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Gurnee presents 11th annual Teacher and Staff of the Year awards to educators across three districts
Summary
The Village of Gurnee honored teachers and support staff from Warren Township High School District 121, Gurnee School District 56 and Woodland District 50 with $1,000 awards and plaques donated by the Henderson Foundation.
The Village of Gurnee presented its 11th annual Teacher and Staff Member of the Year awards on May 5, honoring educators and support staff from Warren Township High School District 121, Gurnee School District 56 and Woodland District 50.
Mayor Thomas Hood and Village Administrator Patrick Mutes joined representatives of the Henderson Foundation to recognize eight recipients. Each award included a $1,000 check from the Henderson Foundation and a commemorative plaque, the meeting record shows.
Warren Township High School District 121: Diana Alcala, Teacher of the Year (school social worker with 33 years in education; joined WTHS in February 2004 and is retiring this year) and Omar Garcia, Staff Member of the Year (building maintenance and HVAC-certified staffer; joined WTHS in February 2008).
Gurnee School District 56 (Prairie Trail School): Eileen Kiley, Teacher of the Year (more than 30 years in education; 28 years at Prairie Trail) and Danielle Bongard, Staff Member of the Year (one-on-one aide noted for student support and building relationships).
Woodland District 50: Ricardo Gomez Pimentel, Teacher of the Year (fourth-grade dual-language teacher) and Amanda Medina, Staff Member of the Year (Woodland transportation staff/director of transportation Donna Cho presented the recognition).
Why it matters: the annual awards, paid for by the Henderson Foundation, publicly recognize classroom teachers and support staff across local school districts during Teacher Appreciation Week. Presenters highlighted long service, mentorship, student-centered programming and contributions to school climate.
How it unfolded in the meeting: brief remarks from district presenters, photo opportunities and presentation of the foundation checks were followed by family photos on stage. District presenters described recipients’ years of service and programmatic contributions (for example, wellness day, distress fest and classroom innovations) but the board did not take any formal legislative action tied to the awards.
Provenance: the awards presentation began under petitions and communications and continued through photos and district remarks; the meeting transcript documents presenter remarks and the distribution of awards and checks.
