Grade A: Educators of the Year awards for McHenry County recognize top teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week closed out fittingly this year with recognition of and camaraderie among teachers Saturday at the McHenry County Educators of the Year ceremony at Turnberry Golf Club in Lakewood.

Almost 300 people gathered this year to honor area educators with awards presented by the county’s Regional Office of Education. A record-breaking 92 people were nominated this year from all sectors of the school community.

The most coveted award of overall Educator of the Year went to orchestra teacher Lyndra Bastian of Woodstock School District 200.

[ Thank You, Teachers: Northwest Herald's tribute to educators ]

Bastian is the orchestra director at both Creekside Middle School and Woodstock High School. She also leads the United Sound program at Creekside, which she pioneered and which pairs students with disabilities with middle school orchestra students, teaching them to play stringed instruments.

Of that work, Bastian said, “There’s beauty in what you create because no one else has done it before. It’s intimidating, but it’s been a blessing because it’s allowed me to be creative and provide unique experiences.”

Bastian doesn’t know who nominated her but is grateful for the recognition.

“It’s so special and touching that people I work with and respect would think I’m worthy of the award,” Bastian said. “It felt surreal when they called my name.”

On Monday, Bastian had already discussed with her Chamber Orchestra students plans for the $1,000 award that she received along with her plaque. She said they were overjoyed at the idea of a field trip.

Throughout her 12 years teaching in District 200, Bastian has been recognized in other ways, Creekside Middle School Principal Ryan Doyle said. In 2023, she was a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. The award recognizes educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in schools. Earlier this year Bastian also was honored as a top teacher in the magazine, School Band and Orchestra in its annual issue “50 Music Teachers Who Make a Difference” issue.

“She’s a go-getter,” Doyle said. “She puts a lot of time and energy into getting to know the kids.”

Said District 200 Superintendent Mike Moan: “Our school communities are so fortunate to benefit from Lyndra Bastian’s passion for students and for music. Orchestra is one of the most popular programs across District 200 and Lyndra and her colleagues are directly responsible for that success.”

Moan added that as a “dynamic educator,” Bastian is always pushing students toward greatness, both as musicians and as human beings. Later this month, Bastian and her colleagues will be taking a large group of Woodstock High School students on a music trip to Austria.

Maybe she wasn’t expecting to be named Teacher of the Year, but Bastian’s 8-year-old son somehow knew.

“He told me I was going to win because he saw it in the stars when he looked up at the sky,” Bastian said.

This marks the second consecutive year that a District 200 educator has received the prestigious honor. Creekside Middle School math teacher Shanon Laidig earned the designation last year.

Public recognition of teachers – whom Regional Superintendent of Schools Diana Hartmann called hometown heroes – is why she started the Educator of the Year Awards four years ago.

“Everyone makes a difference in a school district, from the bus driver to the superintendent,” Hartmann said.

Category winners are as follows:

• Private/parochial educator of the year: Cindy Russell of St. Mary Catholic School in Woodstock.
• Preschool educator of the year: Kelly Crone of Washington School in Harvard District 50.
• Elementary educator of the year: Brenda Kunde of Lake in the Hills’ Hannah Martin School in Huntley School District 158.
• Middle school educator of the year: Kari Snider-Ratkowski of Algonquin‘s Heineman Middle School in District 158.
• High school educator of the year: Lana Bachta of Cary-Grove High School in Community High School District 155.
• Administrator of the year: Carl Vallianatos of McHenry High School District 156.
• Certified support personnel of the year: Jennifer Atkinson of Hilltop Elementary School in McHenry Elementary School District 15.
• Early career teacher of the year: Kelly Taugner of Alden-Hebron Elementary School in District 19.
• Non-certified support staff personnel of the year: Chris Liggett, coach and paraprofessional at Cary-Grove high School.