Congratulations to Ottawa Technical Secondary School staff for receiving several 2022-2023 OCDSB Employee Recognition Awards!
Excellence in Equity Award:
Jennifer Domey, Social Worker
Jennifer Domey is receiving the Excellence in Equity award for her steadfast support of racialized and marginalized students at Ottawa Technical Secondary School. Social work done well is synonymous with equity work, and Jennifer’s very existence is a challenge to inequity! Jennifer has stepped in to meet the needs of OTSS students in many different ways. A standout in Jennifer’s work this year has been her leadership in several traumatic violent threat risk assessments (VTRAs), where she has centered the needs of each student while shining a light on the impact on the oppressed communities represented. She has worked to ensure caregivers have a voice in the process by visiting families at their homes and ensuring transportation to neutral sites so they can participate fully in the process. Jennifer always seeks out the students who most need her compassionate, results-oriented approach and is always focused on what is in their best interest. Jennifer takes on some of the most complex situations and never shies away from a difficult conversation, doing all she can to recognize and respect dignity. She continually disrupts and addresses systemic barriers and inequities through her human rights-based approach, and her support for students truly helps them to develop resilience in the face of oppressive circumstances!
Ronald K Lynch Award:
Amy Rempel, Educational Assistant
In the level three Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program, Amy Rempel is guided by her core belief that every student can learn and achieve success! Amy is receiving the Ronald K. Lynch Memorial Award for her professionalism, sense of purpose, leadership, positive team approach, and ability to uplift those around her. Amy constantly seeks out opportunities to support the students with the greatest needs and is active in the development of behaviour plans for students with significant behaviour and safety needs. She invests in the future of the program and of students by sharing meaningful insight with visiting professionals, and by mentoring new Educational Assistants. As a result of Amy’s unwavering belief in her students, many who have shown challenging behaviours have grown to become active participants in their school communities and take on independent challenges. Amy has played a significant role in developing sensory, literacy, and numeracy programs for students. She inspires others to strive for excellence in their own work, and her faith in students continues to transform the lives of students and their caregivers!
Technology Excellence Award:
Technology and Skilled Trades Department
Laura Fedak, Shawn Blais, Dzevdana Ahmetovic, and Francess Ngegba (Educational Assistants) and Maureen Craven, Graham Anderson, Mike Ford, Anthony Morgan, Ammanuel Yohannes, Adrianna Sustar, Jannie Johnston, Taylor Campbell, David Hubbard, and Henry Byrne (Teachers)
The Technology and Skilled Trades department at the Ottawa Technical Secondary School is awarded this year’s Technology Excellence Award, in recognition of their work to implement The Third Path within technology and trades. As educational assistants and teachers, they have provided incredible learning experiences to students who most need equitable access to opportunity. Some of their accomplishments include implementing a Farm to Cafeteria program where students can receive free healthy meals using produce that grown by students in the Green Industries program, earning grants from the Canadian Welding Bureau and the Canadian Tooling and Machining Association for state-of-the-art equipment and safety resources, and implementing the use of multi-racial mannequin heads so that all students are able to practice hairstyling on hair that reflects their identity. They have also worked with the Indigenous Graduation Coach to support Indigenous construction students in using high quality equipment to create culturally relevant frames for Indigenous art and wooden signs for the Lodge. This team’s commitment to an education that supports student wellbeing and achievement is truly exemplary! In every class, they ensure students feel like their voices matter and their narratives have value, whether they are expressing themselves with metal, wood, food, plants, make-up, digital media, or 3D printers. Thanks to the hard work of this team, students learn not only the skills and tools of the trades, but also that they are makers and creators of incredible products and inspiring futures!
Thank you to all of these incredible staff members for the contributions you have made to our school community!
To learn more about the awards and see the full list of recipients, visit the
OCDSB website.