High River FSD members Michelle Alberts and Jennifer Skory being honoured at Wednesday's luncheon

With the school year winding down, the Foothills School Division took the time to honour the teachers and staff for their hard work throughout the year with its annual FSD luncheon Wednesday.

FSD Superintendent John Bailey says it's a great chance for the teachers throughout the division to get together and receive the recognition they deserve.

"They really enjoy this," he says. "They very much appreciate events like this, and being able to celebrate. It's very low key, it's just a nice lunch, and a little bit of an awards ceremony. But, certainly, people really appreciate the opportunity to be recognized at home, and that always goes really well."

While awards were handed out to a number of teachers, Bailey says the luncheon is a chance to recognize everyone in the division.

"One of the things I appreciate about this day is that it really does involve staff from all walks," he says. "We have teachers, we have office staff, we have youth development coaches here, that's great. We are a team, and we work together to help children in the Foothills, and to celebrate with those people is awesome."

One of the teachers recognized during the awards ceremony was Stephanie Mathieson, a teacher at Okotoks Junior High, who was nominated for the 2015 Alberta Education Excellence in Teaching award.

She says it's gratifying to know her hard work is paying off.

"It's pretty cool," she says. "It's neat to have a student nominate you, and it's just a little reassurance of why you do what you do."

Five teachers were picked as the FSD zone nominee for the Edwin Parr Teacher Award, handed out to the most outstanding first year teachers in Alberta.

Along with Big Rock School's Katlin Strand, who took home the award for Zone 5, Michelle Alberts with Highwood High School, C. Ian McLaren's Brittany Champagne, Heather Lea with Percy Pegler, and Josh Morales from Senator Riley were all nominated for the award.

Youth Development Coach Lindsay Boucher and, Family School Liaison Counsellor Jim McFarlane, both with Westmount School, along with FSD's Accounting Manager, Jennifer Skory, all received Support Staff Awards.