Bunker Hill has some amazing educators and two of those educators from Wolf Ridge earned prestigious awards from the Illinois Principals Association. We are honored to be able to work alongside these educators and thankful our students get to learn from them each day.
Rita Craig, a kindergarten teacher at Wolf Ridge Education Center, won the 2023 Kaskaskia Region James Rupert Lifetime Achievement Award. Mrs. Craig has dedicated herself to the students and families of the Bunker Hill Community Unit School District for the past 34 years serving as a third-grade teacher, first-grade teacher and kindergarten teacher. Ms. Dawn Gockel, who has worked alongside Mrs. Craig for the past 34 years, and Ms. Erin McAfee, who has also worked alongside Mrs. Craig as a kindergarten teacher and now reading specialist, presented the award during the Illinois Principals Association 27th Annual Awards Banquet at Bretz Winery in Carlyle, IL on December 7th. Ms. McAfee stated in her speech, "If you ever had the opportunity to meet Rita, you will instantly fall in love. Her sense of humor and contagious smile are just a few of her beautiful characteristics." Ms. Gockel echoed those same sentiments stating, "There are only two people in this world, people who love Rita Craig and people who have not had the privilege of meeting her." Cindy Pirok, a retired third-grade teacher who taught alongside both Mrs. Craig and Mrs. Gockel at Bunker Hill, also came to the awards dinner to show her support. Mrs. Craig will be retiring soon from the Bunker Hill School District and will be irreplaceable in the hearts of her school community.
Trista Manar, the Student and Family Advocate for Bunker Hill CUSD8, won the 2023 Kaskaskia Region Friend of Education Award from the Illinois Principals Association. Mrs. Manar was nominated for this award for going above and beyond to build a positive school culture within the Bunker Hill schools. Mrs. Manar operates the Blessings in a Backpack program that provides much needed food for families of students over the weekends and school breaks. She leads the Character Education Committee that plans programs, assemblies and positive reinforcement for students that "do the right thing". Mrs. Manar also plans many staff morale boosting events and social emotional learning activities for students as part of the Student and Staff Support Team for the district. Mrs. Manar recently started the Coffee Bean Club for junior high students to help spread positivity throughout the school and give these students a much needed group to belong.
Mrs. Manar was presented with this award by Shonda Ronen, the Wolf Ridge Principal, who stated, "Mrs. Manar is the person a majority of our students say is their trusted adult and someone they would go to if they needed help. She is a culture builder. Every school needs a Trista Manar."
Pictured from left to right include:
Cindy Pirok
Erin McAfee
Trista Manar
Rita Craig
Shonda Ronen
Dawn Gockel