Cicero District 99 and Daniel Burnham Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Nichole Carder-Bocek has been named a finalist for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and Leadership. Carder-Bocek is one of only 30 finalists selected from an extremely competitive pool of more than 730 educators nominated from schools across Illinois. The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching honors outstanding educators for their roles in having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities. Carder-Bocek has taught in Cicero District 99 at Burnham for the past seven years; previously teaching sixth and third grade and now teaching fourth grade. Of her seven years in District 99, Carder-Bocek has taught the last four in a co-taught classroom, teaching both general education and special education students. She currently teaches math, reading, writing, social studies, science and health. Award finalists will be honored Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Golden Apple Celebration of Excellence in Teaching & Leadership in St. Charles.