McNamara-Uguccioni, a Grade 2 teacher at St. Rita Catholic School, was nominated by a parent of one of the students in her class and was chosen at random, to receive the award given out in partnership by Majic 100 and Alterna Savings.

“I was quite surprised, quite pleasantly surprised,” she said. “It’s nice to know parents feel that strongly to go above and beyond.”

In her 18 years of teaching she said this is her first time receiving an award such as this.

Her nomination letter stated how much she had helped one student in particular to excel at school and feel comfortable in the classroom.

It even speaks about a specific time where the student was nervous about presenting in front of the class and how McNamara-Uguccioni made him feel comfortable enough to deliver an excellent presentation.

“Mrs. Mac makes him feel comfortable, he cannot wait to go to school in the morning and tells us every night about her,” it said. “Mrs. Mac makes our son love school.”

As a Grade 2 teacher, she said she tries to make everyone feel comfortable in her classroom while helping them enjoy their experience.

“At this age they still really enjoy coming to school everyday,” she said. “I try to make it interesting and try to get it to relate to their world.”

She said one of her strategies to keep kids interested is to always be enthusiastic about what she is teaching.

“If you are excited about something they automatically become excited,” she said.

The award, along with a plaque, also includes $500 for the teacher to spend on anything having to do with the school or school programs. While she hasn’t decided exactly what to do with the money, McNamara-Uguccioni wants to use the money to help the entire school.

“I want it to be something they wouldn’t have a chance to do on a normal day,” she said. “I want to try and get many people to benefit.”

Following the presentation she couldn’t wait to take the award home and show it to her family. After that she wasn’t sure where to display it, but said she wanted to put it somewhere deserving of its importance to her.

“I want to keep is somewhere that will inspire me to keep trying to make a difference,” she said.

jennifer.young@nepeanthisweek.com