Top two percent honored at U-46

On Monday night, the Elgin Area School District U-46 school board recognized 62 graduating seniors for being in the top two percent of their class academically. The reception and ceremony were held at Elgin High.

The students of each of U-46's five high schools received certificates of achievement along with an invitation to contact the school district after college.

"If you decide that teaching is the right career path for you, please call us when you've finished your degree. We'd love to have you back," Superintendent José Torres said.

Among the schools students have chosen to attend are Northwestern, Notre Dame, the University of Illinois, Brown University, University of Chicago, McGill University and the Coast Guard Academy.

Summer gig: Summer's fast approaching, teachers. Looking for a project?

In last week's message to educators, State Superintendent Christopher Koch announced that the Illinois State Museum's Oral History of Illinois Agriculture Project is developing an interactive Web module called the Audio-Video Barn.

The project will feature new digital multimedia oral-history interviews with people involved in agriculture and rural life in Illinois, educational resources, and links to ISM online collections, to be launched in fall 2009.

Teachers in grades 6-12 are needed to help field test Audio-Video Barn resources in an on-site workshop July 13 in Springfield. You'll get a free lunch, a stipend, and up to six professional development credits. Sign up details at www.museum.state.il.net/avbarn

Tweet teachin': An editor here at the Daily Herald has famously reminded us that reporters are "never quite off duty." Social media makes that task a whole lot easier these days.

For those still figuring out the ins and outs of this communication, Elgin Community College communications director Sarah Evans will teach a social media class May 19 and 26 called "Wikis, and Twitter, and LinkedIn, (on silent, of course), was recently deemed one of the most active "Twitterers" in the country by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The class, held in ECC's University Business Center, costs $79 and includes materials. For more information, www.elgin.edu/business.

Vacation, anyone? Parkwood Elementary's chorus is presenting the musical "I need a vacation" to residents of Lexington Health Care in Streamwood. The 17 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders have been practicing for weeks. Break a leg!