D62 staff honored by State Board for contributions to education
Six School District 62 staff members were among approximately 200 statewide educators that were recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education at the 2013 “Those Who Excel” awards banquet in Bloomington-Normal.
This was the ISBE’s 39th statewide salute to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to education in Illinois.
Dr. Jane Westerhold, Superintendent of Schools, was awarded an Award of Excellence in the Administrator Category for leading District 62 from a precarious financial situation to a position of financial stability.
She led the district in developing and completing a $109 million, three-year, comprehensive master plan that improved facility safety and energy efficiency, and enhanced the quality of the District’s learning environments.
Through her leadership in financial planning, outside revenue sources such as American Reinvestment and Recovery Act allowed the district to provide added value for the students of our community.
Providing effective leadership for teaching and learning in the 21st century is a complex responsibility that requires effective communication both within and outside the school district. Dr. Westerhold actively develops communication channels that support the success of our diverse population.
She is very active in a number of professional groups, readily shares her knowledge with superintendents in other districts, and develops relationships that allow her to consult with a wide network of professionals when she is gathering information on a topic. These collegial relationships clearly accrue to the benefit of our students.
Michael Santopoalo, Orchard Place Elementary School, received an Award of Recognition in the Teacher Category. Santopoalo teaches a special needs blended class of kindergarten and first-grade students.
His main goal is to prepare young learners for general education instruction. While his students reflect the demographics of the school, 74.7 percent low-income and 64.1 percent limited-English-proficient, his own background as a dyslexic special education student, drives him to help students succeed.
He understands not only what his students need to learn, but has also built a repertoire of strategies to overcome the problems his students have with text, or math, or long term memory.
Cheryl Anderson, Orchard Place Elementary School, won an Award of Recognition in the Educational Support Personnel Category. Anderson is a paraprofessional in a special education classroom. She serves as the primary teacher’s second set of eyes and ears in the classroom.
Anderson provides instructional and supervisory assistance. She works with small groups of students or individual students who need extra help with coursework and getting through the school day.
She has supervised the playground for nearly 35 years. Observing her interact with students is magical. Ms. Anderson is patient, calm, and methodical. Whether she works in a small group or is conducting a calendar/history lesson with the majority of the students, her desire for students to learn and understand is very evident.
The hallmark of her career is the hundreds of learning visuals and activities that she has developed to assist young learners in the classroom and on the playground.
Julie Ritzema, Early Learning Center, won an Award of Recognition in the Student Support Category. When parents seek an early childhood program for their child, they seek a partnership between their family and teacher.
Continuity between home and school reinforces a child’s positive behaviors and helps the child gain independence. Daily communication between the teacher and parents about the child’s changing interests, skills, and needs is crucial to child development and builds a foundation for future learning.
Ritzema, toddler/preschool specialist, is an exemplary specialist who builds relationships and trust with students and parents. Her strong listening skills and respect for different perspectives allow her to work with parents to create the best environment for their children.
Celia Garcia-Fernandez, English Language Learner (ELL) Program, and Christine Trujillo, Forest Elementary School, were presented an Award of Recognition in the Team Category.
School District 62 provides a high quality English Language Learner (ELL) program that values a student’s native language and culture to accelerate the acquisition of linguistic, academic and social/cultural success in a diverse society.
The contributions of numerous teachers and staff to this program have resulted in very positive results when Annual Measurable Academic Objectives (AMAO) are reported each fall. In 2011 and 2012, District 62 ELL students exceeded targets established by the state in Progress in English and Competency in English.
In Progress in English, students exceeded the targets by 13.9 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively. District 62 students exceeded their state counterparts by 8.8 percent and 9.7 percent in Competency in English during the same years. These outstanding results, along with the fact that 85 percent of the ELL students who are dismissed to General Education classes continue to meet state standards on the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT), is the result of the work of Team Dos.
Team Dos was made up of two ELL facilitators/coordinators, Celia (Sally) Garcia-Fernandez and Christine Trujillo, who worked behind the scenes training teachers to support ELL students and their families.
District 62 nominees were selected from the 2013 District 62 Lighthouse Awards, which are held in April. Community members, colleagues, parents and students supported them through the rigorous “Those Who Excel” process.
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