Local Teacher Recognized By Peers

A local physical education teacher has been awarded the highest honour by the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association (NBTA).

Kim Giddens of Belleisle Regional High School has been named this year’s recipient of the Centennial Award.

Giddens was presented with her award during the association’s virtual annual general meeting over the weekend.

Connie Keating, NBTA vice-president, said Giddens has devoted four decades to motivating her students to reach their full potential.

“Whether she is providing avenues for students with disabilities to be a member of a sports team or supporting students to deepen their global competencies through extracurricular activities, she is a community pillar who goes above and beyond to be a mentor for youth and colleagues,” said Keating.

Keating said Giddens’ dedication to inclusionary practices led her to coach a basketball team made up of students with and without intellectual disabilities.

The team’s bronze-medal win in their division at the Special Olympics in Fredericton a few years ago inspired the creation of a bowling team, enabling the students to have another team to be physically active and represent their school, she said.

“One of Kim’s colleagues said it best. She looks at what our students can do rather than what they cannot do,” said Keating.

Over the past year during the pandemic, Giddens constructed a world of outdoor learning for her students.

They learned to make rainfall predictions, classified trees and identified animal tracks, constructed a bridge across a watercourse, and played snow golf.

“In the words of her colleagues, not only does Kim teach students key fundamentals, but she creates incredible, inclusive learning experiences for her students despite not having access to a lot of equipment,” said Keating.

Outside of the classroom, Giddens is a volunteer firefighter with the Belleisle Valley Fire Department and organizes fundraisers, among other things.

Giddens said it is an honour to join the group of educators who have received the Centennial Award.

She said she has loved every single moment of her 40-year teaching career.

“When I started this profession, I took it in as a lifelong career and I guess you could see by the length of time I’ve been here, it’s been a lifelong career,” Giddens said with a laugh.

“It’s a great community that I live and work in. You couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with..

Established in Canada’s Centennial Year, 1967, the Centennial Award is presented annually to a person who has made a significant contribution to education in New Brunswick.

Congratulations to Kim Giddens, Belleisle Regional High School, physical education teacher, winner of the 2021 @NBTeachersAssn Centennial Award. She is recognized for making a significant contribution to education in NB.https://t.co/eEsj8nmhem

— ASD-South (@ASD_South) May 30, 2021