grimsby on March 10, 2010.
Her nominator, Lakeview School Principal Andrea Jack said, “Mrs. Hellinga has made an incredible impact in the arts with students, staff members and administration over her 12 years teaching at our school. She models her love of art everyday and ties that love into literacy and social studies daily. All you need to do is walk through our school’s front doors to see her influence on the walls and classrooms of the school. The “Peace” mural project displayed in the front foyer of our school began as a Remembrance Day project initiated by Mrs. Hellinga that involved 30 students. It is a showcase of our students’ creative talents and a symbol of our students’ commitment to become agents of change in their world.”
2009 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Anneliese Burke
Carousel Players is pleased to announce that teacher Mrs. Anneliese Burke from Notre Dame Catholic Elementary School in Niagara Falls is the 2009 winner of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. Mrs. Burke received the award on Tuesday, January 27th at the Trustees Meeting of the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
Notre Dame School Principal Lorrie MacKenzie who nominated her said, “Mrs. Burke is a very energetic teacher who uses song, music, drama, expression and “oomph” to emphasize learning in everything she does with her junior and senior kindergarten classes. Seeing one of Mrs. Burke’s students’ performances makes us marvel at how the arts can bring out the very best in 3 to 5 year olds.” Mrs. Anneliese Burke’s career in teaching spans 32 years in 3 Niagara Falls Schools – Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Joseph and Notre Dame Catholic School and teaching all grades from JK to 8 except Grades 1 and Grade 6. Anneliese Burke is a teacher who actively celebrates the arts and fosters creativity and confidence in her pupils. “I believe that the arts are for everyone and we should encourage children to actively participate in music, dance, drama and art,” said Burke. “In my classes, we listen to music, sing and dance every day and make the words in our books come alive.”
2008 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Jerome Black
Carousel Players is pleased to announce that teacher Jerome Black from Maple Grove Public School in Beamsville is the 2008 recipient of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. Jerome Black received the 2008 Norah Morgan Memorial Award on January 22, 2008 at the District School Board of Niagara Board of Trustees meeting in St. Catharines.
This is the third annual presentation of the award in memory of drama education pioneer Norah Morgan. Nominated by his former Principal Genny Weerdenburg, who said “Jerome’s passion for the Arts (music, drama and dance) has been very evident not only within the very walls of Maple Grove School but also throughout the Niagara Region. His Grade 4/5 students and every student at Maple Grove School are the lucky recipients of his creativity and marvel at his natural ability to bring the arts alive. While at Maple Grove School, he has written, directed, managed, produced and choreographed a number of theatrical productions such as: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Rumpelstiltskin, Fame MG ( standing for Maple Grove, of course!) and is currently in the process of producing My Father’s Dragon. During these productions, Maple Grove School turns into a theatrical dream, with the helping hands of the school community waiting with baited breath to see what Jerome will create. Jerome teaches/co-teaches the Kindergarten to Grade 5 Arts Curriculum (music, drama and dance) and he has arranged for the students to visit Carousel Players, the Symphony in Hamilton and “Lion King” in Toronto. His Grade 4/5 students have recently been involved in Koi and the Koala: An African Folktale using ‘black light’ as an English integrated curriculum project, all under his direction. In the school community he is known, appreciated and loved for his many talents.”
2007 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Barb Hennessy
Carousel Players is pleased to announce St. George’s Barb Hennessy as the second recipient of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. This year, the award goes to an educator in the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
Her nominator, Principal Bob Grand noted, “Barb demonstrates the qualities of an excellent teacher in the arts. For not being an arts major, she put her creative ability and teaching experience to test at St. George. She has impressed her colleagues with her re-enactment of the Titanic story with her grade two/three class one year. Implementing the curriculum along with drama, she had each of her students dress the part of a passenger on the Titanic. Each student was responsible for explaining his or her researched role in the story to the parents and students of the school in a performance. It was remarkable to see the students role play the history of the story, with a wall sized ship, music, food and replicas of ticket menus and programs.”
Barb Hennessy, was in fact a past student of Norah Morgan during her undergraduate education at Brock University. Dr. Debra McLauchlan, selection committee member and student of Norah, aptly stated, “Norah is smiling down at us for recognizing the achievements of these special arts educators.”
2006 Norah Morgan Award Winner – Tim Mallory
Carousel Players is pleased to announce Dalewood Senior Public School’s Tim Mallory as the first recipient of the Norah Morgan Memorial Award. Through the creation of new music programming, award winner Tim Mallory has fostered a love of music in his students, engaging 90% of Dalewood’s student body to participate in choir and orchestra. Mallory started his teaching career in 1990 as an itinerant instrumental music teacher with the Lincoln County Board of Education where he nearly doubled student enrolment in the program over four years. Mallory has been at Dalewood Senior Public School for the past 12 years where he has successfully built a school choir of over 200 students, organized “Choral Spring Sing” for St. Catharines North End Schools, started a grade 8 instrumental music program, as well as organized and led Dalewood’s annual Christmas concert and Spring variety show.
What is most impressive about Tim Mallory is his genuine passion for music and for teaching. Dalewood principal Mary Ulisko, who nominated Tim for the award, recognizes his special connection with his students: “Tim Mallory is passionate and he instils interest, understanding and passion in his students.”
