MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Okemos Education Foundation will honor nine recipients for their outstanding leadership abilities at the upcoming banquet.

The recipients were nominated by parents, community members and school staff, and the recipients who have not retired, will receive a $1,000 grant to use for educational purposes.

Okemos Education Foundation Chair, Dean Bolton, said, "Every year, we honor up to five teachers for going above and beyond. We're very lucky here in Okemos to have many many great teachers, but there are some that go a little bit further in their work in the classroom and that's what we like to recognize."

Bolton added that one of the recipients, Karen Canestraight, who is a Science Teacher at Okemos High School, is looking forward to receiving the $1,000 grant because now, she can use the funds to purchase new equipment for her AP Biology class. The equipment will be used for the experiments that are part of the AP curriculum.

Special recognition awards as well as a Volunteer Service award will also be given out at the banquet.

The banquet will take place Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Country Club of Lansing.

Tickets can be purchased up until Nov. 13 at any Okemos School office: $30 for adults and $12 for children.

The Okemos Education Foundation is a non-profit volunteer organization that has been recognizing excellence in Okemos Public Schools since 1984.

The 2013 Commitment to Excellence Recipients:

-Lynn Atkins, Special Education Teacher at Kinawa 5-6 School (retired)

-Lee Ballor, Math/Science Teacher at Chippewa 7-8 School

-Nichole Berridge, Response to Intervention Coach at Cornell Elementary School

-Karen Canestraight, Science Teacher at Okemos High School

-Ingrid Yarbrough, 4th Grade Teacher at Hiawatha Elementary School (retired)

-Catherine Hickey, Risk Aide at Hiawatha Elementary School

-Kathy Maki, Library Media Computer Specialist at Hiawatha Elementary School

-Christine Burgess and Cari Thomas, Uniform Committee Chairs for the Okemos High School Marching Band