Sportsmanship

14 Individuals Named as IESA Scholar Attitude Award Winners

2005 Scholar Attitude Winners Parker Thompson, Tremont; Blair Bruns, Lincoln West Lincoln-Broadwell; Taylor Russell, Heyworth; Daniel Bolsen, Lovington; Brett Harp, Rockford Holy Family; Daniel K. Schliffka III, New Lenox Martino Beth Kreke, Teutopolis; Erika Fouts, Girard; Elizabeth Sterr, Chatham Glenwood; Caitlin Blaisdell, Bradford; Kelcey Shafer, Forrest Prairie Central; Kerbee Koehler, Warsaw; Andrea Palazzolo, Champaign St. Matthew; Erin Schoenfelder, Antioch

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2005 Scholar Attitude Award. Fourteen (14) 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 Thursday, May 5, at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington. It begins at 11:00 a.m.

The 14 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, and a $100.00 savings bond. 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 student from each of the 14 IESA Board of Directors geographic membership divisions was selected. Nearly 150 applications were received.

"The students selected for our 7th annual Scholar Attitude Award represent the finest junior high school students in the state of Illinois," said IESA Executive Director Steve Endsley. "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 had a difficult time selecting only 14 students. These students will be the leaders of tomorrow."

"The IESA Scholar Attitude Award honors those students who have maintained a high-academic standard while pursuing participation in their school community through IESA activities. We would like to congratulate the selected students on their focus, passion, and pursuit. We look forward to the leadership they will provide in the future and we are pleased to be a part of their journey." Charlie Shempf IESA Assistant Executive Director Administrator for Scholar Attitude Award Email