Monday Morning Memo

Tip of the Week

Every Student, Every Day

So, I came across an amazing series of infographics...I love them, so I thought I'd share with you! 💙 Here's the last piece...

I hope you can add a Kudo to

Ms. Brown for swooping in like Wonder Woman when a friend was having some really big feelings in the hall and helped him work through it! Very grateful for her and the perfect timing!

Ms. Pam for checking in on me while I was sick..

Ms. Mandi for all the amazing puppy treats and a treat container for our newest rescue!

Thank you to Mrs. Honea for coming and checking to see if my class needed anything during a break in her schedule!

Thank you to Ms. Dina for the amount of times you asked me "how can I help?" when you've seen me needing it.

Thank you Ms .Gina for sharing your cream cheese with me.

-Kaitlyn May--Permanent Sub at Lotus

Sam Mock, you are always the first one to make copies for me, to help our kids with any task they need, encouraging, and always searching for ways to spread positivity to a coworker. Thanks for the coffees and bubblr's.

Leah Falster just for being amazing and making 4th hour a blast!! - movie quotes and all-

Kaitlyn Goorsky for always being willing to share the cute stuff you make on canva, being so organized, and putting together such great things with social squad.

Katy Gardner for being an amazing friend and person to lean on in stressful times/situations. Appreciate having you in my life. You are so calm and that helps me stay level-headed.

Cynthia Tsarpalas you were awesome at being my co-coach for scholastic bowl. I appreciate the fun times together, keeping one another sane, thank you for getting most of my pop culture and literature references. You've become such a great friend this year.

-Dayja Wydzierzecki--6th Grade ELA Teacher

Thank you for all the cards, posters, compliments, hugs and love we received on Friday for School Lunch Hero Day!

Our hearts are full!

-Sonia, Penny, Hilda, Elizabeth--Lotus Kitchen Team

Mo, Brooke, Misty and Courtney, Thank you for helping support a student (and me!) when he was having a really challenging day last week. I appreciate all of you more than you know! You guys are amazing. It really takes a village

-Christine Spittler--2nd Grade Teacher

Amy thanks for all your help this week for subbing!

Thank you Arff for keeping my kiddo a little longer while I was a para in PE. Plus letting me steal Courtney for testing.

Thank you Dina for making sure our shared kiddo was safe and had consequences for not listening to expectations.

Thanks Courtney for supporting MAPs texting.

Thanks for pictures of the field trip Ms. Sammie.

-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Chad Ziarko, Melissa McCart, Sam Gatyas, Erica Barraza, Nicole Brinkman and 4th grade team, for the time you all took coming to Stanton this week to share your insights on how we can best support our incoming 4th graders next year. Your time and effort to ensure their success at Stanton was much appreciated. We are excited to be part of their new beginning at Stanton and look forward to meeting them in person in the coming weeks.

Thank you Tom and Matt for your assistance in navigating some challenging situations over the past few weeks. I truly appreciate all your help and partnership throughout this school year.
~Kimberly Mack--Social Worker at Stanton

Thank you to Brooke M. and Kendra Logar for helping organize my UFLI centers for next year. You both are amazing!

A special thank you to Caitlyn Fenton for letting me share my thoughts with her first thing in the morning, even when she didn’t ask to hear them ha! I appreciated being able to have that conversation with you.

Finally, thank you to Penny and Sonia for their help with my lunch!

Jen Groot-First Grade Teacher

Kudos to the 4th Grade Team and Erica Barraza for putting together ALLLLL the info and meeting with us to help ensure 5th Grade is successful next year! We truly appreciate it!

-5th Grade Team

and

Kudos to the 4th grade team and Lotus staff for coming to Stanton Wednesday to talk about the incoming 5th graders. Our chats were super informative and will definitely help make a smooth transition for these kiddos.

-Jessica Lieber-5th Grade Teacher

Kudos to Dan Olsen and Kaitlyn Goorsky for asking me to join soccer clinic 1 day a week.

Kudos to Kendra Smeigh and Kim Husko for continiously answering all of my questions.

Kudos to the 5B lunch crew and our fun chats.

-Dan Miller--PE Teacher at Stanton

I wanted to take a moment and shout out the following people who have all made a difference to the Stanton family (students and staff) during the 25-26 year. Kyle, Kayti, AJ, Oner, Jack, Niall, Jessica, Drew, Niccole, Mark, Dan O, Walter, Kathy J, Katy, Karen (each and everyone), Brian, Jackie, Samantha, Kendra, Husko, Jamie, and Matt/Tom. If it was a laugh, smile, helping in some little way, or making the day a little better for someone struggling, I appreciate all you do. A good laugh might not be the best cure but it sure helps. :)

-Bryan Bailey--STEM Teacher at Stanton

Kudos to Erin Connolly-Jordt and the wonderful Lotus and Stanton chorus members for bringing us joy through song on Wednesday night! The time and commitment into putting on a concert as such does not go unnoticed, and we are very grateful for all of your passion and efforts!

