A Few Deserving Award Winners

Several of the staff at Athens High School have recently been recognized for their daily efforts. Mrs. Joann Benz, Guidance Counselor, was recently awarded the Jackson Beebe Memorial Award for Outstanding Educator of the Year. The award is presented annually by the Menard County Jaycees. Mrs. Benz is an asset to our school and district. She is actively involved in school improvement, student assessment, student advising, counseling and many other duties on a daily basis. She is an excellent resource for teachers, students and parents. She was nominated by an AHS student because "she goes above and beyond for all students in the high school. She seems to do the work of three people." Mrs. Benz is very deserving of this recent recognition. The AHS Leadership Committee has started an AHS Employee of the Month Program. This program is designed to allow students the opportunity to nominate teachers that they feel have gone above and beyond throughout the year. The program was started this January. The January award went to Jerry Beierman Sr. Mr. Beierman is currently the CACC bus driver. He was nominated by the students who ride his bus to the Capital Area Career Center on a daily basis. The February award winner was Ms. Suzanne Gaedtka. Ms. Gaedtka is a Spanish teacher at AHS. The students who nominated Ms. Gaedtka described her as "caring, patient, willing to help, encouraging and big-hearted." Congratulations to all of these AHS employees for the accomplishments and recent recognition.