Sunday, March 31, 2019

Welcome Back and Happy Spring!

I hope you had a really, really wonderful Spring Break!






Thanks to David Roat and Mike Szotek for a great presentation to the Board on Tuesday!


I'd like to give a "Shout Out" to Stephanie Brual for bringing down a student's desk to our classroom
to be used by a student doing Lexia!


I'd like to give a "Shout Out" to Mike for bringing down a laptop and headphones for my student to use
doing Lexia.
-From Ellen Stirrat


Thank you Renee Kanari, Janette Jennings, and Kathleen Winkiel for all your help with printing
the Fitnessgram reports for Q3!
and
Thank you Jill Becmer for all your help with the track uniforms and being sure to include the track
team in the upcoming yearbook!
and
Thank you Kim Husko and Chris Carvell for covering me in 5th grade PE this week!
and
Thank you Kathleen Winkiel for all your help in 8th grade PE to start the quarter!
and
Thank you to Oner Medrano for handling all the spirit wear for the track team!
and
Thank you to Jeff Sefcik for covering my lunch room duty so that I could eat lunch with a student
and thank you to Beth Rendon for all your great advice to help me with my lunch "meeting".
-From Melissa Jakstas


Big "Thanks" to Kim V. for the wonderful field trip she planned for third grade.  We bussed to the
Fox Lake Library, where we learned many new things. It was so great to have a field trip in order to
provide the children with a real-world experience of their own public library!  Kudos!
-From the Third Grade Team


Many thanks go out to Gayle M. for making extra time in her busy schedule and allowing my class
extra time to finish their art projects. Not only do I appreciate her making time for them, but I
appreciate her allowing me to sit in and observe the students that I usually guide.  It was a great,
eye-opening experience! Thank you!
-From Theresa Kovach


When you have a kudo to share for someone, please just email me and I'll include it here!
The goal is to create system celebrations--so your input is truly welcome!


 



Business Office Updates
Time Clocking:
Please remember--just like always--any under/over time must be pre-approved. This was
true on the old time sheets and remains true now. Thanks, and please see me or your
building principal with any questions.


Coursework Approval:
If you're thinking of taking classes, be sure to submit them for pre-approval!!!! All coursework for which you'd like reimbursement or for which you think you'll be entitled to a lane change MUST be pre-approved. The forms for this are available in both school offices, and they must be received prior to beginning coursework. Employees must serve notice of intent to change lanes by July 1.


Curriculum Updates
Summer Curriculum Hours
Please know that summer curriculum work will be prioritized for work on fence
posts/rails/pacing/assessments. I’m happy to pay teams to get ahead on this for next
year, but--with limited funds--requests for this work will be the priority!


Math

Add caption


When we meet the 80% pass rate goal, we’ll do a yummy dessert bar!!!




SEL


Please fill out and  turn in your EAFL Contract Negotiations Membership Survey to Melissa Jakstas
by Friday, April 5th. This will help the Negotiations Committee determine which contract issues are
most important to our members.


If you are interested in serving on the Negotiations Committee, please fill out and turn in your
EAFL Negotiations Committee Application to Melissa Jakstas by Friday, April 5th. Applications will
guide the Executive Board in forming a well-rounded committee.


If you are interested in voting in the 2019 IEA Spring Elections, you may vote HERE. You should
have, or should be, receiving an Election Code and Voting Pin via USPS mail. Please call IEA
Connect at 1-844-IEA-1800 if you need additional support. The election closes at 4:00 pm Central
time on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.





Melissa Jakstas, President
Maureen DeVoss, Vice President for Certified Staff
Chris Brown, Vice President for Non-Certified Staff
Katy Gardner, Treasurer
Betty Cwiak, Secretary
Cathy Jawnyj, Region Representative
Kendra Smeigh, Stanton School Representative
Tiffany Tardio, Lotus School Representative



A Walk in the Woods
We hope that you will mark you calendar for Wednesday, April 3rd at 3:45 and join your colleagues
for a walk in the woods to celebrate the end of our D114 March Step Challenge! (Rain date
Wednesday, April 10th.) To get to the meet-up point, traveling east on Rollins Road, after you pass
Wilson Road, start looking for the Grant Woods Canoe Launch parking lot on the right hand side of
the road. The address is 25225 Rollins Road, Ingleside, IL, 60041. We will meet in the parking lot
before hitting the trail. Check out the MAP to help get you to the right place and see the walking route.


