Morris High School’s school nurse awarded special recognition for years of service

Morris Community High School’s school nurse, Tracy Steffes, has won an Illinois State Board of Education Award of Special Recognition through the “Those Who Excel” program for her effort and service at the school.

Steffes has been the nurse at Morris Community High School for 32 years after starting her nursing career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Joliet.

“I’m very honored, very grateful that someone nominated me and values the importance of school nursing and education,” Steffes said. “I was definitely surprised.”

Steffes said she became a school nurse after missing her oldest childn’s first Christmas because she had to work, and a friend told her about the school nurse certification. Steffes started taking classes at University of Illinois-Chicago, then got a job working with Mrs. McNulty, and took over for her when she retired.

“I really had no idea what to expect when I started,” Steffes said. “For years, I’ve heard people say ‘you’re so lucky, you have this cushy job with three months off in the summer.' I wish that were true. School nursing is, you know, not just putting on bandages and handing out ice packs.”

School nursing, Steffes said, is handling acute emergencies, several different chronic illnesses, mental health issues, physical and immunization requirements, health screenings, family issues, substance abuse, pregnancy, special education, IEPs, and more.

“There’s really a multitude of things you’re juggling in this position, and you never know what’s going to walk through the doors,” Steffes said. “It’s definitely been an incredibly rewarding career. I’ve been so fortunate to work with just a great team of administrators, faculty and staff.”

Superintendent Craig Ortiz was one of several school employees who wrote a letter in support of Steffes. He shared that letter.

“As our school nurse, Ms. Steffes is responsive to the needs of 1,000 students and employees on adaily basis,” Ortiz said. “It was only during the COVID pandemic than an assistant was hired to provide additional support for her office, so she has largely taken on the task by herself. She stays current on health topics and helps make sure the school district remains in legal compliance.”

Ortiz said her duties go beyond responding to medical emergencies or administering screenings. She conducts vision and hearing screenings for students, coordinates wellness and vaccine clinics for employees and students, and conducts emergency response training for the staff. She also keeps faculty informed if a student has a changing medical need.

“She is a strong and tireless advocate for students by participating in meetings about their physical, mental and emotional well-being,” Ortiz said. “She is often the first one to learn of a student in crisis, and her wealth of knowledge about students and their families makes a huge difference in how such crises are addressed.”

Steffes will be retiring from the district at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, though she said she doesn’t have any plans for how to spend her retirement just yet.