RAP, RHYTHM & RHYME WORKSHOP PUTS WRITING TO A HIP HOP BEAT FOR RYERSON STUDENTS

MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER RECEIVES STATE MILIARY & EDUCATION AWARDS

On behalf of Governor Pat Quinn and in conjunction with National Teacher Appreciation Day, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs presented retired U.S. Army Majorand Marshall High School Teacher
Aaron Rucker with the first-ever Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education. Illinois Department of Veterans’Affairs Director Dan Grant presented the governor’s Award to Rucker, 42, during a ceremony at Marshall Metropolitan High School, 3250 West
Adams Street, where Rucker is a Special Education teacher. Director Grant also honored Rucker, a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan and a former Special forces Officer, as May 2011 Veteran of the Month. “Major Rucker is a man of high achievement and commitment having honorably and courageously served his country in Afghanistan, and is now successfully using those skills to teach children in the ChicagoPublic Schools,” Governor Quinn said. “For his unwavering service and achievement, his is absolutely deserving of both the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education, and Veteran of the Month.”
The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education is given to a military veteran and participant of the
Illinois Troops to Teachers Programwho has excelled in the field of public education. Rucker, also a former Chicago Police Officer, currently chairs Marshall’s Special Education Department and also teaches Economics, U.S.History and World Studies. Troops to Teachers is a federal program administered in Illinois by IDVA. It assists post-deployment service-members transitioning to new careers as public school teachers by providing financial assistance, educational counseling, and job referrals for veterans working

in public education. The IDVA Veteran of the Month Award highlights the work of military veterans who provide inspiration and leadership to their communities and other veterans through continued public service. Rucker, who was wounded in Afghanistan, was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and National Defense Service Medal among other awards, for his service. Rucker, a Chicago native, is also a member of the Disabled American Veterans, is an active participant in the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center’s Feed a Veteran Program and works with the Wounded Warrior Project. He also holds three master’s degrees in education and is Type 75 and Type 10 certified. “Major Aaron Rucker epitomizes the type of service and advocacy we are always proud to honor,” says IDVA Director Dan Grant. “He is a role model for all of us – veteran and civilian – on how effective we can be and how great a difference we can make when we choose to serve the people in our communities. We hope his great example encourages other Illinois veterans with an interest in public education to utilize the Troops to Teachers Program.”

CHARTWELLS-THOMPSON FEEDS 3,000 SAFE HAVEN STUDENTS DURING SPRING BREAK

Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, provider of Chicago
Public Schools breakfasts and lunches for students
during the year, donated 3,000 free lunches for
students participating in the Spring Break Safe Haven
Program. Safe Haven is a partnership between CPS,
the City of Chicago, and 100 area churches to reduce
youth violence and give students supervised, productive
alternatives to the streets during school holidays.
Through this program, students from kindergarten
through 12th grade have a place to go when school is
not in session.
At the University of Illinois-Chicago, Chartwells-
Thompson staff and members of its minority
vendor partners served nutritious meals to students,
many of whom come from Chicago’s West Side and
might go without lunch when school is not in session.
In fact, Louise Esaian, Logistics Officer for CPS, says
that 83% of CPS students are eligible to participate
in subsidized free or reduced-cost
meal programs. “We know that
when school is not in session, many
students go hungry,” she notes.

FORMAN MILLS CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN GRAND STYLE

Prosser High School Gets some Moolah!

George Rogers Clark School Learns to Cook

ST. ANGELA STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT DISCOVERY FAIR

PRAY FOR ALL MEN THEME OF PRAYER BREAKFAST AT RISING SUN M.B. CHURCH

ABC BANK & LORETTO HOSPITAL ACCEPTING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Austin Bank of Chicago announces that they are accepting college scholarship applications from area high school students. Colette Loesher, President & CEO of ABC Bank, states, “ABC Bank will be awarding six $1,200 college scholarships to local high school students that are college- or technical school-bound. This is a continuation of a 21-year scholarship program sponsored by ABC Bank that aggregates in excess of $100,000 in scholarship awards from the time of its inception.”
High school students in their senior year are eligible to submit applications if they reside within the area bounded by Pulaski Road, Austin Boulevard, North Avenue, and the Eisenhower Expressway. Applicants must be graduating in May/June of 2011 and be accepted to a 2- or 4-year accredited university, college, or vocational and/or technical school program.
One of the criteria on which applicants will be judged is writing an essay entitled, Why I should be awarded an ABC Bank Scholarship. Local religious, political, and business leaders will judge the applications.
Loretto Hospital and its sponsoring organization, Renaissance Hospital Management, Inc., are joining ABC Bank again in offering an additional $1,000 in scholarships to four students. This is the sixth year that Loretto Hospital/RHM and ABC Bank have teamed up in this endeavor. The bank and hospital are offering ten scholarships for a combined total of $11,200.
Students interested in applying for scholarships should contact Angela Preston, Assistant Vice President of Marketing, at ABC Bank, 5645 West Lake Street, or by calling 773/854-2900, ext. 125.
For information on applying for the Loretto Hospital/RHM Scholarship Program (for students at local high schools in Austin), contact Camille Y. Lilly, Vice President of External Affairs, at Loretto Hospital, 645 South Central Avenue, or by calling 773/854-5063. Deadline for submitting completed applications is Friday, May 27. Scholarship recipients will be notified by ABC Bank on or before June 3. Scholarships will be presented at a gala public reception on June 15 at ABC Bank’s main facility at 5645 West Lake Street.