Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to pay tribute to a very special teacher, Mona MacDonald.
I was pleased to attend the prestigious Awards for Teaching Excellence reception on May 10, 2000. Mona MacDonald, a teacher from West Pictou Consolidated School, was one of 16 of approximately 240,000 teachers in Canada to be awarded the Certificate of Excellence from the Prime Minister.
Ms. MacDonald has been credited with the establishment of a learning centre to provide remedial help for students. Each year she works with approximately 40 students from primary to grade eight. Many of these students increase their skill levels to a point where remedial help is no longer necessary.
Ms. MacDonald's philosophy capitalizes on the triple A of success: attitude, advocacy and assistive technology, to help both gifted as well as those with learning disabilities. She is progressive in her thinking and a firm believer that technology is an important teaching tool in today's classroom which she calls the comfort zone. Her innovative methods have garnered her rave reviews from parents and peers alike. She is a devoted teacher who benefits many with her support and encouragement in technology.
I wish to thank Mona MacDonald for her dedication to education and contribution to our future, our youth. Her commitment to excellence is inspiring.