And so should you - From the Acorn:

Recognizing people who make a difference

The Simi Valley Education Foundation is now accepting nominations for the Lew Roth Award, named for the creator of the foundation.

In his honor, the community, students, parents and certificated and classified staff are asked to nominate worthy individuals who work or volunteer in the Simi Valley Unified School District. Candidates are those who make a difference in the schools and have a positive influence on students who need extra support or attention.

Candidates may be nominated in one of these categories:

+Management: principals, assistant principals, counselors, school psychologists, district administrators, etc.

+Certificated: teachers, nurses, speech therapists, etc.

+Classified: accounting, clerical/secretarial, custodial/ maintenance, food service, instructional aides, playground Supervisors, purchasing/warehouse, transportation, etc.

+Volunteer: individual volunteer or members of school or community organizations.

The following new categories have been added this year:

+Special Education: teachers or aides that work with special education students.

+Lifetime Achievement Award: individuals who are retiring or have an outstanding achievement.

The nomination deadline is Friday, Nov. 3.

The nomination form is available at each school and is online at www.svef.org.

Applications can be mailed to Simi Valley Education Foundation, PO Box 1439, Simi Valley, CA 93062, or faxed to (805) 277-9467 or e-mailed to info@svef.org.

For additional information, call (877) SIMI-KID or e-mail.

The awards will be presented on Friday, Jan. 26, 2007 at the Grand Vista Hotel.

The Simi Valley Education Foundation provides additional resources to benefit students in Simi Valley's public schools.