-Tom Cardamone--Principal at Stanton

Thank you to...

Everyone contributing to a smooth 4th to 5th grade articulation process. Special thanks to the 4th and 5th grade teams for spending time learning together.

Jessica Lieber for being a good sport when I joke around with you. However, I do remain mad that you're leaving.

Jill Becmer for your help with a project last week. Couldn't have done it without you.

Sue Pinkawa for all your help with the yearbook.

Kim VanHoorelbeke for always being on the look out for freebies, cheap stuff, and grants to help our kids!

-From Heather

2026-27 Insurance

Our annual open enrollment period will begin on May 4, 2026 and end on May 31, 2026. Benefits will be effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. All benefit eligible employees returning for the 2026-27 school year must complete the open enrollment process, even if you are not changing any elections or waiving coverage.

During open enrollment you can enroll, waive coverage, add family members or make necessary changes. It's also a great time to review beneficiary, address and other personal information for accuracy. Note: You must re-enroll into your Flexible Spending Plan every plan year.

Dental/Vision Coverage:

Employees are no longer required to take Dental/Vision Insurance through the district. If you do not use our Dental and/or Vision insurance plan, feel free to waive coverage.

Please reach out to Madeline Mercado with any questions and please check your email for specific information from her about rates.

FUN RUN!!!!

We're so excited to host another fun filled, fitness forward, Fox Lake friendly, FREE fun run!!!

Want to volunteer to show your D114 pride?!?!?! CLICK HERE!

Cereal Drive for a GREAT Cause!

Celebrating Gayle and Pam!

Last Day Party!!!!

Supply Money 26-27

Returning Certified Staff--please use this link to indicate how you would like next year's supply money allocated for your use. We need your input by Friday, 5/22/26, please.

Budget Requests for 26-27

FYI, Spending for this school year is now CLOSED. Please reach out to me directly ASAP if you have items of need for this school year.

With that said, we are working on next year's budget!!! We are going to build a very, very LEAN budget for all discretionary items. As always, we'll do our best to meet the students' needs in the most fiscally responsible ways.

Here's how:

1. MAKE A COPY of this spreadsheet to make your requests.

2. Save it as "(Your Name) Request for Funds 26-27"

3. Put all requests on ONE TAB, with each request and its information on one line. If you have multiple requests/vendors, put each on its own line on the same tab.

4. Share the document with Natalie Udstuen.

If you have already submitted a request, you DO NOT NEED TO RESUBMIT.

This DOES NOT include supply money--that's a whole different thing, and I just sent an email on that.

Please direct any questions about fund requests to Natalie. Any questions about supply money should come to me.

Coursework Hours!!!

Please remember that any and all coursework reimbursement requests or lane changes for 26-27 MUST be submitted by June 30!

Summer Curriculum Work

Hello!!! Just reminding you that it's that time of year...when I ask for your ideas and proposals for summer curriculum work! THANK YOU to the teams who have already sent in ideas! WOW....amazing!!!!!

Here's WHAT:

Summer Curriculum Writing:

What do YOU want to work on this summer?

Example Projects:

*15 Day Challenge Planning

*Getting ready for Bridges launch

*SST Planning

*Fencepost work, including 3-2-1 unit designs and 15 day challenge plans

*Stuff YOU want to work on!

Here's How:

Email Heather:

Name(s)
Purpose of the work/intended outcomes
Proposed number of hours
Proposed schedule and plan for work

Notes:

Work must be completed onsite.

Artifacts of the work must be shared with Heather.

Timesheets must be completed, and pay rate is the curriculum rate/hour ($35).

Looking forward to seeing your great ideas! Please send any questions my way!

Employee Assistance Program Updates

Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partner, AllOne Health, has launched a new Member Portal.

The updated portal is easier to use and aligned with the AllOne Health App, making it simple to access counseling, mental health resources, and well-being support.

What’s new:

A refreshed, user-friendly portal
Easier access to EAP and well-being services
One login for both the app and the portal

You can access services at AllOneHealth.com/portal.

You may notice that new materials reference updated landing pages. If employees use an existing or bookmarked link, it will automatically redirect to AllOneHealth.com/portal—no action needed.

If you already use the AllOne Health App, log in with the same credentials. If not, create an account—your login will work for both the app and the portal.

Please review the attached flyer for sign-up instructions and watch the short orientation video here:
Orientation Video

Confidential support remains available 24/7 for employees and their household members.

If you have questions, please contact me.

