Congratulations to the 97 Maple School eighth-graders who received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence in person at Maple School on May 12. This year marks the thirty-ninth anniversary of this extraordinary program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
This Award is designed to recognize students who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher through sixth, seventh, and the first two trimesters of eighth grade at Maple School. Additionally, the student must also have received recommendations from a teacher and a second staff member.
This esteemed assembly began with the Color Guard's presentation of the flags, and there was the recitation of the "The Pledge of Allegiance." Renee Yoo’s chamber orchestra performed "The Star-Spangled Banner," adding a festive ambiance to the evening.
Principal Sam Kurtz and Assistant Principal Betty Holzkopf welcomed the audience of families, teachers, and students. Ms. Holzkopf introduced the Board of Education President Nancy Artz, who addressed the audience and commended the students.
Superintendent Dr. Brian Wegley spoke next, congratulating the pupils on their outstanding achievements.
"District 30 exists to create a community that craves learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for each child," Wegley said.
"We honor childhood and foster intellectual, physical and social-emotional growth. We are all so proud of your accomplishments.”
Former recipient and Glenbrook North High School senior Megan Wang spoke to the audience about her wonderful memories at Maple School. She encouraged the students to get involved in all aspects of high school, nurture their friendships, and really take the time to contemplate future goals.
Eighth-graders Hanning Zhu and Songha (Arianna) Park represented their class and spoke about their achievements. They discussed how getting involved in activities helped them succeed in their studies.
They both emphasized the theme of the evening, “I Couldn’t Do It Alone,” and said they were thankful to have such supportive families, schools, and faculty in their lives.
Maple science teacher Robin Dombeck also addressed the students and said she was proud of their success.
Assistant Principal Betty Holzkopf then welcomed teachers Lynn Reimer, Robin Dombeck, Jillian Rathge, Sarah Arends, and Renee Yoo, who presented the awards to the students. For health and safety reasons, Dr. Wegley, and Ms. Artz "fist-bumped" each pupil’s hand, instead of the usual handshake that is the custom.
Maple School faculty and staff members who are members of the President's Award for Educational Excellence Committee include Sarah Arends, Robin Dombeck, Kathy Janca, Jillian Rathge, Lynn Reimer, Nancy Lifshitz, and Renee Yoo.
April 2022
This school year Maple School will again recognize eighth-grade students who will be receiving the President's Award for Educational Excellence. This year marks the thirty-ninth anniversary for this extraordinary program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. This Award is designed to recognize students who have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher through sixth, seventh, and the first two trimesters of eighth grade at Maple School. Additionally, the student must also have received recommendations by a teacher and a second staff member.
In recognition of these high-achieving students, Maple School will host an evening celebration on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 7:00 pm. During this event, guest speakers who have contributed to our students' successes at Maple School will share their perspectives on learning and life.
"We believe that educating children in District 30 is a team effort," said Principal Samuel Kurtz.
2021-22 PAEE Recipients
Benjamin Allen
Victoria Anguiano
Dominik Baczewski
Kayla Baek
Norbert Balagyan
Ciara Barry
Alexander Bartusiak
Samantha Becker
Olivia Berry
Yuzhu Bi
Naranzul Buyantogtokh
Yejun Byun
Samantha Caporusso-Hartman
Hayden Carl
Elizabeth Cash
Katie Chang
Sungwoo Choi
Micaela Christiansen
Alison Chung
Zoey Coleman
Aiden Dai
Peter Demos
Andras Domokos
Anne Eisenberg
Ethan Fink
Dylan Fuh
Emma Goldberg
Ella Gordon
Shiloh Gordon
Jaiden Han
Maya Hans
Ian He
Joshua Hidalgo
Laura Hu
Seoyun Hwang
Ryan Itahara
Sydney Jon
Lillith Kaat
Valerie Keys
Benjamin Kim
Ella King
Nathalie Kitaychik
Adriana Kocol
Mackenzie Krzus
Jenna Kubba
Nathan Kwon
Harris Lee
Jayden Lee
Katherine Lee
Maribelle Lee
Sophia Lee
Lauren Leonardo
Nathan Lydon
Shaanpal Manchanda
Anna Marsh
Sushant Medikondla
Madelaine Meyer
Lauren Miller
Ellory Moran
Guilianna Mulsoff
Malini Nangia
Joyce Ng
Chloe Novakovsky
Lauren Oh
Mihika Pandit
Abigail Park
Songha Park
Ronir Patel
Ethan Pollack
Sanjana Purayil
Annika Purohit
Dylan Racke
Aleksander Raguimov
Tomas Raptis
Zarar Rizki
Ellie Schneider
Kaya Schneider
Jake Semmelhack
Akhil Sheth
Hyunjin Shon
Matthew Shore
Daniel Sokol
Jackson Strykowski
Aila Suteria
Zoha Suteria
Micah Swidler
Nathan Szmuilowicz
Amalia Tryfonopoulos
Ariel Tsinman
David Wang
Jessica Wang
Klaudia Wietecha
Adrian Wiktorowski
Helena Yang
Yagna Yenne
Charlotte Yu
Juliette Zhou
Hanning Zhu