Grade 1 Beacon Hill student receives Sylvan Lake Mayor’s Distinguished Award
A Grade 1 student at Beacon Hill School in Sylvan Lake has received the Mayor’s Distinguished Award for the Town of Sylvan Lake. The Town gives seven awards annually for: citizenship, music / art/ culture / heritage, environmental stewardship, sports involvement, youth award of excellence, long time service volunteer, and the Mayor’s Distinguished Award. The awards were announced last week. Preston’s nomination was submitted anonymously.
Preston is known for his advocacy for Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS). His supporters admire that Preston helped a family get a CDLS diagnosis, which will positively impact the quality of life for family members. He is also known for his random acts of kindness, such as purchasing strangers coffee, giving out purple flower seeds on random windshields to ‘grow a smile’, and raising money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital in his name.
Heather Reynolds, a teacher at Beacon Hill School, says, "Preston has made a meaningful and lasting impact on our school community. His laughter and kindness bring smiles to our faces every single day.”
“As a passionate advocate for Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), Preston helps raise awareness and understanding by sharing valuable information with our class and our school. This year, he made CdLS Awareness Day extra special by bringing in suckers for the class. Our students truly appreciated and enjoyed this! Preston is an absolute joy to have in our classroom, and we feel very fortunate to have him as part of our school family,” says Reynolds.
Classmates also enjoy Preston’s friendship.
"I love when he smiles and laughs," says Kason W. “I also love the dinos and dragons on his wheels."
"Preston is kind. I like playing with him," says Pepper G.
Andrea Guylets, an Educational Assistant who works with Preston, says, “Preston is an important member of our classroom and a treasured student in the school community. He brings infectious joy, a smile and high fives along with him every day. He works hard and impresses everyone with the gains he is making this year.”
“Congratulations to Preston,” says Jody Dennis, Principal of Beacon Hill School. “We are proud of his achievement and are grateful for his positive influence in our school.”