D70 Teacher, Principal Receive Character, Leadership Awards

Libertyville School District 70 honored Adler Park Principal Dr. Kerri Bongle and Rockland third grade teacher Danya Sundh with its 2018 Character & Leadership Awards. The honor is the school district’s only award bestowed on staff members. The prestigious award is given “in honor of exemplary character, leadership and service.” The award was designed by Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher and is given with appreciation by the Board of Education and administration, according to a news release.

Both Bongle and Sundh were presented with the award at a District 70 Recognition Reception in May, even though Rockland School had celebrated Mrs. Sundh’s honor earlier at a staff meeting.

Adler Park teacher Lauren Furmanski, 24, nominated Bongle noting she is “a great example of what a compassionate, supportive, and strong woman looks like – someone who not only shows love with her words but also with her actions.’

Bongle is kind and influences “students, teachers, parents, and community members on a daily basis.”

“She displays all of the pillars of character by modeling kindness, being a respectful and trustworthy leader and a own children but the 200 + children at Adler. As a 10-year-old girl with big dreams, Kerri would have not only inspired me but proven to me that I could do it all when I grew up.”

Meanwhile, Sundh becomes the fourth Rockland School staff member to receive the Character & Leadership Award, being nominated by past winner MJ Thurau, the former Rockland School secretary. Sundh had nominated Thurau for the earlier award, according to the news release.

Sundh is known as a caring and compassionate teacher, having taught special education and third-graders in the school. In the nomination, Sundh is credited with organizing a field trip outside of school for students to see the movie Wonder, arranging teams for the Autism Speaks Walk in Chicago, bringing meals to sick co-workers, mentoring high school students, and leading the school’s student council group. Outside of school, Sundh helped a child when her family was displaced and took time to “curl the hair for a long graduated student, whose mother had died, so that the girl could be proud to go to her first dance.”

“She teachers her students how to perform random acts of kindness in and out of school,” Thurau wrote. “She encouraged students to never give up on themselves, even when things get heard, and while they need to grow individually, the group is always important too.”

The organization awarded the Character & Leadership Service Award this year by District 70 was Lambs Farm.

PHOTO CAPTION: Adler Park Principal Dr. Kerri Bongle received the 2018 Character & Leadership Awards. PHOTO CREDIT: DISTRICT 70