November 14, 2024
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Plano educators receive state recognition for excellence, superintendent commends staff

By David Petesch
Plano Community Unit School District #88 has received over 60 awards and recognitions from the Illinois State Board of Education, and displays many of the awards at the district offices at 800 S. Hale St. in Plano IL 60545.

Plano Community Unit School District #88 has received over 60 awards and recognitions from the Illinois State Board of Education, and displays many of the awards at the district offices at 800 S. Hale St. in Plano IL 60545. (Photo Provided by Plano CUSD#88)

The Illinois State Board of Elections has announced the recipients of the “Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards,” and eight Plano Community Unit School District #88 staff members were recognized for their extraordinary contributions to education.

Plano CUSD#88 Superintendent Tony Baker said the awards announced on Thursday are an honor for the district and very meaningful to its staff members who work hard every day.

“We need to find opportunities to recognize our students and staff more frequently,” Baker said. “This is a great way to get them put on a larger stage than just locally.”

According to a Feb. 2 ISBE press release, the awards celebrate incredible educators, staff, volunteers, and administrators who have made lasting impacts on the students, families, and fellow educators in their school communities.

The annual awards also celebrate paraprofessionals, security guards, nutrition professionals, nurses, librarians, bus drivers and coaches who go above and beyond to make every student feel known and valued, and who are essential to students’ success.

There are seven categories for awards: classroom teachers, early career educators (teachers with 1-4 years of experience), administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteers and teams.

Recognitions come in three distinctions: excellence is the highest honor, with meritorious service and special recognition following in descending order of achievement.

The awards received by Plano CUSD#88 are as follows:

Excellence:

  • Administrator - Brennan Denny - Assistant Principal, Plano High School

Meritorious Service:

  • Classroom Teacher - Emily Holmstrom - 6th Grade Math Teacher, Emily G Johns School
  • Early Career Educator - Delaney Rogers - 8th Grade English Teacher, Plano Middle School
  • Early Career Educator - Jimena Moreno - 5th Grade Dual Language Teacher, Emily G Johns School
  • Educational Service Personnel - Anne Hamblin - Secretary, Plano High School
  • Student Support Personnel - Sarah Nourzad - Social Worker, Centennial School
  • Team - Plano Area Special Education Cooperative - Plano High School Transition Team

Special Recognition:

  • Community Volunteer - Mark Parris - Volunteer Photographer for many CUSD#88 athletics and events

Baker said this year’s eight recipients are the most the district has ever received in one year. Since the program started, over 60 district educators have received recognition, and this is the sixth year running that it has had recipients in all seven categories.

“Six years in a row with all seven categories,” Baker said. “This is a special thing to celebrate.”

Recipients are nominated by peers, colleagues, and community members. Baker said they try to distribute the recognition throughout the school district, but there always are special cases that receive several nominations.

This year, Baker said Emily Holmstrom, of Emily G. Johns School and Brennan Denny, assistant principal at Plano High School were the recipients who received the most nominations.

Baker said Holmstrom is an excellent teacher who makes great connections with the kids.

“She’s (Holmstrom) always going above and beyond to work with everyone from the struggling student, to the student that’s achieving and wanting a little more acceleration in their learning,” Baker said.

Denny was the only recipient of the excellence award in Kendall County this year. Baker said it is often the assistant principal who is available and ready to help when situations arise, as principals often are tied up with other matters.

“He (Denny) gets along with everyone,” Baker said. “He’s a problem solver, he’s a positive person, the kids gravitate to him and staff go to him for help.”

Several meritorious service awards were granted to educators in the district, including teachers, support personnel and a team of special educators called PASEC.

The Plano Area Special Education Cooperative, or PASEC, was founded in 2016 to provide and supervise special education, programs and services for students with disabilities.

Baker said PASEC has continuously grown with students’ needs and now enlists more than 50 employees, including certified support staff and administration.

PASEC works with all five of the district’s schools, as well as Lisbon Community Consolidated SD#90, Newark Community Consolidated SD#66 and Newark Community High School District #18.

Baker said Plano CUSD#88 makes up about 90% of the operation’s staff and students.

Mark Parris received special recognition, and was the only volunteer in Kendall County to be recognized. Parris is a community member and parent to current and former students in the district.

Baker said Parris attends many of the districts extra-curricular events and brings a lot of positive social media attention to the district, especially Plano High School.

“He does it all on his own time and his own penny,” Baker said. “A lot of our social media pictures are accredited to him.”

ISBE will celebrate the awardees at a banquet on April 29. Visit the ISBE website to see the full list of awardees.