Chicago, IL (January 18, 2008)— Fourteen elementary and secondary educators and non-administrative professional staff members have been named by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools as Heart of the School award winners for 2008. These individuals are being recognized for their outstanding, unique and innovative accomplishments in seven categories: The Arts, Behind the Scenes, Catholic School Identity and Mission, Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, Rising Star and Technology.

"This year's Heart of the School Award recipients are shining examples of the thousands of high-quality educators in the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools. Their vital contributions to the spiritual formation and academic development of our students are what truly makes Catholic schools so special," said Dr. Nicholas M. Wolsonovich, Superintendent, Office of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Chicago.

The 2008 Heart of the School award-winners were chosen from a potential pool of more than 5,200 educators from 256 schools in Cook and Lake counties. Each winner will be presented with a pin, commemorative plaque and a monetary award at a breakfast gathering on January 25 at the Windham Hotel in Chicago. (The monetary awards were provided by the following corporate sponsors: Benziger Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, Catapult Learning, CDW-G, Comcast Corporation, Lifetouch National School Studios, Private School Aid Service, QSP/World’s Finest Chocolate, and School Specialties, Inc.)

By category, the 2008 Heart of the School award-winners are:

• The Arts, for outstanding contributions that instill a love of the arts among students:
• Barbara Creed of Oak Park, who has been teaching music in grades Pre-K to 8 at Ascension School in Oak Park . She has developed a music curriculum that helped Ascension School earn recognition as a No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon school based on its arts program. For more information about Ascension School, located at 601 Van Buren St. in west suburban Oak Park visit www.ascension-school.com or call 708-386-7282.

• Margaret Sullivan of Oak Lawn has been teaching for the past five years at St. Margaret of Scotland School in Chicago . She currently teaches Spanish, music and art, and the enthusiasm among her students for these subjects has generated art, theater and Spanish clubs, as well as show and church choirs. For more information about St. Margaret of Scotland School, located at 9833 S. Throop St. in Chicago, call 773-238-1088.

• Behind the Scenes,for non-administrative staff persons who contribute to unique program successes:
• John Pham of Chicago is the network administrator at Guerin College Preparatory High School in River Grove , and in his first few weeks at the school, he helped design, develop, test and create a working image for 350 laptop computers. He also teaches an Information Technology (IT) course where students learn computer repair, formal logic, technical support and other IT skills. For more information about Guerin College Preparatory High School, located at 8001 W. Belmont Ave. in west suburban River Grove, visit www.guerinprep.org or call 708-453-5233.
• Robert Teubert of Chicago has been working at St. Pascal School in Chicago for over 30 years. In addition to being the school’s building engineer and computer technician, he is also an active volunteer for many of the school’s fundraising activities. Robert’s four children and granddaughter are alumni of the school. For more information about St. Pascal School, located at 6143 W. Irving Park Rd. in Chicago, visit www.stpascal.org or call 773-736-8806.

• Catholic School Identity and Mission, for displayingbest practices in religious education while modeling a commitment to the promotion of peace and justice:
• For the last 20 years , R ita Bambrick of Evanston has taught first and second grade students at St. Athanasius School in Evanston the importance of a Catholic education. She combines both traditional and new teaching techniques in her classroom, such as having students act out Bible stories while also using backward design methodology—where desired results are identified early-on—to create new curricula. For more information about St. Athanasius School, located at 2510 Ashland Ave. in north suburban Evanston, visit www.saintas.net or call 847-864-2650.
• John Paulett of Oak Park recently returned to teaching at Fenwick High School in Oak Park after spending 25 years working for a Fortune 50 company and also starting his own business. During this time, he often thought of returning to teaching at a Catholic school, and since doing so, he has taught many students to value and exhibit their Catholic faith, in part by encouraging Mass attendance each morning before school. For more information about Fenwick High School, located at 505 Washington Blvd. in west suburban Oak Park, visit www.fenwickfriars.com or call 708-386-0127.

