Orion Edwards Surprises Hudson’s Hope Teacher with Energizing Community Award
Classroom Champions athlete mentor Orion Edwards visited Hudson’s Hope Elementary School to surprise local educator Suzan Bach with an award.
Ms. Suzan Bach has been part of Classroom Champions since 2017, and was awarded with the Energizing Communities Champion Award for her creative leadership and dedication to student physical and mental wellness.
Classroom Champions matches world-class athletes with classrooms to improve student engagement, build growth mindsets, and inspire positive educational environments. Throughout the year-long curriculum, the students learn critical skills like goal setting, perseverance, teamwork and leadership. The special in-person school event is made possible by PETRONAS.
Athlete Mentor, Orion Edwards visits Hudson’s Hope
Team Canada Bobsleigh Captain Orion Edwards visited the remote community school, nestled in the beautiful forests one hour from Fort St John in northern BC.
He read books to the grade 1 class he has been mentoring online all year, and answered student questions with grade 5s (funniest question: if you could ride one of your cats, which one would you ride?).
“Did you see that Orion is HERE? I’ve never met a famous person before!!” — grade 1 student
Community Impact beyond the Classroom Walls:
Orion and the Classroom Champions staff then participated in the school-wide community cleanup, and jumped into games stations with all grades including balloon volleyball, double dutch jump rope, and basketball!
Suzy Bach is Awarded the Energizing Communities Champion Award
A highlight of the day was surprising Ms. Bach with the award. All students from elementary to high school gathered in the gym to surprise her. She got emotional watching a tribute video with all her former athlete mentors from previous years, previous students she has impacted, and a special message of congratulations from Classroom Champions co-founder and CEO Steve Mesler. Principal Derrek Beam and school division Director of Instruction Wade Hart shared heartfelt remarks about the impact Ms. Bach and Classroom Champions have had on the students and positive school culture.
“What I couldn’t have expected about my time working with Classroom Champions is how much I have been inspired by the curiosity, kindness, and resilience from these students. They have shown great growth, and desire to learn about what it means to train on the world-stage. I cannot wait to meet them in person on May 11, and make a lasting impression as I instill confidence that they can chase their dreams whatever ‘tunnel’ they choose to pass through in life!” — Orion Edwards
“Thank you Ms. Bach for your leadership, thank you Mr. Beam for supporting excellent programs like this, and thank you to Classroom Champions for partnering with our district for all these years. And a special thank you to you: the students, for being so excited to connect with your athlete and work hard to be the best you can be. We at the district believe in our staff and students, and we are excited to keep seeing this program grow in the years to come. Congratulations Ms. Bach!” — Wade Hart, Peace River North Director of Instruction
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