Wendy Fielder, Dayna Quinn-LaFleche and Margaret Wonko, of Rosser School in the Interlake School Division, are the recipients of the Team Collaboration Award.
The three staff members at Rosser School, Wendy Fielder, the principal, Dayna Quinn-LaFleche, and Margaret Wonko, both teachers, had in common a grand vision: to achieve Earth School III status through the SEEDS Foundation Environmental Initiative. In order to attain this goal, cooperation, collaboration, and commitment were required. The three educators worked with their 39 Kindergarten to Grade 4 students, who in turn worked with their families, to identify and participate in environmentally friendly and restorative actions. In practice, this meant completing, over the period of one year, a total of 1000 environmental activities such as reducing waste, saving energy, reusing or extending use of materials, etc.
Rosser School is one of only four schools in Canada to have achieved Earth III status. National recognition has been bestowed on this small school made up of 39 children who eliminated the word "can’t" from their minds and actions, and have become feisty champions of the environment. It is a testament to the tremendous level of social and environmental engagement of the staff, the students, and the community who continue to make a difference in the world. Spear-headed by Wendy Fielder, Dayna Quinn-LaFleche, and Margaret Wonko, this collaborative project has become an authentic and life-changing experience for all the participants.