CHICAGO (January 22, 2004) – The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools has named 14 elementary and secondary school teachers the “Heart of the School” award winners. Here is background information on the winners.

The Arts – These teachers make outstanding contributions to instilling a love of the arts among students. They may be teachers of art, music, drama or other art form, or they may be teachers of other disciplines who integrate the study and appreciation of the arts within the classroom.

Erin Wade, an art teacher at Holy Trinity High School in Chicago; and
Patricia Newman, who teaches art at St. Frances Xavier Elementary School in LaGrange, Ill., will receive this award.

Growing up with parents as educators on the campus of an arts boarding school, being an art teacher feels like second nature to Wade, a four-year instructor at Holy Trinity High School.

In that short time span, Wade has been busy building a small community of arts that has evolved into much more than teaching classes. Her repertoire includes directing after-school clubs, organizing school-wide art events, collaborating with other teachers on integrated art projects, writing grants for long term art projects, assisting with the hiring of an in-residence artist and continuing her own education.

Always looking to add to her skills as an artist and teacher, Wade has taken classes at The Art Institute of Chicago and Spanish classes through the Office of Catholic Schools. Last summer, she traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico to further her studies in bilingual education.

“Students have become active participants in changing how, when and where the arts are viewed. Being able to participate in their journey of growth and learning is my greatest accomplishment,” said Wade.

Every day at Saint Francis Xavier, Newman draws from a special teaching experience she had in the Peace Corps. As the school’s 10-year art teacher for kindergarten through eighth grade, she is most proud of a school-wide project that focused on two subjects: the rainforest and Illinois. With guidance from Newman, students artistically recreated a rainforest and the state of Illinois.

The work culminated with an academic fair and received an overwhelming response from parents, faculty and administration.

“I know that part of me still exists in Montserrat. This feeling of living on in students long after we have parted ways has empowered me to realize that my art, and more importantly my teaching, truly did and continues to have an impact on many lives,” said Newman who once taught art as a Peace Corps Volunteer on Montserrat, a small Caribbean island.

She also collaborated with other art teachers on an innovative program called, “Electronic Long Distance Learning Network,” designed to bring electronic based science curricula into the classrooms of students around the country. The interactive technology was a valuable learning experience that allowed students to see and speak to scientists in the field.

Motivated by new ideas and reactions from students, Newman introduces new projects each year, including computer-generated art, body casting in plaster and new clay techniques. She says she is inspired by the positive comments she receives from parents, students and faculty and attends art workshops throughout the year to keep herself abreast of new ideas in the field.

The awards are sponsored by School Specialty Inc., a distributor of educational supplies.

Evangelization and Religious Education – These teachers display extraordinary innovation in religious education through the design and implementation of effective catechetical approaches in the curriculum.

Susan Talbot, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Cardinal Bernardin Early Childhood Center in Chicago; and Linda Baltikas, who teaches religion at Queen of Peace High School in Burbank, Ill., will receive this award.

After spending several years in international business affairs, Talbot turned in her corporate car keys for a key to the schoolhouse. She followed her passion to teach back to school for a master’s degree in early childhood education and has never looked back.

Talbot believes it is important to teach young children the values of Catholic faith.

“The most important reason I stay in the Catholic system is because I am able to share my faith and teach little children that Jesus loves them. Being able to do that makes my day and the children’s day special,” said Talbot.

She encourages her young students to engage their family members in daily prayers and daily updates on their school activities and invites parents to participate in the classroom.

As a lead teacher, she has found mentoring the new staff a great way to contribute to the profession. A Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year in 1997, Talbot is a children’s book writer and a member of The Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

While teaching third grade at the start of her career, Baltikas’ teaching ministry shifted from general elementary education to a specialization in religion. And after several years at the high school level, she is most proud of her contribution to a published book of liturgies written for high school students called, “Give Your Gifts.”

