West Cook News

The Lyons Township High School district recently honored a school nurse for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the March 20 Lyons Township High School D204 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Brian Waterman and board members honored Julie Loftus, a school nurse in the district, as the the third quarter winner of the Vita Plena Award. The award has been presented by the superintendent each quarter since the 1990s and recognizes individuals who exemplify the themes of inspiration, creativity, dedication, commitment, and selflessly serving students in the district.

Joining the district in 2006 as a certified school nurse, Loftus previously served in similar roles at other school districts and in other nursing positions at Northwestern and the University of Illinois. She has been a trusted health official for over 15 years in the district and was a vital figure for staff and parents, even before the pandemic. According to Superintendent Waterman, Loftus' value and capability  became more apparent during the pandemic. Waterman said she was able to make calm and confident decisions in stressful situations, keep the focus on the health and safety of the students and their families, and ensured that the school could stay open through much of the pandemic.

"I know that I would personally like to say thank you, Julie, because I know that you sat in on some conversations during that challenging COVID process, and I really valued your input and thank you to the team for being so nimble and pivoting in so many different, challenging ways," Lyons Township High School board member Kari Dillon said at the meeting. "You've really provided so much support for our students and our communities."

Loftus said that she was honored to receive the award from the district, and thanked the board for its recognition. She went on to add that she could not accept it without also thanking her staff and campus, saying that she wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything without their help and support. She thanked both her fellow nurses, administrative support, and her boss who she said held her hand through the stress and emotional turmoil of the pandemic. She called out each one of them by name and restated that the award was going not just to her but to the entire team.