• For the 41^st annual Educator of the Year ceremony, 29 nominees will be honored in a super hero-themed event on April 29 at the Q Center in St. Charles. Follow the excitement on social media using #41EOTY.

The tension builds along with the appreciation and recognition of excellence, as the Kane County Regional Office of Education releases the names of seven more nominees for its 41st Annual Educator of the Year awards.

The ROE is releasing the names of nominees in batches this year, one batch per week, until the big announcement on Friday, April 29.

“Make sure to check back every week as we reveal a little bit more about our #41EOTY nominees,” Regional Superintendent Dal Santo said.

Each nominee will be recognized at the April 29 ceremony with an engraved plaque. At the end of the ceremony, one of the 29 nominees will be chosen as “Educator of the Year.”

In addition to being named Educator of the Year within a county of at least 8,000 staff members, the Educator of the Year will receive a $3,000 grant for her or his school district.

“In the past, the winners have used this grant money for technology-related school supplies for their students and classrooms,” Dal Santo said.

And this week’s seven nominees are …

Michelle Jurcenko from Kaneland High School – Nominated for High School Teacher of the Year

When Jurcenko was a child, she would skip recess, insisting she felt ill and only had the strength to help grade papers, decorate the bulletin boards and place stickers on completed homework assignments. Between asking for a school desk for her 9^th birthday and begging her young sister to “play school,” Michelle has been intent on teaching for as long as she can remember.

Michelle has enjoyed teaching students the Spanish language and culture at Kaneland High School since 2007. Her instructional prowess goes beyond the classroom, as she has been leading study abroad trips to Spanish-speaking countries since 1998.

“There are many classes that I look back on from my high school where I don’t remember every single bit of content from that class, but I do remember how that particular teacher made an impact on my life,” Jurcenko said. “Many of my students may not go home to adults that are always happy and kind to them, so the least I can do in the 50 minutes they are in my class is to make sure they feel like they are an important part of my day.”

Gary Burgener from St. Charles East High School – Nominated for High School Teacher of the Year

With a key to the city, awarded to him by former St. Charles Mayor Fred T.L. Norris, you can say Bergener is a true staple of St. Charles East High School.

It’s not just within the AP English language arena that Bergener has supported students, but in his 26 years of teaching he has also led the scholastic bowl team to the state championships, served as head coach of the varsity boys tennis team, organized the yearbook and school newspaper, advised the intermural football team and organized the annual East High School talent show, Trunk Full of Funk.

Bergener models resilience and hard work for his students because he believes that in order to achieve greatness, one must be willing to fail. “I try to instill self-respect in every student so they can handle any rejection,” Bergener shared. “I always start with positive feedback on what they did well before constructive feedback. How one addresses challenges is critical in becoming successful,” he added.

Barbara Freeman from Western Avenue Elementary School – Nominated for Elementary School Teacher of the Year

Praised by colleagues and students alike, Freeman has served in many capacities in the Geneva academic community. From elementary school teacher, to parent, to Geneva Education Association vice president, being involved at a high level of the union left Freeman with a better understanding of the community as a whole.

“It was a rewarding experience. It also gave me a broader perspective about education and an opportunity to connect with others in the district,” she explained.

Freeman’s book is filled with stories of how she has gone beyond the expectations of a teacher’s role to ensure students feel appreciated, and in turn, succeed. One story is about a student who would come to school with a very dirty coat that had never been washed. Freeman knew she had two short breaks during her day, took the coat home to wash and dry, and brought it back to school before the end of the day.

“I looked over and she was feeling the coat, she smelled her coat, and she put it on and made eye contact with me. I winked at her, and she gave me a big grin,” she said. “We never spoke about it, but she knew somebody cared whether or not she had clean clothes to wear.”

