Local Man Wins Principal Of The Year Award

From Hawthorn District 73: Horace Mann and the Illinois Principals Association are pleased to announce that Robert Collins, Principal of Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills, has been named the 2018 Lake Region Middle School Principal of the Year. The award recognizes middle school principals in 21 Illinois regions who have demonstrated a positive impact on their students and learning community.Mr. Collins, whose hometown is Buffalo Grove, has served as principal at Hawthorn Middle School North for six years.

He earned degrees from Millikin University in Education and Music and a master’s degree in administration from Concordia University. Last month, Mr. Collins and the staff at Hawthorn Middle School North received the ASCD “Whole Child Award.” This award acknowledges those schools that have changed the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the development of the whole child: a child who is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged.

Mr. Collins recently served as guest speaker at the Illinois Music Educators District VII Festival on “Differentiation and the Arts.” He also recently spoke at two national conferences hosted by the National Association of Middle Level Education. He has been invited to speak on meeting the needs of the whole child in Orlando, Florida in October. Mr. Collins has been listed in “Who’s Who in American Education” and was the recipient of the National Honor Roll of Exceptional Teachers. His professional affiliations include the Illinois Principals Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Association of Gifted Students, and the International Reading Association.

One of the oldest districts in the state, Hawthorn School District 73 is a preschool through eighth grade district serving approximately 4,300 students at seven schools. Horace Mann, the largest national multiline insurance company focusing on educators' financial needs, provides auto and homeowners insurance, retirement annuities, life insurance and other financial solutions. “Founded by Educators for Educators” in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Ill. Visit www.horacemann.com for more information.The Illinois Principals Association is a leadership organization which serves over 5,200 educational leaders throughout the state of Illinois. You can find out more about the IPA at www.ilprincipals.org.

Visit http://www.ilprincipals.org/about-ipa/awards for more information about the IPA Principal of the Year Awards Program.

Photo courtesy of Hawthorn District 73