SMLS Teacher Receives Prime Minister's Award for STEM Teaching

Congratulations to SMLS teacher Sarah Sils, who has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for the 2018 Prime Minister’s Award (PMA) for Teaching Excellence in STEM. This award recognizes inspirational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers at the elementary or secondary school level who keep students engaged in STEM learning and who help develop the culture of innovation that Canada needs today, and in the future. Ms. Sils is one of only 15 teachers across the country to receive this certificate. Ms Sils is an exceptionally deserving recipient!
Message from Head of School Nancy Richards to the SMLS Community
May 3, 2018

Sarah Sils receives Prime Minister's Certificate of Achievement

for Teaching Excellence in STEM

 
 
Dear SMLS Community,
 
I am thrilled to announce that SMLS teacher Sarah Sils has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for the 2018 Prime Minister’s Award (PMA) for Teaching Excellence in STEM. This award recognizes inspirational Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers at the elementary or secondary school level who keep students engaged in STEM learning and who help develop the culture of innovation that Canada needs today, and in the future. Ms. Sils is one of only 15 teachers across the country to receive this certificate. Congratulations to Ms. Sils, who is an exceptionally deserving recipient!
 
Ms. Sils began her career as an electrical engineer and worked in telecommunications before deciding to enter a new vocation as teacher. She joined SMLS in 2007. Ms. Sils is currently a Middle School Science Teacher, the school’s Innovation Lead for STEM, and the lead mentor for the SWAT 771 Robotics team.
 
Under her leadership and mentoring, SWAT 771 has been recognized for a variety of distinguished awards over the years, including the FIRST Robotics Entrepreneurship AwardSpirit AwardJudges Award, and esteemed Regional Chairman’s Award. SWAT 771 was also the first Canadian team to be sponsored by NASA through the Engineering Inspiration Award at the FIRST Robotics World Championships. The impact of the team’s ongoing recognition has been tremendous.
 
Ms. Sils has been instrumental in leading SWATposium, an annual robotics conference hosted at SMLS that brings together nearly 40 robotics teams from Canada and the United States. In the summer of 2017, she played a critical role in a SWAT 771 student and mentor trip to Zhengzhou, China to help expand the model created by FIRST Robotics and promote youth education in engineering throughout China. Most recently, Ms. Sils worked with FIRST Canada to welcome the Afghan Dreamers, an all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan, and arranged for them to work alongside SWAT 771 throughout the build season. The teams, which both experienced tremendous success this year, shared in each other’s challenges and victories.
 
Ms. Sils has been recognized for her outstanding mentorship by FIRST Canada, receiving the Woody Flowers Award, which honours mentors who ‘best lead, inspire, teach and empower their teams,’  as well as the Adult Mentor of the Year Award for FIRST League Lego and the FIRST Community Heroaward in Oakville.
 
In our local communities, Ms. Sils has been instrumental in encouraging and organizing outreach activities for various women and minority groups that would not otherwise be exposed to STEM. SWAT 771 has visited and shared their knowledge with numerous local schools such as E.C. Drury School For the Deaf, and Oliver M. Smith Kawenni:io First Nations School.
 
We are delighted that Ms. Sils is being recognized by Prime Minister Trudeau for her outstanding contributions to STEM education at SMLS and beyond. We are very proud of Ms. Sils and the tremendous impact she has had on our students, our school and STEM education for young women locally, nationally and internationally.
 
How wonderful that Ms. Sils is receiving this award on the eve of her retirement in June – a truly memorable tribute which we will celebrate with her.
 
Please join me in congratulating Ms. Sarah Sils!
 
Nancy
 
Nancy Richards, M.Ed.
Head of School
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