Jessica Reeves honoured for work in classroom

The P.E.I. Agriculture Awareness Committee has presented the 2009 Teacher Recognition Award to Jessica Reeves, a teacher at Kensington Intermediate Senior High School.

This award recognizes a teacher, class, or school that has demonstrated efforts to incorporate agriculture into their classroom activities, above and beyond the normal curriculum standards or their responsibility as a teacher.

Jessica teaches the Agri-Science 801 course and the Agriculture 621 course at the high school level.  Through her work in these courses, she immerses the students in the agriculture industry by teaching them about primary production as well as the other components of the value chain.  She promotes agriculture as a career and gives the students an opportunity explore the colleges and universities in Canada where they could further develop a career in agriculture.  Jessica collaborates well with the agriculture industry frequently having industry representatives join her class as guest speakers.

In addition, Jessica has been instrumental in providing a high quality Agriculture Certificate Program to the students in grades 10, 11, and 12, through her work as the program coordinator.  As coordinator, she organizes agriculture activities for both inside and outside of the classroom environment including: the Farmer’s Share Meal, the Drive Away Hunger campaign to support local food banks, the Living Nativity Scene, the grade 10 Eastern tour, the grade 11 Western tour, the Nova Scotia tour, a trip to the Nova Scotia Agriculture College, a trip to the P.E.I. Easter Beef Show, a trip to the Atlantic Farm Mechanization Show, as well as attendance at various local agriculture events.  Jessica uses every opportunity to mentor and encourage her students.  She is a positive, pro-active person; a true agriculture ambassador; and a valuable resource and role model for her students.

Jessica was nominated for this award by her colleagues: George Aiken, school principal, and Heather Carver, Travel and Tourism Certificate Program Coordinator.