Golden Apple nominations due in January

Nominations for the 2015 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award are due Jan. 5. The Golden Apple Scholars nominations are due Jan. 15. Nomination forms are available online.

Golden Apple has recognized outstanding educators from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties annually since 1986 with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award honors outstanding teachers for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated citizenry.

This year, the award will recognize outstanding prekindergarten through third grade full-time classroom teachers teaching at a public or nonpublic school. Award recipients play a critical role in furthering programs, such as helping prepare the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois to be future teachers within schools of need.

Each Golden Apple Award recipient receives a tuition-free, spring quarter sabbatical to study at Northwestern University. Recipients also receive a $5,000 cash award and become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators.

The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program has more than 1,500 statewide participants. The program is designed to address the urgent need for resilient and creative teachers serving Illinois students in economically and educationally disadvantaged schools.

Golden Apple Scholars receive tuition assistance while they pursue an undergraduate education at one of 53 Illinois universities. Throughout their undergraduate years, scholars participate in a comprehensive series of pre-student-teaching internships, mentoring and course work on the art of teaching delivered by Golden Apple Award-winning teachers.

Last year was the inaugural year of The Stanley C. Golder Award, which honors one prekindergarten through 12th grade principal, head of school or leader of a public or nonpublic school in Chicago and its collar counties. Candidates must have served as a principal or head of school at one or more public or nonpublic schools for five or more consecutive school years. Recipients receive a cash award of $10,000 to be used for professional development and a school project of their choosing.

Winners are notified during surprise visits to schools in the spring. Golden Apple Scholars are notified in February.

Chat with the board:

Elgin Area School District U-46 school board members will be offering "Board Chats" as part of an outreach plan developed to connect with the community and spend more time in the schools with U-46 families and employees.

Principals, PTO leaders and Citizens Advisory Committee members will receive information about board member availability and are encouraged to invite board members to their schools and events.

A request form for "Board Chats" is posted on u-46.org. "Board Chats" are an informal, 20-minute outreach session during which board members will answer questions and provide updates to school communities.