Mokena 159 Selects 2021 Galaxy Award Winners

MOKENA, IL — Five people have been awarded the Galaxy Award from Mokena School District 159. This recognition program is designed to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of District 159 employees, students, parents, community members and community organizations.

The five winners of the Galaxy Award are: MES teacher Jennifer Macie, MIS teacher Sandra Berndt, MIS nurse Eileen DeRosa, the MJHS high school student mentors, and Mokena Park District dance instructor Jennifer Diamond.

The selection committee for the awards included Board of Education President Eric Bush, Mokena Educational Foundation President Laurie Kornmuller, the Mokena Parent-Teacher Association President Kelly Chlebek, District 159 Community Relations Coordinator Nicole Swanberg and Superintendent Mark Cohen.

The team received over 30 nominations.

Jennifer Macie

Macie teaches first grade at Mokena Elementary School. This year, she taught remote the entire school year. Many parents nominated Macie for the Galaxy Award, citing her enthusiasm, uplifting feedback, and her ability to make each of her students feel loved, even through a screen. One nominator wrote, “Since the start of the pandemic, teachers have been expected to completely reinvent instruction to best meet the needs of the community. Mrs. Macie has met and exceeded this demand far beyond anyone’s realistic expectations. Her curriculum and teaching methods for remote learning should be a model to teachers everywhere!”

Sandra Berndt

Sandra Berndt teaches 4th grade at Mokena Intermediate School. She also taught remote classes this school year. Berndt was nominated because she makes ordinary things seems fun, makes her students feel comfortable in what could be an isolated learning environment, and keeps her classes spirits up. “As a parent of a child who has been learning remotely for more than a year now, one of my greatest concerns was that his level of engagement would wane as time passed. Mrs. Berndt has completely eradicated this fear. She is highly capable, compassionate, and her enthusiasm for both teaching and for her students has led to a class of fully engaged fourth-graders,” one nominator wrote.

Nurse Eileen DeRosa

DeRosa came to Mokena Intermediate School during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has done exceptional work and shown great care under very difficult circumstances. One nomination read, “She has extremely serious responsibilities as it is, but now throw in all the Covid 19 obstacles and guidelines that we must follow and Nurse Eileen handled them all with professionalism and grace. She is a brave individual who put herself at risk by caring for and assessing any students who came to her office with Covid-like symptoms.”

MJHS Teaching Internship Mentors

This year, Mokena Jr. High partnered with Lincoln-Way High School District 210 to provide a student teaching and observation experience for 20 high school seniors interested in the teaching profession. The mentorship team consists of Taylor Blyth, Craig Martinus, Katie Rodriguez, Jackie Schoenecker, Don Shaughnessy. Many students now say they are certain in their decision to pursue teaching as a career path.

Jennifer Diamond

Diamond teaches a variety of dance classes at the Mokena Park District. Throughout the pandemic, some of the only classes running at the Mokena Park District were those that Jennifer taught. She was determined to have class to help the children get some sort of normalcy. One nomination stated, “Jenny always gives 100% when teaching her classes and spent countless hours out of the dance room to make sure that this year was memorable and special to each participant.”

Congratulations to all of our Galaxy Award recipients! Thank you for being a positive presence in the Mokena community.