Many diligent workers from around Wauwatosa were recently given a very high honor: the Friends of Education award.

This past Tuesday, May 12, the Friends of Education awards ceremony took place at the Wauwatosa West Steiner Center. The Friends of Education awards are honors given by the Wauwatosa Education Association to school staff and volunteers that have been especially helpful to the classroom environment.

“Each school’s recipients are very honored,” said coordinator Carleen Ranfranz, “it’s a reminder of why we do what we do.”

Each award was given to a staff member after a short speech about that staff member’s contributions.

Kathy Wells, who is a member of the Teachers’ Union and has been for almost 15 years, said, “we nominate people who are super active…this person has done everything. These are people who help make the classroom a better environment.”

The Friends of Education awards have been a part of the school district for around 30 years. It started as a small, lesser-known ceremony and since has grown into a time when staff are nominated for the award from all elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as the detention center. Although some didn’t know about the award before they were nominated, all recipients were very proud to be a part.

“When I got the letter for the award, I knew nothing about it,” said Montessori recipient Jane Koss. “It was a wonderful surprise.” She said she was very proud to be recognized for her volunteer work with the school.

Here are all this year’s Friends of Education award winners:

– East: Colleen McDonald
– West: David Sear
– Longfellow: Cindy Anderson
– Whitman: Ellen Engelking
– Eisenhower: Molly Delvecchio
– Jefferson: Colleen Marchant Williams
– Lincoln: Lora Olenchek
– Madison: Wendy Kaiser
– McKinley: Corrine Subotich
– Montessori: Jane Koss
– Roosevelt: Roger/Cindy Schaus
– Underwood: Tamara/Joseph Makhlouf
– Washington: April Beane
– Wilson/WSTEM: Tina Schulz
– Detention Center and Virtual Academy: Dennis Mahony