Baltikas believes that a community atmosphere is at the heart of her approach to teaching religion. It is important that her students feel welcome, accepted and respected by everyone in her classroom. At the start of class, students connect to the Church community by following the liturgical calendar and connect with each other by saying their intentions aloud.

“I hope that over the years I have enhanced the faith of my students, but unlike mathematics, results are difficult to measure. We can only do our best and hope that the faith, Gospel values and church tradition we practice will have an impact on the life choices of our students,” said Baltikas.

The awards are sponsored by Benziger, Macmillan - McGraw Hill, a publishing company.

Innovation and Creativity – These teachers exhibit the best educational practices by initiating and implementing new learning methods in the classroom. They contribute to educational excellence in curriculum development, student performance and professional development.

TeNnile Goff, a third-grade teacher at St. James Elementary School in Chicago; and
Marge Frailey, a religion, history and reading teacher at St. Cornelius Elementary School in Chicago, will receive this award.

A new teacher to St. James, Goff ultimately chose to teach based on an inner-city volunteer teaching experience that allowed her to address social justice and equity issues in education. She strongly believes that it is of utmost importance to address the “real” needs of disadvantaged students.

Most recently, she created two original units for the school’s third-grade history curriculum using materials from her work last summer as a Chicago Historical Society Lab Fellow. Goff will post the units on the Internet by the end of the year to allow all teachers to access the content.

Her students travel weekly to the school’s language lab to create graphic organizers, which help clarify language rules. Goff tries to integrate this learning with a specific theme, such as Native Americans.

“The students get excited about English and history and are engaging in several learning styles simultaneously,” said Goff.

Down the road, Goff hopes to continue to evolve the curriculum by devising ways to integrate school subjects with technology and hands-on experiences.

Frailey, a 20-year veteran teacher for Chicago Catholic Schools, believes her greatest contribution to St. Cornelius is curriculum development. Currently serving as the school’s co-chairperson, she attends workshops regularly, has helped write various subject area curricula and educates other faculty with a custom computer program.

She maintains as much flexibility as possible as part of her teaching philosophy to teach the “whole” child. As a mother of a mentally disabled child, she knows first hand that children have different learning styles and sometimes a bit of creativity is needed to meet their needs. Many of the projects she teaches encourage students to be active learners. In her world history class, for example, textbooks are only a small part of the curriculum. Students take field trips to museums, prepare television newscasts, write for a newspaper and produce public service announcements.

“By making my students active learners, equal partners in their education, I am giving them the tools to succeed,” said Frailey.

The awards are sponsored by Sylvan Education, a provider of educational services to schools, families and industries.

Leadership – These teachers exhibit exceptional dedication in the classroom, school and community by providing leadership in one or more of the following areas: student activities; parent/school organizations; school administration; or state or national professional teacher organizations.

Nicole Loomos, an English and literature teacher at St. Andrew Elementary School in Chicago; and Diana Tesauro, an English teacher at Mother Theodore Guerin High School in River Grove, will receive this award.

Currently enrolled in a middle school endorsement program at Northeastern University, Loomos has been a very involved, award-winning literature and English teacher at St. Andrew for 11 years. She is most known for stressing thoughtful leadership and teamwork in the classroom. She assigns team projects throughout the year to help students learn to work together and prepare them for the team fundraising skills they’ll need to use to fund the graduation trip to Washington D.C. in the Spring – a program that Loomos implemented into the curriculum.

“I know the parents love that the students truly earn the money for the trip. It’s especially gratifying for me to see how much more the students appreciate it when they’re paying for the trip themselves.”

Loomos’ school involvement includes creating popular new student clubs, participation in school and parish committees and assistance with interviews for hiring new faculty members. Of note, the sign language club that she implemented has grown into the school’s largest membership with more than 70 participating students ranging in age from six to 14.

