Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 was once again recognized by the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA) for its communication and public relations efforts during the 2023-24 school year.
The communications team received three awards in a variety of categories after school communicators from all over the country judged over 200 entries from school districts across Illinois.
D123 Communications Specialist Angeline Schmelzer received the Award of Merit for the International Fest at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School and the District 123 Art Show videos.
The District 123 website also received the Award of Excellence, the highest achievement INSPRA issues. A large part of this recognition comes from the outstanding work of our District’s school communicators for updating the website with news stories each week. Ms. Schmelzer accepted the award on behalf of District 123, and each of the school communicators at the recent INSPRA awards banquet on November 8, 2024, held at Elgin Community College.
Congratulations to Angeline Schmelzer, Ariana Munoz at Covington, Darlene Tomanich at Hannum, Brenda Sweetser at Hometown, Bridget Fitzgerald at Kolmar, Letitia Katalinic and Lisa Trabadela at Sward, Georgia Danos and Kaitlyn Orloff at OLHMS, and Nicole Petschenko at the Early Learning Center for receiving this recognition.
"We're honored that the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association has recognized the hard work of Ms. Schmelzer and all our School Communicators. Every day, they strive to tell the stories of the Oak Lawn-Hometown learning community, helping our schools, students, and staff share their own experiences. We're fortunate to see so many of these stories throughout the year and truly appreciate the chance to share them with the D123 community," said Assistant Superintendent for ILTC for District 123, Dr. Joseph Macchia.
School districts statewide enter their work in the annual communications contest for judging by a panel of public relations and communication experts across the nation. Communication professionals from other state chapters use a comprehensive rubric to evaluate each entry against best practices and only the top entries receive awards in the contest.