Buffalo Grove H.S. speech coach honored
ŸFor the second time, Tracey Repa, head coach of the Speech, Acting and Debate teams at Buffalo Grove High School, was honored for coaching excellence with a Diamond Award from the National Forensic League.
Repa is among 17 coaches nationwide, who will receive Diamond Awards.
Diamond Awards are based on the results of students coached, as well as the number of students coached throughout a career. Each diamond represents more than 2,000 competitive speech or debate performances over five or more years.
The NFL is a nonprofit honorary society, whose mission is to promote high school and middle school speech and debate activities as a means to develop a student's essential life skills and values.
Ÿ John Hersey High School's showchoir, “Onstage,” under the direction of Sara Michael, started its competition season on a strong note Saturday, Feb. 12, in Wisconsin. The Hersey ensemble finished fourth place overall in the Fort Atkinson High School Showchoir Invitational. In addition, Onstage took second place in the Best Vocals category, and senior Katie Dewar was named Best Soloist in the competition.
Ÿ Dr. Jose M. Torres, superintendent School District U-46, was appointed to serve on the federal Equity and Excellence Commission by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Torres joins 27 other national leaders in education, business, and law in his appointment to the commission.
Ÿ Gayle Mountcastle, Des Plaines Park District superintendent of recreation, has accepted the position of executive director of the Park Ridge Park District, effective March 7. Mountcastle brings more than 20 years of park district experience and an industry wide reputation of dedicated community service, budgetary stewardship, and innovative program and facility development to her new position.
During the past six years as superintendent of recreation in Des Plaines, Mountcastle was responsible for overseeing all operations of the Recreation Department programs and facilities including two community centers, Golf Center Des Plaines, Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center, Lake Park Marina and Golf Course, Mountain View Adventure Center, and two neighborhood pools.
Ÿ The District 15 board of education voted to name Jim Garwood the district's deputy superintendent during its Feb. 9 meeting. Garwood has served as the district's assistant superintendent for administrative services since April 2007. Corresponding with his title change, he has been assigned the additional responsibilities of supervising the junior high principals and the director of personnel and human services.
Ÿ Patrick Beach, professor of hospitality management at William Rainey Harper College, was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Food Service by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers on Thursday, Feb. 10 at its annual biennial show.
NAFEM regularly honors people whose efforts on behalf of associations demonstrate long term commitment and excellence. Beach is finishing a five-year commitment to the International Food Service Executives Association, a 110-year-old organization dedicated to serving America's food industry.
Ÿ Robert Sochowski, a 20-year counselor at Wheeling High School and adjunct faculty member at Northeastern Illinois University, was honored Friday, Feb. 4, at the Illinois School Counselors Association's annual conference, where he was named the 2011 Secondary School Counselor of the Year. On hand to see him receive his award at the Chicago O'Hare Marriott were members of his early intervention team, members of the school's Student Services department and former and current District 214 Student Services staff.
Sochowski was nominated by Dr. Holly Ravitz, assistant principal for Student Services at Wheeling High School, for his contribution to the success of the students on his caseload, as well as for the development and supervision of the counseling intern program at Wheeling High School.