Thank you Don for fixing and securing the kids rocking chair in the library. You are so much appreciated.
and
Thanks everyone for helping keep Family Reading Night "ALIVE". It truly takes a TEAM and I couldn't do it without all of YOU!!!
-From Kim VanHoorelbeke
On behalf of myself and the entire Robert D. Sayles Board- THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!
To all Staff who participated in, helped set up and strike, and otherwise supported the Robert D.Sayles event this weekend. We had a really good turnout, the students loved the offerings, and the Choirs had two outstanding performances.
Special thanks to: Mike Szotek for being our tech guru on Friday, making sure all was ready togo, to Michelle for coffee setup, and Georgette for a dozen things during the day, to Admin for setup and attending the event, and to Donnie and Russ for moving risers, drums, tables, and a
host of other things to, and within, Lotus. Thanks and kudos to Gayle McManamon, Victoria Miller, and the Stanton Exploratory teachers for their absolutely wonderful displays of student work and their demonstrations, which added so much dimension to the day. Congratulations! To my “other half”, Emily Armbrecht, for two successful performances today, and two yesterday!
Welcome to District 114 and the wonderful world of Choir!!!
It truly does take a village, and I’m so blessed to be part of this one!!!
–From Erin Connolly-Jordt
To Russ for putting signs together for the Lotus cafeteria! (You asked for it! Ha Ha!)
and
To Erin Connolly-Jordt, Gayle McManhamon, Victoria Miller, Sarah Groebe, Molly Goodsite, Lemar Wilson, Emily Armbrecht, Georgette Franco, Russ Xhemaili, Mike Szotek, Jeff Sefcik, Natalie Udstuen, and Rachelle Peters for making Saturday's Celebration of the Arts event happen! We had an amazing turnout and we were able to truly celebrate our students. THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH!
-From Heather
and
To Erin Connolly-Jordt, Gayle McManhamon, Victoria Miller, Sarah Groebe, Molly Goodsite, Lemar Wilson, Emily Armbrecht, Georgette Franco, Russ Xhemaili, Mike Szotek, Jeff Sefcik, Natalie Udstuen, and Rachelle Peters for making Saturday's Celebration of the Arts event happen! We had an amazing turnout and we were able to truly celebrate our students. THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH!
-From Heather
Thank you to Matt Peters for facilitating a 4th grade friendship group lunch in my place.
and
Thank you to Paula Kvacik for helping me with the technology component of my Admin Academy this week and being flexible with her office space.
and
Thank you to Maureen Koenig and Mary Taylor for partnering with me to meet the needs of a family in transition.
-From Natalie Udstuen
Amber Mysliwiec-you are a great P.E. teacher and an even better friend! Thank you for the pick-me-up when I was feeling so sick!
-From Natalie Molidor
Shout out to Joan Kantenwein for helping me figure out my Literacy block schedule.
and
Shout out to Erica Barraza and Cathy Jawnyj for letting us use your room for our assessments and every time we need a small group space for some of our friends to work in.
and
Shout out to Pam Exon, Jamie Lazzara, and Gina Crosthwaite for helping with my class when I have friends that need some special attention.
and
Shout out to Natalie Molidor for all your help and support with my student.
and
Shout out to Pam Exon for taking the lead on making sure the Staff Lounge was meticulously cleaned at the end of each day.
-From Becky Vedder
To all Staff who participated in, helped set up and strike, and otherwise supported the Robert D.Sayles event this weekend. We had a really good turnout, the students loved the offerings, and the Choirs had two outstanding performances.
Special thanks to: Mike Szotek for being our tech guru on Friday, making sure all was ready togo, to Michelle for coffee setup, and Georgette for a dozen things during the day, to Admin for setup and attending the event, and to Donnie and Russ for moving risers, drums, tables, and a
host of other things to, and within, Lotus. Thanks and kudos to Gayle McManamon, Victoria Miller, and the Stanton Exploratory teachers for their absolutely wonderful displays of student work and their demonstrations, which added so much dimension to the day. Congratulations! To my “other half”, Emily Armbrecht, for two successful performances today, and two yesterday!
Welcome to District 114 and the wonderful world of Choir!!!
It truly does take a village, and I’m so blessed to be part of this one!!!
