Bears call Grissom Middle School teacher ‘Classroom Legend’

Chicago Bears representatives visited Grissom Middle School in Tinley Park recently to honor teacher Laura Garrity as a Chicago Bears Classroom Legend.

Garrity was surprised during a schoolwide assembly in a gym packed with students and staff from Grissom as well as McAuliffe Elementary School. A Bears representative told Garrity she was among those recognized for “going above and beyond in their community and their classrooms.”

Team mascot Staley Da Bear presented Garrity with tickets to a Bears home game, a custom Bears jersey and painted football and a $1,000 check for her classroom.

Garrity has been with Kirby School District 140 for more than 10 years as a teacher at Grissom and Prairie View Middle Schools and McAuliffe Elementary School. She currently teaches art to sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students at Grissom.

Moraine Valley journalists win statewide awards

The Moraine Valley Community College student newspaper, The Glacier, recently earned 16 awards from the Illinois Community College Journalism Association Transitional Contest.

In the open categories, where all the colleges compete against each other, Mokena’s Aidan McGuire (first place, Reporter of the Year; first place, Podcast) and Tinley Park’s Juan Carbajal (honorable mention, Editorial Writer of the Year) were recognized along with alums Mohammed Jbara (first place, Sports Column), James Landgraf (second place, Graphics) and Nick Stulga (second place, News Story of the Year).

In the Division I categories, which is based on college enrollment, Oak Lawn’s Abby Hobbs (first place, Arts Review) and Abigail Niedospial (honorable mention, News Column) and Orland Hills’ Marcus Collins (second place, Feature Photo) received awards along with Carbajal (first place, Staff Editorial), Stulga (second place, News Column), McGuire (second place, News Photo; second place, Sports Game Story) and Jbara (honorable mention, Sports Game Story).

Based on points earned from the Division I contest, The Glacier earned second place for Best Student Media. The staff also took second place for the Mike Foster General Excellence Award.

Contest entries were published between Jan. 1 and June 30. Several students who earned honors have graduated and transferred.

District 230 assistant superintendent graduates

Julia Wheaton, assistant superintendent for Human Resources at School District 230, recently graduated from the Executive Human Capital Leader in Education Certification Program through the American Association of School Personnel Administrators.

Area students perform in ‘Christmas at Augustana’

The Augustana College Department of Music presented Christmas at Augustana on Dec. 2-3 which featured more than 200 student musicians, including several from the area such as Chicago’s Caley Larkin (Augustana Concert Corale), Frankfort’s Brianna Ebenroth (Augustana Choir), Homewood’s Bryson Robinson-Levant (Augustana Symphony Orchestra), Lockport’s Claudia Dlugosz (Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble and Augustana Symphony Orchestra), Midlothian’s Rachel Baker (Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble), Mokena’s Maddy Overstreet (Augustana Choir) and Grey White (Augustana Concert Chorale), New Lenox’s Ben Radek (Augustana Choir), Abbey Soper (Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble), Grace Strache (Augustana Choir) and Miranda Tyra (Augustana Choir), Orland Park’s Victoria Campbell (Augustant Concert Chorale) and Tinley Park’s Sarah Welker (Augustant Concert Chorale).

Milwaukee School of Engineering spring and summer graduates list

Mokena: Kyle Labedz; New Lenox: Mitchell Allen; Orland Park: Chelsea Clark, John Cunningham; Tinley Park: Elise Lettiere, Trenten Riemersma

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