从左至右：Nelson Mandela High School的副校长Aileen Smyth，校董Trina Hurdman，Keshini Senanayake，校长Teresa Martin和区4主任Dianne Yee。

作为尼尔森·曼德拉高中（Nelson Mandela High School）的一名一年级美术教师，Keshini Senanayake每天都目睹戏剧和音乐的力量。从连接学生群体到为学生提供一个可以做真实自己的安全空间，Senanayake热衷于艺术改变生活的能力。由于她的热情，她被评为卡尔加里教育局（Calgary Board of Education）2018年度著名的埃德温·帕尔（Edwin Parr）教师奖提名人。

Senanayake目前教授各种专业课程，包括器乐、戏剧、电影研究、音乐剧、管乐队和合唱音乐。

“戏剧和音乐都是我们的学生能够远离课堂外的压力，专注于一起创作各种项目的安全空间，”她接受提名时说。

Senanayake与学生们的非凡经历帮助她度过了她的第一年教学，并得到了尼尔森·曼德拉高中同事们的支持。

“我非常幸运地在一个能够每天受尼尔森·曼德拉高中同事们的启发的建筑物中工作，他们不断努力地反思和改进自己的教学实践，”她对教育局说。

Senanayake分享了她的经历，包括一天，她的课堂里与参观的9年级学生举办的即兴合作音乐会，冬季音乐会上她突然看到一片摄像灯光与她的合唱团一起摇曳的强烈时刻，以及第一届曼德拉咖啡屋的“曼德拉时刻”，学生和教师们一起庆祝学校的各种才艺。

“我相信音乐有着强大而独特的力量，能够在一个陌生人的房间中建立联系，并提供一个统一和建立社区的平台，”她说。

要观看Senanayake接受提名的视频，请点击此处查看教育局会议视频。

埃德温·帕尔教师奖每年授予一位展示初始教学能力的新手教师。如果她被选为区域获奖者，她将于今年秋季与其他五个阿尔伯塔省各地的获奖者一起接受表彰。

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L-R: Nelson Mandela High School assistant principal Aileen Smyth, Board chair Trina Hurdman, Keshini Senanayake, principal Teresa Martin, and Area 4 director Dianne Yee.

As a first-year fine arts teacher at Nelson Mandela High School, Keshini Senanayake witnesses the power of drama and music daily. From connecting groups of students to providing a safe space for students to simply be themselves, Senanayake relishes in the ability of the arts to change lives. As a result of her passion, she has been named as the Calgary Board of Education’s 2018 nominee for the prestigious Edwin Parr Teacher Award.

Senanayake currently teaches a wide-ranging course load of instrumental music, drama, film studies, musical theatre, concert band and choral music.

“Both drama and music serve as safe spaces for our students to take a moment away from whatever is stressing them out outside of the classroom, and simply focus on creating various projects together,” she said when accepting the nomination.

Senanayake’s remarkable experiences with her students have helped her through her first year of teaching, along with the supportive help of her colleagues at Nelson Mandela.

“I feel so incredibly lucky to work in a building where every day, I am inspired by my fellow colleagues at Nelson Mandela -- who continuously strive to reflect and better their teaching practice daily,” she told the Board.  

Senanayake shared stories of her experiences, including a day where students in her classroom had an impromptu collaborative concert with visiting Grade 9 students, a powerful moment at the winter concert where she suddenly saw a sea of camera lights waving along to her choir, and a “Mandela moment” at the inaugural Mandela Coffeehouse where students and teachers were together celebrating the school’s various talents.

“I believe that music has the strong, unique power to create connections in a room full of strangers, and can provide a platform to unite and build communities,” she said. 

To watch Senanayake’s acceptance of the nomination, view the Board Meeting video here.

The Edwin Parr Teacher Award is given annually to a novice teacher who demonstrates initial teaching proficiency. If she is selected as the zone winner, she will be recognized along with the five other zone winners from across Alberta at a ceremony this fall.