Tom Henihan
Express Staff
Due to ongoing renovations in the school gym, Ecole Providence held this year’s awards and kindergarten graduation ceremony in St. John the Baptist Church on June 20.
Staying with the annual routine, the awards event began with a display of the students’ learning fair at the school where parents and visitors did the rounds, admiring the projects and having the kids explain their exhibits.
Introducing the awards, Principal Krista Veitch thanked everyone for coming, and expressed special thanks to all those who volunteered throughout the year.
Holy Familly Catholic Regional Division superintendent, Betty Turpin, and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Learning, Cora Ostermeier, visited McLennan for the occasion.
Prior to presenting the student awards, HFCRD also presents its long service awards, which acknowledges 5, 10, 20 and 30 years of service with the HFCRD.
This year, Betty Turpin and Corra Ostermeier presented Marie-Anne Jones with her 20-year long-term service award.
Ms. Jones joined Ecole Providence in 1999 and over the past twenty years, she has witnessed numerous changes at the school, including principals, teachers and of course, children.
In presenting the award, Betty Turpin said that through all the changes, “Ms. Jones has remained consistent in her dedication to the students, seeing her role at the school as not just a job but as a vocation, helping children fulfill their potential in all aspects of a well-rounded education: academics, sports, drama, technology and life skills…”
Turpin also cited Jones focus on each individual student, saying Jones is “Always attentive to the kids, and ensures that the library collection is up-to-date and reflects our students’ needs and interests, making the school library a room that the children love to visit. Congratulations Ms. Jones, and thank you for your 20 years of service.”
The students’ awards proceeded through each grade beginning with Grade one and two up to grades 5 and 6 with each student receiving an award in recognition of a particular talent or attribute that distinguished that child during the year.
Each teacher presented their students with awards for proficiency in math, reading, writing, technology, sports or for being cooperative, kind, humorous, and so on.
Kayson Bartram-Soto received the Ecole Providence 2018/2019 “Student Leader Award” and Mary Katherine Jordan received the annual “Sister of Providence Award.”
The awards concluded with the ECS students who along with their awards received their kindergarten graduation certificates.
In previous years, a special send off for graduating grade six students would be part of the awards ceremony as those student moved to a new school for junior high.
However, this year there was no graduating class, as Ecole Providence will offer grade 7 next year and grades 7 and 8 the following year.
Grade 5 student Kayson Bartram-Soto receiving his Ecole Providence 2018/2019 “Student Leader Award” from Peter Jasinsky. 
Amanda Moyles with the graduating kindergarten students. 
Peter Jasinsky and his Grade 5 and 6 students. 
Alicia Milner, with grade 1 and 2 students 
Judith Mawoko with her grade 3 and 4 award recipients.