At the Reading for the Love of It 2026 Dinner Banquet, the East York Scarborough Association had the privilege of honouring this year’s Reading Award recipients.
This year’s awards were presented to Tamara Phillips of the Halton District School Board, Wendy Burch Jones of the Toronto District School Board, and Oscar Lopes of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Each recipient was nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their lasting impact on student learning through innovative teaching, the sharing of literacy expertise, and a deep commitment to inspiring a love of reading.
Tamara Phillips, Halton District School Board
Tamara ensures that literacy learning is about belonging, identity, and empowerment. Tamara champions inclusive practices and makes sure that all students encounter texts that reflect their cultures, identities, and lived experiences. Tamara is a leader in the field of literacy and recognizes that reading is the foundation for learning across all subject areas. She is a role model for others and shares her literacy expertise with a wide range of educators. Her students and colleagues all benefit greatly from her passion for literacy and her initiatives.
Wendy Burch Jones, Toronto District School Board
Wendy fosters a love of reading in children. She is described as an incredible leader and mentor whose door is always open to help and guide colleagues with their literacy learning. Wendy has also been the president of the Ontario School Library Association and spearheaded the Dear School Libraries campaign to help advocate for school libraries across Canada. She is a recipient of the Canadian School Libraries Donald Hamilton Award for her advocacy work. Wendy is passionate about literacy and is eager to share her love of reading with others.
Oscar Lopes, Toronto Catholic District School Board
Oscar inspires a love of reading. His colleagues describe him as a kind, welcoming and enthusiastic educator who is always willing to help out new teachers, do outreach with parents and act as a mentor to all. Oscar knows how important it is for students to make real life connections to their learning which has led to many engaging opportunities for his students. His colleagues have shared that Oscar centres his learning activities around the idea that learning and reading can lead to something students love and can help readers find interests, abilities and passions that will last them a lifetime.
Congratulations to Tamara, Wendy, and Oscar on being named the 2026 Reading Award winners. Your commitment to fostering lifelong literacy skills and a love of reading is an inspiration to us all.
Elizabeth Blake
East-York Scarborough Reading Association