Woods_pam

Jeff Green | Jun 19, 2008

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After teaching for over 22 years or in the area, Pam Woods will receive the Limestone District School Board’s JC McLeod Award for teaching excellence in the elementary panel.

“I was stunned when I found out about the award”, said the Sharbot Lake resident. “It’s lovely to be recognized, but really the kudos come day to day, teaching kids how to read, and the magic of mathematics, watching the light turning on, that’s the real recognition.” And with the amount of paperwork, the school, students and parents have to do to nominate one teacher from every school in the district, “It was an honour just to be nominated”.

Pam Woods graduated from the University of Toronto and started her first year teaching in Simcoe County in 1977, while her husband, retired high school teacher Gary Giller, got a teaching position in a little place called Sharbot Lake. After a year of commuting 250 miles on weekends, Pam resigned herself to joining Gary in Sharbot Lake and she’s been teaching in the Limestone district ever since.

As one of the hundreds of students who were taught by Pam Woods, I don’t have to think hard to remember the bright colourful classroom that was grade 1.

I remember spelling lists, dress-up corner, and huge teeth-loss charts, and Ms. Woods bright umbrellas.

Pam Woods did and still does represent a smile at the beginning of every day, someone to congratulate you on your exciting new toy or story, and best of all someone to explain the wonders of the world.

Congratulations Ms Woods, you’ve certainly earned it!