Didsbury High School band director - Kirk Wassmer. After the band finished performing at a national music festival in Toronto earlier this year, Wassmer was awarded the I. Keith Mann Award for Outstanding Band Director. (CESD-"X")

By Chinook's Edge School Division

Kirk Wassmer

Didsbury High School band teacher wins Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence

Jun 25, 2024 | 3:16 PM

When Didsbury High School band teacher, Kirk Wassmer, is officially retired at the end of this week, he will leave the school year with a trio of awards that testify to his strength in music education, and most especially in building positive relationships with students.

Most recently Wassmer was selected as one of a handful of Alberta recipients of the 2024 Prime Minister’s Awards of Teaching Excellence, at the Certificate of Achievement level.

Earlier this year, Wassmer was named a recipient of Chinook’s Edge School Division’s Roy E. Cope Award which is given to a person who has made a significant contribution to the educational welfare of students. Wassmer was also recently named as this year’s recipient of the I. Keith Mann / NAC Orchestra Outstanding Band Director Award.

Emily Gallant, a former Didsbury High School student, nominated Wassmer for the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

“Kirk’s approach is student-centered and combines technical excellence with a deep appreciation for the artistic and collaborative aspects of music education,“ said Gallant. “While the goal at the end of the day is to create incredible music, Mr. Wassmer is in tune with the needs of each band student and goes above and beyond to support them in their growth and understanding. He makes learning fun and engaging and makes meaning through the pieces selected, naturally deepening each student’s passion for music,” she said.

gathering this monday at fort normandeau

'What have you done?' Elder asks ahead of Red Deer uniting to remember the children on Sept. 30

19h ago

Temps Around 0 degrees Celsius

Frost Advisory issued for Red Deer and surrounding area

23h ago

Conditions As Of Sept. 24, 2024

Alberta Crop Report: September 27

23h ago

“Over his 23 years of teaching music at DHS, Kirk has raised the standard and expectation of what excellence in music education can look like, setting a new bar for quality and inspiring students to reach unprecedented heights in their musical pursuits,” added Gallant.

“Students would agree that he is the kind of teacher who leads with passion and dedication, cultivating a culture of respect, enthusiasm and achievement,” she said.

Wassmer said he is grateful to Gallant for the nomination, and to those who took the time to submit letters of support.

“It is an honour to receive this recognition, and at this time it really feels to me like the culmination of a lot of years of teaching. It’s a very special award at a very special time,” said Wassmer.

Gallant said in 2002 when Wassmer started as band director at Didsbury High School, there were 25 students enrolled in the band program. Currently more than half of the school population participates.

“Kirk teaches band full time, with no other subjects on his plate, which is almost unheard of in a small rural high school,” said Scott MacDonald, Principal of Didsbury High School. “While it is obvious that Kirk Wassmer is the core of a highly successful band program, it is less obvious what that means to a school,” he said.

MacDonald, in his letter of support for the award, spoke of Didsbury High School’s diploma exam scores which are well above provincial averages on a regular basis, and said, “This can be, in part, attributed to a band program that is so engaging and enjoyable that students want to stay in school in order to participate in it. The success they feel in band transfers to a greater willingness to try in other courses and stick it out in courses they may struggle with.”

MacDonald also believes there is a stronger positive school culture because there are so many students involved with the band program. MacDonald said this is shown by the high level of respect students show each other at school.

“There is no denying that Mr. Kirk Wassmer has exhibited excellence as a music director. The excellence he has exhibited in the band room has flooded out of that space to have a significant positive effect on Didsbury High School as a whole,” said MacDonald.

Wassmer said he loves teaching and appreciates the opportunity to have built relationships with so many students.

“It’s really the students that make my job fun. I have enjoyed getting to know them and being a part of their growth as musicians,” said Wassmer

—

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter, and download the rdnewsNOW mobile app on Google Play and the Apple App Store for all the latest updates on this and other stories.