D202 Board Honors 18 'Exceptional' People At Awards Of Excellence

PLAINFIELD, IL — The time of year has come for the District 202 Board of Education to honor excellent education staff and community members. This year, 18 people were honored at the 30th annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony Wednesday evening.

The event, held at Plainfield South High School, highlighted teachers and non-administrative staff who significantly impacted their students, schools and community, district officials said. This year, 15 Awards of Excellence went out to people who work in District 202.

The winners were chosen out of nominees from students, staff and parents by a committee of three Board members and the Board's two community ambassadors. Since the award's inception in 1993, 481 people have been honored.

Awards of Excellence aren't the only honors that were given. Shannon Edmondson, a social worker at Central Elementary School, received the 7th annual Cheryl Ricciardi Exceptional Student Service Award. Two community members also received the Richard Ira Jones and Elizabeth "Bess" Eichelberger awards.

"The Board of Education is very proud of all of our staff and the tremendous work they do every day, every year, to serve our students and families," Rod Westfall, Board of Education vice president and chairperson of the Board’s recognition committee, said in a statement.

He continued: "But we are especially proud and grateful for our staff after the last two years, given the incredible challenges created by the pandemic to lead and support our students and families."

See who from District 202 won Awards of Excellence.

• Erin Ambre, seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher at Drauden Point Middle School
• Lisa Bulthuis, special education teacher at PNHS
• Joshua Clifford, custodian at PNHS
• Shelby Donaghey, third-grade teachern at Eichelberger Elementary School
• Katherine Fairfield, social studies and English teacherat PEHS
• Sandy Figueroa, kindergarten and bilingual teacherat Creekside Elementary School kindergarten/bilingual teacher
• Stacey Grobstein, fourth-grade teacher at Freedom Elementary School
• Oralia Guzman, curriculum and instruction department district translator coordinator and family liaison at the district office
• Kelsey Haywood, speech teacher at Charles Reed Elementary School
• Ali Kordelewski, choir director at PEHS
• Toni Lowery, world language/Spanish/French teacher at PSHS
• Russell Moore, technology department network administrator at the district office
• Diana Villalvazo, English language learner department administrative assistant at the district office
• Kimberly Wayne, sixth-grade language arts teacher at Ira Jones Middle School
• Paula Wisniewski, social worker at Wesmere Elementary School