Nominations are being sought for the Edwin Paar Award for first year teachers in Alberta.

High River's Notre Dame Collegiate has put forward Conner MacDonald who actually graduated from the school in 2016.

He's teaching alongside a couple of his former teachers who are still at the school.

"I thought it was honestly going to be a strange dynamic but with the group we have here it's been very awesome, it's been great, they've been helpful they've been great during work hours and outside with whatever questions I have, so it's been great, it wasn't what I expected but it's been awesome," MacDonald says.

He's very happy to have been nominated.

"I'm very appreciative for the opportunity, it's a nice feeling to be recognized for the work you've put in and the admin and staff here have been really great at supporting me and providing all the help I've asked for," he says. "It feels great but it's more of a reflection of their work than just my own."

Principal Jodi Deklerk says MacDonald wanted to give back to the community where he grew up and he's done that through teaching and coaching volleyball before the shutdown.

"For Conner I think it's just his ability top foster strong relationships with his students, he builds those on a climate of trust and respect and so he goes above and beyond to support his students in their learning, meets them where they're at, helps them, really has that whole foundation of inclusivity in his classroom."

She says the fact that Conner wanted to come back to his former school shows that he enjoyed and respects what he was taught there.

"For Conner to adamantly want to come back to this area and say 'this is where I want to put the foundations of my own life' is really such a blessing for us here at Notre Dame," Deklerk says. "To have him return to us and to be such a well rounded person and to really see the light of Christ in every single student that he encounters and that's what we ask of all of our teachers here at Notre Dame and for someone in their first year to come in so full of vim and vigour to do the job and get things done is truly a blessing."

Each school in the province is able to nominate a first year teacher for the award.

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