10 Years of Blackboards

Dear Reader, I'm writing to let you know that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious Blackboard Awards, which honor local schools, principals and teachers of excellence. Please let everyone in your school community-parents and educators alike-know that we are currently accepting nominations for the Awards for schools and principals, taking place on Monday, Nov. 19. We welcome and encourage nominations! A person can submit a nomination at Blackboardawards.com. The deadline for nominations is Monday, Oct. 15. In my experience, the Blackboard Awards are a double joy: There's the wonderful and immediate satisfaction of being honored for something important in the company of other deserving educators and well-wishing family and friends. And there's the long-lasting imprint on the school community, as many schools tout the awards in their lobbies and in school literature. Here's the key background: The Blackboard Awards celebrate deserving schools and educators from every educational sector-public, private, charter and parochial-and every level, from nursery to high school. They were founded by Manhattan Media and for many years were the pet project of legendary author and New York City teacher Frank McCourt, who emceed the ceremonies until his death in 2009. This being the 10th year of the Awards, we plan to make the celebration extra-special with the help of leading educators, educational philanthropists and public figures. Please note: For the upcoming school awards, we will be honoring schools for their general excellence, but we also will be giving out special citations for schools with particularly strong programs in the following areas: Technology * Sports * Health * Environment * Special Needs * Math/Science * Arts * Social Science * English/Reading * Community Service When submitting a nomination at blackboardawards.com, please remember to specify a category. (We also welcome other ideas for categories.) Thank you so much for spreading the word to your school community. Please let them know that their input is invaluable to the process, helping to ensure that once again an amazing and diverse group of schools and principals are honored. If anyone has any questions, please visit the Awards website or contact Liza Connor at lconnor@manhattanmedia.com. Sincerely, Eric Messinger, Editor, New York Family