Neighbor News
Frankfort School District 157-C Educator, 6th Grader Earn Honors
VFW Post 9545 Selects Tonia Gatsios as Middle School Teacher of the Year; 6th grader Alex Socha wins Patriot's Pen Essay Contest
FRANKFORT, IL — Frankfort School District 157-C is proud to announce that Tonia Gatsios, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Hickory Creek Middle School, has been selected by the Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 as the Middle School Teacher of the Year in the 2025-2026 Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award contest.
The Smart/Maher award, established in 1999, recognizes educators who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to promoting patriotism, civic responsibility, and respect for the military. As a local winner, Gatsios will now be considered for VFW District, State, and national-level honors.
VFW Post 9545 officially recognized Gatsios during a community awards ceremony held on December 17, 2025. She was nominated by her colleague, Renee Grady, who attended the ceremony alongside Hickory Creek Middle School Principal Tricia Dotson.
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Gatsios was selected for her dedicated efforts to integrate patriotic values into her curriculum and her leadership in organizing Hickory Creek’s annual Veterans Day celebration. This signature event invites veterans related to current students to the all-school assembly where they are recognized as guests of honor.
Beyond the classroom, Gatsios has spearheaded significant fundraising for Honor Flight Chicago, a non-profit that flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit national memorials at no cost. In 2025, Gatsios led the district staff and students in a campaign that raised $8,000 for the organization.
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In addition to Gatsios’ recognition, Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 honored its annual Patriot’s Pen winner, Alex Socha, a sixth grader at Hickory Creek Middle School.
The Patriot’s Pen youth essay competition gives students the opportunity to express their views on a patriotic theme in 300-400 word essay. This year’s theme was, “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?” Like Gatsios, Socha will move on to compete at the district level for the chance to earn state and national scholarships.
