District 59 video receives accolades
The Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association honored Betsy Boswell and School District 59 with its Award of Merit for the video "A Strategic Plan for Our School Community." The award recognizes excellence in communication. Boswell is executive assistant/public information coordinator for Community Consolidated School District 59, Arlington Heights.
• Rehana Ghani from Helen Keller Junior High School, Schaumburg, was one of 100 social studies educators who traveled to Germany as part of the Transatlantic Outreach Program. Ghani spent two weeks traveling from Berlin to Hamburg and from Frankfurt to Schwerin on a paid study/travel seminar. Highlights included question and answer sessions with executives of the Federal Foreign Office, German curriculum developers, authors and German teachers; visits to German schools; a tour of the Reichstag, and visits to museums.
• Karen Tom of Palatine was selected to be part of the performance cast for the Capital One Bowl halftime show. The New Year's Day student pageantry presentation will be held in Orlando, and broadcast nationally on ABC.
• The newly elected 2008-09 officers and executive board of the Barrington Chapter of Lyric Opera of Chicago are: President and program chairman, Toni Savadel, Carpentersville; first vice president membership, George Obermaier, Schaumburg; educational outreach, Mary Robins, Arlington Heights; treasurer, Dave Nelleman, St. Charles; and recording secretary, Marlene Boncosky, Crystal Lake.
Committee chairmen are: archivist, Norma Carey, Barrington; community relations, Catherine Mura, Lake Barrington and Glenne McMonigal, Crystal Lake; development, Howard Robins, Arlington Heights; hospitality, Mary Green, Barrington and Maureen Brown, Lake Zurich; invitations, Kathryn Black, Lake Zurich; nominating chairman, Fritz Fredrickson, Barrington; member services, Nancy Hozian, Kildeer; operathon liaison, Diane Johnson, Arlington Heights; reservations, Margit Vogel, Lake Barrington and Susan Obermaier, Schaumburg; and volunteers, Martha Kersey, Palatine.
Assisting Toni Savadel with chapter programs will be Walter Ahern and Anne Gross, both of Inverness; Maureen Brown of Lake Zurich; Norma Carey, George Flint, Mary Green and Janet Lareau, all of Barrington; and Diane Johnson and Mary Robins, both of Arlington Heights.
• A longtime fascination with politics and a dedication to public service helped Schaumburg native and Valparaiso University senior Andrew Mayer win one of 100 spots in the White House internship program this past summer.
Over the summer, Mayer worked in the Office of Records Management at the White House, where he helped maintain various databases and documents, as well as review correspondence being sent from the White House.
In addition to his work in records management, Meyer and his fellow interns gained insight into life in the White House from several prominent administration officials through a speakers series. Speakers included Joshua Bolton, White House chief of staff; Dana Perino, White House press secretary; and Jim Nussle, director of the Office of Management and Budget.
• Send items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyherald.com.