Veterans honor two District 300 teachers

St. Patrick's Day was a lucky day for Community Unit District 300.

Two of the district's teachers won a statewide award recognizing their efforts to promote citizenship among their students.

The Illinois Veterans of Foreign Wars presented Sleepy Hollow Elementary School teacher Sharon Waterman with the National Citizenship Education Teacher Award for kindergarten through fifth grade.

The VFW also recognized Dundee-Crown High School environmental science teacher Gary Swick for grades nine through 12.

"To have two teachers out of the same district win at the state level is very rare," said Chuck Slack, state assistant Voice of Democracy director. "It's easy for us, we have such great teachers to work with."

Sleepy Hollow Principal Anastasia Epstein nominated Waterman for the award, citing numerous efforts she led since 2005 to thank and support veterans.

Waterman and her students have collected phone cards for soldiers in Iraq, donated blankets and sheets to Vietnam veterans and invited local veterans to the school to talk about their experiences.

"Thank you for all that you do to honor and respect our veterans," Epstein said Wednesday at a schoolwide assembly. "Mrs. Waterman, we couldn't be prouder."

As she accepted her award and two $100 checks, Waterman, a fourth-grade teacher, credited her students.

"This honor also belongs to the students who made these service projects possible," Waterman said. "All I did was plant the seed."

Swick has led numerous environmental programs in the Fox Valley and has been recognized many times for his efforts, previously winning Kane County Educator of the Year, the D.L. Hoeft High School Educator of the Year and the Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award.