On October 11th, students, staff and community members gathered in the gymnasium at Holy Redeemer to celebrate the student achievements in the school’s annual Awards Ceremony.
“This is always a momentous occasion,” says Principal Sandy Whitten. “Not only do we get to recognize the achievements of our current students, but also to congratulate the many students who have now graduated that received scholarships to assist them in their post secondary education.”
The Awards Ceremony highlights the achievements of students from the 2023-2024 school year in the categories of athletics, fine arts, citizenship, and academics.
In the first category of athletics, one male and female student, both junior and senior high, were chosen from each team and they were awarded the team’s Most Valuable Player. From there, four students were recognized for their outstanding athletic achievements throughout the year in the Athlete of the Year. The recipients were Myla H (Junior Female), Ethan G (Junior Male), Allison G (Senior Female), and James C (Senior Male).
“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching and teaching these students at HRH and I must say they are all devoted athletes,” says Teacher Mike Bachinsky. “Each of them has gained the respect of their coaches, teachers and fellow athletes. They are excellent choices to receive these awards.”
Fine arts was the next category where students were awarded for their efforts in a variety of artistic avenues such as art and drama. The Drama Awards, which are awarded to students who excel at drama and/or theatre through performance and leadership, and exhibit a positive attitude were awarded to (junior high) Shannon B and Nolan T, and (senior high) Maya D and Landon M.
“I’m always excited to present these awards,” says Drama Teacher Peter Taylor. “These awards are a way to actively encourage those students enrolled in drama to keep honing their skills and participating in the shows, not to mention to be leaders both on and off the stage.”
In the citizenship category, the staff choose two students (one junior and one senior) to receive the Faculty Award, which is awarded to the student who achieves consistently near the top of the class and displays a positive attitude in keeping with the school philosophy. This year would see Josh Pearce (junior) and Drake Rechenmacher (senior) receive these awards.
The final category was academics. Two students from grades 7 to 11 who held top grades in their core subjects were awarded the academic honours awards. The recipients were Cora B and Tahlia P (grade 7), Mason D and Owen S (grade 8), Landon P and Keirsten T (grade 9), Christina B and Carter S (grade 10), and Anne Bernadette N and Stephanie Haland (grade 11).
From there, numerous academic and trade scholarships were awarded to graduated students to help offset some of the costs associated with their post-secondary education. One such student who received a number of scholarships was Alison G. The scholarships she received was the Daniel H. Mitchell Scholarship, as well as the top marks in Biology 30, Chemistry 30, English 30-1, Math 30-1, Physics 30, Social Studies 30-1 and the Grade 12 Academic Honours. All told, she would take home over $4500.
“Alison worked incredibly hard to maintain a high academic standing throughout her schooling years,” says Whitten. “Not only did she achieve top marks throughout her classes, but she also gained the respect and admiration from her peers and teachers.” Whitten went on to praise all of the award recipients. “Thank you for making Holy Redeemer such a positive place for everyone to learn and grow, and setting an amazing example of what can happen with hard work and dedication.”
Holy Redeemer would also like to thank all of the award sponsors including: the HRH Football Program, Edson Victim Services, Edson Oil Ladies, Holy Redeemer School Trustees, Taylor Family, Jim and Janice Taylor, HRH Drama Department, Mr. and Mrs. Cole Kennedy, HRH Parent Advisory Council, Ranger Oilfield Group, Mr. and Mrs. Ron Christie, Living Waters School Division, Edson Forest Products, Woodland Rivers ATA Local, Mr. Ken Smith, Wild Sheep Foundation of Alberta, Tourmaline, Weyerhaeuser, SurePoint, Henry Family Vision Care, and Workun Garrick.
To see a complete list of recipients, go to holyredeemerhigh.ca.
If you would like more information on this article please feel free to contact the school at 780-723-7437 or holyredeemerhigh.ca, and follow HRH on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.