Recipient's Name:  Lorrie Temple             

School:  St. Benedict's Catholic Secondary

Subject:  Student Success

Number of Years Teaching: 14

• Lorrie Temple is in her 14^th year of teaching.  She is Head of the School Improvement program and teaches in Student Success at St. Benedict's Catholic Secondary.

Lorrie has always been attracted to the students who "don't fit the mold" and who are marginalized.  She believes that the majority of kids will be successful but there are 3 or 4 who won't be.  She seeks to find the reason why they aren't being successful and works with that, rewarding them when they are successful and celebrating accomplishments from not skipping classes to owning a poor choice.  Lorrie recognizes that her students have not had it easy and that they need genuine care and attention.  She hears a lot of difficult things about their lives and seeks to nurture them, provide them with a safe and comfortable place to learn and to be a refuge for them where there is some freedom and flexibility.  Lorrie has made a choice to be with them and her students know it. Statistics tell Lorrie that caring for these students and instructing them now really does impact their future.  She recognizes that a grade 12 diploma is important in life and works hard with her students to bring about success.  In the Student Success classroom success comes in different packages but it does come and Lorrie is there to celebrate each success.

Janet, a past Teacher of Excellent Recipient, taught with Lorrie for several years.  She wrote:

Last year Lorrie headed the Literacy Committee and was an agent of transformational change in our school.  I have never seen such diligence in a teacher to change the way the entire school focused on this test. 

I have always been impressed with Lorrie's energy and her love for our students.  We taught together in an Alternative Caring Education class which was composed of students who were truancies, law breakers and "unlovables".  As difficult as these students could be, Lorrie never gave up on them.  She loves the unlovables unconditionally and unfailingly.  She has a heart that holds dear all young people and she carries a burden for them.  She works joyfully to see that every child receives the fair treatment they deserve and she champions the underdog. 

Lorrie is inspiring.  She is respectful and positive.  She is a woman I am happy to know, a teacher I have been honoured to work closely with, and she is a model of excellence.