MSLA Outstanding Teacher-Librarian of the Year  

Henri Dupuis

Teacher-Librarian, Springfield Heights School, River East Transcona School Division

Henri Dupuis has always personified the role of teacher-librarian, teaching LwICT and promoting literacy not only in his school but at the divisional and provincial levels, as well. Henri is a master teacher who constantly strives to lead his students to higher level thinking and to take ownership for their learning. He promotes global citizenship by example.

Henri has taught for 26 years, 25 of those in the River East Transcona School Division. In the past six years, he has been the teacher-librarian at Springfield Heights School.  His staff and administration speak highly of his programs, clubs and of Henri as a friend. He has certainly made a huge impression on the students he works with.

Henri’s library program is unique in that Springfield Heights School is triple-track. He works hard to collaborate and co-teach with teachers in the English, French and Ukrainian programs. All three have their challenges. His program is organized so that each grade is given different, more challenging assignments. He also includes the students in their own assessment which develops their metacognition skills.

Besides his regular program, Henri also has many extra-curricular clubs. He runs two French literacy clubs: “Je lis tout” for grades 4-6 and “Lis moi tout” for grades K-3. This year he started a library club in which the members maintain the bulletin boards, and set up displays to promote books, authors, series and illustrators. Henri also has a MYRCA club for grade 5 and 6 students.  He has taken students to “Thin Air: Winnipeg International Writers Festival” and always has an interesting “I Love to Read” theme, bringing in guest speakers and authors to the school 

In Springfield Heights, Henri helps manage the K Kids Club. These global learners have done much for their community. They manage fund-raising for UNICEF, Winnipeg Harvest and Salome Mission. They work in the Holy Redeemer soup kitchen and hold a spirit week called “Movies with a Cause” in which they make presentations to raise awareness about such illnesses as asthma and leukemia and then show videos about them. Henri’s latest project involves working with radio personality Bubba B from Hot 103 who has written and recorded several children’s songs. Along with author John Toone, his students will be helping to create graphic novels/comic style for some of the songs.

Henri is a professional development leader both in his school and at the divisional level. For example, at Springfield Heights he has instructed staff on the use of PowerPoint and Prezi.  At the divisional level, Henri has helped organize the purchasing and distribution of new French videos and music CDs, he has helped set up the division’s library automation system, and during PD sessions, has presented many innovative projects that he is doing in the library and classroom. In this way, he has been a wonderful support to both new and seasoned teacher-librarians in the division.  As well, Henri has been an executive member of the River East Teacher Librarian Association, and while president, he represented the Association in talks with the superintendent regarding the importance of school libraries.

At the provincial level, Henri has attended and presented at the Summer Monarch Teaching Network for three years. He is a member of the Winnipeg Children’s Literature Roundtable and attends the MYRCA dinners and the Amelia Read-in as well as many other events offered by the WCLR. Whenever SAGE has been held in RETSD, Henri has been there to help with the set up and take down at the end of the day.

On Saturday mornings when the rest of us are sipping our coffee and reading the paper, Henri is busy promoting French language and culture on his radio program called “La musique pour tout le monde.” As a regular feature, Henri’s grade 5 students serve as guest reporters.  One of their tasks as “reporters” is to complete an artist profile of a French singer and then choose songs by that musician to be played on the radio.  Henri also has his grade 6 students plan, research and perform a pre-taped program for the show called “La ligue des radio sholaire”.

Being a teacher-librarian in one language is challenging enough; accomplishing this feat in three languages is a testament to Henri’s dedication to libraries, learning and student achievement.  

MSLA School Administrator Award for Distinguished Service  

Brad Corbett  

Principal, Grosvenor School (Winnipeg School Division)

Brad Corbett made a connection very early in his teaching career between having a well-stocked library,  a qualified and adequate library staff, and student achievement.    As Vice-Principal of Dufferin School, he continually supported the library and literacy programs.   When Brad became the Administrator of Grosvenor School, he recognized that the school needed an updated library and a teacher-librarian.  Because he valued the function and purpose of the library, he envisioned the space as a multimedia centre. In order to create that centre, he acquired funding to purchase a Mac Lab.  Brad also obtained funding for a new circulation desk to accommodate a new PC computer, a scanner and a printer for the library automation process. Four iMacs were also made available for students and staff to search materials in the library.  

Through Brad’s vision and commitment, the library has become a vibrant and an integral place in the school which is utilized by teachers, educational assistants, clinicians, guest presenters, students, parents, the community, after school programs, the chess and drama club, staff meetings and parent council meetings. The library space has been reorganized to include a quiet reading area with leather chairs and a coffee table created by the students, a SmartBoard, a teaching area and a comfortable, inviting, carpeted area for the teacher-librarian to read books or give book talks to classes. 

