A Springfield Heights School teacher received surprise at the school last week.

Alexandra Nazarevich was one of 17 teachers from across the country who were surprised with A Day Made Better prize package on Oct. 2.

A Day Made Better is an initiative of  the Grand & Toy office supplies chain. It rewards extraordinary teachers with a prize package that includes $1,500 in school supplies and a new ergonomic chair from Safco.

The award program, which is in its fourth year, recognizes teachers who provide special treatment to students, parents or their colleagues. Teachers are selected through a nomination process involving submissions from students, parents or colleagues, which are then reviewed by a selection committee.
Susan Zuk nominated Nazarevich for the award because of her commitment to the English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program at the school.

Zuk, who is the president of Manitoba Parents for Ukrainian Education, said Nazarevich goes the extra mile to ensure her students receive the best education possible.

"Alexandra is a teacher who I saw would go above and beyond in looking for resources which would enhance the learning of the students in her class and for the EUBP as a whole," said Zuk, who has two children who were taught by Nazarevich.

"She often worked many extra hours to ensure the resources were identified and created. This showed me her dedication and caring nature in regards to teaching her students and ensuring she had the tools to allow them to succeed. I found this an extremely admirable trait and deserving of recognition."

Nazarevich, who teaches the Grade 3 and 4 English-Ukrainian program at the school, said she never expected to receive an award for doing what she loves.

"There were lots of emotions, I was a little shocked initially," said Nazarevich, who was one of the pioneers of the English-Ukrainian program in Manitoba.

"I told my school staff that they all deserve awards for their hard work. It takes teamwork to accomplish anything in life."

Nazarevich said taking part in the bilingual program offers a unique opportunity for students.

"I feel it is important to have the opportunity to be educated in the English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program so that children can discover and explore their roots and heritage, although not everyone enrolled in the EUBP is of Ukrainian descent," she said.

"Springfield Heights School is a fine environment to learn languages and about cultural diversity since it is a unique triple-track school including English, French Immersion, and Ukrainian Bilingual Programs. It’s a passion of mine to teach kids."

For more information on A Day Made Better, go to grandandtoy.com/betterday.

­—With files from Dani Finch

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adrian.alleyne@canstarnews.com