This school year has brought exciting news for three staff members who were given the Those Who Excel Award through the Illinois State Board of Education for their work in the school. Staff members Jean Rice, Jim Roscoe, and Amy Fitzgerald all received the award for their outstanding work.

The award is given for multiple categories and all to honor the hard work and dedication of staff members.

“So Those Who Excel gives an award for early career educator in your first few years. They give an award for Teacher of the Year, so it’s general. They give an award for administrator. They give awards for what we call our student services personnel like a dean, a social worker, or psychologist. Then they give an award for what we call our support service,” said principal Jim Roscoe.

The award is decided by the state after the nominations from various schools are sent in. Award categories include excellence, merit, and special recognition.

“So they recognize different groups of staff in schools. It’s done through the Illinois State Board of Education,” said social worker Amy Fitzgerald.

“They nominate you, and then it goes to the state and then the state determines what category you’re within,” said ISS supervisor Jean Rice.

This hasn’t been the only year the staff at North have received these awards. There have been multiple times in the past that the award has been given.

“Last year, we actually received the highest award for a team, and that was our language department. Our world language department was the only team up here to receive an excellence. So that was kind of incredible for our school,” Roscoe said.

This year, the staff members who received the award will be able to attend a ceremony in Bloomington, Illinois.

“There will be a banquet held at the end of April for everyone in the state who gets the award, and it’s also where they announce the Teacher of the Year for the state of Illinois,” Fitzgerald said.

The recipients of the award are very excited, and it shows that hard work and dedication does pay off.

“I was very excited. I was honored to receive the award,” Fitzgerald said.

“I’m beyond honored and flattered. And it certainly, it means that the people around here recognize the passion and the pride that I have in this building,” Roscoe said.

“I’m more honored than I am excited because it’s an honor that somebody thought that I’m doing that good of a job that they wanted to give me this award,” Rice said.