Neighbors in the News: Teachers receive national certification
Ÿ Central Elementary School teachers Michelle Cucchi and Colleen Harrold; Chippewa Middle School teacher Connie Smith; North Elementary School teachers Christine McKelvey and Karen Higginson; and Forest Elementary School teacher Judy McManus were honored by the School District 62 Board of Education for earning National Board Certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.
National Board Certification is a self-directed improvement and evaluation course that typically takes one to three years to complete. It requires a portfolio, which includes classroom video, student work samples and written responses, a good deal of self-reflection and an assessment course.
Ÿ The Wochnik Family of Mount Prospect was the recipient of KeyLime Cove’s second annual “Family of the Year” contest. The family of three receives one weekend stay each month in 2011 and VIP status, special discounts and exclusive access throughout the Gurnee resort.
Ÿ Mary Anne Wesoloski, the nurse at Countryside Elementary School, Barrington, is one of only two Educational Advancement Award winners selected by the National Association of School Nurses for 2011. In addition to a cash award, Wesoloski also receives a complimentary four-day registration to the 43rd annual NASC conference in Washington, D.C., in June, where she will be recognized for her achievements.
Ÿ Attorney Jim Voigt of Lavelle Law, Ltd., Palatine, was appointed to the board of directors of the Palatine Chamber of Commerce for 2011. For the past few years Voigt has been active in the Palatine Chamber’s Chambernet Networking group.
Voigt devotes much of his time at Lavelle Law to the Small Business Practice Group and has been an active advocate of small business concerns throughout his legal career. His practice concentrates primarily on new business formation and corporate maintenance and compliance.
Ÿ Adlai E. Stevenson High School graduate Meghan Smith of Buffalo Grove, a teacher education major in Miami University’s School of Education, Health and Society, was accepted into the university’s Urban Teaching Cohort: A Community Residency Program.
The program provides prospective teachers with classroom and out-of-classroom experiences specifically targeted at preparing them to help the poorest, most vulnerable students succeed academically. Students work with community residents in urban areas and have the option to live in neighborhoods such as Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine area. Student teachers are assigned to schools that serve disadvantaged students in Chicago and Cincinnati and Middletown, Ohio.