2017 TDSB Excellence Awards!

The 2017 TDSB Excellence Award



Some images courtesy of TDSB.

Thank you to the Toronto District School Board for the incredible honour.
It's feels so good and a bit crazy to be honoured by my employer like this.
I've been working with the TDSB for four years now. Some people go entire 40 or 60 year careers and never even get nominated. I am honoured to be not only the youngest nominee ever, but also the youngest recipient in history to receive this award.
Everything I do, I do for my students. Today I received The 2016-2017 TDSB Excellence Award. An award that can only be bestowed upon TDSB staff members when they are nominated by people who want to take the time to appreciate them and say 'thank you'! It was so surreal getting this award today.

It was even more surreal and humbling to meet and shake the hand of the Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board, Mr. John Malloy. It was an honour and a privilege to finally get a chance to meet him, to be thanked for all I do by him, and get such a rousing endorsement for it all.
Thank you, Mr.Malloy!
It was wonderful to be in the same room and presence of Mr.Malloy, my superintendent and trustee, my mom, and one of my nominators. My Grade 8 principal from CV Mr.Ennis, who is now currently a superintendent also happened to be there, as well as the current principal of CV Ms.Eccleston. It was so great seeing them all there!

I want to thank Mr.Grewal and Mr.Alexander for their thoughtfulness and the nomination.
They are both not only fellow TDSB employees and wonderful Board colleagues, but also former teachers of mine from Carleton Village Public School when I was a student there years ago, and I now also consider them very good friends!
Mr.Grewal, had this to say at the ceremony:

   “It is an honour to be up here today presenting this award to not only a fellow TDSB employee and colleague, but also a former student.
   Vickram Bachan champions our school board’s values of equity, student achievement and wellbeing, and service excellence.  He does so in spite of the adversity that he himself has experienced, growing up in a single-parent household in the socio-economically challenged neighbourhood served by Carleton Village Sports and Wellness Academy.  I have known Vickram for well over a decade now, and have seen him grow from a tentative, discouraged student into a resilient young man, and an exemplary employee at McMurrich Junior Public School.
                 

    As a lunchroom supervisor at McMurrich for the last three years, Vickram has earned a reputation for being equitable, reliable, and compassionate toward all others.  For Vickram, this starts with fervently memorizing the full names of all of the students in the lunch program and beyond, as well as all of their birthdays.  Vickram cooperates and communicates with his fellow staff with kindness, politeness, and respect.  Vickram practices inclusion by showing impartiality in his supervisory duties, by purposely recognizing students’ individuality and uniqueness, and by his intolerance toward bullying behaviours.  What’s more, Vickram is known to edify students with wise advice regarding their personal behaviour and goals.  It’s no wonder that students are always happy to see “Mr. Vickram.”

   Vickram has always worked hard to promote student achievement and wellbeing, both in his years as a volunteer and now as a colleague.  For two years now, he has made notable contributions to school life and literacy through a beloved afterschool extra-curricular program that he founded: the McMurrich Harry Potter Fan Club.  The group of over twenty junior students encourages the avid reading and re-reading of books from the series, as well as other materials.  In addition to measurably improving literacy among the group’s members, Vickram has successfully organized school events based upon the series, such as a Yule Ball, a wizard tournament, and an excursion to see the latest movie in the HP universe [Fantastic Beasts].  Another example of Vickram’s contributions is the “Lunchy Awards,” or simply “The “Lunchies.”  He created this innovative award three years ago to recognize lunchroom students who exhibit excellent behaviour, cooperation, and positive examples to peers.   The certificates are presented with a small gift every June. During his time volunteering at Carleton Village, Vickram demonstrates great empathy and patience toward the students in the LEAP program.  The students responded with improved confidence and achievement.

   Vickram’s example of service excellence is second to none.  He has nearly perfect attendance at work.  Beyond his exemplary punctuality and reliability for the lunchroom students, Vickram lovingly gives countless additional hours and effort to McMurrich and Carleton Village.  He has contributed to the organization and setting up of school events, assemblies, and fundraisers, and has voluntarily helped teachers with supervision and preparation.  Vickram has donated toys and books to McMurrich, and to Carleton Village before that.  He has also generously contributed his own money to The Harry Potter Fan Club.  Vickram Bachan does all of this to make school an absolutely magical, memorable, and educational experience for the students.”  - Paul Grewal

Thank you Mr.Grewal for all the kind words in that wonderful speech, and thank you to Carleton Village Public School along with its amazing staff, students and parents for being so appreciative and grateful of all my volunteer work and the time spent at the school doing it over the past nine years and counting. I truly enjoy those hours working with you!

