Sunday, March 8, 2026

Monday Morning Memo 3/9/26

Get ready for...

Tip of the Week

Every student, every day

How are you answering these 3 questions for ALL our students each and every day?

I popped this in Chat and asked for practical ways to answer the questions...here's what I found for Question 2:

3️⃣ “Do you care about me?”

Care = Connection + Dignity + Advocacy

Daily Practices

Greet every student by name. (aka Personal Greeting at the Door)
Notice specifics: “You seemed quieter today.”
Attend at least one extracurricular event per semester.
Protect their dignity publicly.
Ask about life outside school — and remember the answers.

Relational Structures

Weekly 2-minute connection rounds.
Student interest surveys.
Restorative conversations instead of reactive discipline. (aka alllllllll the STARR strategies)

“Tell me what happened” before consequences.

Subtle but Powerful Signals

Kneel or sit to student level.
Make eye contact.
Say “I’m glad you’re here.”
Use their name in positive ways 3x more than corrective.

Thank you Colleen for always being in my corner for the hardest times of my life.

Thank you Ashley Arff for the cheeseburger.

Thanks Mary for the Pepsi and skittles.

Thank you Kelly for the wind chime and bracelet. Thank u Kaitlynn May for the card.

THANK YOU to everyone who reached out and checked on me during a very hard week. Time to MARCH towards positive outcomes!!!

-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Alana and Fiona for helping my daughter complete a survey about Early Intervention! I really appreciate your expertise and willingness to help her!

-Kim Leable--Long Term Sub at Lotus

Sam Mock – Thank you so much for the coffee! It was greatly appreciated. I also appreciate you always helping by making any copies I need!

Jamie Smeigh – Thank you for helping me create the God and Goddess March Madness bracket for the hallway. The students absolutely love it!

Renee Evans – Thank you for always being there for me, for sharing new ideas, and for helping me out whenever I need it. You're the best!

6th Grade Team: Dayja, Katy, Leah and Cynthia- I really appreciate how our team always works together and helps each other out. Everyone is willing to step in, share ideas, and support one another whenever it’s needed. Thank you all for being such supportive and collaborative team members!

Kaitlyn Goorsky- 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Kudos to Sam Mock for being so sweet and bringing me coffee over the past 2 weeks! It truly warmed my heart! I appreciate everything you do!

A huge thank you to Jill, Michele, and Tom for taking care of me when I really needed help. I am forever grateful!

Kudos to my amazing 8^th grade team! Hailey, Josie, Walter, and Dan! I would not have gotten through the past 2 weeks without your help, concern, and care! You all are the BEST!!

Jackie and Mark—thank you for all of your help and stopping by to help when you had breaks!

Cindy Hamilton- 8^th Grade Science Teacher

AND...

To Kristie, Maddie, and Natalie for ALLLLLL the things while I was out.

-Heather 💙

Just for Fun...

Click here to get to the BINGO board. Read the directions and let's play BINGO!!!!

Summer School 2026

Please let me know via email if you are interested in working Summer School 2026! We need certified staff, paraprofessionals, related service providers, bus/van drivers, and bus paraprofessionals!

Here are the details you need for our site based programs:

July 6-30
Monday-Thursday
Lotus 8-11
Stanton 8:45-11:45

Certified Pay Rate: $45/hour (3 hours per day of instruction and 2 hours per week of planning)

Support Staff Pay Rate: Your 26-27 hourly rate of pay

Please email if you are interested.

In the upcoming weeks, we will firm up the class lists for:
Extended School Year--students with IEPs who are guaranteed access to summer programming due to predicted regression (documented service in their IEP)

Summer Intensive--students our teams recommend for summer remediation and reteaching based on qualifiers like:
*Current need for academic/SEL targeted interventions
*Multilingual students who would benefit from summer intensive support
*Absenteeism
*Data indicating lack of progress

There will NOT be a separate program for our multilingual learners.

Please reach out with questions or interest.

Please Share!!!!!

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

Lake County Educator of the Year Nominations---PLEASE HELP!

The Lake County Regional Office of Education in partnership with the Lake County Regional Office of Education Foundation will be hosting the fifth annual Educator of the Year Ceremony. The Ceremony will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds on May 6th, at 6:00 pm. Doors open at 5:00 pm with a social hour then dinner to follow. The awards ceremony will take place after the dinner. Tickets will go on sale March 30th, information will be shared once the link is live.

I have included all of the information about the EOY in this email. The information can also be found on the ROE shared drive under the Educator of the Year folder and on the ROE website under the tab Educator of the Year later today.

There will be 9 categories for nominations. Districts can submit 1 nomination per eligible category, all paperwork must be included for each nomination to be considered. Nominees will receive a free ticket to the EOY Ceremony. Electronic nomination packets are due by Friday, March 20, 2026.

Here are links for the 2026 EOY.

