Summary:
Two Richmond teachers have been honoured for exemplary leadership as recipients of the 2017 National Inclusive Education Awards from the Canadian Association for Community Living and Inclusion BC.
New Westminster, B.C. May 24, 2017 – Eve Minuk (A.R. MacNeill Secondary) and Ray Yoo (Tomekichi Homma Elementary) have been honoured for exemplary leadership as recipients of the 2017 National Inclusive Education Awards from the Canadian Association for Community Living and Inclusion BC.
Nominations for the annual awards are invited as part of Inclusive Education Month every February to celebrate the many successful inclusive classrooms and schools supporting diverse learners across the country.
Ray Yoo
Ray Yoo is a member of the resource team at Tomekichi Homma Elementary School in Richmond. He also coaches the grade six boys’ basketball team.
As a coach, Yoo encourages all students to participate, pointing out that “We’re all good at some things but need help from others to accomplish other tasks,” says parent Lisa Cowell. Ray’s team approach works both on and off the court.
In the classroom, Yoo works with teachers to promote the use of small group work that includes both students with and without special needs. The approach has proven successful and has also spread to other projects and events.
Yoo goes above and beyond to make sure students with special needs are meaningfully included in his classroom and on basketball, volleyball and cheer teams, breakfast club and lunchtime activities such as chess and knitting.
Eve Minuk
Eve Minuk has shown extraordinary leadership throughout her career as life skills learning resource teacher at A.R. MacNeill Secondary School in Richmond.
Minuk goes above and beyond to make sure that students with special needs are included in all aspects of school life, not only in regular classes but also in social activities. She works with classroom teachers to see the students’ learning needs are being met and promotes and showcases inclusion throughout the school.
Students in Minuk’s life skills program are provided with inclusive, individualized learning opportunities that reflect their diverse abilities and interests.
Minuk’s colleague, Marcy Timmins, says “Eve has ensured that inclusion is a standing item at our staff meetings, showcasing what inclusion is, its history and how it can look in our classrooms.”
Minuk’s dedication to inclusion extends beyond the school years. “She is often the link for parents who are navigating their way through unfamiliar territory as their children are preparing to transition out of high school,” says Timmins. She participates in the school districts transitions committee and works with employers to secure customized employment, helping students and their families live a good life after graduation.
Eve Minuk also sits on the board of the Richmond Society for Community Living and is a council member at Community Living BC.
The 2017 awards will be presented at Inclusion BC’s annual learning event in Richmond on June 14, 2017, as part of a full-day Inclusive Education Summit.
Contact
Danielle Kelliher, Director of Communications
dkelliher@inclusionbc.org
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