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Send in your nominee
Nominations now accepted for Excellence in Education Awards

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
(Email Renee)

Parishioners in the Diocese of Sioux City are asked to be a on the lookout for excellent Catholic school employees.

The Office of Catholic Education in the diocese is now accepting nominations for the Excellence in Education Teacher Awards and the Good Shepherd Awards.

Dan Ryan, superintendent of Catholic education, said nominations for both of these awards must be submitted to the diocese by April 14.

Two awards
The Excellence in Education Teacher Award will be given to four Catholic school teachers. The Excellence in Education Good Shepherd Award is open to any Catholic school employee who is not a teacher – school administrator, secretary, cafeteria worker, classroom aid, development director, custodian or librarian and so on.

Two of these awards will be bestowed this year.

“We want to recognize people who have dedicated a large part of their life and possibly a great portion of their professional life to Catholic education. That is very worthy of recognizing,” Ryan said.

He mentioned that this is the second year for the Good Shepherd Award. That award was instituted in 2009 by Bishop R. Walker Nickless who felt it was important to recognize not only the teachers but other employees who also care deeply about Catholic education and help provide quality schools.

“The recipients of both of these awards are those who really exemplify what Catholic education is all about,” Ryan said. “The quality of the Catholic schools in the diocese is based on those who make them up and fortunately we have excellent people in our schools. This is an opportunity to highlight that and give them the recognition they deserve.”

The diocesan superintendent noted that through this form of public recognition, it raises the awareness in the local communities and the entire Catholic community concerning the quality education offered by Catholic schools in the diocese.

“They can see concrete examples of the differences that these people have made a difference in children’s lives,” he said. “When we share the accomplishments of these individuals, we are highlighting the essence of Catholic education.”

Recipients of the Excellence in Education Awards will be publicly recognized at the 14th Annual Bishop’s Dinner for Catholic Education on Oct. 10, 2010. They will each also receive a monetary gift of $1,000.

Nominations for either of these awards may be made by peers, administrators, parents or other parishioners who are familiar with the work of the individuals.

“This is a good opportunity to stop and reflect upon how these individual contributions make a difference in the lives of the children,” Ryan said.

Ryan pointed out that nomination forms for each of these awards have recently been sent to all Catholic schools. These forms are also available on the diocesan Web site – www. scdiocese.org. Send your nominations to: Dan Ryan, 1821 Jackson St., PO Box 3379, Sioux City, IA 51102-3379.

The next step
School administrators will be informed of teachers and/or other employees who have been nominated. Other steps such as the completion of an application form and brief resume will then need to be done by the individuals who have been nominated. Principals will send that and other information to the diocese by May 15.

The applications will be reviewed and scored by a committee of Catholic school educators.

The award winners will be notified by around Sept. 1, 2010.

The nominee for the Excellence in Education Teacher Award must be:
A teacher in a Catholic School of the Diocese of Sioux City for at least five consecutive years at the time of nomination and at the time of the Bishop’s Dinner when award is given.

A teacher, who has a clear, integrated philosophy of Catholic education.

A teacher who has developed and implemented innovative/original curriculum strategies.

A teacher who is held in high regard by peers, students, and/or parents.

A teacher who is a witness of his or her faith in his or her professional and personal life.

The nominee for the Good Shepherd Award must be:
Any employee in a Catholic School of the Diocese of Sioux City for at least five consecutive years at the time of nomination and at the time of the Bishop’s Dinner when award is given.

An employee who is held in high regard by peers, faculty/staff and students.

An employee who is a witness of his or her faith in his or her professional and personal life.