Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 2/6/23

So...what's your word/aspiration for how you feel? I can't WAIT to learn!!!! Thanks to everyone who has chosen to share...your words are added to the list!

Here's the list of words/feels so far!

For all those who do Medicaid billing, this is your reminder to do it! We need you to please stay on top of this!!! THANK YOU!!!! 😁

If you have no idea what this means...you don't have to do it! YAY!!!!

Thank you to Vivian Hernandez for meeting with me and a mom of a 7th grader. You not only translated the conversation but really helped mom, who came in noticeably unsure, to feel more comfortable and to understand not only our concerns but also that she really is doing a great job raising a very polite young man!

and

Thank you to Bobby Warneke, Jamie Smeigh and Jackie Mathews who spend part of their day with me. You all just DO what needs to be done. We'd be a mess some days without you, and I appreciate your hard work and helpfulness every day!

From Liz Andersen (7th Grade Social Studies Teacher)

Thank you Leah for your continued support towards all our students especially the students in the ILPB classroom! You continue to go above and beyond and are always flexible and willing to take on new challenges!

-From Ryan Hochman (ILP-B Teacher at Stanton)

Kudos to Lisa Huck, Gayle McManamon, and Sue Pinkawa. Thank you so much for helping me out when I needed assistance. Thanks so much.

-From Ellen Stirrat (Paraprofessional at Lotus)

Thank you to Kelly Capp, Jamie Smeigh and Dayja Wydzierzcki for helping cover the 5th Grade team while we were out last week.

Thank you Betty Cwiak for ordering the sequel to Tim Tingle for my students. They can't wait to read what happens next!!! You're always there to fuel students' love of reading!

Thank you to my 5th grade team mates - Katie, Veronica and Bryan for always collaborating and sharing your ideas with me for all things 5th grade.

Thank you to our team supporters Stephanie, Andrea, Mike, Kim and Meghan. Your efforts help our students so much.

Thank you Bobby for supporting the 5th grade students! All of your help is much appreciated!!

-From Kathleen Winkiel (5th Grade Teacher)

Thank you Mike Fefferman for doing some superman's and popcorn's for my exercise videos! I really appreciate you being willing to help me out and motivate the little ones to exercise! You are fantastic! Thank you!
-From Stephanie Silverman (Physical Therapist

I would like to give a kudos to Gayle McManamon. Thursdays are my kiddos favorite day of the week because they get to go to art with her. Not only does she greet my students with a friendly smile every time they see her, but also myself, which truly makes my day. She is always filling up other's buckets and spreading light (and art).

Thank you,

-From Victoria Corrado (4th Grade Teacher)

Don Ukleja and Norm Fischer for clearing the snow before we returned to school Monday morning!

and

Jill Becmer for helping me prepare a special surprise for a local legend!

and

Matt Shannon for earning a perfect 10 from the Polish judge (ME:) during a recent Friz 5 walkthrough! His greeting had kids continue to debate as they entered class. Learning target posted, referenced and mentioned throughout my visit. SEL posted. Used a hand up / stand up / pair up so the Ss could share their responses to a prompt and monitored their discussions as he checked for understanding! Thoroughly impressed!!!

and

All the staff that rallied around the Castro family and attended Jessica’s first home game! And she scored a basket!!

and

Stephanie Kaye, Katie Gardner and Matt Shannon for leading our learning during our February Agenda meeting. They connected PGD with the culturally responsive practices. Led to great collaboration!!

-From Jeff Sefcik (Principal at Stanton)

Kudos to Yesenia and Sonia for being so accommodating to a student I have who is a very picky eater! Thank you so much for being so kind and caring!

