SPARKLE AWARDS
What is a Sparkle Award? A Sparkle Award recognizes individuals and student groups whose support of Rochester Community School students with special needs is exemplary. Love your child's bus driver? Nominate him! Is your child's para beyond compare-a? Nominate her! Every nominee will be recognized and receive a Sparkle Award at the Special Education Appreciation Evening ceremony. In addition, one nominee from each general category (i.e., Early Childhood, Middle School, Post-High School, etc.) will receive special recognition.
Who May be Nominated? You may nominate an individual or student group who has provided service to one or more Rochester Community School students in special education this school year. Besides RCS staff you may nominate a student peer! If you would like to nominate a group of staff, please fill out a separate nomination for each individual. Group nominations are for student groups only. Please reserve the honor of a nomination for those who have gone above and beyond in their service.
2023 Sparkle Award Information
Each nominee will be recognized and receive a Sparkle Award at the Sparkle Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 26 at Adams High School. Due to the increasing size of this event, we will hold a staggered schedule for the evening. The Early Childhood and Elementary School categories will be held beginning at 6:30 pm. The Middle School, High School, and Post High School categories will be held beginning at 7:30 pm. An afterglow will be held in the lobby after each session.
One nominee from each general category based on age (i.e. Early Childhood, Middle School, Post High School, etc.) will receive special recognition at the event. In addition, the judges will choose one nominee in each general session to receive a $250 grant for classroom and/or therapy supplies.
Our digital 2022 Sparkle Book, featured below, was a big hit last year and we plan to create another this year. This digital book showcases nominations and pictures for the community. Please let us know if you are willing to share your name, nomination, and pictures for use in this book in the appropriate section of this form. We would love more pictures to be submitted this year so that our book is even more engaging and we can create a slideshow for you to enjoy at the Sparkle Awards!
Upon submission of your Sparkle nomination form, you will receive an email to access or edit your responses. Please use this feature to come back to the form until MARCH 17th to add pictures or edit your nomination in some other way. Questions? Please contact Amy Kesler at 248 -250- 1320 or sparkleaward@gmail.com
Introducing the 2022 Sparkle Book
The 2022 Sparkle Book is a compilation showcasing this year's 350 Sparkle Award nominations accompanied by photographs of those who sparkle brightest in our district. We hope that these stories brighten your day and add a little sparkle to your life, just as the nominees have brightened the lives of our special education students and families.
Our Sparkle Book can be viewed using the digital viewer below or downloaded as an interactive PDF.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS
2022
Baldwin
ECSE - Donna Giles
ECSE - Libby Hoffman
ECSE - Tara Karebian
Elementary - Hendrix Hall
Elementary - Kristina Nichols-
Elementary - Kari Kocher
Elementary - Bea Savoy Ferreira
Elementary - Miss Vallee’s Kindergarten Class
Middle School - Jennifer Bland
Middle School - Toni Bisaro
Middle School - Abby Pudlo
High School - Cathy Gittner
High School - Paul Bernard
High School - Peggy McKinney
High School - Melissa Perkins
Post High - Dennis McDermott
Post High - Heather
Post High - Genet Haise
2021
Baldwin
ECSE - Katie Schervish, Andrea Barry, Mary Kate Dawood, Cathy Welch & Anne Fossen
ECSE - Julie Lalik
Elementary - Delta Kelly 5th Grade Students
Elementary - Beth Winters
Middle School - Jacqueline Wood
Middle School - Laure Reinke
High School - Kim Filips
High School - Rochester High School Peer Mentors
Post High - Dennis McDermott
Post High - Katie Cloos
2020
ECSE - Laura Washer
Elementary - Nicholas Aulph
Elementary - Laura Nazione
Middle School - Heather Poirer
High School - Gavin Kaiser
High School - Mr. DoughRay Jr.
Post High - Kristi McAllister
2019
Baldwin
Elementary - Lara Cornish
Elementary - Paula Kenny
Elementary - Dr. Amanda McKay
Elementary - Alexis Schwartz
Middle School - Sadie McCutcheon
High School- Elizabeth Bulat
High School - Alicia Perkins
High School - Corinn Rittner
Post-High - Peggy Dona
2018
ECSE - Tara Karebian
Elementary - Yumi Matsushita
Elementary - Jane Walsh
Middle School - Paul Diegel
High School - Reilly Herman
High School - Alissa Miller
Post High - Amy LaPorte
Post High - Tim Leader
Post High - Dennis McDermott
Post High - Brian Retzler
2017
ECSE - Amanda Wald
Elementary - Laura Hartner
Elementary - Gina Belcastro
Middle School - Haley Sornig
High School - Kelly Harper
High School - Nick Schram
Post High - Julie Mielnicki
2016
Baldwin
Early Childhood - Debbie Zimmerman
Elementary - Dawn Blackburn
Middle School - Matthew Aboud
High School - Sarah Mueller
High School - Rawaa Kareem
Post High - Dawn Heiple
2015
Early Childhood - Chris Sundt
Elementary - Beth Booth
Elementary - Genet Haise
Middle Schoo l- Andy Jaracz
High School - Amy Cosentino
High School - Aaron Mize
Post High - Amy Chamberlain