Step Challenge Wrapping Up
Currently, D114 employees have logged 7,231,971 steps BUT there are lots of steps waiting to be
logged due to spring break. Excited to see if we can hit 1 BILLION steps! Don't forget to finish
logging your steps HERE.  For every 50,000 steps you take, you earn one RAFFLE TICKET  for a
chance to win a $20 gift card. You can "make a copy" of the raffle tickets and type your name on
each raffle ticket you've earned and share the file with Melissa Jakstas. Or, you can print the raffle
ticket sheet and write your name in each box. Tickets may be sent via interoffice mail, put in my
mailbox, or scanned and sent electronically to Melissa Jakstas. Be sure to have your tickets in by
the end of the school day on Wednesday, April 3rd to be sure your tickets are included in the drawing!


Hydration Challenge Starting Up
During the month of April, you have the opportunity to earn 1 RAFFLE TICKET for each day that you
meet your personal hydration goal. Generally speaking, 64 ounces of water per day is recommended,
but maybe your personal needs are slightly higher or lower based on activity level, medical needs, etc. (You do not need to share your goal.) For each day you reach your personal hydration goal, mark a "1" for that date on the D114 April Hydration Challenge Google Sheet (see example in the sheet). Each time you log a "1" the number of days you reach your goal in April will be calculated for you. At the end of the month, turn in one raffle ticket per day you reached your goal for a chance to win a $20 gift card! Sign-up for the challenge by adding your name to the D114 April Hydration Challenge Google Sheet! We feel so much better mentally and physically when we are hydrated, so we hope all D114 will join in building healthy hydration habits during the month of April.


Thanks to Betty Cwiak for planning the awesome mani/pedi event at Blizz Nail Salon before spring
break and thanks to everyone who joined in on the pampering!


We hope everyone enjoyed the weekly self care challenges during the month of March and hope you
will keep finding ways to incorporate self care into your life!



*check here for documents most frequently used/requested
Please let Heather know of suggestions for any documents to add to this folder!






Blue Cross Blue Shield:


SEL Pacing Guides
Stanton:





Questions:
What can you do to reconnect with students after Spring Break?
How can you use the last part of the school year to focus on building even more
positive relationships with the kids?




Thank you, Maureen DeVoss, for passing this amazing piece along!
April 3, 2019--Walk in the Woods (see info in WELLNESS section above)
April 9, 2019--PTA meeting at Stanton
April 16, 2019--Board of Education meeting at Lotus
April 17, 2019--New IEP platform (EMBRACE) training...DETAILS COMING!!!
May 14, 2019--Board of Education meeting--NEW DATE
Just want to let everyone know that this is a wacky week on my end. I was asked and agreed
to fill Becky DuFour’s spot at the Leadership Now conference on Monday and Tuesday. I’m
humbled and very anxious about trying to fill her very big shoes, but will do my best. I’ll be in
D114 on Wednesday.
However, Katie (my oldest) and the Stevenson Winter Guard team did incredibly well at
Midwest Championships this weekend. They are now seeded very high at the Winter Guard
World Championships in Dayton, Ohio on  Wednesday-Saturday. This seems like a “don’t
miss this, Mom” opportunity, so I’ll be headed to Dayton for Thursday and Friday.

As I hope you know, I try to stay on top of email, calls, and texts and will do so this week as
well. If you need me, please just reach out.


One Team, All In! Thank you for all you do!
Heather

Sunday, March 17, 2019

5 Days Til Spring Break!!!








Kudos to Andrea Sekulich for taking lead in the classroom more this week!! It was eye-opening
to see where the students understand and need more assistance. Your hands on approach made
learning so fun!!
-From Tiffany Mihovilovich


I'd like to give a shout out to my 1st grade team (a little late) for spending their lunch time helping
me prep our 120th day snack!
and
Kudos to Tim for spreading cheer after school, too!
Thanks,
-From Kelli Kuehn


To Jeff Sefcik, Rachelle Peters, and Maddie Espinoza for working together to get Austin Thoreson
onboarded and ready to start!
and
To Erin Connolly-Jordt and our amazing choirs for the Saturday performance at the Fox Lake
community event. Thanks also to Natalie Udstuen and Ally for helping me present to the group.
A special thanks to Ally for co-presenting with Taylor and then playing Hatchables afterwards.
And...thanks to Jeff for showing up to show support and ask Congressman Schneider the...
interesting...questions.
-From Heather


To the bus drivers for communicating and collaborating during the car accident on Grand Ave. on
March 13th.  A major incident had a minor impact on our kids getting home because of the great
teamwork!!
and
Rachelle for being Rachelle!!!
and


David for his patience with me as I battle with technology🤔.
and
Jill and Michele for providing a positive vibe every day in our main office!
and
Nurse Lanners for staying on top of our students health needs!
and
the 5th Grade Team for providing an opportunity for our students to experience the Grant Township
and Fox Lake Historical Society - first group to tour in a long long time.
-All from Jeff Sefcik


Thank you to Michele Burgess and Jessica Lanners for being so organized and keeping the
track coaches in the loop regarding sports physicals for tryouts!
-From Melissa Jakstas