Thanks,

Maddie

Absence Info

Please refer to this document for all things absence reporting (updated 4/24/26). Please send any questions to Maddie Mercado or me.

THANKS!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be sure to enter absences as far in advance as possible! WE HAVE A POOL OF SUBS who can fill spots that are entered!!!! We're working on adding even more, so PLEASE enter your absences as soon as you know you'll be out.

REMINDERS

1. If you know you're sick, please put in your absence ASAP. This helps us plan for coverage more effectively. The more we have to react to in the morning, the more crazy the start to the day for everyone.

2. If scheduling personal tasks, it would be amazing if you could try to avoid THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS whenever possible.

3. If you are asked to cover for someone, please know that you're being asked as part of a bigger plan to meet the needs of kids. Unless there's a truly extraordinary situation, you are expected to say YES when asked. We only ask when it's the best answer for kids.

Please direct any questions to me about this. Principals and Associate Principals are charged with creating the plans that best meet the needs of our students. If you have questions or issues with this, they should come to me for discussion.

Thanks!

Referral GPS--Reminder!

We are committed to creating a culture of well-being of students, staff,

parents, and community. In an effort to continuously support this

commitment, the district has entered an agreement with Referral GPS.

ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our students,

staff, and community in finding local mental-health and substance use

related treatment. The service compliments the districts existing

systems of support as a tool for student service teams and families to

connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment

options, Referral GPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in

triage, appointment setting, and follow up care.

School families may access Referral GPS in two ways:

1) Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists,

counselors) to seek out treatment options.

2) Visit this link at https://referralgps.com/find-help/D114 to

search for treatment resources or connect with a Care

Navigator anonymously.

ReferralGPS takes into account all types of private and public insurance

including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, and families who are

uninsured or underinsured. The platform also filters by age, gender, zip

code, and special requests.

ReferralGPS is available for use by district students, staff, and families at

no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely

confidential and securely stored.

If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time,

please consider visiting https://referralgps.com/find-help/D114 or

reaching out to the Student Services team.

Field Trips

If you are planning for a field trip, please remember:

All field trip requests must be submitted to the principal no later than the 15th of the previous month of your trip.

Example: Trip is in March, Form must be in by February 15th. This allows time for approval and our drivers to select trips.

1. Complete the Field Trip Request Form.

2. Submit the form to your Principal for approval.

2. Principals, if approved, submit to NATALIE UDSTUEN to arrange transportation.

Work Orders

When you have something you need the Facilities Team to handle for you, please complete a Work Request. Be sure to include the LOCATION in the "summary" field.

Injury Reporting

If you are injured on the job, you MUST IMMEDIATELY do the following:

1. Report this injury to an administrator.

2. Report the injury to Company Nurse.

Thanks in advance!

Stay informed by reading the Region 49 Newsletter

See what your membership has to offer! Go to ieanea.org to see all of the happenings and most up to date information on union matters. Go to ieanea.org/benefits/ to explore discounts and deals that are offered to you with your membership.

Thank you to all who voted in the EAFL election!

Total of 20 votes at Lotus:

20 votes for Logar

20 votes for Kolk

20 votes for Evans

7 Write-in votes for Groot (Certified VP)

Total of 24 votes from Stanton:

23 votes for Logar

23 votes for Kolk

24 votes for Evans

Congratulations to the new and returning members of our EAFL Union Board....

Certified VP: Jen Groot

Treasurer: Renee Evans

Region Rep: Kendra Logar

Early Career Rep: Stephanie Kolk

Good morning, District 114!

We hope everyone had a nice weekend! Here are this week's updates:
Seeking Nominations!!
Our current president's term is ending at the end of the school year!
Nominations for a new president are needed!
Do you know someone who would make an excellent president? Are you that person?
Send us an email at pta@foxlake114.org to let us know who you nominate!
We'll vote in our new president during the May 11th PTA Meeting!
We need your input!
Tell us when we should hold next year's PTA meetings
We need input by May 6th
Take the survey here

Mark Your Calendars for The Following Dates:
May PTA Meeting
Monday, May 11th
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Lotus Library or join us on Google Meets
Family Rocket Launch
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Rain date: Thursday, May 21, 2026)
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Lotus Cafeteria and Outside
Pizza and lemonade provided!
Kona Ice Truck present for purchases (the PTA will get 20% of all sales)
Help us reach our goal of 90+ members this school year! We currently have 82 members, including 40 teachers and staff, and 42 parents/guardians.

Here's what you need to know:
Dues are $10 for the whole year! That's less than a dollar a month!
You'll receive a District 114 PTA Calendar featuring student artwork
Join here today!
Join the PTA and help enrich your child's educational experience this year!
Make sure to join our Facebook Group Page!
YOUR PTA Board