Honours students form a line to shake hands with facility and school board members during Tuesday night’s MCHS Awards. – Stephen Dafoe Photos
by Stephen Dafoe
An endless stream of award recipients crossed the Morinville Community Cultural Centre stage Tuesday night as MCHS students, alumni, parents and friends gathered for the school’s annual awards night. This year 279 awards, valued at $76,015 were handed out in recognition of a variety of academic achievements.
Awards included those in career and technology studies (11 awards), fine arts (6), Cultural and religion (3), Canadian Mathematics Competition Awards, leadership awards (3), service awards (4), Grade 12 Business Community Awards and Scholarships and a number of others.
Topping the academic awards was the Governor General’s Academic Medal presented by Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools Board Chair Noreen Radford to Lena Krause. The award is presented to the student with the highest combined average in Grade 11 and 12.
The Alexander Rutherford Scholarships encourages the pursuit of excellence by recognizing outstanding achievement. The award, supported by the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund, was presented to 24 students this year. The combined value of the 24 awards was who will receive a total of $52,200.
A large number of awards were also given out for academic achievements at the Grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 levels.
Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools Board Chair Noreen Radford said she was thankful to the community for recognizing MCHS student success by sponsoring the large number of awards. “What an awesome evening,” Radford said. “This is the best part of my job and seeing the kids recognized. I’m sure the students appreciate the monetary awards. We appreciate their academic success.”
MCHS Principal Todd Eistetter was also pleased with the evening. “There was probably close to 500 people here for it and a large number of the students who had graduated and won awards were here for it,” Eistetter said. “It’s a lot of work by the students, the parents, faculty, community members. I think it’s a real group effort. The old proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I think this [awards night] really highlights that. We had over 50 award sponsors from different community organizations. I think it really highlights that proverb and shows that it’s true.”
Top award winners for the evening were Jared Kernahan who walked away with seven awards: Business Community Award Math 30-2, English 30-2, and Social Studies 30-2, an Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, Palmer Award, Grade 12 Honours, and the Knights of Columbus Top General Grade 12 Award. Ben Lawrence also walked away with a handful of awards, six in all: the Phtography/ Videography Award, Cayley Canadian Math Contest Grade 10 3rd place, Personal Growth English 10-1 ATA, Phil Whiting Memorial Award Science 10, Grade 10 Honours, Knights of Columbus Top Honours Grade 10.
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