The District 153 school board presented students Blake London, Oliver Green and J. Jesus Antolin with the 2022 Tom Dockweiler Award for their outstanding achievements in the 2021 school year.
The award is named for former board member Tom Dockweiler who served on the board for 21 years before he retired in 2007. Dockweiler set a goal for students to show improvement from year to year.
Blake, a fourth grader at Churchill School, was recognized for her outstanding achievements in reading and math on the district’s STAR test. Principal Sara Schnoor said Blake’s teachers said Blake is one of the kindest students they know, and she radiates positivity.
Oliver is now a third grader at Churchill, but he was recognized for getting the highest scores in math and reading among his peers on STAR tests that he took as a second-grader at Willow School. Principal Melissa Lawson said Oliver works hard, is determined, curious “and one of the nicest and well-mannered students.” Oliver credited his strong achievements to his grandpa.
Jesus was recognized by James Hart School Principal Kimberly Johnson for taking the initiative to make James Hart a better place. As a student, Jesus shows positive effort, but it was an action he took in 2021 that won him the honor, Johnson said. “He knew something wasn’t right, and he came and reported that to us,” Johnson said. “His concern and his willingness to step forward to draw attention to the issue is something that stuck with us” on staff.