Surrey elementary school teacher receives Dyslexia Canada award

Penny Hill, a learning support teacher (LST) at Maple Green Elementary, received a Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Award on Oct. 6. Alicia Smith, the organization’s executive director, presented it at a school assembly. Surrey Schools said the award recognizes educators who advance structured literacy instruction, universal screening and effective intervention, while supporting colleagues through leadership and knowledge-sharing.

Maple Green principal Michael Speak said at the assembly that the award was well deserved. He said Hill has spent her career making sure students with dyslexia are seen, understood and taught in ways that work for them, and that the school is proud to have her.

Surrey Schools said Hill’s interest began in her first year of teaching. She noticed that some students responded to her instruction while others did not. In 2003, she attended a workshop in California and learned about dyslexia. Hill recalled crying and thinking, “I can help these kids.”

Hill began tutoring and brought what she had learned into her classroom. Surrey Schools said she taught all her students as if they were dyslexic, focusing on what she calls metaphonological awareness. That conclusion became the thesis of her master’s degree in special education, which she completed under Dr. Linda Siegel, an internationally known authority on learning disabilities.

Screening for early reading difficulties began at Maple Green when Hill joined the team. Surrey Schools said staff now screen students using Acadience and DIBELS. Hill also began sharing her knowledge with colleagues. Former principal Jennifer Pilchak recognized her expertise and encouraged staff to attend lunch-and-learn sessions.

Hill’s influence extends beyond Maple Green Elementary. According to Surrey Schools, she has presented at conventions in Canada and abroad, guest lectured in university special education classes, led lunch-and-learns for colleagues and now mentors a cohort of LSTs. For years, she has also shared her views on early literacy with education leaders and decision-makers. “I have been knocking on the doors of those in control of policy for decades,” she said.

Hill told Surrey Schools she sees the climate shifting. “I am encouraged that many more are thirsty for knowledge about dyslexia and how to ameliorate its effects,” she said. Surrey Schools and Maple Green Elementary thanked Hill at the assembly for her contributions to the school and its community. More information about dyslexia is available at dyslexiacanada.org (https://dyslexiacanada.org/).