Kudos to Joan Kantenwein! Thank you for coming into my room and modeling a guided reading
group in my classroom. The students and I greatly enjoyed seeing your expertise in action. I also
sincerely appreciate the resources you provided to help our 3rd grade students. Thank you for all
that you do!
-From Kelly Roland


Shoutout to Christina M for checking in on me during a really hard day. You're so uplifting!
-From Kally Kibitlewski
Thank you Cheryl Shuck for consistently providing us with recycled containers!  They are perfect for
paint...and so many uses!! Chris Brown, Cherri, and Melanie, thanks for checking in and providing
our art program with the exact recyclables needed. They are being put to good use!
and
And special thanks to Stephanie Brual for donating pastels and a bin full of yarn for our art projects!!  
We are going through what I had, so what you brought was perfect!!
Thanks again!!❤
-From Gayle McManhamon


The reading team would like to thank Paige Shaffer and Cindy Carlino for demonstrating to us how
to use the Lexia program. We learned a lot about the program, and  we are excited to try something
new!
-From the Lotus Reading Team
Thank you, Paula, for being on the ball and uploading student information into Pearson for IAR.
Everything is working out smoothly.
and
Thank you, Lynn, Paige, Meghan, & Andrea for being prompt and making sure accommodations
were in and ready to roll for the upload of IAR at the beginning of February.
and
Thank you, Mike, for making sure all Test Nav programs are updated on all devices in order to test
when we get back from break.
and


Greatly Appreciated by all for making the process smooth this year. :D
-From Victoria Miller


Kudos to Theresa Kovach, Brittany Mason and Paige Schaffer for entering their students in the
Lexia Learning Challenge. It is a nation wide challenge to increase student learning. Their classes
will be competing with classes across the country in meeting the students'  needs of prescribed
minutes of online learning from Feb 25-March 10! Winners will be announced at the end of the
month!! Stay tuned!
and
Kudos to Brittany Mason, Paige Schaffer and Jackie Harmon for volunteering to train new staff on the
Lexia Reading Intervention! You are amazing and have provided so much additional support to follow
up questions!
and
Kudos to Theresa Kovach, Michelle Magness, Tiffany Tardio, Amanda Lorenz, Joseph Fernandez
and Ellen Stirrat for volunteering to be trainees on Lexia this school year and your willingness to take
on interventionist roles to support student growth.
and
THANK YOU Erica Barraza for your enthusiasm and support in coaching me on the data retrieval
and growth measures of I-Ready and providing additional support  to our problem solving teams and
students this year!
-All from Cindy Carlino


To Erica Barraza for being the TOSA with the most-est! Thank you for helping us ALL implement and
understand ReadyMath. We wouldn’t be where we are without you! Wishing you a magical sabbatical
of learning...can’t wait til you’re back!
-From your D114 Family


When you have a kudo to share for someone, please just email me and I'll include it here!
The goal is to create system celebrations--so your input is truly welcome!


 
Only appropriate for a St. Patrick’s Day blog…Spring Break is coming! :)


Business Office Updates
PTA Receipts:
Please turn in ALL PTA receipts ASAP! We are working with PTA to plan for major purchases,
but we cannot do so with so many pending receipts out there. THANKS in advance for doing
your part!


Purchasing:
Any and all purchasing for 2018-19 must be completed by spring break. Right after break,
we’ll start building the budget for next year!

Curriculum Updates
Summer Curriculum Hours
Please know that summer curriculum work will be prioritized for work on fence posts/rails/
pacing/assessments. I’m happy to pay teams to get ahead on this for next year, but--with
limited funds--requests for this work will be the priority!


Math


YES!!!! It’s Pizza Party week! We’ll have pizza for
everyone this Thursday to thank everyone for helping
us meet our iReady minutes target.


Per our math data from Erica Barraza:
Wahoo!!! YOU did it!  83% of our student population has received at least 45 minutes of online
instruction! What a wonderful way to end this week! Kudos to all of you and congratulations🍕🎉
Your hard work has not gone unnoticed!


P.S. You actually achieved this goal twice- once the week of February 25th and again this week!
I was only looking at that green graph not realizing that the 50 min and above worked towards our
overall goal. My sincerest apologies for overlooking that, I know how hard you all have worked to
achieve this!






Now it’s time for a new challenge….




When we meet this goal, we’ll do a yummy dessert bar!!!





SEL


EAFL Spirit Day is Tuesday, March 19th!
Wear your shirt if you'd like to participate!


Spring Articulation - Wednesday, March 20th at 2:00
In the interest of student safety during Stanton's end of the day dismissal,
please be at Stanton and parked by 1:30 OR plan to arrive after 1:45.
Village Bakery cookies will be served!
You can find our meeting agenda HERE.






