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201-U Communications Deptartment receives national awards  Share
The Crete-Monee School District's Department of Communications was recognized recently by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for exemplary public relations programming. The Communications Department was a winner in the NSPRA Communications contest, earning two Awards of Excellence in the Golden Achievement category for the submissions of Do the 201-U Step! Registration for the 2008-2009 School Year and the Milton Payton Performing Arts Center Dedication & Gala. The district's electronic newsletter, Key Communicator, received an Award of Honorable Mention in the Publications and Electronic Media category. NSPRA's Achievement Awards recognize the best practices in every aspect of school public relations. Director of Communications Natalie Nash and Communications Coordinator Melissa Burda attended the National School Public Relations Conference in June to accept the award from NSPRA officials. ''We are extremely pleased to have been recognized by the National School Public Relations Association,'' Director Nash said.
''The idea that public relations is everyone's 'business' has guided our work over the past few years in building a coalition of informed stakeholders,'' she continued. ''Once people have accurate facts and information, they become a part of the communications team. ''We are very grateful to Supt. Rodgers and the Board of Education for their trust and support of our efforts,'' Nash concluded. In April 2008, the Crete-Monee School District dedicated the high school's new performing arts center. The Milton Payton Performing Arts Center Dedication and Gala drew a crowd of nearly 300 community members, elected officials, and staff. The communications department was responsible for the planning and execution of the event. The black-tie gala played host to a variety of performances by Crete-Monee students and raised over $4,000 for the Fine Arts program. Thus far, two scholarships have been awarded to CMHS students to continue pursuing their exceptional talents. The registration process for the 2008-2009 school year received a complete makeover, and the goal of the communications department was to ensure that registration went as smoothly as possible for district families. With this in mind, the Do the 201-U Step! registration campaign was born. The registration process was broken down into steps for new and returning families. The communications department utilized a variety of mediums including the district Web site, newspaper ads, postcard mailers, SchoolReach and more to get the message out. As registration came to a close at the end of August 2008, 85% of parents surveyed considered their registration experience to be ''good'' or ''great.'' ''One of my initial goals upon my appointment as superintendent was to improve district communications Ð both internally and externally,'' said Sopt. Rodgers. ''Since that time, Natalie and her department have worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality for our district and its stakeholders. ''From our e-newsletter and website to the parent notification system and online community forums, these awards simply confirm my belief that our school public relations programming is among the nation's very best,'' Rodgers declared. Russell Publications prints several community newspapers each week, serving Will, Kankakee and Cook counties.
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