The honors roll for North Shore schools, educators

Honors abound on the North Shore, many school-based. Following is a sampling.

Zapler named South's Distinguished Teacher

The youthful energy and enjoyment Danny Zapler brings as head coach of Glenbrook South's girls track and field team belies the fact that he's been at the school for 26 years as a social studies teacher.

It's a passion that helped Zapler earn the title of the Glenbrook South Parents Association's 2022 Glenbrook South Distinguished Teacher.

Coming out of the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in political science, and following his student-teaching assignment at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Zapler joined the Glenbrook South faculty in 1996.

He's taught philosophy, psychology, Eastern religion, United States history, world history, and civics. He's coached lacrosse and the Titans girls track team. Among them, 2009 Class 3A high jump champion Ellen Chapman and 3A runners-up Sydney Willits in triple jump and Raelyn Roberson in long jump.

Active as well in Glenbrook South extracurriculars outside of athletics, over the years Zapler has sponsored the school's Key Club, International Club, Shakti Club, Mongolian Club and, legend has it, founded the Glenbrook South Cheese Club.

According to the school's own write-up on Zapler's honor, his style as an instructor is pleasingly unique.

"(T)he nature of his teaching encourages students to find their own intrinsic motivation to learn," the item said.

"His class invites students to find their own purpose and exercise their own agency in their education. Students emerge from Mr. Zapler's class with more questions and stronger convictions that have been tested and refined."

Dist. 28 among best for music education

Northbrook School District 28 received the Best Communities for Music Education designation for the sixth time in seven years, by the NAMM Foundation - the National Association of Music Merchants.

In a release by District 28, band director Greg Scapillato said the 2022 NAMM honors weighed heavily on how school music programs reacted during the COVID pandemic. Instrument bell covers, special vocalists' masks, air filtration equipment and simply continued music instruction under COVID mitigation measures impressed NAMM.

Northbrook School District 28 was one of 22 Illinois districts and among 738 schools or districts nationwide to receive 2022 Best Communities awards. Others include Arlington Heights School District 25 and Lake Forest Elementary District 67.

Award-winning student newspapers

Glenbrook North's student newspaper, Torch, earned a first-class honor for the 2020-21 school year by the National Scholastic Press Association. Results were delayed by the pandemic.

Led by editor-in-chief Sarah Boeke and managing editor Lauren Dyer, Torch earned marks of distinction in three of four judged categories: Text, Visuals, and Presentation.

Torch, led by editor-in-chief Jenna Amusin and managing editor Rachel Cha, also entered the Northern Illinois School Press Association's newspaper contest. The paper won the Golden Eagle Award for overall excellence.

At Glenbrook South, The Oracle was named best overall newspaper and best hybrid publication by the Illinois Journalism Education Association. Those were among 27 categories for which The Oracle was recognized.

And at the Illinois High School Association journalism state finals two of the paper's editors, Sloane Shabelman and Madeline Hussey, placed first in features writing and third in headline writing, respectively.

It was previously reported that the Glenbrook South yearbook, "Etruscan," earned a National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Pacemaker award for its 2021 edition, "You Can't Make This Up." As of 2013, "Etruscan" became one of three yearbooks in Illinois to be named an NSPA All-American Hall of Fame inductee for receiving All-American ratings in at least 10 of 11 straight years.

Glenbrook schools shine in state math contest

Following only the University of Chicago Lab School, Glenbrook North placed second in its division, Division 3AA, at the 40th ICTM State Math Contest at the University of Illinois in Champaign May 2.

According to Glenbrook High Schools District 225, Glenbrook South's Howard Dai was the sole senior in the state to earn a perfect score, winning the individual state championship in the process.

Spartans teams came out on top in two categories, precalculus and geometry.

The precalculus team consisted of: Leah Goldberg, Lauren Lee, Rina Matsunaga, Stephanie Mei, Sungmin Park, Daniel Xiang, Roger Yang and Olivia Zhao.

Glenbrook North's geometry team was: Dai, Katherine Chang, Vidhata Jayaraman, Matthew Oh, Jonah Prober, Megan Wang and Lifu Zhang.

District 34 staffers earn ISBE honors

The Illinois State Board of Education annually honors people who've made significant contributions to elementary and secondary schools. Glenview District 34 recently received several of the state board's "Those Who Excel" awards.

Henking School psychologist Chantal Diaz was noted for student support; warehouse and custodial supervisor Ernie Gray was awarded among "Those Who Excel" for educational service; District 34 communications and strategic planning Director Cathy Kedjidjian also was honored.

Karen Hitzeman received an award of excellence in the community volunteer category. In particular the ISBE acknowledged her work on behalf of the Debra Gelfand Children's Foundation, which helps D34 students and families in hardship or crisis.

And, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic and how to teach through it, the ISBE also extended a "Those Who Excel" award to District 34's entire 32-person Remote Learning Team.

Northbrook students win science medals

Northbrook Junior High sent 29 seventh and eighth graders participating in its Independent Science Research to the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Exposition in Peoria over April 22-23.

All 29 won either gold, silver or bronze medals, 18 of them taking home the gold.

Three students won best in their category: Emma Fraczek in behavioral science, Lily Musselwhite in environmental science, and Lily Smolik in zoology.

In addition, Emma Fraczek, Emma McGough and Emma Noll were nominated for the Broadcom Masters competition, a designation for projects considered among the top 10% of middle school science fair projects nationwide.

Accolades for Glenview Park District

Finally, here's a couple nonschool honors, for the Glenview Park District ...

• The Park Services team won the 2021 Pioneer Athletics "Fields of Excellence" award. The Glenview Park District noted the team's work overall, but specifically at Community Park West, 1001 Zenith Drive. The district said it "is one of a hundred fields chosen across the country recognized for pristine maintenance."

• The Glenview Park District has its own in-house IMPACT awards, and named its "Fitness on the Go" online platform the 2021 winner. Chosen by the park board of directors, the IMPACT award recognizes park district staff or teams that innovate to improve or create a program, service, process or product.

Fitness on the Go, a virtual group fitness program, earned the nod due to its innovation to stay competitive during the COVID-19 pandemic.