Reward for teacher makes their day

OfficeMax joined students from Marian Catholic School to surprise and thank their Year 7 and 8 teacher, Nicole Higby, through the OfficeMax A Day Made Better programme that recognises the contribution of teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty for their students.

Ms Higby is one of 15 teachers from across the country selected from hundreds of peer-submitted entries.

OfficeMax New Zealand's national manager of government and education Blair Horsfall said the programme was adapted from a global A Day Made Better programme, which began in the US in 2007.

"Since it was introduced in New Zealand, the standard of nominations has continued to climb, reflecting the exceptional standard of our teachers," he said.

"This is the fifth year the programme has been running in New Zealand and we're thrilled to continue rewarding primary and intermediate teachers for their passion and enthusiasm," said Mr Horsfall.

"While we are so fortunate to have such high calibre teachers in this country, it did make the judging process very difficult. The panel included Denise Torrey and Gavin Beere from the New Zealand Principals' Federation who all agreed that Ms Higby was an outstanding candidate."

Ms Higby received two nominations from her peers, who noted she furthers her teaching commitments at every opportunity and recently completed her Masters degree. She researched how to actively engage boys in a writing programme. The award came as a complete surprise to Ms Higby, who was touched by the external recognition.

"I'm so humbled to have been nominated for this award. For me, the opportunity to help students learn and grow is the reward of teaching. The thanks typically comes from seeing a student learn something new and build their confidence," Ms Higby said.

"Having my students and peers take the time to thank me with this amazing surprise was incredible."

New Zealand Principals' Federation President Denise Torrey said Ms Higby's award was thoroughly deserved, as her approach to education continually inspires her students and has developed a class of exceptional and confident young people.

"Ms Higby is a fantastic example of the plethora of teaching talent we have throughout New Zealand," she said.

Ms Higby was surprised during class and thanked by the OfficeMax A Day Made Better team, and awarded $1000 worth of OfficeMax arts and crafts, stationery and office supplies for her classroom.