Neighborhood News

Published March 27, 2019 By Justin Kerr

Nathanael Greene Elementary School, one of the McKinley Park neighborhood's local-enrollment schools in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), lauded its principal, Shelly Lugo-Cordova, for winning Educator of the Year from the McKinley Park Civic Association and teacher Adrian Echevarria for being named the Urban Initiatives Coach of the Year.

These awards land alongside recent accolades and updates at Greene Elementary, including a top-most 1+ school ranking from CPS, a Gold Circle of Quality Award from ExeleRate Illinois and the start of a brand new Kindergarten program next fall.

"The reward for me in the end is seeing my students succeed and become amazing leaders," said Echevarria, who mentors and coaches Greene Elementary students in the Urban Initiatives after school soccer program. "Urban has given me the opportunity to reach a different approach to teaching through coaching."

Award-winning coach Adrian Echevarria stands with his soccer team at Nathanael Greene Elementary School.Lugo-Cordova accepted her award earlier in March at the civic association's annual banquet. She is a 25-year veteran of CPS, most recently as principal at Armour Elementary School in the Bridgeport neighborhood, and started as principal at Greene Elementary in the summer of 2017.

A Chicago native, Lugo-Cordova grew up in the Pilsen neighborhood and attended schools in and around Chicago, earning advanced degrees and engaging in doctoral studies in education and management. Her professional leadership has included serving on boards for the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association and the Chicago Public Education Fund.

The ExceleRate Illinois award won by Greene Elementary represents the organization's highest designation for a school's early learning programs. An initiative of the non-profit Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA), ExceleRate Illinois determines its rankings based on a set of standards validated by a state-approved assessor.

According to the ExceleRate Illinois website, Gold Circle schools are engaged in continuous quality improvement and "have met the highest quality standards" in learning environment and teaching quality, administrative standards, and training and education.

This bodes well for Greene Elementary's foray into its new Kindergarten program, which begins in the fall of 2019. Enrollment is now open for Kindergarten at Greene Elementary, with incoming students required to have turned 5 years old before September 1, 2019.

More information and admission requirements can be found on the school's website at www.ngreeneschool.com, on the school website's Admissions page and by calling the school at (773) 535-4560. Interested applicants can also stop by the main office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the school, 3525 S. Honore St., Chicago.