–From Erin Connolly-Jordt
Thank you to Theresa Kovach for always letting me use her sink for clean up after STEM. Extremely appreciated.
and
Thank you to Cheryl Schuck and Bridget Dvorak for being a huge help during specials with our friends who need that attention. I couldn't do it without you.
and
Thank you to Chris Brown for also jumping in when I may have forgot to highlight the importance of a topic during class or lending an extra hand to our friends.
and
Thank you, Michelle Magness, for helping out last minute with a few supplies for STEM which I forgot. :)
-From Victoria Miller
Anyone can give a SHOUT OUT to anyone, so please send those positive notes to me and I'll publish each Monday!
WELLNESS SCREENINGS
Hurry! We still need 9 more staff to sign up at Lotus and 15 more at Stanton BY TUESDAY 11/15/19, or we will have to cancel the event at Stanton and hold both wellness screening events at Lotus. This is an incredible, FREE opportunity to take charge of your own health, don't miss out on it! Please contact Jessica Lanners or Melissa Jakstas if you have any questions or need assistance.
COMPANY NURSE
We've ordered stickers you can put on your badges with the Company Nurse contact
info. This will make it easier to call when you need to do so! THANKS!!!!
TOSA Corner
HOW ABOUT THIS DATA!!!! It's looking up! THANK YOU, EVERYONE!
iReady Usage Goal = 80% or our students receive 30-49 minutes per week
iReady Proficiency Goal= 80% of our students receive 70% or higher on their lessons
Interested in setting up individual retirement accounts (IRA) to plan for retirement in addition to TRS?
The NEA's Retirement Programs might be a good place to start. Please see the flier HERE for more information about the program. Steve Podgorski, our area specialist is happy to meet with you at your convenience to discuss your needs.
Have student loan debt?
The IEA can help you navigate the student loan forgiveness program at no cost to you. There are also two very helpful videos you can watch to learn about the program and how it works. We have had several members reach out the the IEA for help and had their payments reduced and/or debt eliminated so we strongly recommend that you look into this program! Current district employees are saving a combined $1,000+ per month through available programs. Again, Steve Podgorski, our area specialist is happy to meet with you at your convenience to discuss your needs.
The nomination form for the IEA Regional Assembly was sent out on Wednesday. Please only nominate another member who you know is interested in attending as a delegate. This year the assembly will be March 5-7 in Rosemont, IL. To access a nomination form, click HERE. Nominations are due November 6th.
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the University of Illinois Springfield invites members to participate in the Illinois Educator Well-Being Survey. The purpose of this survey is to examine how the climate and culture of your workplace impacts the quality of your life. The IEA will use this data to develop and improve programs and services that support members’ well-being in the workplace. This survey is voluntary and will take approximately ten minutes to complete. Data collected as part of this survey will remain confidential. See the informed consent document for additional information. The survey will close on Dec.1. Please contact IEA Instructional Resource and Professional Development Director Diana Zaleski, Ph.D. with any questions.
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 Weber, Lotus School Representative
Thank you to the Wellness Committee!!!
Digging in a bit on Pete Hall's 10 keys to a healthy brain...here's the scoop on #4...
4. Exercise. It probably comes as no surprise that regular exercising is good for us. Not only does it build muscle and endurance and overall physical health, but regular exercising is shown to increase volume in the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex – the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory. Exercising strengthens brain cells, facilitates the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and can improve mood, sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety. Though the brain isn’t a muscle, don’t tell it that – it’ll get stronger the more we exercise! (Harvard Medical School)
D114 Friday Facts--Blog sent to all families each Friday--let me know if you ever have something you'd like added. Thanks to Sue Pinkawa and Jill Becmer for helping me with this each week!
*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
Tuesday, November 12th--Wellness Screenings from 6:00-9:00AM at Lotus
Thursday, November 14th--Wellness Screenings from 6:00-9:00AM at Stanton
Tuesday, November 19--Board of Education meeting at Lotus
More updates from Paige and Kally...
Kally and I made it to our school and have officially moved in!
I wanted to share this photo with you because we think it's kind of ironic! In Thailand they have grocery stores called Tesco Lotus, and they are the Walmart of Thailand!
Anyways, hope the school year is treating everyone well!
Side note: Unfortunately the Lotus is backwards in the photo.
Have a fabulous week, and thanks in advance for all the incredibly hard work that everyone puts into report cards and conferences!
Heather 💗
Heather 💗