Despite her childhood belief that she would never become an educator, Diana Tesauro, a self-described product of the 1960’s, has been teaching English at St. Mother Theodore Guerin High School for the past 27 years. Her philosophies include teaching students that the process of writing is more important than the end result; consistency, organization and mutual respect are keys to a productive class; and that there is life beyond the classroom.

Tesauro’s backpack travels include Morocco and Costa Rica, among others.

“My enthusiasm for adventurous travel, learning, reading and living serves as a model for so many of my students who believe their lives are cemented into the latest CD, getting their drivers’ licenses, or their part time jobs,” said Tesauro.

Tersauro’s biggest visual contribution to the school is the pivotal role she played in opening the school’s first learning resource center. Modeled after a center at the University of Michigan, the Barb Welch Learning Enrichment Center is a self-paced learning resource for all students and is the result of her team’s vision, research and drive to implement the program.

The awards are sponsored by CDW Government, Inc., a subsidiary of CDW Corporation, that provides direct computing solutions to educational institutions and government agencies.

Peace and Justice – The recipients of this award model the Gospel values of love and service through personal commitment to promoting peace and justice and to forming the lives of young people by engaging them in service to their communities.

Fran Maloney, an English and religion teacher at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, Ill.; and Maureen Thompson, an English teacher at St. Gerald Elementary School in Oak Lawn, Ill., will receive this award.

Through her own example of service to the poor and her ability to challenge students, Maloney has made a profound impact on the students at Nazareth Academy. As a religion and English teacher and soccer coach, she speaks frankly to her students about how she tries to live her life according to Gospel values and shares with them her successes as well as her failures. A big contributor to the life of the school and its mission, she attends retreats and supports campus ministry programs. Most recently, Maloney participated in a two-week mission in Belize and has used that experience to educate her classes on the country’s poverty issues. In addition, this summer students interested in service work will have the rare opportunity to travel to Belize and lend a helping hand.

“I firmly believe that students, especially teenagers, feel a sense of inclusion when they know that someone is not simply dictating to them. It is essential for a religion teacher to model how faith occurs in her life,” said Maloney.

Thompson, a 20-year veteran teacher with the Archdiocese of Chicago, believes every student has the potential to make a difference. In her religion and English classes, she encourages students to show respect and kindness to others above all else. During the past 15 years at St. Gerald, Thompson has encouraged students to be Christian role models through service work, active participation in the liturgy, daily prayer, reception of the sacraments and showing respect for all of God’s creation. She sets a good example as a Eucharistic minister and founder of a ministry group at her own parish, St. Damian in Oak Forest. Some of the ways students have followed Thompson’s lead include very active participation in planning liturgies and prayer services, adopting a homebound parishioner and serving as mentors to younger students by attending Mass with them and helping them with school work.

“I encourage my students to become the Christian leaders of tomorrow,” said Thompson.

The awards are sponsored by Private School Aid Service, a provider of financial aid application and verification services.

Rising Star – These teachers, who have taught for less than five years, contribute to the success of the school by exhibiting vigor, enthusiasm and excellence in the classroom. They are involved in extra-curricular activities, exhibiting innovative and engaging strategies both in the classroom and out, and enthusiastically accept added responsibility.

Christine Ruswick, a kindergarten teacher at Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Elementary School in Orland Hills; and John Przekota, who teaches world studies at St. Patrick High School in Chicago, will receive this award.

Drawing from influences from her mother, a special education teacher, her junior high math teacher who helped her through difficult math concepts and a 16-year Catholic education, Ruswick believes she found her true calling as a teacher in the Catholic school system.

Currently seeking her master’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais
Ill., Ruswick has maintained a 4.0 grade point average while teaching kindergarten at Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Always striving to create the best learning and spiritual environment for her students, Ruswick encourages students to have a close relationship with God, attends workshops to improve her teaching skills, and collaborates with other kindergarten teachers in the Catholic school system to share methods. She also stays in close communication with the parents of her students and writes a weekly newsletter to keep them updated.

