Downers Grove District 58 names Distinguished Service Award winners

Twenty-three staff members were honored at the District 58 Foundation’s Distinguished Service Awards on May 15.

Two were chosen as winners, but as one nominator said, “It must be very tough to pick the winners as everyone is so deserving,” according to a news release.

Joan Gard, instructional assistant at O’Neill Middle School, and Lauren Wilson, preschool teacher at Henry Puffer Elementary School, were named DSA winners.

Gard was nominated by four teachers for her commitment to her students.

“Every teacher wants Joan in their classroom,” one nominator said in the release. “She is an active participant in the classroom by completing the material, supporting all students and keeping kids on task.”

Another wrote, “As middle school resource teachers, we could not do this job without her. We depend on her and view her as an equal member of our team. There are not enough words to describe the impact she has made on this school.”

A family and a colleague, who also is a parent, both nominated Wilson. The parent said her daughter plays teacher every day after school.

“I will continue to cherish each day she comes home and pretends to be Ms. Wilson because she is exactly who I want my daughter to mirror herself after,” the parent said.

The colleague wrote, “She wants all children to feel welcome, loved and valued within her classroom. This nominee has worked tirelessly to ensure her students start their school experience positively and learn to love school.”

At the ceremony, Superintendent Kevin Russell said the award was especially notable because the honorees were nominated by their colleagues or families of students.

The district congratulates the following honorees:

Alecia Probst, pre-K teacher, Indian Trail

Alicia Micele, kindergarten teacher, Fairmount

Ashley Honn, library intervention, Henry Puffer

Carrie Redpath, second grade teacher, Hillcrest

Colleen Sullivan, second grade teacher, Whittier

Julie Walters, second grade teacher, Highland

Cori Holtze, resource teacher, Highland

Jon Belonio, art teacher, Hillcrest, Fairmount, Whittier

Karen Kroll, first grade teacher, Fairmount

Kate Salsbury, sixth grade teacher, Lester

Kimberly Fisher, first grade teacher, Lester

Kristina Hopkins, kindergarten teacher, Indian Trail

Lauren Gryczewski, DLP teacher, Hillcrest

Lauren Wilson, preschool teacher, Henry Puffer

Marissa Remus, kindergarten teacher, Fairmount

Monica Eilers, fifth grade teacher, Pierce Downer

Shor Costello, fourth grade teacher, Highland

Emily Anzelmo, speech language pathologist, Indian Trail

Heather O’Donnell, secretary, Pierce Downer

Jennifer Blair, instructional assistant, Pierce Downer

Joan Gard, instructional assistant, O’Neill

Michelle Rzepka, principal, Hillcrest

Mindy Werner, speech language pathologist, Henry Puffer