Kane Co. to choose educator of the year at banquet

The 39th annual Kane County Educator of the Year Awards Banquet will be held Friday, May 2, in the Fox River Ballroom at the Q Center, 1405 N. Fifth St. in St. Charles. It will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner at 6:30 p.m.

This awards dinner provides an opportunity to honor outstanding members of the education profession in Kane County and to promote awareness of the quality education being provided in our schools. Special recognition is also given to those retiring from education this school year.

This awards dinner is dubbed "An Evening to Celebrate Education in Kane County."

Local nominating committees consisting of teachers and administrators nominate educators throughout the county. Those nominated are seen as having the respect and admiration of students, parents and co-workers.

They play active and useful roles in their communities and also in the schools, often distinguishing themselves as leaders.

The nomination books are available for you to view by calling the Kane County Regional Office of Education at (630) 232-5963.

The awards presented that evening include: Classroom Preschool Teacher, Elementary Educator; Middle School Educator; High School Educator; School Administrator; Student Support Personnel; Early Career Educator, Private/Parochial, Educational Service Personnel and the Kane County Educator of the Year Award.

All nominees receive special recognition as Distinguished Educators.

Those honored represent the dedicated service found in all of the staff throughout the county. This program has received enthusiastic support from regional educators, and several Kane County award recipients have been selected by the State Board of Education as outstanding teachers in Illinois.

You can also find further information about the banquet by visiting www.kaneroe.org.

The following are the 2014 Educator of the Year nominees and the number of years in their profession:

Early Career Educator: Julie Newquist, Central Unit District 301, an elementary teacher at Country Trails Elementary, 3 years in the profession.

Educational Service Personnel: Sandy Diaz, East Aurora Unit District 131, a parent liaison at Waldo Middle School, 11 years; Gigi Hansen, Central Unit District 301, a paraprofessional at Country Trails Elementary, 5.5 years; Linda Lou Caine, St. Charles Unit District 303, a computer lab assistant at St. Charles East High School, 25 years; Julio Rubieles, St. Charles Unit District 303, head custodian at St. Charles North High School, 10 years; and Bryan M. Johnson, a bus driver with St. Charles Unit District 303, 12 years.

Elementary Educator: Sara White, East Aurora Unit District 131, an art teacher at Dieterich Elementary, 7 years; Carol A. Mertes, East Aurora Unit District 131, an elementary teacher at Johnson Elementary, 22 years; Kathleen Bujak, Community Unit District 300, a language arts/social studies/math/science teacher at Cambridge Lakes Charter School; Doreen Dietrich-Reineck, Community Unit District 300, an elementary teacher at Gilberts Elementary School, 35 years; Mary Underhill, Community Unit District 300, an elementary teacher at Liberty Elementary, 26 years; and Dr. Gregorio De Jesus Posada, Elgin Area Unit District U-46, a dual-language teacher at Gifford Elementary, 22 years.

Middle School Educator: Edward Johnson Jr., East Aurora Unit District 131, a special education teacher in math/science/social studies/language arts at Waldo Middle School, 7 years; Evan Borkowski, Community Unit District 300, eighth-grade math teacher at Algonquin Middle School, 12 years; Jodi Winburn, Community Unit District 300, a social studies teacher at Dundee Middle School, 15 years; and Kelly Uehlein, Community Unit District 300, a middle school teacher in ELL/bilingual reading/writing/social at Lakewood School, 18 years.

High School Educator: Matthew R. Holm, Batavia Unit District 101, a social studies teacher at Batavia High School, 23 years; Jeffrey Holstein, Community Unit District 300, a history and special education teacher at Oak Ridge Alternative School, 19 years; Jennifer Lynn Kull, St. Charles Unit District 303, physical education teacher at St. Charles East High School, 28 years; Robert Prentiss, St. Charles Unit District 303, health and driver education at St. Charles North High School, 32 years; Ame Kazmer, Geneva Unit District 304, a certified special education-English teacher at Geneva High School, 25 years.

Classroom Preschool Teacher: Pamela Maxey, East Aurora Unit District 131, preschool teacher in Early Childhood Development, 21 years.

School Administrator: Julia Briggs Doverspike, East Aurora Unit District 131, principal at Dieterich Elementary School, 17 years; Dr. Stephanie Ramstad, Community Unit District 300, principal at Carpentersville Middle School, 25 years; and Charlie A. Kyle, St. Charles Unit District 303, principal at St. Charles East High School, 19 years.

Student Support Personnel: Mary Ellen Adkins, Batavia Unit District 101, speech language pathologist at Alice Gustafson Elementary, 30 years; Jennifer Sullivan, East Aurora Unit District 131, school counselor at Waldo Middle School, 11 years; and Anita Masching, Community Unit District 300, media paraprofessional at Algonquin Lakes Elementary, 9 years.