-From Kim Leable (EL Teacher at Stanton)

I just want to give a big shout out to everyone in D114 who has been so kind and supportive to me with my injury. My cast is off now and I will continue to strengthen and recover over the next few months. Thank you, also, to these people:

Kim Leable, for taking such good care of me, helping me in so many ways. You act like it's nothing, but it makes such a difference! You are always so generous and eager to help people in need! Thank you for organizing our students to make a beautiful get well card for me, for making me chocolate chip cookies on my first day back and the week after that, for giving me rides to and from work and carrying my stuff in and out of the building for me every day, for tying my shoes for me, helping me get my coat on, and being my right hand when I can't write :) I already couldn't do this without you, but especially not now :-)

and

To Matt and Natalie for always being so supportive of me and sending me encouraging messages to feel better.

and

To Matt, for always taking time to check in on his staff. In particular, he came to check on me my first day back and was so caring and supportive.

and

To Natalie, for dropping everything to help anyone in need.

and

To Michelle Magness, for having her preschoolers make me little get well cards and texting me a video of a get well message from one of my students. That made my day the day I got my cast. Also, she organized a little get well parade with my Pre-K students to come visit my classroom my first day back. I can't tell you how special that made me feel!

and

To Kelly Roland, for being such a kind and caring person. She called me after work on a snowy day, just to make sure that I had made it home safely. :) Wow!

and

To Donna Saranzak, for driving me all the way to the Castro visitation in Des Plaines and back to my home. You are so kind!

and

To Alana Carlson and Kim Rauchfuss for helping me heat up my lunches, and everyone in the upstairs office lunch group who was so kind and supportive. :)

and

To Mike F. for waiting for me and opening the door for me each morning.

and

To the whole Lotus staff and students who have offered me so much compassion and help. Thank you so much!

-From Abbey Kadera (Bilingual Teacher at Lotus)

A huge thank you to Cary Scarpino. Thank you for accepting me in your classroom, coaching me on how to teach first grade ,and supporting me with everything. I am so grateful for you, you have no idea. Thank you for also being my friend and understanding the transition I made this year was hard, but supporting me through it all.

and

Thank you to Jenny Groot for always being there for me. I value our conversations!

and

Thank you to the first and kinder teams for always having my back and supporting me.

and

Thank you Ashley Wydra for being you. Everytime I'm in your classroom, I have a huge smile on my face!

and

Thank you Deb Miller for all you do. I appreciate you!

and

Thank you Cheryl Schuck for being amazing all around. I could not do my job without you!

and

Thank you Donna Saranzak for being you. The kids in your classroom are so lucky to have such a kind and understanding person. You are a class act.

and

Thank you Joseph Fernandez for always helping our first grade friends during writing time. Your impact is amazing.

and

Thank you Joan for supporting me and being a great friend. I have learned so much from you and I am so grateful for that.

and

Thank you to Lisa Werner and Stephanie Silverman for being amazing classroom mates. Not only do I love sharing space with you, but I learn so much from both of you. Also, Lisa, I love that I can go to you for chocolate at any time.

and

Thank you Kim Rauchfuss for going above and beyond for all children in our district. I am so grateful to work with you!

and

Thank you Lynn Smolen for helping me when I need help. I appreciate you!

-From Cathy Jawnyj (K-1 Case Manager at Lotus)

I want to thank everyone that has checked on me, offered help, or lent an ear this week. Although my grandmother's passing was expected, it still doesn't make it any easier. Thank you for allowing me to grieve and surrounding me with love and support! I truly appreciate you all

-From Mollie Herchenbach (3rd Grade Teacher)

Shout Out to Tina, Jeff, and Cheryl, some of our AMAZING bus drivers

who stepped up on a cold morning when we had a last minute

driver out, a bus with mechanical issues, and 2 drivers scheduled off.

You made miracles happen! You are AMAZING!!! TEAMWORK!!!

Jeff Sefcik who rode a Stanton route home to help a new driver.

Our van drivers who offered to be on standby to help out if needed.

Durham bus service for getting a bus out on site within 15 minutes.

Sue, Paula, Jill, and Michele for your assistance with my calls that morning,

PreK morning aides with combo runs and co-workers I know I am forgetting...

It was a crazy morning and I appreciate all the help!

-From Andrea De Matteo (Transportation Coordinator)

Thanks to Maureen DeVoss for your advocacy for staff, commitment to the EAFL, and your willingness to work with me to always try to meet in the middle.

and

Thanks to Andrea DeMatteo for problem solving with transportation goes sideways.

and

Thanks to Matt Peters and Jeff Sefcik for making chili to compete in the Rotary Chili Cook Off. Thanks also to everyone who bought Calcutta raffle tickets.

-From Heather 😘

Please send me your kudos for colleagues each week! I'll happily post them in this section!

