Archdiocese to honor 9 educators

Nine Catholic educators from throughout the Archdiocese of Omaha will be honored Sept. 16 at the 33rd annual Archbishop’s Dinner for Education.

Each of the honorees will receive a $5,000 award. The dinner, to be held at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, not only provides an opportunity to honor the educators but also to thank those who support the schools and to raise funds for the awards and for scholarships for low-income students. Scholarship dollars raised are matched by the Children’s Scholarship Fund.

Event tickets are available for $125 each. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Donna Erker at 402-827-3757 or dderker@archomaha.org.

The event begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and a brief program at 7 p.m.

The awards are presented to administrators, teachers and inner-city teachers. The honorees are:

Administrators of the year

Peggy Grennan, principal, St. Margaret Mary Catholic School, Omaha. Grennan has served as St. Margaret Mary’s principal for 13 years. Colleagues praise her compassion and devotion to her students. The school was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2008. Grennan previously taught for 17 years at St. Cecilia Cathedral Grade School, including five years as assistant principal.

Scott Olson, teacher and administrator, St. Leonard School, Madison, Neb. Olson is in his fifth year at St. Leonard, where he teaches fifth and sixth grades. The son of two teachers, he is credited for his dedication and involvement with students, even playing soccer or football with them at recess. One parent praised Olson for serving as a mentor to her son after the boy lost his father to cancer.

Carolyn Jaworski, principal, Mercy High School, Omaha. Under Jaworski’s leadership, Mercy has been recognized as an outstanding educational institution, renovated and expanded its campus and increased and stabilized enrollment through a negotiated tuition plan. She serves on external evaluation teams for the state and sits on an archdiocesan task force looking at the future of Catholic schools. She also has filled national leadership positions in the Network for Mercy Education.

Secondary Teachers of the Year

Rev. John Hagemann, Mount Michael Benedictine High School, Omaha. Counting his time as a student, teacher and in other positions, Hagemann has spent 47 years at Mount Michael. He began teaching in 1975 and teaches English, literature and theology. He also directs school plays and musicals and serves as groundskeeper and gardener. His teaching goes beyond the classroom: He involves students in projects on the grounds and teaches them about immigration issues firsthand during packing plant visits.

Sister Anita Rolenc, St. Mary School, O’Neill, Neb. Rolenc has spent 54 years in Catholic education, including the past 24 years at St. Mary. Previously she taught in Dodge and Omaha. She’s taught nearly every subject in every grade and serves in various roles in the parish, including liturgy coordinator. She serves as the religious presence in the elementary school, visiting kindergarten through fourth grades weekly to share Bible stories and prayer.

Elementary Teachers of the Year

Laurie Majerus, St. Michael School, Albion, Neb. Now a first-grade teacher, Majerus is in her 26th year at St. Michael, where she has taught kindergarten through fourth grade. Her goal is to foster a love of learning. Her commitment is exemplified by her efforts to create a special reading group for an advanced student.

Tina Schofield, St. Vincent de Paul School, Omaha. Schofield has taught in Catholic schools for 25 years and now is in her 18th year teaching third grade. She loves the “Eureka!” moment when students grasp a difficult concept. Her colleagues praise her dedication and call her an outstanding role model.

Maginn Family Foundation Inner City and Special Education Awards

Sara Jorgensen, Assumption-Guadalupe Catholic School, Omaha. Jorgensen, colleagues say, finds endless ways to engage students in reading as the school’s language arts teacher for fifth through eighth grade. She began teaching at Assumption in 2001 and stayed when the school merged with Our Lady of Guadalupe-St. Agnes in 2004. Before teaching language arts, she taught fifth grade for eight years. She also directs the summer school program, plans the spelling bee and serves on the school’s leadership team.

Patty Rezek, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School, Omaha. Rezek, an alumna of Sts. Peter and Paul, is now in her 28th year of teaching and her 21st at Sts. Peter and Paul, where she now teaches fifth grade. She developed an art program at the school and taught art to all grades during her first seven years there. She is a lifelong member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, where she volunteers for many activities.

Contact the writer:

444-1223, julie.anderson@owh.com

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