District 97 Community Recognized in 'Those Who Excel' Awards

From Oak Park Elementary School District 97:

Several current and former members of the District 97 community have earned awards in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Those Who Excel” educator recognition program. Below are the names of the winners, the type of award they received and a quote about each of them that was provided by the individual(s) who nominated them.

• Wendy Giardina, parent volunteer at Whittier Elementary School (Award of Excellence) – “Wendy is a parent, a neighbor, a collaborator, a leader, a creative soul, an organizer, a negotiator and a good friend to all…Whittier Elementary School has shined under her care for us and we couldn’t thank her enough for all of her contributions.”

• Angela Maguire, former nurse at Longfellow Elementary School (Award of Meritorious Service) – “Angie is a real asset to our school…she is always cheerful, the kids love her and, more importantly, the parents trust her.”

• Oak Park Education Foundation’s Vex Robotics Program (Award of Meritorious Service) – “They have grown a program that is excelling at the regional and national levels and have inspired a number of other middle schools to launch their own programs.”

• Valerie Helm, assistant principal at Longfellow Elementary School (Award of Special Recognition) – “Val is dynamic in the best ways...I am certain the Longfellow School community benefits from her professionalism, expertise and true love of children."

• Evan Jacobson, music teacher at Hatch, Holmes and Mann elementary schools (Award of Special Recognition) – “Evan Jacobson is an enthusiastic, positive teacher who has touched the lives of many students and families.”

• Margaret Ndiaye, fifth grade teacher at Irving Elementary School (Award of Special Recognition) – “The experiences the children have in her classroom will never be forgotten…her students are prepared to achieve excellence academically and in life.”

• Rosa Ordaz, secretary at Mann Elementary School (Award of Special Recognition) – “Ms. Ordaz is the heartbeat of the school…she treats everyone with kindness and warmth…and makes a school a school—where children feel comfortable, safe, welcomed and ready to learn.”

They will be among the individuals honored at a banquet being held in Normal, IL on October 19, 2013.

The “Those Who Excel” program annually recognizes and honors people who have made outstanding contributions to public and non-public elementary and secondary education. You can access additional information about the program here.

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