Educator of the Year Letter (1 page introductory letter on the EOY)

Educator of the Year Power Point (Powerpoint explaining the EOY nomination guidelines)

Educator of the Year Guidelines (Word document of the EOY nomination guidelines)

Educator of the Year Nomination Form (This form must be filled out and submitted with your nomination packet)

Educator of the Year Nomination Submission (Link to submit your nomination packet for EOY)

Absence Info

Please refer to this document for all things absence reporting. 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

NEA Member Benefits is hosting 10 free virtual meetings to guide our members through student loan options and relief programs. If you’re carrying loans, this is absolutely worth your time. Pick a date and time that works best for you.

AND...don't forget

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. Stay informed by reading the Region 49 Newsletter

Good morning, District 114!

Join us TONIGHT for our March PTA meeting!.
March PTA Meeting
Date: Monday, 3/9/26
Time: 6:00 pm to ~7:00 pm
Location: Lotus Library or Google Meet
Mark your calendars for the following dates:
March Eat Out to Help Out
Date: Tuesday, 3/10/26
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Culver's in Fox Lake
Make sure to say you're with District 114 when you order!
Day of Service
Date: Wednesday, 4/22/26
We're currently seeking sponsors for this year's Day of Service! If you have or know of a small business that is interested in supporting the PTA's work, please visit our Givebacks site or email us at pta@foxlake114.org
Our annual Day of Service fundraiser is coming soon!
Day of Service is a unique event that combines fundraising with hands-on community service, where students complete projects like cleaning community gardens and creating care packages for nursing home residents.
This year, our fundraising goal is $25,000 to sustain the PTA's annual programs:
Teacher Conference Dinners
Stanton Halloween Dance
Santa's Breakfast
Book Buddies
Holiday Dinners for Families in Need
Family Bingo Night
Family Fun Fair
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast
Teacher Grant Money
School Assemblies
8th Grade Funds
Family Rocket Launch
Additionally, any funds raised beyond this goal will go toward a dedicated account for the future construction of a new playground at Lotus Elementary School—an investment that will benefit students and the community for years to come!
Help us reach our goal of 90+ members this school year! We currently have 81 members, including 40 teachers and staff, and 41 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

Link to the D114 25-26 Calendar

Link to the D114 26-27 Calendar

THIS WEEK

Remember to play SPRING BREAK BINGO!!!!

Monday---PTA meeting (see info above)

Looking Ahead...

March 23-27--Spring Break

April 22-DAY OF SERVICE

May 22--Last Day of School for PreK

May 26--8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

May 27--Last Day of School

Emergency Weather Information

Field Trip Request Form

2025-26 D114 Staff Absence Reporting: Guidelines and Contacts

Transportation Q and A

2025-26 Certified Staff Evaluation Documents

Paste the URL below into your browser:

https://edtomorrow.beehiiv.com/subscribe

2025-26 Early Release Plans----always a work in progress

2025-26 Updated Approved Calendar

2025-26 Assessment Calendar

2025-26 Stipend Documents

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Pacing Guide 2025-26

Work Order Request--please use this to ask for help with anything facilities, room, cleaning related!

Business Office Shared Drive

Governors State University will be hosting a few virtual informational sessions to discuss the LBS1 endorsement and the Master of Arts in Multicategorical Special Education program. The master’s program has initial licensure and advanced licensure options.

The session will begin promptly at the scheduled time and will include detailed information about the completely online programs and how to apply by the program coordinator, Dr. Sara Jozwik. Questions will be encouraged!

Please share the registration links below with your staff, and/or post the flyer attached to this email

Wednesday, March 4^th at 5:00 pm

https://apply.govst.edu/register/MSE030426

Thursday, March 12^th at 6:00 pm

https://apply.govst.edu/register/MSE031226

Thursday, April 23^rd at 5:30 pm

https://apply.govst.edu/register/MSE042325

Proud to be...

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Monday Morning Memo 3/2/26

March is...

School Social Worker Month!!!

Thank you to Ashley Brown and Kim Mack for all you do!

Tip of the Week

Every student, every day

How are you answering these 3 questions for ALL our students each and every day?

I popped this in Chat and asked for practical ways to answer the questions...here's what I found for Question 2:

2️⃣ “Do you believe I can succeed?”

Belief = High Expectations + Support + Feedback

Daily Practices:

Replace “This is hard” with
→ “This is the kind of hard your brain grows from.”

Say:

“I’m not lowering the target. I’m adjusting the support.”
“You haven’t mastered it yet.”

Provide specific feedback tied to standards, not behavior.

Celebrate growth, not just proficiency.

Instructional Moves

Model thinking out loud (the HOW — which you’ve noted your staff needs).

Provide scaffolds that fade.

Use small groups aligned to IEP goals AND grade-level standards.

Show exemplars and unpack them.

👉 Language Shift

Instead of:
❌ “Some of you won’t get this.”
Say:
✅ “Everyone is capable of growth here.”

Kudos to our amazing interventionists—Joseph, Joan, and Caitlyn!