Mr. Corbett is a global thinker and as such, he was the driving force behind Grosvenor School’s involvement in a three year project on human rights which coincided with the building of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Brad was instrumental in acquiring permission to use the image of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on a banner which is proudly displayed on the exterior of the school. The goal was to learn about human rights and to help the students in the school better understand and make sense of their world. In-services on inquiry and assessment were provided for all staff with Brad and the teacher-librarian supporting teachers and students with inquiry-based projects. Relevant materials were researched, purchased and have become valuable resources in the library.  Brad fostered the creation of the Human Rights Kits for each grade level with books and related lesson plans.  To further the multimedia concept, Brad advocated for, promoted and supported the production of student films by budgeting for the purchase of the necessary video equipment to create these films. Students were involved in the dramatization of a picture book and a human rights newscast which were both coordinated by the teacher-librarian.  This video equipment continues to be utilized by staff for film production to enhance various themes in their classrooms.

In addition to his annual budgeting to build the library collection, Brad and the teacher-librarian collaborate on the planning of the semi-annual book fairs which are fund-raisers for the library. This year, a unique fund-raising project called the “Grosvenor Gallery Glitz” was organized by a parent and enthusiastically supported by Brad.  The proceeds were designated for the purchase of new books for the library.  

Brad sees the role of the teacher-librarian as a vital and essential teaching resource for staff and students, and has expanded the role to include the teaching of technology. To encourage collaboration between the classroom teachers and the library, Brad includes the teacher-librarian in all grade level team meetings.

Throughout his tenure at Grosvenor School, Brad has been resolute and effective in establishing and enhancing the purpose and scope of the library in the school.  With Brad’s vision, Grosvenor’s School library is truly the “heart of the school.” 

MSLA Distinguished Service Awards
 Ellen Donogh

Teacher-Librarian, Queenston and Luxton Schools (Winnipeg School Division)

Ellen has been an active leader in education and school librarianship in the Winnipeg School Division for many years.   From 1977 to 1985, Ellen worked at Norquay School in Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 4, and as a Music and Special Education teacher.   She was inspired to move into the school library after attending a conference on children’s literature.  Her enthusiasm for the field and especially for children’s literature has grown and flourished since that time.  From 1985 to 1999, Ellen worked at Lord Selkirk School in Grade 6 and as the teacher-librarian and technology teacher.  After that, she moved to Queenston School where she has been a teacher-librarian and technology teacher ever since.  With declining enrollment, in 2011 Ellen took on a similar half-time position at Luxton School.

Ellen’s instructional and research methods are both student and teacher-friendly.  Working with classroom teachers, she teaches students the skills they need to become independent learners.  Ellen is readily available to work with groups either in the classroom or in the library according to their learning needs.  There is an excellent balance between literature, technology and independent learning skills in these collaborative activities. 

The students, staff and parents of both Luxton and Queenston schools value the leadership Ellen provides in their academic, cultural and community outreach programs.  Currently, she hosts a “Bookworms Book Club” once a month after school for approximately twenty-five grade 4-6 students. Ellen also maintains two noon-hour “Computer Clubs” for grades 4-6 students. 

Ellen has been quick to share her knowledge of books and technology at the school and divisional levels. She works with the technology committees of both Queenston and Luxton schools in order to help teachers become more comfortable with technology and learn how to integrate it into their lessons.  As a member of the WSD South District Technology Mentors Committee and the WSD Library Advisory Council,Ellen has provided divisional in-servicing  for Winnipeg School Division South teachers on various technology and literacy-related themes. 

In collaboration with the schools administrators, Ellen has co-authored many successful grant applications.  These include grants for the “Artists in the Schools” program, the “Children’s Heritage Fund,” the “Indigo Love of Reading Foundation,” Ignite and Lego Robotics.  To raise additional funds for the library, Ellen also works with parents and students each year to operate book fairs.  The proceeds of these book fairs have enabled Queenston and Luxton schools to purchase additional resources, and to host guest authors, illustrators and storytellers especially during “I Love to Read Month.” 

Ellen served on the initial Winnipeg School Division’s “Brookside Cemetery Tours Remembrance Day Project,” has directed Manitoba Day Celebrations, and organized the  “Valentines for Veterans” at  her school.  Due to her leadership, the staff and students at Queenston School have been encouraged to participate in a variety of outreach programs with Winnipeg Harvest, Siloam Mission and UNICEF.  For many years, Queenston students and their families have worked closely with the Kathy Knowles Library program in Ghana, fostered by the schools’ global initiatives.

As MSLA’s Co-Journal Editor from 2000-2008, Ellen contributed significantly to the leadership of the provincial school library community.  She was the Secretary of the MSLA from 2005-2007 and SAG Committee member from 2000-2007.  She has maintained an active membership in ManACE since 1999.  Since 1997, Ellen has served as a book reviewer for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and has been active in the Winnipeg Children’s Literature Roundtable.  As a member of the Title Selection Committee of the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, Ellen keeps abreast of current literature trends and readily shares these with her colleagues.

For all her years of continued service to the school library community, Ellen Donogh is clearly one of its most distinguished members.