GRANITE CITY – Granite City Community Unit School District #9 teachers Linda Ames and Chuck Noud were selected as 2024 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Award winners, as announced by ISBE.
Ames and Noud received the Award of Meritorious Service, presented to Educators who have connected with their school community and made a positive impact.
“We are so incredibly fortunate to have such talented educators in GCSD9,” said GCSD9 Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann. “Congratulations to Mr. Noud and Ms. Ames and thank you for dedicating your life’s work to our students. I am so proud that the ISBE has recognized them for their dedication and impact.”
Ames, a social studies teacher at Granite City High School, is retiring in 2024 after 30 years. She also served as Student Council Advisor, Girls Tennis Coach, Varsity Club sponsor, Warrior Renaissance co-chair, May Carousel Steering Committee, National Honor Society Faculty Council, and a member of the Incident Response Team.
“I have been blessed with the best career,” Ames said. “The life-long friendships that have developed over the years because of my job are endless and the most special. My life has been enriched because of this and I am grateful for the opportunities that the Granite City School District has entrusted with me throughout the years.”
Noud, the Coolidge Junior High School Band Director, has been a teacher in GCSD9 since the 2007-08 school year. He also spent seven years at Highland Upper Elementary School. During his time in GCSD9, he has served as Assistant Track Coach, Choir Director, NJHS Sponsor, Department Head, District Leadership Team, and Director of the Spring Musical.
Noud also served as President of the Granite City Federation of Educational Professionals, Officer in the Southwest Regional Council, and State Vice President in the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
“Through my job and additional responsibilities, there have been so many different ways in which I can serve the students and staff of GCSD9,” Noud said. “This year, in particular, being able to provide jazz education during the school day to the band students at Coolidge has been such a wonderful thing to be a part of.”
The annual Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards celebrate incredible classroom teachers, administrators, teams, volunteers, and school support personnel who have made lasting impacts on the students, families, and fellow educators in their school communities.
For more Information on the application process and awards in ISBE’s visit Overview of Awards. ISBE will celebrate the awardees at a banquet on Saturday, May 18.