Thank you so much for all of the behind-the-scenes work you do to gather math and ELA Tier 3 data and for collaborating so thoughtfully with teams during SST meetings. Your dedication and preparation truly make a difference for students and teams.

-Erica Barraza-Associate Principal at Lotus

Sam Mock for the pick me up muffin this week and the coffee last week. I love having you in my classroom and you just go above and beyond for teammates and students.

Stanton PBIS Team for the Stanton Fun Fair to celebrate trimester 2 ending.

Meghan Reimers for working with me to support a kiddo on the scholastic bowl team.

Cynthia Tsarpalas for being a great co-coach for scholastic bowl, happy to have you here.

-Dayja Wydzierzecki--6th Grade ELA Teacher

Thank you to Melissa M. for helping me transition smoothly into Mollie's position! I'm so grateful that you can answer all of my questions and share many resources with me! I'm so happy to work with you!

Thank you Erica B. for problem solving with me for a few of our students so I can service them better! You are so helpful!

Thank you Abbey and Kelly for letting me invade your room to borrow some things for some of our students! I'm so glad I didn't have to repurchase anything!

Thank you Stephanie S. for helping me problem solve as to how to help one of our students get on the bus safely!

Thank you Nicole M., Kendra, Cary, and Teri for being so flexible so I could change the schedule a little bit to help service some of our students better! You are great to work with!

Thank you Amanda L. for making some visual task cards for some of our students! I really appreciate you!

Thank you to old friends and new! Thank you for welcoming me back to Lotus! I'm so happy to see everyone everyday!

-Kim Leable--Long Term Sub for Mollie Crow

Kudos to Cara Creager for stepping in to support our 5th grade special education students, you are doing an amazing job implementing needed support. Thank you for partnering with me!

Thanks for all you do!
Lynn Smolen--District Student Support Coordinator

Huge shout out to Lynn Smolen for filling a few holes in the transportation routes while we were down drivers this week.

-Jeff Fewell--District Head Bus Driver

-Whoever has been stocking the upstairs bathrooms with lovely soaps and air fresheners... YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

--Thank you Ms. Courtney for being in the hallway with the fourth grade students each morning, making sure they are safe, and being one of the first teachers they see each day! I appreciate all you do!

Serene Madison-4th Grade Teacher

Thank you to Russ and Don for gluing my rocking chair back together! I appreciate you!!

-Anna Morris-4th Grade Teacher

Kudos to Karen Skorup for continuously sharing her immense wisdom!

Kudos to Kendra Smeigh for not being phased at all when she got hit in the face with a ball.

-Dan Miller--PE Teacher at Stanton

As we get ready to wrap up another athletic season, I want to say thank you to the many people who make it all possible. It truly takes a village — and in our case, a whole team behind the scenes — to create a successful season for our kids.

To our coaches, administrators, bus drivers, gatekeepers, scorekeepers, timers, concession stand workers, maintenance staff, and Burgy — thank you. Your willingness to step in, stay late, adjust schedules, solve problems on the fly, and do whatever it takes does not go unnoticed. The patience, flexibility, and support you show week after week make a huge difference for our athletes and their families.

There are so many moving pieces to every game, match, and meet, and as the Athletic Director, I could not do this work without all of you. Because of your teamwork and commitment, our student-athletes have the opportunity to compete, grow, and represent Stanton with pride.

Thank you for being all-in for our kids and for each other. I’m grateful to be on this team with you!

Jill Becmer-Athletic Director at Stanton

Thank you Sammie for helping support one of our more challenging behaviors lately. It has given the child more support and more adult love that they need! :)

-Laura Faro--Blended PreK Teacher

Kudos to Karen Brnot, Karen Lobo, Becky Hiles, Mark Perlman, Dan Miller, and Tom Cardamone for all the help and fun at the Valentine Dance! Our students seemed to have a very fun time. Thank you so much!

-Renee Evans--Math Teacher at Stanton

Kudos to the PTA, their families, handful of staff, and every person that helped in any way for the Family Fun Fair. This event was AMAZING again for the 2nd year just like last year and I know it takes A LOT of planning, time, and dedication to pull this off. I have been here like 19ish years give or take LOL and I really wish we could see more support for the PTA helping out even if it was for 30 min. The PTA does such a great job with these events that it truly runs itself besides just being there to help make sure activities run smoothly. It was awesome just to see the kids smile seeing a staff member there for the fun times. It's free, there's food, fun and they even give us rewards for helping out. You can even bring your family. There are still more events this year---please consider giving just a little time to make a big difference.

-Kim VanHoorelbeke--Library Paraprofessional at Lotus

AND...

To Abbey, Kelly, and Oner for everything ACCESS...and getting every single test DONE on time! WOWOWOW!!!

To Jeff, Natalie, and the Transportation Team for all the flexibility and to Lynn for being our Super Uber last week!

-Heather 💙

Calendar Updates

On Tuesday night, the Board approved:

1. The change for this year's calendar to be IN SESSION on 3/2/26--update linked here

2. Our proposed 26-27 calendar--linked here