This is what the TDSB has to say:
    “We are proud that our staff are among the most dedicated and qualified in Canada. Every day, nearly 39,000 committed professionals support our students and help them achieve their very best. Their focus, enthusiasm and dedication help build strong and healthy relationships and allow our school communities – and students – to thrive.
It’s important that we recognize the great work of our outstanding staff across the system. Recognizing our staff not only celebrates their accomplishments and efforts, it inspires others to excel in their own roles. Our work is guided by the Vision of Learning, Integrated Equity Framework and Service Excellence.
Every year, we invite staff, students, parents and community members to nominate a TDSB staff member or team whose effort to go above and beyond has made a difference in their lives.
This year, we recognize 14 individuals who’ve done just that. We celebrated them at the Excellence Awards Recognition Event on May 15 and here is who they are:

Vickram Bachan - Lunchroom Supervisor and Childcare Attendant - McMurrich JPS
Vickram Bachan is a champion of equity, student achievement and well-being and, of service excellence. A TDSB alumni, Vickram first came to the TDSB as a volunteer and for the last three years, has worked at McMurrich JPS. In all of his roles, he has made a positive contribution to school life. He is an equitable, reliable and compassionate employee who engages with students on a personal level, including knowing the birthdays of all students in the lunch program. His efforts to engage and support students include launching “The Lunchies” to recognize students who exhibit excellent behaviour and cooperation during lunch, to creating the Harry Potter Fan Club to promote literacy, and organizing school events. Vickram has helped bring enthusiasm and fun to the school communities he has been a part of.”  - TDSB
 http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AboutUs/Innovation/Excellence.aspx 

To my fellow recipients and TDSB colleagues, congratulations!
Keep doing what you do for your schools and more importantly, students. We are a team working together in all different areas across the great city of Toronto to help educate and shape the next generation and their futures. You make your students' lives better, more fun and exciting. Never stop doing what you do, keep it up!
It is an honour to be working with all of you and stand by your side to receive this recognition, hear stories of all the great things you do, and to share this moment with you.

 

As Mr.Grewal alluded to in his speech, I have faced a lot of negativity and adversity both professionally and personally, and in many cases still do. But my McMurrich students are what help me get through a lot of it. Working and volunteering at McMurrich and doing initiatives such as The Harry Potter Fan Club has been such a positive thing for me, it has given me a sense of escape; and seeing the looks on my students faces, I know it has been a positive experience for them too. It also gives me a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, and fulfilment.

I have never asked for or expected anything in return, I do it all happily freely and willingly. All I ever get are the smiles on my students faces, and that makes it all worth it which is enough. But getting this award this afternoon means so much. I am so humbled and thankful to be one of eleven recipients this year out of the hundreds that were nominated.

 

 

When I became employed by the TDSB four years ago, I vowed that I would be the change in a new era and a new regime. After what I went through in high school, the living hell, all the nonsensical traumatic drama, the bullying and harassment by both students and some staff, the inequality inequity and unfairness; I promised I would make a difference in the TDSB and never become like those type of staff. I know what it feels like to go through BS and be treated like garbage; feeling worthless, like your life doesn't matter and has no meaning, and be a victim of bias, prejudice, and favouritism.

It was time to make some changes happen.
Today this tells me that I have stayed true to my word, lived up to my vow, and more than kept my promise.

So, thank you to the TDSB for their consideration, acknowledgement, and praise of all my "hard work, dedication, and efforts", thank you to Mr.Grewal and Mr.Alexander from Carleton Village for the nomination,  and most of all, above all the thanks, a huge ginormous THANK YOU to some of my amazing and wonderful McMurrich students who are the reason I do what I do every single day at that school, the reason get-up and drag myself out of bed in the morning. Everything I do is for you, and without you this probably would not be possible, if it wasn't for you kids I might not be getting this incredible award and honour or even be eligible for nomination. So thank you most of all to those students, and their parents, who care, love, support, and appreciate The Harry Potter Fan Club and everything else I do.
It doesn't matter to me whether what I do is recognized or not, but it is always nice to know that some people actually notice, appreciate, and acknowledge what is done for their children by other people who are willing to put their own unpaid free time and effort into doing special things.

And, finally, there is of course Carleton Village, the nominators and ultimate reason I am getting this award. Thanks once again to the staff, students, and parents of CV for being so appreciative, grateful, and thankful. I value the relationships we have with one another, never having any conflicts and always working together as a team, truly a well-oiled-machine. Win, lose, or draw, our sport-teams are always a cohesive unit; our school events are always enjoyable, fun, and exciting. The Carleton Village school community is unique and special place.  Whether I got the award or not, this nomination meant a lot to me knowing you put the time, effort, and thought, into showing me appreciation and acknowledging what I do for you. Thank you CV for putting so much thought, time and effort into this surprise nomination!  Even if I hadn't ended up getting this award, thank you. I truly appreciate the thought; the fact that you even thought of me means more than the award itself! Thank You!