School District 308 Board of Education Recognizes December 2016 and January 2017 PRIDE Winners

Oswego, Ill. (February 24, 2017) — Community Unit School District 308 announced the December 2016 and January 2017 winners of its PRIDE Recognition Program (Proudly Recognizing Individuals Demonstrating Excellence) at a recent Board of Education meeting.

Each month the PRIDE program allows the Board of Education to formally recognize the efforts of teachers, employees, and volunteers who are engaged in exceptional work across District 308.

Teacher of the Month awards recognize two individual teachers’ contributions of excellence. The December 2016 and January 2017 teachers of the month are:

• December’s Sean O’Neill, a teacher in Oswego East High School’s Emotional Disability program
• December’s Annie Simmons, a teacher at Southbury Elementary School, Mastery Connect coach, and member of Southbury’s Rising Star team
• January’s Christopher Kowalski, a music teacher at Fox Chase Elementary.
• January’s Mary Nameche, a special education teacher at Boulder Hill Elementary School

Employee of the Month awards are given in appreciation of the ability of two employees to go above and beyond. The December 2016 and January 2017 employees of the month are:

• December’s Sue Liskunas, an office secretary at Murphy Junior High School
• December’s Sheila Paisley, a teacher’s assistant at Boulder Hill Elementary School
• January’s Maria Latuszek, a building engineer for Boulder Hill Elementary School
• January’s Debbie Smith, a district administrative accountant

To encourage and celebrate those who generously give of their time to support School District 308 and its students, the Board of Education also recognizes two volunteers of the month. The December 2016 and January 2017 volunteers of the month are:

• December’s Belinda Brooks, a volunteer with Oswego East High School’s athletic boosters, Parents for Education and Global Success, and other organizations
• December’s Jim Buchanan, a 12-year volunteer at Boulder Hill Elementary School who has also led the Father’s Forum

• January’s Rick Stopinski, a seven-year parent volunteer at Prairie Point Elementary School
• January’s Michael Kalecki, a Wolf’s Crossing Elementary School volunteer who has organized and successfully executed the school’s Science Fair, is active in the scouts program, and was integral in getting a robotics club

A committee made up of various district groups and organizations selects each month’s winners.

If you know someone deserving of the award, you can nominate him or her using the link on School District 308’s website or via mail. Details for the nomination process are also listed on the website. Any School District 308 colleague, administrator, student, parent, community member, or alumnus can make the nomination. Self-nominations are not accepted.