D300 Foundation Announces Distinguished Educator, Employee of the Year

Algonquin, IL -- The School District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence announced the 2017 D300 Distinguished Educator and Employee of the Year at its annual awards celebration in April. Gilberts Elementary School physical education teacher Sean Hough and Lakewood Elementary School social worker Maria Rim were the deserving award recipients. The event honored all the teachers and school employees nominated by each of D300’s 26 schools and night school, as well as recipients of Innovation and Large Project Grants from the Foundation.

The District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence, established in 2002 by a group of community volunteers, seeks to enhance and extend learning opportunities for all District 300 students. The Distinguished Educator of the Year award recognizes teachers who display innovative instruction techniques to motivate learners, maximize student achievement and help lead colleagues down the same path toward exemplary education environments.

Hough was chosen from this year’s other outstanding nominees, including:

• Christina Aboy, Kindergarten Teacher, Parkview Elementary School
• Juli Agenlian, 2nd Grade Teacher, Lincoln Prairie Elementary School
• Katelynn Ambrosini, 4th Grade Teacher, Dundee Highlands Elementary School
• Jill Belick, 4th Grade Teacher, Algonquin Lakes Elementary School
• Julie Belin, PE Teacher, Eastview Elementary
• Joseph Benoit, PE Teacher, Jacobs High School
• Pamela Elliott, 2nd Grade Teacher, Hampshire Elementary School
• Joe Fitchie, Guidance Counselor, Oak Ridge School
• Janine Haugen, Special Education Teacher, Lake in the Hills Elementary School
• Gretchen Hogy, Special Education Teacher, Westfield Community School
• Michael Kasper, Band Teacher, Carpentersville Middle School
• Britt Kotecki, Social Worker, Algonquin Middle School
• Therese Mueller, 2nd Grade Teacher, Golfview Elementary School
• Sarah Partridge, 5th Grade Teacher, Neubert Elementary School,
• Janet Poore, Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher, Hampshire Middle School
• Heather Quick, Special Education Teacher, Lakewood Elementary School
• Mike Storer, Band Teacher, Liberty Elementary School
• Karin Stratton, 4th Grade Teacher, Sleepy Hollow Elementary School
• Angela Swiney, 4th Grade Teacher, Gary D. Wright Elementary School
• Stephanie Thoren, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at deLacey Family Education Center
• Healther Wallace, 4th Grade Teacher at Perry Elementary School
• Stephanie Whitecotton, English Teacher for the D300 Night School
• Christine Wochner, Cross-Categorical Teacher at Dundee-Crown High School
• Dawn Wolber, 1st Grade Teacher at Meadowdale Elementary School
• Laurie Ybarra, Science Teacher at Hampshire High School
• Judy Yuvan, Education Services Teacher at Dundee Middle School

The six-member nominating committee that recommended Hough for the award said the 21-year D300 veteran routinely incorporates teamwork, collaboration technology into his physical education classes to inspire fitness and engage students cognitively to other curriculum being taught. For example, his classes have created “gym guy” videos to learn new skills, while his word wall in the gym supports vocabulary development. He also serves on the school’s Positive Behavior Intervention Supports, Safety and Relay for Life teams, facilitates the PTO’s Hoops for Health fundraiser, and is the referee for the annual charity dodgeball tournament.

Beyond academics, Gilberts Elementary School principal Craig Zieleniewski said Hough is “always there” for students, fellow teachers and anyone else who needs help – whether it’s building equipment in his spare time to better accommodate students’ special needs mobility equipment or leaving school before students’ arrival to go change a flat tire on the side of the road for a teacher who was stranded, ensuring she arrived safely at school in time for her students.

Lakewood Elementary School social worker Maria Rim, who has worked for the district for 17 years, was named Employee of the Year. At Lakewood, she has coordinated the Kids Hope Mentoring program, soliciting volunteers to come to their school and connect with students who lack positive role models in their lives, and co-teaches in classrooms to support implementation of the Second Step Program for social emotional learning. In addition, Rim is a member of the school’s Trauma Informed Task Force, a decision-making committee exploring the impact of trauma on children and the effect it has on their academics, and also runs "Bounce Back" support groups for trauma-exposed students.

‘Maria is the ‘Man Behind the Curtain,’ because she is always there in the background when you need her, offering exactly the support you need,” said Lakewood principal Brittany Porsche. “She makes students feel cared for and builds connections with students that would otherwise not have them,” Porsche said, “and she helps teachers problem solve different behavioral strategies to implement in the classroom with their students.”

Other distinguished employee award nominees included:

• Susan Alford, Media Center Para-professionial, Lake in the Hills Elementary
• Jill Bays, School Psychologist, Gilberts Elementary
• Ron Biallas, Head Custodian, Neubert Elementary
• Susan Bultman, Instructional Media Para-professional, Lincoln Prairie Elementary
• Lilia Espin, Family School Liaison, Carpentersville Middle School
• Beth Grodoski, Categorical Para-educator, Jacobs High School
• Mary Gross, Media Center Para-professional, Westfield Community School
• Sara Guth, School Nurse, Parkview Elementary
• Susan Henrickson, Special Education Para-professional, Hampshire Elementary
• Jill Hoorman, Para-professional, Dundee Middle
• Amelia Jara, Bilingual General Education Para-educator, Liberty Elementary
• MaryBeth Kunash, Secretary, Dundee-Crown High School
• Tricia Leuzzi, School Nurse, Meadowdale Elementary
• Michele Meyer, Para-professional, Hampshire High School
• Cheryl Morabito. Para-educator, Gary D. Wright Elementary
• Sharon Oeffling, Social Worker, Dundee Highlands Elementary
• Donna Powell, Para-educator, Oak Ridge School
• Lucy Quinn, Registrar, Eastview Elementary
• Carrie Reynolds, School Counselor, D300 Night School
• Dom Rosales, Head Custodian, Algonquin Middle School
• Susan Schmidt, Principal’s Secretary, Algonquin Lakes Elementary
• Karen Stuehler, Main Office Secretary, Hampshire Middle School
• Kathi Taylor, Help Desk Coordinator, D300 Central Office
• Teresa Tomany, Bilingual Speech and Language Program Assistant, deLacey Family Education Center
• Nancy Whalen, Para-educator, Perry Elementary
• Patricia Whalon, Media Para-professional, Golfview Elementary

For more information about the Distinguished Educator of the Year Award, the Distinguished Employee Award, or any of the Foundation Grant awards, please contact Pat Ehmann, Foundation Administrative Assistant, at patricia.ehmann@d300.org.