EDUCATORS SOUGHT FOR ANNUAL AWARD

Cape Girardeau educators will be honored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce through its sixth annual awards program.

Nominations are being accepted through Dec. 15. Recipients will be honored in May.

Awards will be given in four categories: elementary, secondary, administration and post-secondary vocational.

The awards are coordinated by the education committee of the chamber.

Any full-time educator in a public, private, parochial or business school in the Cape Girardeau city limits may be a candidate. School personnel whose duties are primarily administrative or supervisory, like principals, assistant principals or directors, are eligible in the administration category. Educators may be nominated in writing by any person, group, colleague, student or parent.

"This is obviously a wonderful opportunity for anyone in the community to say thank you to an educator who has meant a lot to them or their child and to recognize excellence and outstanding performance," said Nancy Bray, chairman of the chamber's education committee.

She encourages parents and children to make nominations. To make a nomination, the committee needs the educator's name and school.

"You don't even have to identify yourself as the nominator," Bray explained.

After the nomination deadline, all the nominees will know they've been nominated and be asked to complete a form with more details.

Winners receive a $500 cash award, donated by local chamber businesses.