As coach of the fifth-grade and sixth-grade volleyball teams, Ruswick led her team to a
second-place finish in both the St. George tournament and the Southwest Catholic Conference.

“No matter what I am doing, be it coaching or teaching, I always keep in focus that I am trying to serve God’s will to the best of my ability. I have brought to my career fresh new teaching strategies, a passion for learning and having fun and support of spiritual stability,” said Ruswick.

In Przekota’s family, almost everyone’s a teacher, including both of his parents who started their careers in archdiocesan schools. Clearly, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree in his case. Przekota also points to influential Catholic teachers he had while a student in grammar school, high school and college as major inspirations.

“Though my educational experience had many ups and downs, I always felt that my teachers truly cared about me and wanted me to know success and develop my talents and potential. What better way to pay tribute to the individuals who played such an important role in my life than become a teacher,” said Przekota.

Przekota is currently seeking a master’s degree from North Park University in Chicago. At St. Patrick’s, he is known for his high energy and enthusiasm and serves as a role model for young men at the high school. As the coach of the boys’ swimming team and the state runner-up water polo team, students often seek his advice on school and personal matters, even after they’ve graduated. In the classroom, he challenges his students with innovative learning exercises and often collaborates with co-workers to create an enriched overall environment.

The awards are sponsored by Lifetouch National School Studios, a school photography service.

Technology – These teachers make outstanding contributions in integrating technology in education by affecting one or more of the following: curriculum; student learning or interest; or the learning environment.

Kathleen Biga, a math and computer science teacher at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, Ill; and Alice Schmeelk of Lake Zurich, Ill., who teaches biology at St. Scholastica Academy in Chicago, will receive this award.

Everyday, as Biga prepares for class, she looks forward to the moment when a student’s face will brighten when they come to understand a complex math problem or learn how to connect classwork to everyday life.

Last summer, the 22-year veteran teacher at Nazareth completed a special technology course at West Point called “Web Feats II” where she learned how to integrate designed math applets and web information into her lessons. Biga collaborates with individuals from around the globe about how to teach students from a distance. Recently, she designed an online Calculus-BC course for students who enjoy independent learning but still want some general guidance. She also offers evening tutorial sessions for students who want additional help.

“Designing lessons that include activities for every learning style can be difficult, but with the abundance of Internet access, CD-ROM and high-tech calculators available, I believe we can prepare our students for a bright future,” said Biga.

Schmeelk, once on a path toward medicine at Cornell University, found herself to be a natural teacher and taught for two years after graduation before settling down to raise a family. Seventeen years later, she accepted a Catholic school teaching position and, at the same time, pursued a master’s degree in biology as a way of updating herself on the changes in science and technology.

She regularly attends conventions and meetings to keep students and faculty at St. Scholastica up to speed. Most recently, Scmeelk learned about handheld computer based laboratory equipment that attaches to graphic calculators and is used to gather data that can be transferred to a computer.

Schmeelk addresses subject matters from many different angles to accommodate her students’ different learning styles. Whenever possible, she includes practical laboratory work which gives students hands-on experience and teaches them how to work in teams. According to Schmeelk, she chose to teach in Catholic schools because she believes that one cannot be an effective guide for adolescents without involving morality. And while she tries not to impose her personal beliefs on students, her class discussions on evolution, genetic engineering and sexuality naturally lead to discussions on values.

“My students are the ones with the great achievements in education—I can take credit only for guiding them and providing opportunities to learn. Along the way, I try to serve as a role model and mentor, boost their morale and help them realize their potential,” said Schmeelk.

The awards are sponsored by Comcast Corporation, a cable television and Internet service provider.

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by providing academic excellence and faith formation for approximately 111,000 students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in the 283 elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are more than 6,400 teachers in the Catholic school system who instill values, teach discipline and achieve strong, consistent academic results in the Archdiocese of Chicago's 242 elementary and 41 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Web site at www.archchicago.org/schools