District 47 Bernotas teacher named 'Teacher of the Month'

Home State Bank and McHenry County radio station Star 105.5 honored seventh-grade language arts and social studies teacher Belinda Strebel as "Teacher of the Month" on Sept. 30 at Home State Bank. Strebel was nominated for the award by former student Elena Starcher, who is now an eighth-grader at Bernotas Middle School.

"I always knew I would be a teacher," Strebel said. "I have worked with thousands of kids in my career and, of course, there are a handful that live on in the stories I tell year to year … kids that I was so lucky to work with, grow with and laugh with ... kids like Elena. She is smart, creative and kind. I am so lucky to work with her and other kids like her every day."

Bernotas principal Jeffry Prickett said, "What an exciting day for Mrs. Strebel! This was a well-deserved honor for Belinda, a teacher who works extremely hard and is beloved by all students. There are so many deserving teachers out there, and this is just affirmation that what educators are doing really does make a difference in the lives of children."

Nominating student Elena Starcher submitted several paragraphs to Star 105.5 explaining why she thought Strebel deserved the award. She wrote that a "teacher of the month" is someone who "hosts Dance Party Fridays every week in the classroom during the lunch hour," "teaches the curriculum in the most enticing way possible," and "whose life textbook is a story made up of colors."

The "Teacher of the Month" contest is based on the quality of individual submissions rather than number of nominations. Winners receive $100 and are automatically entered to win the Home State Bank's "Teacher of the Year" award announced at the end of the school year. The "Teacher of the Year" grand prize is a new iPad.

For more information or to nominate your favorite McHenry County teacher, go to star105.com//common/more.php?m=33&r=4.