Anthony Garcia from Cowherd Middle School – Nominated for Middle School Teacher of the Year

After only three years as the band director at Cowherd, Garcia is recognized by many of his colleagues as a driving force at the middle school. From fundraising and collecting donations, he introduced the first SmartBoard to District 131, built the Cowherd fitness room, renovated the Cowherd gymnasium and commissioned a cougar-themed mural to be painted.

With the high expectations that Garcia holds for his students, the sixth, seventh- and eighth-grade musicians participating in band has grown from 40 students to 180. He actively visits elementary schools with his middle school bands to recruit younger students to discover a love of playing music.

In order to be a great music teacher, one must actively continue professional development. Garcia performs with the Chicagoland Educators Orchestra, the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, MSI Brass and the Springbrook Church Celebration Arts Team.

Laura Garland from Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School – Nominated for Administrator of the Year

Quite fitting for this year’s Educator of the Year super hero theme, Garland’s book is decorated with super hero drawings by her students. The first page in Garland’s nomination book is a quote from Iron Man that reads, “Heroes are made by the path they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” According to Garland’s letters of support, however, one could say that her success as a principal are equal parts natural ability as well as dedication.

Garland believes the quality of education provided to the students of John Stewart results from teachers in her building not being afraid to grow from their mistakes.

“I’m certainly not the most creative person at John Stewart. Rarely do I hold the most knowledge on a given topic,” she said. “I am, however, on the front lines every day encouraging experimentation, celebrating efforts, allocating necessary resources and shouting ‘take a risk, try something, fail, get back up, give it another go, phone a friend, never stop trying, do better when you know better!’ This is the most meaningful contribution I’ve made to the staff and students of John Stewart, and the role of which I am most proud.”

Jaime Calvo from Krug Elementary School – Nominated for Elementary School Teacher of the Year

As a kindergarten teacher, Calvo is responsible for teaching the building blocks of academics to the young minds of East Aurora 131. Because this is the first year of all-day kindergarten, Calvo believes that her young students are growing more than ever before.

“Having my students for a full day allows them to explore and grow at their own pace,” Calvo explained. “My classroom gives students opportunities to learn in developmentally-appropriate ways, while still having high expectations for learning. My kids actually get a chance to participate in play-based learning, which has really helped to build on their limited social/emotional skills.”

Calvo’s colleagues also believe that her ability to teach life skills to her students is what makes her an excellent teacher. “She teaches them skills they can use in life, like how to develop appropriate etiquette for public places; she really encourages positive relationship building,” noted one of her nominators.

LeeAnn Rodriguez from Batavia Early Childhood Center – Nominated for Student Support Personnel of the Year

While growing up, Rodriguez was fortunate to be raised in a supportive and loving household, and she believes her nurturing demeanor toward her students stems from that experience. As a speech language pathologist, she says her passion is helping to develop the whole child.

“It is incredibly important to not solely focus on their speech and language impairment, but also looking at what is functional for them in terms of saying their own name or a sibling’s name clearly,” Rodriquez explained.

Like many of the nominees for Educator of the Year, Rodriquez’ book is filled with letters from happy parents whose children have excelled in academics because of Rodriquez’ guidance.

“Thanks to LeeAnn, our son has had early intervention since 3 years of age and at 9 is now a successful student and athlete,” one parent praised. “With recognition of the agony parents endure during the initial diagnoses of a child’s special needs, Mrs. Rodriguez applies her craft with gentleness and an absence of judgment.”

Meet the other nominees:

• #41EOTY Week 1: Meet 8 Super-Hero ‘Educator of the Year’ Nominee
• #41EOTY Week 2: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane! It’s 7 Super-Hero ‘Educator of the Year’ Nominees!

About the Kane County Regional Office of Education

Led by Regional Superintendent of Schools Patricia Dal Santo, The Kane County ROE is located in Geneva and serves nine school districts. From teacher licensure assistance to professional development, the ROE’s mission is to advocate for education, provide leadership and perform regulatory functions. Learn more about the ROE’s offerings on Facebook, Twitter and by signing up for the semimonthly newsletter.