Indian Creek’s Denise Malinow Honored with Excellence in Nursing Award

Indian Creek School congratulates Administrator of Health Services and School Nurse Denise Malinow for being honored by the Maryland Nurses Association and What’s Up? Magazine, as a winner of their inaugural Excellence in Nursing award.  This award celebrates exceptional nurses who provide the highest quality of healthcare throughout Maryland.  

In a year unlike any other, this award was created to honor those on the frontlines of medicine. Mrs. Malinow was nominated by her peers – local medical professionals practicing throughout the Chesapeake area — as one of the most commendable professionals in the field. Mrs. Malinow was recognized in the November issue of What’s Up? Magazine in the category of Public Health/Community/School. She was the only nurse from a school to receive this honor. 

Mrs. Malinow has shared her compassion, intelligence, and grace with the students, faculty, and staff of Indian Creek School for 26 years.  During this time, she has bridged the gap between health, wellness, and learning, caring for thousands of members of the ICS community.  Mrs. Malinow has provided ICS with health and wellness education and day-to-day care, all with her signature kind and loving demeanor. This year in particular, Mrs. Malinow has worked tirelessly to research, establish, and uphold health and safety protocols, partnering with the county Health Department, in order to provide excellent care for ICS families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work on the ICS Health and Safety Task Force has made it possible for Indian Creek to hold on-campus instruction throughout the fall.  As Head of Lower School Jennifer Malachowski shared, “We can’t do normal school without Mrs. Malinow, and we definitely couldn’t do 2020 school without you. You are always calm, kind, and nurturing, and our kids adore you.”
 
On Friday, November 20, Indian Creek Lower School honored Mrs. Malinow with a surprise assembly.  As students and teachers gathered for a virtual Thanksgiving assembly, Mrs. Malinow’s husband Andy, sons Nick and Matt, daughter-in-law Colleen, and granddaughter Leila joined the Zoom meeting to join in the celebration.  Head of School Booth Kyle described Indian Creek’s gratitude for Mrs. Malinow: “I am so thankful for Mrs. Malinow.  She is amazing.  We would not have been able to accomplish what we have done this year without her.  She is kind, compassionate, and smart. She also works incredibly hard and gives her absolute best all the time.  I knew all of that the moment I met Mrs. Malinow, but when What’s Up Magazine decided to recognize her as the only school nurse to win this award, I was reminded of lucky are we to have her at ICS.”

Lower School students took over the assembly to thank their school nurse for her hard work.  Wil ’31 and Casey ’28 shared a poem that they had written, which closed with the lines “We are safer because of you. Thank you, Mrs. Malinow, for all that you do.”  Next, Bennett ’30 read the poem “Band-Aids” by Shel Silverstein, which has hung in Mrs. Malinow’s office for years.  Students and teachers shared thank you videos, photos, and a gallery of hearts which each Lower School student had created to thank Mrs. Malinow for everything that she has done for the students, faculty, and staff of Indian Creek.

Congratulations to Mrs. Malinow on this well-deserved honor!
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Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland.  Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.