Winners, Spring 2007
Statewide, 354 teachers from 288 schools entered over 15,000 students in the Spring 2007 session. The online portfolio simulation for student teams ran from February 5 - April 27 for schools in the City of Chicago and Archdiocese; January 16 - April 27 for schools elsewhere.
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Cabrera Statewide Awards (see full article)
Winner, High School: Marsha Ragen, Mascoutah High School, Mascoutah (winner of the Land of Lincoln Region, Grades 9 - 12)
Ms Ragen, her winning students and the school principal enjoyed a three-day trip to New York City, where they visited the NYSE, the New York Federal Reserve Bank and saw the Broadway production of Hairspray!
Winner, Grades 4 - 8: Jerry Weissbuch, Rogers Elementary School, Chicago (winner of the Bulls Division, Grades 4 - 8)
Mr Weissbuch and his students spent an overnight at the Union League Club of Chicago, followed by a visit to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
At right, Martin Cabrera (left) poses with (L-R) students Clinton Tres, Steven Vo, teacher Jerry Weissbuch and ICEE president Joanne Dempsey.
Chicago and Archdiocese of Chicago
During the Spring 2007 session in the Chicago and Archdiocese regions, 147 teachers from 118 schools entered nearly 6,000 students.
The top two places in each regional division were recognized on May 16 at a reception at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 20 South Wacker Drive. Students and their teachers received their SMG awards. Guests included family, school administrators, community friends, district administrators and program sponsors. At the conclusion of the evening, the first place teams presented a brief PowerPoint presentation of their SMG session's progress and outcome. Those presentations are posted below.
In Chicago, competition is divided into two divisions; the Bulls, for teachers who have used The SMG Program in their classroom prior to the current session, and the Bears - for teachers who are using The SMG program for the first time.
View the May 16 Awards Reception Program.
Bears Division Grades 4-8 (winner's equity: $114,627.64)
1st - Hector Castro, Orozco Elementary Fine Arts & Sciences (See
below for photo)
2nd - Christopher Haruska, St Monica School, Chicago (Archdiocese of Chicago)
View the first place PowerPoint presentation
Bears Division Grades 9-12 (winner's equity: $113,062.13
1st - Laura Schmuck, Fenwick High School, Oak Park (Archdiocese of Chicago)
2nd - Phyllis Hamilton, Kenwood Academy High School
View the first place PowerPoint presentation
Bulls Division Grades 4-8 (winner's equity: $118,169.37)
1st - Jerry Weissbuch, Rogers Elementary School - Also,
winner of the Cabrera Statewide Award for Elementary Schools
2nd - David Beucher, Peterson Elementary School
View the first place PowerPoint presentation
Bulls Division Grades 9-12 (winner's equity $124,460.15)
1st - George Smith, Ramirez Computer Science Charter School
2nd - James Artese, John Hancock High School
View the first place PowerPoint presentation
Outside Chicago and the Archdiocese of Chicago
Land of Lincoln Region, Grades 4-8 (Winner's Equity:$111,272.16)
1st & 3rd - Sharon Yaegel, Warrensburg-Latham Elementary/Middle School, Warrensburg
2nd - Cheryl Tolan, Immaculate Conception School, Columbia
Land of Lincoln Region, Upper Grades (Winner's Equity:
$134,100.59)
1st - Marsha Ragen, Mascoutah High School, Mascoutah -
Also, winner of the Cabrera Statewide Award for High Schools
2nd -
Mark Schusky, Collinsville High School, Collinsville
3rd - Adam Koester, Edwardsville High School, Edwardsville
Prairie State Region Grades 4-8 (Winner's Equity:
$112,576.14)
1st - Thomas Koonce, Metamora Grade School, Metamora
2nd - Jeannine DuBois, North Boone Middle School, Poplar Grove
3rd - Clare Detzler, Da Vinci Academy, Elgin
Prairie State Region Grades 9-12(Winner's Equity:
$114,691.16)
1st & 2nd - Cheryl Maness, Sycamore High School, Sycamore
3rd - Amanda Ekberg, Rockford Christian School, Rockford
South Suburban Grades 4-8
(Winner's Equity: $115,076.25)
1st - Peg Riordan, Pleasantdale Middle School, Burr Ridge
2nd & 3rd - Brenda Richardson, Meadowview School, Country Club Hills
South Suburban Grades 9-12(Winner's Equity: $113,670.95)
1st & 2nd - Wendy Hegarty, Lincoln-Way East High School, Frankfort
3rd - Todd Cumming, Joliet West High School, Joliet
Suburban Grades 4-8 (Winner's Equity: $112,478.49)
1st - John Marinier, Butler Jr High School, Oak Brook
2nd -
Joseph Polasek, Eisenhower Jr High School, Darien
3rd - Maggie Gruber, Hough Street Elementary School, Barrington
Suburban Grades 9-12 (Winner's Equity: $121,816.15)
1st - Mike Healy, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, Wheaton
2nd - Cara Blevins, Community High School, West Chicago
3rd - Don Zabelin, Community High School, West Chicago
DeKalb County Challenge (See full article)
A reception for winning teams (first and second place) was held on May 17 in the Regency Room of Holmes Student Center on the campus of Northern Illinois University. Students and their teachers received their SMG awards. Guests included family, school administrators, community and university friends and financial sponsors of the DeKalb County Challenge.
First and second place teams prepared and presented a PowerPoint presentation of their portfolio experience. These presentations are posted below.
View the May 17 Awards Reception Program.
Grades 4-8 Competition (Winner's Equity: $109,347.90 )
1st - Dave Meyer, Sycamore Middle School, Sycamore
View this team's PowerPoint presentation
2nd - Zak Fitzenreider, Paul T. Wright Elementary School (see photo below)
View this team's PowerPoint presentation
Grades 9-12 Competition (Winner's Equity: $114,691.16)
1st - Cheryl Maness, Sycamore High School, Sycamore
View this team's PowerPoint presentation
2nd - Cheryl Maness, Sycamore High School, Sycamore
View this team's PowerPoint presentation


