By FELICIA DECHTER Staff Writer, PioneerLocal.com

Have you seen all the fun artwork hanging around Nettelhorst School, 3252 N. Broadway?

The funky figurines and colorful murals are the creations of Lake View resident Shari Imbo, an artist who wanted her work to reflect the “very exciting and colorful,” school.

“When people see these artworks, I hope they will say, ‘I wanna smile,’” said Imbo, who works in a variety of mediums and has produced pieces for the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Printers Row Book Fair, and the Latino Film Festival. “Actually, as long as the work keeps people talking, I’ll be happy.” (more…)

By PATRICK BUTLER Staff Writer, PioneerLocal.com

Nikki Krieger regularly brings ladybugs, ants, tadpoles and other critters to her 5th-grade class at Nettelhorst School, 3252 N. Broadway. But everyone’s fine with it.

In fact, they’ve even given her an award.

The fifth-grade teacher with a reputation for thinking outside the box was one of 24 winners of this year’s DRIVE (Delivering Results through Innovative and Visionary Education) Awards at an “Oscar like” ceremony at the Chicago Hilton. (more…)

Mrs. Mancuso’s kindergarten class in room 207 was featured in a CBS News spot on Halloween evening. Children discussed the importance of Halloween safety with correspondent Rafael Romo, and Ms. Wulbert commented on the students’ imagination as they celebrated the holiday. Watch the video on the CBS website to see some familiar faces… both teachers and students enjoy the limelight. Go to cbs2chicago.com/video and click on the arrows down to the October 31, 2007 videos. Click the video titled “Kids Learn Importance Of Halloween Safety.” Alternatively, type the key words “Halloween Safety” in the search field.