The recently formed Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE) is an Alberta-based organization that seeks to celebrate Catholic education in the province.

The Chair of GrACE, Michael Ouellette, says that the founding of a group like this has been talked about for a while, but it’s now finally being acted upon.

“It’s something we’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “Our mission is to tell the story of Catholic education in the province of Alberta.”

With a new campaign being run seeking a unified school board, now seemed like a perfect time to organize and promote the value of Catholic education in the province.

Read more: GrACE forms to promote Catholic education in Alberta

François Bazinet, chair of the Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien (CSDCEO), will be inducted into the Order of the Pleiades for the year 2019.

He will be receiving the Order of the Pleiades of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. He’s one of six recipients of the order within the Ontario Chapter of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), the medal recognizing dedication and outstanding contribution to the vitality of Ontario’s Francophonie.

“Contributing to the promotion of the French language across Ontario and (CSDCEO) schools is for me a cause that is enormously rewarding,” said Mr. Bazinet in a news release issued by the CSDCEO. “You could also say that it is a life mission.”

Bazinet has worked in Francophone education for over 40 years. He is a retired teacher who, after a long career at L’École secondaire catholique La Citadelle, became chair of the CSDCEO two years ago. He serves as the trustee for North Stormont, North Dundas and Russell.

Read more: CSDCEO Chair Receives Honour

Four school principals from the Conseil scolaire catholique de Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) were recently recognized by the Association des directions et des directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO). All four received awards at the ADFO’s annual conference on October 18^th in Toronto.

Yves Laliberté, Principal at École secondaire catholique Champlain (Chelmsford), and Paul Henry, Principal at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur (Sudbury) and Carrefour Options+, both received the first-ever ADFO Leadership Award. The award recognizes principals for their exceptional leadership contributions to their communities.

Under Mr. Laliberté, ÉSC Champlain received the 2018 Premier’s Award for Safe and Accepting Schools and was also designated a Microsoft Showcase School. In December 2017, his extraordinary leadership also earned him a Canada 150 pin for his contributions to youth leadership.

Read more: Four CSCNO School Principals Receive Provincial Honours