NOMINATIONS DUE:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

Each year the Madison Board of Education hosts a community-wide celebration to recognize students, employees and citizens with its highest honors for meritorious contributions to the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD). The Distinguished Service Award, the Joe Thomas Community Service Award and the Kohl Foundation Teacher Fellowship are presented to a select group of individuals who represent the many people who work tirelessly in the service of education in Madison.



THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD for STAFF
Distinguished Service Awards may be awarded to employees who have served at least ten years with the MMSD in each of the following categories:

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD for CITIZENS
The Distinguished Service Award for a Citizen recognizes individuals and volunteers whose work with the Madison schools has significant and positive impact and whose sustained commitment over time goes beyond expectation. There are two categories for the Citizen award: citizens working with a single school and citizens contributing in multiple schools or district-wide.

JOE THOMAS COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD for STUDENTS
The Joe Thomas Community Service Award was initiated in 1995 to honor the memory of a highly respected minority services coordinator at West High School.

The award recognizes high school seniors who:

One award may be given to a qualifying student from each of the MMSD high schools and alternative programs. Anyone may nominate a student however, self-nominations are not accepted.

EVALUATION of NOMINATIONS
Nominations for awards are reviewed and scored by members of the MMSD Recognition Awards Committee which is composed of staff, administrators, parents, community representatives and a student. Awards announcements will be made in February.

Please note:
All qualifying nominees will be invited to attend and be recognized in the awards ceremony on Monday March 30, 2009. All nominees and award recipients will be recognized by the Board of Education and Superintendent on stage.

KOHL FOUNDATION TEACHER FELLOWSHIP
The Kohl Teacher Fellowship program recognizes and supports teaching excellence and innovation in the State of Wisconsin. Annually, the Foundation awards 100 Wisconsin teachers with $1,000 Kohl Fellowship grants, and each Kohl Fellowship recipient's school receives a matching $1,000 grant. School principals are invited to nominate exceptional educators for this program. The deadline for Kohl nominations is October 3, 2008. Applications for the Fellowship are reviewed locally, regionally and statewide. Awards are announced by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in the Spring. Recognition of MMSD Kohl Fellows is a long-standing part of the MMSD Awards tradition.

Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Program
The applications of the public school Kohl fellowship recipients will automatically be used as the applicants for the Wisconsin Teacher of the Year program. Four teachers will be selected, one in each of the four categories. These Teachers of the Year will come to Madison to be interviewed to select Wisconsin's nominee to the National Teacher of the Year program.

More Information
For more information about MMSD Recognition Awards, contact Marcia Standiford at 663-1969 or e-mail mstandiford@madison.k12.wi.us

2009 MMSD Recognition Awards Ceremony
Memorial High School Auditorium
7 PM Monday, March 30, 2009

NOMINATION DEADLINE for DSA & Joe Thomas Awards
4 PM Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Forms available online or call (608) 663-1964