• Innovation and Creativity, for exhibiting best educational practices by initiating and implementing new learning methods that contribute to student performance as well as curriculum and professional development:
• Barbara Kristin of Tinley Park has been using creative methods to teach social studies at Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Elementary School in Orland Hills for the past six years. These methods led her students to make costumes from bed sheets to resemble Greeks of the first Olympics and also to imitate Michelangelo by drawing on paper taped to the underside of their desks. For more information about Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School, located at 9250 W. 167 th St. in southwest suburban Orland Hills, visit www.cardinaljbschool.com or call 708-403-6525.
• Mary Vogt of Chicago has been teaching fifth grade at St. Mary School in Riverside for the past nine years, where she keeps her students engaged in the learning process by incorporating various software-based and hands-on teaching techniques. Further, Mary’s memberships with the Illinois Computing Educators and National Science Teachers Associations have kept her on top of the latest teaching methods. For more information about St. Mary School, located at 97 Herrick Rd. in west suburban Riverside, visit www.stmaryschool.net or call 708-442-5747.

• Leadership, for exhibiting exceptional dedication in the classroom, school and community in one or more of the following areas: student activities, parent/school organizations, school administration, or state or national professional teacher organizations:
• Jerry Burger of Round Lake has taught seventh and eighth grades at St. Joseph School in Round Lake for the past eight years. He has actively worked as the student council moderator to launch new student activities, including a Halloween party and lock-in. He also formed a group called The Lettermen that performs during basketball and volleyball games. For more information about St. Joseph School, located at 118 N. Lincoln Ave. in northwest suburban Round Lake, visit www.stjosephrl.org or call 847-546-1720.
• Kathy Lange of Chicago has taught first grade at St. Thecla School in Chicago for the past eight years. During this time, she has served on the religion, technology, character counts, parent/student handbook and primary grades report card committees. Kathy’s revisions to the parent/student handbook and the primary grades report card has improved communication between the school’s administration and its students and parents. For more information about St. Thecla School, located at 6323 N. Newcastle Ave. in Chicago, visit www.saintthecla.org or call 773-763-3380.

• Rising Star, for teachers of less than five years that exhibit vigor, excellence and innovative strategies in and outside the classroom:
• Maria DiDonato of Chicago has taught at St. Gall School in Chicago for the past three years. Maria researched the impact of sports on girls’ self esteem, learning that it increases when they participate in athletics. This finding led her to create many sport opportunities for all students, including basketball and co-ed flag football. She also started a brag board, where students can describe their extra-curricular achievements. For more information about St. Gall School, located at 5515 S. Sawyer Ave. in Chicago, visit www.stgallschool.com or call 773-737-3454.
• Mary Flanagan of Arlington Heights has taught science for nearly two years at St. Thomas of Villanova School in Palatine and has already made a lasting impact by starting a science fair, assisting the Scholastic Bowl team and sponsoring knitting and bearded dragon clubs. Her enthusiasm can be seen in her students’ faces when they examine their DNA, determine the percentage of water lost in popped corn and study fingerprint characteristics. For more information about St. Thomas of Villanova School, located at 1141 E. Anderson Dr. in northwest suburban Palatine, visit www.stvschool.org or call 847-358-2110.

• Technology, for making outstanding contributions to integrating technology in education:
• Lisa Fiorante of Norridge has taught mathematics for the past five years at Saint Patrick High School in Chicago. Lisa’s curriculum utilizes textbooks that include technology and her students are informed of upcoming activities and projects by accessing a spreadsheet. Also, each Friday her probability and statistics students work in the library computer lab applying what they have learned in each chapter. For more information about Saint Patrick High School, located at 5900 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, visit www.stpatrick.org or call 773-282-8844.
• Elaine Sage of Arlington Heights is the third grade teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in Wilmette . Elaine has integrated technology into her classroom through various activities and the use of new tools. Elaine has created listening centers where students can access animated stories on the Internet, and her students have used websites to create brochures for their towns and to enhance their study of science, math, language arts and religion lessons. For more information about St. Francis Xavier School, located at 808 Linden Ave. in north suburban Wilmette, visit www.sfx-school.org or call 847-256-064