Page xi Page xi 68 HOORAYS more more A huge shout out and congratulations goes out to Teacher Liz McCaw for receiving the most prestigious prize awarded to a teacher in Canada – the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Congratulations! A huge shout out to Amy Nowicki for her dedication to students in Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools. I am so grateful for her tireless efforts organizing the Special Olympics track meet as well as her work with island students leading up to the 3 on 3 Basketball Invitational Youth Games in Toronto this spring. 68 Hoorays go out to Val Martineau, a wonderful, generous and talented educator who gives of herself always, in support of student success. Val has made ‘Tech-quity’ a prominent force in NLPS. Tech-quity (Technology + Equity) being the notion of utilizing educational technology to leverage learning in classrooms for ALL students. Val’s teacher education regarding Read & Write for Google has changed classrooms in NLPS. Students who never would have been able to participate in learning opportunities in an equitable, inclusive manner, are now learning beautifully alongside their peers. Val has made this her mission – Hooray for Val Martineau! Page 11