The York Catholic District School Board and The Council for Exceptional Children, York Region Chapter #543, would like to acknowledge and congratulate all student and adult recipients of the 2022 Yes I Can Awards.
The annual Yes I Can Awards returned this year in a virtual format on May 18th, 2022.
The council recognizes the accomplishments of exceptional students who have made significant achievements in the categories of School & Community, Academics, Arts, Athletics, Self-Advocacy, Technology and Transition. We wish to congratulate you on your win and thank you for the contributions you’ve made to your school, home and community. We are so proud of your hard work and effort. Well done!
The Council for Exceptional Children also recognizes staff, parents and community members who have given outstanding service to the Catholic Education Centre (CEC) or directly to exceptional children and youth in the categories of President’s Award, Educational Leader, Teacher of the Year, Paraprofessional of the Year, Parent Award, and Business Award.
York Catholic would like to congratulate the following adult winners for their outstanding work and commitment to supporting our exceptional students:
- Vince’s Market: Giancarlo and Carmen Trimarchi, Business Award Winners.
Who “generously donated aprons, hats, bagging racks, bags, debit machines, shelving and a variety of food items ( cans, paper towels, pasta etc).” In addition, managing partner, “Giancarlo Trimarchi broke down each vocational task in the grocery store. This task analysis will be used to teach exceptional students in preparation of their community work experiences in the grocery and retail environment.” - Monica Manjarrez, Parent of the Year Winner.
“Ms. Manjarrez has instilled a strong sense of philanthropy in her daughter over the years particularly through weekly volunteer work at the Newmarket Food Pantry. Together, they raise money through her home delivery bakery, as well as various monthly challenges to raise money and awareness for the Newmarket Pantry.” - Clorinda Ciccone, 2022 Paraprofessional of the Year Winner.
“Clorinda goes above and beyond every day. She reflects on the day, seeks feedback to make the student’s learning experience more positive and gives the student 110% of care, commitment and respect. Clorinda sees every day as an opportunity and there are no missed opportunities with Clorinda’s support.” - Francesca Sinicropi-Greco, Teacher of the Year Winner.
Ms. Sinicropi-Greco “puts her students first and works tirelessly to ensure that their learning needs are met and that they access appropriate technology, supports, and develop the necessary skills for academic and social success. She promotes an environment of inclusivity and kindness and she has led a number of school initiatives to promote empathy and inclusivity such as “Random Acts of Kindness Month” and “Mental Health Awareness Week.” - Melinda Rapallo-Ferrara, Leader in Education Winner.
Ms. Rapallo-Ferrara has a “deep commitment to equity and inclusion within the areas of Special Education and Literacy. Melinda firmly believes that her calling is to teach. Her view of students is one that exemplifies holistic teaching-fostering a culture of student well-being that includes the cognitive, spiritual, and physical dimensions of student development. She oversees a new initiative within the YCDSB, the Itinerant Literacy Intervention Teacher Program, and she facilitates professional development sessions for Special Education Teachers.”
- Michelle Prinzo, 2022 President’s Award Winner.
Ms. Prinzo “has led the Board through the COVID pandemic by developing the YCDSB Mental Health Strategic and Action Plan. Hundreds of students, parents and staff have benefitted from the ongoing development and implementation of workshops, individual psychotherapy, psychoeducational groups, parent workshops, the creation of the mental health resource page and website, the creation of partnerships with different community groups and community agencies.”
Lastly, the council would like to congratulate Lauren Quimado who won a regional Yes, I Can award in the category of Technology. After reading her amazing nomination and voting, Lauren has been selected to be put forth for provincial recognition. Her nomination highlighted her amazing skills and perseverance in the face of challenges from school closures, “The pandemic has encouraged and motivated [Lauren] to use technology; it became a necessity. She now uses her talking calculator independently and is learning how to use a talking scientific calculator. She is accessing the curriculum independently using her laptop on a daily basis. She is starting to use a refreshable braille display for math equations and is continuing to use a Perkins Brailler for writing pieces. Lauren is currently taking on the challenge of learning coding which has previously been inaccessible for her. She is using Code Jumper and is the first student in our school board to do so! The speed at which Lauren has been acquiring her technology skills is commendable. She not only uses technology in her daily life but is looking for opportunities where she can mentor other students in the use of technology as well.”
The provincial Yes I Can Awards will take place in November. We wish the best of luck to all of our provincial candidates, and once again, thank you and congratulations to all the York Region recipients.
York Region Yes, I Can will return in Spring 2023!