Junior Woman’s Club honors three District 58 staffers with Outstanding Teacher Awards

The Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club honored three District 58 staff members with Outstanding Teacher awards during the Club’s annual education awards ceremony March 22.

The awards are open to teachers at all public and private schools within Downers Grove. This year’s winners were Lester first-grade teacher Rosemary Zolnierowicz, Belle Aire resource teacher Linda Vandeyacht and Fairmount/Pierce Downer speech therapist Jane Ingersoll.

Zolnierowicz was nominated by Mary, Kate and Myles Laffey; Maeve, Margaret, Erin and Brigid Miller; and Eva Vazquez. Zolnierowicz has been teaching at Lester for 19 years, and will retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year.

“The students themselves are what keep me inspired. Each year when the students come in, I feel like we build a little family,” she said.

Ingersoll was nominated by Daniel Adam. Ingersoll has been teaching in Downers Grove for 17 years, the past 11 at Pierce Downer and Fairmount. Her parents were both educators, and she became interested in the speech and language aspect of child development during college.

Vandeyacht was nominated by MaryJo Gilbert. Vandeyacht has been teaching at Belle Aire for 20 years.

“The students I work with keep me motivated every day. I have a unique job in that I get to work with the same children for many years—and because I am their advocate in school, I get to make a difference in their lives,” she said.

Each Outstanding Teacher award winner and nominee was presented with a plaque, and a book donated by Anderson’s Bookshop in Downers Grove.