Arts for many years. The 2015 festival was well received.
The Daily North Shore has this to say:
“Highland Park High School students took a hiatus from their usual lessons of reading, writing and arithmetic to celebrate the 50th biennial of “Focus of the Arts,” a three-day/four night festival that features a wide array of musical, visual, interactive, performing and applied arts. From spray painting to belly-dancing to presentations by ESPN sports agents, Focus presented to the students and community nearly every aspect of the arts.
“It is one of the premier school art festivals in the United States and there are few, if any, of this scale that are produced by public high schools,” said school Principal Tom Koulentes.”
The Highland Park Community Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2014 recipient of the Golden Apple Award is Blake Novotny.
A teacher of fine arts at Highland Park High School since 2000, Novotny is an outstanding teacher who changes his curriculum each year to connect with current social issues, news stories, or recent trends in the art world. Said one supporter, “Blake is a teacher who thinks with his heart. This is evidenced by the individualized instruction and feedback he offers his students, the leadership role he assumes in the fine arts department and as a (soccer) coach, his commitment to equity work within the student population, and the connections he builds between art and society across the entire school community.”
In 2010, the Highland Park Community Foundation and a local family foundation initiated an annual Golden Apple Award to recognize outstanding teachers in the Highland Park school systems. Nominations are made in a rotating cycle: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. A selection committee comprised of exemplary current and retired educators and administrators, and former Golden Apple award winners evaluate the extensive applications and complete a full day of observations. The recipient is chosen based on such criteria as instructional strategies, knowledge of content, interaction with students and staff, and contribution to school and community.
This year nominations were accepted for full-time teachers at Highland Park High School who have completed at least four full years of teaching. The committee received many excellent nominations, and after a rigorous and intensive review process, nominations were narrowed to three semi-finalists: Nairy Hagopian (Spanish), Blake Novotny (Fine Arts), and Barbara Obinger (Chemistry).
The Golden Apple Selection Committee met in May to determine the final recipient of the award. The final recipient, Blake Novotny, receives a $2,000 honorarium, a $500 gift certificate for an iPad, and a “Golden Apple.” All three of the semi-finalists will be honored publicly at a District 113 School Board meeting. By honoring exceptional educators, the Foundation hopes to demonstrate the strength and impact of excellent teaching in helping young people reach their potential.
Andy Livingston was an influential leader of the Highland Park Community Foundation. As a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Board member, and member of our Advisory Board, Andy’s abundant contributions were appreciated beyond word. Devoted without measure to his family, Andy also cared deeply about his community. He was a good-hearted and compassionate, loved people, and lived life to the fullest. Andy will be remembered always and greatly missed.
We are honored that Andy’s family designated the Highland Park Community Foundation for donations made in Andy’s memory.
On Monday, our community honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day of service organized by the City of Highland Park’s Human Relations Advisory Group and the Park District of Highland Park.
The Highland Park Community Foundation was proud to coordinate a service project to benefit Highland Park and Highwood’s first responders – police, fire, and public works personnel – by creating “Treats for the Streets.”
One year after the HP Community Foundation helped get the club up and running with a “start up” grant….the HP Science Olympiad Team is making our community proud!
Congratulations to Science Olympiad members for a great showing at the Regional Tournament at Oakton Community College. We took home an Award of Distinction – The Spirit Award. The Science Olympiad Spirit Awards are among the highest honors given to teams, and recognize students and coaches that have a positive attitude, exemplify teamwork, have respect for the rules and their fellow competitors, and exhibit sportsmanlike conduct.
(from left to right) Science Olympiad team members Tamar Aizenberg, Morgan Eisenstein, Dani Lewittes and Franni Schmidt pose with their gear after the chemistry lab event at the Science Olympiad’s regional competition on March 23.
Oklahoma Relief Fund Established to Support Victims
The City of Highland Park is coordinating with the Highland Park Community Foundation to assist with relief in the aftermath of the devastating tornado that battered Moore, Oklahoma on Monday, May 20, 2013.
“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the horrendous storm that tore through Oklahoma,” said Mayor Nancy Rotering. “Highland Park is a caring and generous community; we greatlyappreciate the Community Foundation’s assistance in serving as a clearinghouse for donations to support those affected by the storm.”
The Highland Park Community Foundation was established in 1992 to build and maintain the Highland Park Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund helps maintain and expand the services of cultural, social service, educational and environmental agencies in Highland Park and Highwood. The Foundation also works to support victims of national disasters such as the Oklahoma tragedy. At this time, funds are most needed to provide housing, medical care, food and basic supplies for victims in Oklahoma.
Individuals interested in making a donation can send a check payable to the Highland Park Community Foundation with “Oklahoma Tornado Relief” in the memo line. 100% of all such donations will be forwarded to tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma.
Checks can be mailed to the following:
Highland Park Community Foundation
c/o Oklahoma Tornado Relief
PO Box 398, Highland Park, IL 60035
Caitlin Lucci took home the 2013 Highland Park Golden Apple Award. Lucci is a Kindergarten to 5th grade music teacher at Indian Trail school in Highland Park.
Indian Trail Elementary music teacher Caitlin Lucci recently received a sweet surprise from staff and students—a Golden Apple award from the Highland Park Community Foundation, which recognizes outstanding educators in Districts 112 and 113.
Nominees go through a rigorous process that includes completing an extensive application and having a team of observers in her classes.
An excerpt from her nomination packet stated that Lucci “is the consummate professional, a magician in her pedagogical approach. Her teaching methods are seamless and always with true purpose; her ability to motivate her students intrinsically is nothing short of awe-inspiring; her energy is infectious, engaging, and entertaining; the strong relationships she has formed with students, parents, colleagues, and the community are obvious from the moment her name is mentioned.”
Lucci, who has taught at Indian Trail for seven years, has two music education certifications in addition to her masters degree.
She is known for going above and beyond her classroom duties, including organizing a trip to the American Orff Schulwerk Association’s national conference in St. Louis in Nov. 2012, serving as student council advisor and overseeing charity projects.
At a recent surprise ceremony, Lucci was presented with a Golden Apple on a pedestal, a cash stipend and an iPad.
Semi-finalists for the Golden Apple award were Monica Biegal, a Braeside kindergarten teacher, and Oak Terrace first grade bilingual teacher Mayra Tristan.
In 2012, the Foundation provided grants totaling $131,700 to 25 programs serving citizens of Highland Park and Highwood. Our goal is to provide funding for special programs and initiatives that otherwise would not have been funded. There were 2 new grant recipients for 2012, as indicated in the next sections.
Our grants apply to organizations in the following categories: Child Care, Social Services, Senior Services, Academic, Creative Arts, Hispanic/Latino and Civic organizations. As noted in the following sections, we have provided grants to several of these organizations for more than 10 years.
Over the past ten years, we’ve experienced a five-fold increase in the amount we have provided in annual grants. We thank our generous donors for allowing us to provide this additional support for the community.
“Kid Whisperer Earns Award For His Teaching Abilities” is how the headline reads in the Pioneer Press for this year’s award winner. Northbrook junior high school teacher Chris Janzen was select to receive the Highland Park Golden Apple for 2012.
For 2011, the Foundation awarded 26 agencies this fall a total value over $116,000.
Now more than ever, the monies raised by HPCF are crucual to the budgets of many struggling agencies whose state and federal funds have been severely slashed.
To read the announcement and hear about the grants in action:
