Plaxton teacher earns award from Critical Thinking Consortium

A teacher at Dr. Robert Plaxton Elementary School has won an award from Vancouver's Critical Thinking Consortium.
Yesterday, Grade 4 teacher Matt Vanden Dungen was announced as the winner of the Karen LaRone Hidden Hero Award.
Each year, hidden heroes continue to work behind the scenes with perseverance and selflessness, quietly inspiring others through their actions and character. They emerge as extraordinary role models, always acting in thoughtful and responsible ways, without expecting any recognition.
According to the consortium's website, the award is handed out annually to those that contribute to a positive learning climate by creating and nurturing quality thinking environments in schools through their thoughtful actions. Nominees may include students, educators, support staff, parents or volunteers.
Nominees for the Karen LaRone Hidden Hero Award possess and consistently demonstrate the following qualities and traits:
- Working quietly behind the scenes, expecting no recognition yet all the while enriching the lives of others
- Inspiring others through their actions and character
- Exemplifying integrity and selfless dedication
- Being ordinary people who are extraordinary role models.
Karen LaRone was a kind, generous, dedicated, and insightful person. As the Consortiums’ first director of operations, LaRone inspired quality and integrity through her perseverance and diplomacy while at Alberta Education, and in her gentle but unwavering leadership at TC². As she lived with cancer, she embraced life with an enthusiasm and joy that uplifted everyone around her. She was deeply honoured to be the first recipient of the award in 2013 and spoke about how important her legacy was for her.