UPDATE: OKEMOS - Recently the Okemos Education Foundation gave away awards to the deserving members of their school system. There are many students in the Okemos area that are privileged to have great teachers in the classroom. Dean Bolton of the Okemos Education Foundation helps to annually give out awards to those teachers that they feel are deserving despite the fact that sometimes the media is focused on other things. Bolton: "It's usually about budgets and cut backs and that sort of thing. It's important to remember the excellent work that is going on day to day in our classrooms." Normally Susan Casey of Chippewa Middle School would go about her day teaching the kids that she feels loved to learn. Casey: "They have an excellent kind of energy. They're still fun and excited about doing different things. They surprise you all the time because they so frequently change in how they're acting and interacting." Once she discovered she had received the commitment to excellence award, she was honored to be a part of the process. Casey: "Being nominated and reading the letters I think was what was most exciting for me seeing what people had to say and reading a letter from a student, those kinds of things are, I don't know its amazing to get that feeling and feed back. It feels really great" There are many people nominated but some hard decisions still have to be made. All the recipients will be honored at the OEF awards banquet, November 17th at the country club of Lansing.

ORIGINAL STORY: OKEMOS - Check out Meridian Magazine on Monday to find out more about who won this year's Okemos Education Foundation awards.