by Kathy Johnson
Barrington Municipal High School teacher Wade Banks has been recognized for his outstanding contributions towards health education with a national award.
Banks was presented with Physical Health Education Canada’s (PHE) Health Educator Award at the PHE Conference in Halifax on May 12.
The award “honours an individual for their work to further the importance of health education in Canada and/or who has served as a champion in promoting the importance of Health Promoting Schools at the local, regional, provincial or federal level.”
Banks, who has been teaching Health Living at the Grades 7 to 9 level at BMHS for more than seven years, said it was “very humbling and very surreal” to receive the award. “I feel very lucky as well to have been chosen,” said Banks, adding he considers it “a team award” for the staff at BMHS. “We have a lot of good teachers around here,” he said. “These people do amazing work every day.”
In his awards’ nomination, Banks is described as a teacher “who goes above and beyond the expectations to promote health and wellness both inside and outside his classroom,” offering “a comprehensive school health program that reaches out to many community agencies that help serve his students and school.”
Banks is one of the few designated Healthy Living teachers in the Tri-County Regional School Board. He has been instrumental in implementing the new Healthy Living 7-9 Curriculum, which has strands that fall under healthy relationships, healthy self and healthy community. Banks has also developed various resources and presentations that support and reflect the nature of the new curriculum.
“Wade's focus is always school and students first…By supporting the whole curriculum and facing youth issues head on, Wade has gained the respect of students, parents, colleagues, administration and community leaders.”
Banks is also the recipient of the 2012 Nova Scotia Health Educator Award, and was co-recipient of the national award with Meaghan Macro of Quebec.
