McHenry Times

The Community High School District 155 Board of Education recently recognized school nurses Martha Manno and Colleen Wing for helping to create a safe and smooth transition back to school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know myself personally, and I think a lot of the administrators in this room know how hard all of our school nurses worked, and especially these two women,” communications director Shannon Podzimek said at the March 21 board meeting. “I (was) in contact with them almost daily, and they are truly the reason we were able to keep our schools open and keep our kids healthy.”

Manno and Wing, who are also members of the McHenry County's School Nurse Advisory Committee, have both been named as the 2023 recipients of the Lena Rogers Award which honors school health professionals.

In addition to recognizing the nurses for providing support and services to students and staff, the district recognized the achievements of several students. This included seven students from the Illinois High School Theater Festival who were selected to be a part of the All State Musical this past January. Over 200 students across the state auditioned to perform the musical "Shrek" and only 129 were selected. Student Joseph Timberlake spoke to the board on behalf of castmates Elena, Claire, McKenna, Teagen, Audrey, and Trini, saying it was an incredible experience and honor to be chosen to represent the district.

Another student, Tyler Evans, was recognized for his third-place win in the state wrestling competition in the 120-pound division class 2A. Evans addressed the board about his season, saying that he has been wrestling since he was 3 years old and has been competing on larger stages in the past few years. He thanked his coach and teammates for their support and help. Evans, a senior, said he isn’t sure where he is going next year yet, but he is interested in a business degree. He said this year’s state tournament was intense with a lot of good competition and he was proud for coming in third place.