FISH Prom deemed a success in La Grange Park
Forty people 13 to 21 years old attended the seventh annual FISH Prom for Teens with Disabilities recently at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park.
The Campus Ministry Department invites previous attendees and spreads the word via local organizations that work with teens who have developmental disabilities. The event is free but attendees don’t need to bring a date. Each guest is accompanied by a Nazareth student “buddy” and receives a photo and flowers, followed by two hours of games, dancing and food.
More than 100 Nazareth students, faculty, staff and community members volunteer for the semiannual event. The prom, which first took place in 2011, was inspired by ASPIRE of Illinois and the Nazareth Friends in Service and Hospitality Service Team, or FISH.
“That night, when young adults walk up the green carpet dressed up like stars and dance the night away, their smiles and laughter fill my heart with happiness,” Nazareth Social Studies Department Chairman Anthony Gonzalez shared in a news release. “Their excitement at experiencing what every teen should reminds me of why I am in education and why I love being involved at Nazareth.”
Leyden High School teachers earn excellence awards
Teachers Teagan Lyke and Eric McFadden of Leyden High School District 212 have been honored by the Illinois State Board of Education as part of its Those Who Excel program.
Lyke, who focuses on vocational training and independent living skills in the special education department, earned an Award of Excellent in Early Career Educator. She’s been with the school since 2021. Recognized teachers must have “demonstrated a commitment to equity and to the success of students,” a news release noted, as well as collaborating with students, colleagues and families and being lifelong learners “who connect their schools to the community at large and who inspire other education professionals within and beyond their schools.”
McFadden, who began as a substitute at Leyden in 2005 and joined the staff in 2007, received the Award of Special Recognition as a Classroom Teacher. He focuses on video game design and digital literacy in the business department. His award is given to educators who “are valued members of their school community who have been recognized by their colleagues, students, families, and administrators for the skills, passions, and talents they bring to their school community,” the release shared.
‘Mary Poppins, the Broadway Musical’ set at Hinsdale Central
Learn how to make the medicine go down when Hinsdale Central High School Drama presents “Mary Poppins, the Broadway Musical” Performances are at 6 p.m. April 24, 25 and 26 and at 1 p.m. April 27 at the school, 5500 S. Grant St., Hinsdale.
A holiday party with a character meet and greet is planned after the Sunday matinee. Children and families can meet the cast, explore the sets and enjoy treats and snacks.
The musical is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the film by Walt Disney. Tickets cost $20 for regular admission and $10 for organization group sales and students in kindergarten through 12th grade. They are available at ticketpeak.co/hcdrama.
Enrichment series features author speaking about suffrage
The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association’s Monday Enrichment Series offers “Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in America” at 1:15 p.m. April 28 in the second-floor ballroom at its building, 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.
Featured speaker Caitlin Cass, an author and illustrator, will read excerpts from her book and share images from the process. The Oak Park River Forest High School graduate, a cartoonist and installation artist, publishes “Great Moments in Western Civilization Postal Constituent,” a bimonthly comic periodical.
The Monday Enrichment Series, which features art, literature, science, social sciences and music, is free to the public although donations will be accepted. The association was established in 1891 by a group of women who believed charitable activities, civic involvement and education were vital for a community to thrive. Information is at www.nineteenthcentury.org.
U of C Divinity School hosts bestselling author for lecture
New York Times bestselling author Cole Arthur Riley will give a lecture and book signing at 6 p.m April 25 on the University of Chicago campus in Swift Hall, 1025 E. 58th St., Chicago.
The writer, poet and culture critic is being hosted by the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School. A reception follows, and copies of Riley’s books will be available to buy before and after the lecture.
Riley wrote “This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us” and “Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human.” Her writing has been featured in “The Atlantic,” “The Washington Post” and “Guernica.” Riley is also the creator and writer of Black Liturgies, a project that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body.
RSVP at martycenter.org/events/cole-arthur-riley-colver-lecture. Information is at 773-702-7049.
Send news to pioneerwest@tribpub.com.
