Educators, retiring principals honored at regional education banquet

Hundreds of area teachers gathered in Celebrations 150 in La Salle Thursday evening, and it wasn’t for the pasta and baked chicken. After the dinner and photo booth, complete with hats and masks for picture fun, the awards began. More than 170 teachers, support staff, administrators and board members were being honored for their service to students.

Three teachers also received the Excellence in Education Awards. They were announced through a video message put together by the Regional Office of Education for La Salle, Marshall and Putnam counties. They did not know ahead of time they were being honored at the event.

The final video said they had expected students and staff to say a few words about their administrator.

“Instead, they talked for hours,” read the text.

Retiring La Salle-Peru Township High School principal Deb Nelson did not expect the final video to be for to her.

“It was very much a surprise,” Nelson said.

More than one student or teacher in the video mentioned that Nelson would end each assembly and even the morning announcements with “Always wear your seatbelts.” One teacher even had it on a T-shirt for the video.

Nelson told the attendees that she loved her job and she felt like she never worked a day in her life.

“The teachers are my unsung heroes,” she said. “And the students are why we do what we do.”

Principal Moriah Mott at McKinley Elementary School in Ottawa and Joseph Haywood, a health and sports medicine teacher at Ottawa Township High School, were the other recipients of the educator of the year awards.

There were 179 other educators being honored.

“We put the mascots aside and work hard to support out kids,” regional superintendent Chris Dvorak said.

See Deb Nelson's video tribute here.

Kevin Solari can be reached at (815) 220-6931 or countyreporter@newstrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @NT_County.

THE LIST

La Salle, Marshall, Putnam county Regional Office of Education honored the following teachers and employees of schools at its annual Excellence In Education banquet. Read about the event in Friday's NewsTribune

LELAND — Jennifer Bickhaus, Educator Award; Margo Gudmunson, Educator Award; Andrea Niles, Support Staff Award; Donald Hecathorn, Retiring Support Staff Award

SERENA — Kelly Baker, Educator Award; Carrie Browder, Educator Award; Julie Brown, Educator Award; Nicole Znaniecki, Educator Award; Marci Glade, Support Staff Award; Jim Warjrowski, Retiring Educator Award; Evelyn Fullmer, Retiring Support Staff; David Myer, Board Service Award

HENRY-SENACHWINE UNIT DISTRICT— Heather Fusinetti Educator Award, Kelly Liebhart Educator Award, Tricia Bogner Support Staff Award, Marcia Burroughs Retiring Educator Award, Carol Kocher-Monier Retiring Educator Award, Nancy Piccinelli Retiring Educator Award

MIDLAND CUSD #7 — Denise Balensiefen Support Staff Award, Ginny Moore Retiring Educator Award

EARLVILLE COMMUNITY UNIT #9 — Larry Heiden Educator Award, Jami Sebastian Educator Award, Gary Ayala Support Staff Award, Roger Torman Board Service Award

STREATOR HIGH SCHOOL — Ana Arango-Hughes Educator Award, Chris Aubry Educator Award, James Muntz Educator Award, Janet Gelsthorpe Support Staff Award, David Holmes Retiring Educator Award

STREATOR ELEMENTARY — JoAnn Cave Educator Award, Allyson Rambo Educator Award, Stacy Richie Educator Award, Christina Stephens Educator Award, Christina Geheber Support Staff Award, Joyce McConville Retiring Educator Award, Marilyn Scarbeary Retiring Educator Award, True Gallick Retiring Support Staff

ALLEN-OTTER CREEK ELEMENTARY — Mindy Stevens Educator Award, Curtis Starner Support Staff Award, Janell Satler Retiring Educator Award

TONICA — Jean Gleim Educator Award

DEERPARK — Jennifer Starkey Educator Award

GRAND RIDGE — Elizabeth Bernardoni Educator Award, Jennifer Rix Educator Award, Patti Smith Support Staff Award, Kim Depoister Retiring Educator Award, Marie Fogarty Retiring Educator Award

LASALLE-PERU TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL — Patrick Carney, Educator Award; Michele Honecker-Ummel, Educator Award; Lisa Salander, Educator Award; Joyce Sell, Support Staff Award; Deb Nelson, Retiring Educator Award; Sue Marshall Retiring Educator Award; Deb Parisot, Retiring Educator Award; Greg Sarver, Retiring Educator Award

LIGHTED WAY — Linda St. Catherine, Retiring Educator Award

LASALLE ELEMENTARY — Andrea Bonnell, Educator Award; Gina Koehler, Educator Award; Amanda Sangston, Educator Award; Veronica Scheri, Support Staff Award; Christa Davis, Retiring Educator Award; Eileen Knecht, Retiring Educator Award; Holly Uebel, Retiring Educator Award; Charlie Faletti, Board Service Award; Sue Reeland, Board Service Award; Gerald Savage, Board Service Award; Hank Senica, Board Service Award

