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29 Individuals Named as IESA Scholar Attitude Award WinnersThe Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Scholar Attitude Award presented by State Farm. Twenty-nine (29) students from across the state who attend IESA member schools were selected by a panel of judges and will be honored with a luncheon on Friday, April 18, at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington. It begins at 11:00 a.m. The 29 award winners, two guests of each award winner, and the school principal will be guests of the IESA at the luncheon. All award winners will receive a plaque, an award medallion, a savings bond, and a DVD of the day's events. Mr. Stephen Bargatze, of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, will be the guest speaker. To be eligible, a student from an IESA member school must be of 8th grade status, have a minimum grade-point-average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must have participated in at least one IESA activity during each year of their two-year junior high career, and demonstrated outstanding citizenship during their junior high tenure. In addition, each student is required to submit a typed essay titled "The Value of Sportsmanship." Only one student from each IESA member school was eligible for consideration. One girl and one boy from each of the 15 IESA Board of Directors geographic membership divisions were selected. Nearly 160 applications were received. "Prior to 2007, our judges selected one student from each of the membership divisions," said IESA Executive Director Steve Endsley. "This year, because of the support we have received from State Farm, our judges selected one girl and one boy from each division bringing the total number of award winners to 30. However, because no male student from a member school in Division C met the published award criteria, no award will be given to a male from that division. The judges believed that the integrity of the program is too important to simply give the award to a student who does not meet the criteria. Therefore, we only have 29 winners this year. The students selected for our 10th annual Scholar Attitude Award represent the finest junior high school students in the state of Illinois. The tradition of naming a Scholar Attitude award started in 1999 and that first group of students selected set the expectation bar at a high level. This year's class has met the challenge and has demonstrated their abilities in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in their communities. It is refreshing to see that the youth of Illinois are preparing for their high school careers and beyond. Our judges have a very difficult time selecting only 30 students. These students will be the leaders of tomorrow."
For additional information, please contact Steve Endsley, IESA, 309-829-0114.
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