Peel - Peel District School Board schools will host hundreds of special activities and events to celebrate Education Week 2008 from April 14 to 25. On April 21, the board will host Showcase of Excellence, an evening to honour Award of Excellence recipients for their outstanding contributions to public education.

"Our Education Week theme, We welcome the world, highlights the Peel board's distinctive diversity of learners," says Jim Grieve, director of education. "As a board, we celebrate and embrace diversity and growth—it's what makes us unique. It's who we are and what we strive to be."

During Showcase of Excellence, students, volunteers, staff and community partners will be honoured for their dedication to Peel students. The following 30 individuals will be presented Awards of Excellence at the event:

Brampton
Sylvia Ananthan, Teacher, Madoc Drive P.S.
Carrie Andrews, Volunteer, Homestead P.S.
Pat Bayes, Teaching Assistant, Conestoga P.S.
Carmelina Crupi, Teacher, Central Peel S.S.
Arlene Dennis, Head Secretary, Shaw P.S.
Kelly Grigor, Teaching Assistant, Roberta Bondar P.S.
Rasulan Hoppie, Department Head, Harold M. Brathwaite S.S.
Veneice Hurditt, Student, Royal Orchard Middle School
Moveta Nanton, Vice Principal, Heart Lake S.S.
Angie Nesci, Lunchroom Supervisor, Northwood P.S.
Darren Reed, Teacher, North Peel S.S.
Kay Tull, Volunteer, McHugh P.S.

Caledon
Gail Green, Head Secretary, Credit View P.S.
Dianne Keough, Teaching Assistant, Alloa P.S.
Fred Twitchin, Commuinty Member, James Bolton P.S.

Mississauga
Tanya Arora, Student, Gordon Graydon Memorial S.S.
Luciana Cardarelli, Principal, Sheridan Park P.S.
Anne-Marie Citro, Teaching Assistant, Applewood School
Sue Corbett, Teacher, Peel Alternative School West
John Fobert, Head Custodian, McKinnon P.S.
Heather Jessop, Teacher Librarian, Whitehorn P.S.
Kevin Little, Teacher, Cawthra Park S.S.
Amanda Martyniuk, Student, Streetsville S.S.
Graham Maule, Student, Queen Elizabeth Sr. P.S.
Vincent Normore, Teacher, Oakridge P.S.
Adam Peer, Teacher, Ellengale P.S.
Jeryl Phillips, Teacher, HJA Brown Education Centre
Natasha Trueman, Student, Hazel McCallion Sr. P.S.
Marilyn Willis, Instructional Coordinator, HJA Brown Education Centre
Ashley Yoannou, Student, John Fraser S.S.

In addition, the Peel board will honour Donna Baker, a teacher at Roberta Bondar Public School, as this year's Education Champion. Baker is also a literacy and instructional expert who is renowned within Peel and Ontario for her work in developing reading strategies posters that display visual cues for students and teachers. She has also published a number of resources for teachers and is a sought-out instructor and lecturer at national conferences.

More than 750 individuals will also be honoured with Awards of Distinction for their contributions to their school or workplace during Education Week. Peel schools are inviting parents and community residents to visit their classrooms during the week, and are also hosting open houses, plays/musicals, storytelling sessions, environmental activities, awards assemblies, talent shows and much more.

Showcase of Excellence will take place April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario St. in Mississauga.