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Iamie McDowell, with da t . mm. . “3" er Shelby, 4’ and son Dylan, 9, MH be at the show with his 1951 Chev- Her advice for new teachers: spend Sep- tember showing the children the routines you want them to follow. Mrs. Sankey created a “character tree” in her classroom and encouraged the children to respect each other, be kind and follow the golden rule. Their reward? A leaf with their name on it was added to the tree. “My goal was for every child to have equal opportunity, a good foundation (upon which) to build." BY MARILYNN MULKINS She’s talented, artistic and enthusiastic. Stouffville’s Gayle Sankey is also the Teach- ers' Federation of Ontario’s teacher of the year in York Region. - It wasn't a 9-to-5 job. Her days started at 5:30 am. and she often went until 11 pm, thanks to work on the next day’s projects. She wrote poems, stories, skits and songs to personalize her teaching and make learning fun. “H.G. Bernard is a multicultural school, so I used the different national holidays on which we won: the national costumes, learned the different customs and even invit- ed the parents from their different cultures to come join us in celebrating,” she said. “I always encouraged ariy parents to come into the classroom to be a volunteer, or to merely observe. She taught Grade 1 at 11.6. Bernard Public School in Richmond Hill for 13 years before retiring in June. She also taught in Markham and Scarborough. ‘ “I will miss' teaching, my pupils and my colleagues," she said. Region’s top teacher embraces cultures Visitors can vote to determine Shaw’s award winners SUN-TRIBUNE PEOPLE “The school, the children and the parents gave me a wonderful send-off,” she said. “I felt like a queen. There was a special assem- bly, a retirement party and the parents gave me a surprise party in my classroom." Surrounded by the memorabilia, Mrs. Sankey emotionally recalled the note a six- year-old boy wrote. She was presented with' a scrapbook containing pictures of her students from throughout the years. children in costumes. the character tree and many other activities. “Mrs. Sankey, I want to thank you for lis- tening to me and for loving me.” Then, keep them busy. Mrs. Sankey is still glowing from her retire- ment celebrations. “There were many, many notes to me handwritten by the children on rolled-up paper scrolls that expressed their feelings about our time together,” she said. She will volunteer in other schools and reâ€" launch her business of making candles in the shapes of foods. ‘I always encouraged any parents to come into the classroom to be a volunteer or to merely observe. My goal was for every child to have equal opportunity, a good foundation to build on.’ STAFF PHOTO/BILL ROBERTS Gayle Sankey top teacher Stoufivflle’s Gayle Sankey retired this sum- mer as the Teachers’ Federation of Ontario’s teacher of the year in York Region. expansion. Prizes for the best antique car, best early classic and driver's choice are among the many titles to be won, with plaques and trophies going to the win- ners. A 50/50 draw will also take place, with proceeds going toward future museum projects. The public also has a chance to vote for their favourite cars in several categoâ€" ries, Mrs. Billich said. Admission is $5 per person or $12 for a family of four. Children under seven are free. A barbecue will also take place, sell- ing food for an additional fee. For more information, go to townofws.com/ town_museumevents.asp or call “388-290-033 7. from page I Stoyfli'ille Sunâ€"'l‘ribune- Saturday, Aug. 9, Have something to say about these or other stories? E-mail us at jmason@ynng.com Armed bandits rob gas attendant Atvabout 1:20 am. Thurs- day, three masked men walked into the PetIo-Canada at 15228 Woodbine Ave., just south of Angina Road and demanded cas . Calling all family film bufls! York Regional Police has invited you toa free screening. York Regional Police are hunting three men after a Whitchurch-Stoufiville' gas bar employee was held at gunpoint dunngqrobbery. One man, packing a sawed- ofi shotgun, held the employee at point while the other two too monefiecigarettes and lot- terzl1 tickets fore fleeing, police sai . The em loyee was not hurt duriqgthe e_is_t. If you have any information, call police at 1â€"866-876-5423, ext. 6630, Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-222â€"T1PS or leave a tip at www. 1800222t1'ps.com Screening promotes peace, tolerance Between 6 and 8:30 pm. Aug. 19, police will host an evening for The Peace Dee, a film about two girls who overcome their parâ€" ents’ resistance to participating in other cultural holiday celebra- tions, at the York Region Com- munity Safety Village in Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area at 3291 Stouffville Rd. The two girls at the centre of the film’s plot bridge a cultural gap through their innocence and natural curiosity and teach the adults around them to be more open-minded, showing them the importance of diversity. Alfihree robbers aredescribed afdmale, between 18 and 25 years 0 . Whitchurchâ€"Stouffville News Digest Visit yorkregion.com for more on these and other stories The show starts at 7 pm. SOUND OFF