Longtime Stagg High School journalism teacher Donald Bott is one of five educators to receive the 2015 Distinguished Secondary Teacher Award from Northwestern University, a special honor reserved for educators who have touched the lives of Northwestern University students. Stagg graduate and Medill School of Journalism senior Lissette Rodriguez nominated Bott for this award due to his commitment to her success throughout high school.

Rodriguez recalls Bott going above and beyond to explain the college application process to both her and her parents so that she could apply for a higher education. "Mr. Bott saw greater potential in this first-generation, low-income, Mexican-American girl," said Rodriguez. "Apart from my parents and family, Mr. Bott has been one of the most influential figures in my life. He instilled in me the idea that I should always strive for more and that I can go beyond being a statistic."

"An honor like this is so special because it comes from a student, and in this case a student four years after graduating high school," said Bott. "You like to hope you make a difference in the lives of students, and times like this help you believe you do." 

Bott has spent 29 of his 30-year teaching career at Stagg. Congratulations Donald Bott!

Pittman Elementary School recently held an Open House this month for all parents interested in their Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program. This "school within a school" focuses on helping students develop fluency and literacy in both English and Spanish while fostering an understanding and appreciation of other cultures. At the event, parents learned about the benefits of being bilingual, including having a higher salary as an adult, boosting brain power, and even delaying the onset of dementia!