PERU ELEMENTARY — Rodney Janssen, Educator Award; Lori Madden, Educator Award; Wes Miller, Educator Award; Stephanie Lippert, Support Staff Award; Jane Charbonneau, Retiring Educator Award; Tim Nagle, Retiring Educator Award; Bill Twardowski, Retiring Support Staff Award; Cindy Gustat, Board Service Award; Mark Lamboley, Board Service Award; C.G. Pillai, Board Service Award

OGLESBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #125 — Kendra Heiden, Educator Award; Jennie Smith, Educator Award; Liz Kutz, Support Staff Award; Traci Tomasson, Support Staff Award; Cynthia Pozzi, Retiring Educator Award; Cheryl Templeton, Retiring Educator Award; Glenda Valle, Retiring Educator Award

OTTAWA HIGH SCHOOL — John Atchley, Educator Award; Erin Byrd, Educator Award; Sean Porter, Educator Award; Tony Zeglis, Support Staff Award; E. Joseph Haywood, Retiring Educator Award; Mary Turchi, Retiring Educator Award; Dave Wultzen, Retiring Educator Award; Deborah Niedzwecki, Retiring Support Staff Award

OTTAWAELEMENTARY SCHOOL #141

Kara Anderson, Educator Award; Elizabeth Gross, Educator Award; Rhonda Hackler, Educator Award; Vicki Mucci, Educator Award; Amy Sheppard, Educator Award; Judy Parker, Support Staff Award; Susan Bernardoni, Retiring Educator Award; Barbara Ehling, Retiring Educator Award; Linda Evensen, Retiring Educator Award; Kevin Evensen, Retiring Educator Award; Theresa McTaggart, Retiring Educator Award; Becky Nett, Retiring Educator Award; Daniel Eberhardt, Retiring Support Staff Award; Jane Waldron, Retiring Support Staff Award; Ron Henson, Board Service Award; Beetz Support Staff Award

LASALLE , MARSHALL, PUTNAM REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION/ REGIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM — Jessica Haywood Educator Award; LeeAnn Kitzman Educator Award; Melissa Hewitt Support Staff Award

SENECA HIGH SCHOOL — Luke Windham, Educator Award; Jenna Maierhofer, Educator Award; Nadine Maierhofer, Support Staff Award; Barb Beck, Retiring Educator Award; Kathleen Czech, Retiring Support Staff Award; Amanda Beck, Retiring Support Staff Award

SENECA ELEMENTARY — Kelly Odum, Educator Award; Sarah Timmons, Support Staff Award

DIMMICKELEMENTARY SCHOOL — Rachel Savage, Educator Award; Diane Setchell, Support Staff Award

WALTHAM ELEMENTARY — Eric Bara, Educator Award; Karin Kummer, Educator Award; Bonnie Kinzer, Support Staff Award; Sally Grubar, Retiring Educator Award; Linda Townsend, Retiring Educator Award

WALLACEELEMENTARY SCHOOL — Kelly Bezely, Educator Award; Laurie Jeppson, Educator Award; Nan Schomas, Support Staff Award

MILLER COMMUNITY — Sheila Kargle, Educator Award; Rachel Childers, Support Staff Award; Josephine Hogue, Board Service Award

MARSEILLES ELEMENTARY — Janice Johnson, Educator Award; Allie Lemrise, Educator Award; Justine Moore, Educator Award; Jennifer Morello, Support Staff Award

RUTLAND ELEMENTARY — Mylinda Threadgill, Educator Award; LeeAnn Niemann, Support Staff Award; Mark Gulandri, Board Service Award

MENDOTA HIGH SCHOOL — Holly Beals, Educator Award; Jennifer Masini, Educator Award; Rachel Tarr, Educator Award; Gary Kettleborough, Support Staff Award; Leon Mosier, Retiring Educator Award

MENDOTA ELEMENTARY — Tawnya Blue, Educator Award; Stacy O’Sadnick, Educator Award; James Younger, Educator Award; Jason March, Support Staff Award; Erin Heiman Retiring Educator Award; Karen Goy, Retiring Educator Award; Terri Kelly, Retiring Educator Award

LOSTANT COMMUNITY UNIT — Amy Roach Educator Award, Nicole Larson Support Staff Award

MARQUETTEACADEMY, OTTAWA — Bridget Losoff, Educator Award; Kelsey Sheridan, Educator Award; Ray Kotek, Support Staff Award

BMP SPECIAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVE — Gloria Duffin, Educator Award; Cathy Phillips, Support Staff Award

L.E.A.S.E./CIRCUIT BREAKERSCHOOL — Jane McLaughlin, Educator Award; Hallie DeFore, Support Staff Award; Steve Thrush, Support Staff Award; Mary Beth Potthoff, Retiring Educator Award; Mary Beth Snow Retiring Support Staff

SRAVTE/AREA CAREER CENTER — Stephanie Mickley, Educator Award; Paul Wisen, Support Staff Award

PUTNAM COUNTY CUSD #535 — Anne Downey, Educator Award; Jennifer Dudek, Educator Award; Mary Lucas, Educator Award; Alisa Stewart, Educator Award; Tracy Reaska, Support Staff Award; Tricia Both, Retiring Educator Award