To coincide with the recent passing of World Teachers’ Day, Staples Canada has announced the winners of their first We Love Teachers contest, which includes an elementary teacher in Maple Ridge.

Harjit Chauhan of Fairview Elementary was one of eight teachers across the country to win this inaugural contest, which awarded her a $1,000 Staples gift card or the choice to upgrade any piece of technology in their classroom, in addition to getting $250 in cash for self-care.

“The We Love Teachers contest is our way to celebrate their efforts and recognize educators who are making a difference in communities to inspire and nurture education across Canada,” said Staples Canada CEO David Boone in a press release.

Staples Canada launched this contest back in the spring and received more than 360 nominations, which were then whittled down to eight finalists, with Chauhan being the only B.C. teacher to win the award.

According to Staples Canada, they selected Chauhan as a winner because she, “instills pride and courageousness within the classroom to speak about cultural diversity, seeking out authentic resources to nurture crucial conversations on equity and diversity among students, fellow educators, and community members.”

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Chauhan was especially proud to have won this award and appreciated that there was now such a large-scale contest to celebrate educators.

“I feel grateful and honored to be selected as one of the winners,” said Chauhan. “I have the wonderful opportunity to work with English language learner students in small groups and that guides my teaching style and the areas of focus. Each year, I look for materials and books that reflect the diverse population in the school and community, along with resources for literacy development.”

With the winners of the first contest now being public, Staples Canada has already begun accepting nominations for their second We Love Teachers contest, which will run until Nov. 15 and announce the winners on Nov. 29.

Staples Canada is encouraging the public to send in nominations by visiting www.staples.ca/weloveteachers, with the person who nominates a finalist also winning a $100 Staples gift card.

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