Melissa Jakstas, President
Maureen DeVoss, Vice President for Certified Staff
Chris Brown, Vice President for Non-Certified Staff
Katy Gardner, Treasurer
Betty Cwiak, Secretary
Cathy Jawnyj, Region Representative
Kendra Smeigh, Stanton School Representative
Tiffany Tardio, Lotus School Representative



Two weeks into our Step Challenge, D114 employed have logged 3,403,972 steps... great job
everyone! We have one employee who has already surpassed the 200,000 step mark, way to
go Kelly Roland! For every 50,000 steps you take, you earn one RAFFLE TICKET  for a chance
to win a $20 gift card. You can "make a copy" of the raffle tickets and type your name on each
raffle ticket you've earned and share the file with Melissa Jakstas. Or, you can print the raffle
ticket sheet and write your name in each box. Tickets may be sent via interoffice mail, put in
my mailbox, or scanned and sent electronically to Melissa Jakstas. It's not too late to join, you
can start tracking your steps anytime this month!


Thank you to everyone who has been completing the weekly self-care challenges, we hope
you find them fun and useful! This week, give yourself 20 minutes... do something that relaxes
you!


Betty Cwiak has organized a fabulous mani/pedi event this coming Wednesday, March 20th.
For more information about the event, click HERE.


We hope you will mark your calendar for April 3rd at 3:45 to join us for a walk in Grant Woods
to celebrate the completion of the Step Challenge. The rain date will be April 10th. More
details coming soon!


Look for information on an April hydration challenge coming soon!



*check here for documents most frequently used/requested
Please let Heather know of suggestions for any documents to add to this folder!






Blue Cross Blue Shield:


SEL Pacing Guides
Stanton:





Questions:
I loved this piece.
What resonates with you when you read it?


4 Ideas to Help Improve Teacher Well-Being

By George on Mar 12, 2019 04:08 pm
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss
it.” Ferris Bueller
One of the things that I say to teachers beginning the profession is that they should be much
better than I was from when I first started teaching.  The big difference today and when I started in 1999 was the access to other great teachers. On any day, you can be blown away by the
plethora of things that you can try within your teaching context shared openly by other educators.
But this doesn’t mean you have to try everything.  And that abundance of choice can become
overwhelming.  Barry Schwartz, author of the “Paradox of Choice”discusses this idea:
“Learning to choose is hard. Learning to choose well is harder. And learning to choose well in
a world of unlimited possibilities is harder still, perhaps too hard.”
― Barry Schwartz
When you try to do too much for others, it can often lead to too little for yourself.
I have been thinking a lot about this inundation of ideas in my own journey toward better mental
health.  Here is a question I have thought a lot about…Where do I put my main source of
“energy” and what gets the “leftovers?” When I refer to things as “leftover” are those things that
should have received more energy?  This quote from Jenny Anderson resonates:
“The thing that makes us happiest in life is other people. And yet other people are often
the first thing to fall off our list of priorities.”
So when I look back at my career, from the beginning until today, I have shifted a lot of my focus
on what fuels me and what depletes me of energy.  Hopefully, some of the advice below can help
others in their process.
It is okay to enjoy things that take you away from your job. I had a conversation with an
educator recently, and they shared that they were losing themselves in their job.  My advice was
that students connect better with people that are teachers, not those that only identify as
teachers.  Having those outside interests and hobbies makes you more relatable to students.
Don’t get caught up in teacher guilt. Take some time to relax and have fun.
You will never be done so quit acting like it is possible. Here is a little secret in education
No matter what you do, or how hard you work, there will always be more work waiting for you.
There is no”done.”  I have tried to provide professional learning opportunities for educators at
times where school might be a little slower but they don’t exist!  There are deadlines that we
must pay attention to, but learn to take breaks. Email will still be there when you get back.  
Also, look for opportunities to hand over things in your school or classroom for students to lead.
Not only does this take some stuff off your plate, but it also helps to give students more
ownership over the school.
Image result for what are you doing for the students they can be doing for themselves aj juliani
You don’t have to try everything.  There are great ideas and things you can implement every
single day. That is awesome! But if you try to do all things, you will do no things well. Great ideas
will be there in the future as well. Look to do more items of depth, rather than everything at a
surface level.

Find people that give you energy. I limit my circles to those that lift me up.  This doesn’t mean
they don’t challenge you to get better, but you know they have your back.  You often are who
surrounds you.
Not all days will be good in education. You might look back and laugh, you might look back and
cry. That is part of the journey.
Just take care of yourself.

March 19, 2019--Board of Education meeting
April 17, 2019--New IEP platform(EMBRACE) training...DETAILS COMING!!!
May 14, 2019--Board of Education meeting--NEW DATE
Thanks, Tiffany Tardio, for sharing some Kinders’ thoughts on why they are lucky!
Super cute!

Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

Heather