Parents' Council Gives Out Awards

This year’s recipients all found time in their busy schedules to make a contribution that goes above and beyond to positively enrich the school experience for children in Monroe Public Schools.

The three recipients were Antoinette Antenucci, Bruce Benedict, and Gianine Craw. 

Antoinette Antenucci is the mastermind behind Masuk's Post Prom Fashion show, a fundraiser that makes the popular Post Prom event possible.  The event is a huge undertaking which takes hours of organization, soliciting of local businesses and gathering volunteers.  The Fashion Show this year raised $6,500. 

Bruce Benedict has been actively volunteering in Monroe Public Schools for 18 years, and is responsible for bringing the Junior Achievement program to Masuk High School.  Mr. Benedict's vast experience as a small business owner helps him use the program to showcase how management and math skills taught in the classroom can be applied to real world experiences.

Gianine Craw is the driving force behind Masuk's Annual Engineering fair.  The Engineering fair allows Masuk students the opportunity to be introduced to a panel of engineers, representing a variety of engineering disciplines.  For many sophomores and juniors, this is the first real exposure to engineering.

Each recipient was given a gift on behalf of Parents' Council and had their name added to the Regina Ogden Friends of Education awards plaque, which hangs in the Monroe Board of Education offices.  Parents' Council Co President Elizabeth Grose presented the awards and spoke briefly about each recipient.

The award, previously known as the Friends of Education award, was renamed last year for Mrs. Regina Ogden, an active parent volunteer who passed away suddenly in 2011.  John Ogden, her husband, attended the awards ceremony, stating, “It is so nice to know that she is remembered every year with this award.” 

Monroe Parents' Council is an organization of parents connected to each school's Parent Teacher Organization.   The council meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 9:30am.