Here's a link to all the ideas gathered for the HOW and WHY of the Friz 5...I'll keep adding as great ideas come forward.

I would seriously LOVE to visit classrooms to see the 5 in action. If you're willing to invite me into your room to help and to see the 5 in action, let me know. I'd love to be there.

Super Bowl Lunch Friday, 2/10!

YES!!!! Our amazing Kitchen teams will be cooking up a delicious lunch to kick off Super Bowl Weekend on Friday, February 10. Please join us...and please be sure to tell them THANK YOU for all the hard work and TLC!

Reimbursement

I know LOTS of you are doing special little (and sometimes big!) things to keep students motivated and to celebrate successes, especially related to attendance and iReady work. I'm happy to reimburse for these purchases as long as:

*They are preapproved (just send me an email to tell me what, why, and approximate cost).

*You do your best to use our Tax Exempt status when purchasing, as we cannot reimburse sales tax. If you need a tax exempt form, please see either school office or Andrea DeMatteo.

*You keep your receipt and send it to me with a check request (forms to attach to receipts are available in both school offices).

Let me know if you have any questions, and THANK YOU for all you do for our students!

Institute Day 2/17/23

I'm so excited about our upcoming Institute Day!!!! I had the chance to learn with Devin Hughes at a recent conference and was just blown away at his message. I left recharged and ready to BELIEVE...INSPIRE...ACHIEVE...in myself, in my family, in my colleagues, and in our students. Here's the big picture plan for the day:

Breakfast and Lunch provided at both schools

AM--Devin Hughes at Lotus, CTT at Stanton

PM--CTT at Lotus, Devin Hughes at Stanton

*Sweet treat in the afternoon for everyone!*

For more info on Devin, check out his website here. I just love him, and I hope you will, too.

Lake County Educator of the Year Event!!!

Please see information on this year's event! I'd love to see some great D114 representation to share our awesomeness!!!!

The Lake County Regional Office of Education will be hosting the second annual Educator of the Year Ceremony. The Ceremony will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds on May 10th, at 5:30 pm. There will be a social hour with dinner. The awards ceremony will take place after the dinner. Ticket information will be provided at a later date.

The Educator of the Year Ceremony will resemble a mini Oscars like celebration. I have included all of the information 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. We will be honoring paraprofessionals this year as our special guest. The ROE will pay for 1 paraprofessional's dinner from each school district. The district can bring other paraprofessionals if they would like to be honored.

There will be 9 categories for nominations. Districts can submit as many nominations for the categories, but all the paperwork must be included for each nomination to be considered. Paper or electronic nomination packets are due to the ROE by Friday, March 17, 2023.

Here is a link if you would like to submit the nomination packet electronically. 2023 Lake County Educator of the Year

This folder contains all the information needed for the 2023 Lake County Educator of the Year.

2022-2023 Information

If you have any questions please let me know. This will be a great event to recognize our amazing educators.

Have a great day,

Mike

Michael Karner, Ed.D.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback! Erica and Stephanie are sending out Lotus- and Stanton-specific supports, but I'll also post the link to a folder containing them all here so they are easy to find, everyone can see everything, and you're reminded to check them out!

Keep up with the latest happening in our Region...check out the Region 49 Newsletter

Thank you to those members who have shown their interest in being a part of negotiations for next year. We are looking for a variety of people to represent our entire population. If you are interested, please contact Maureen DeVoss at 847-973-4122 or maureen.devoss@foxlake114.org. We will continue to collect names and gauge interest before selecting members to help with negotiations. At this time, it is just letting us know of interest. We will discuss our entire process at the April articulation meeting as we get a little closer.

**Don't forget EAFL spirit day on February 21st! Then, join the school board meeting in person or virtually at 7 PM that evening!**

Other opportunities:

ASPIRING EDUCATORS (student teachers too!)

Please join us for the 2023 Aspiring Educators Spring Conference, April 28-29 at the DoubleTree in Oakbrook. Onsite registration will open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28. The conference will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and the evening will conclude with a social event from 9:30-11:30 p.m. A light breakfast will be provided on Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m. followed by the first conference session at 9 a.m. The final session will conclude at 4 p.m.

If you would like to register for the conference with housing for the Friday night prior to the event, please register by April 1. After April 1st we cannot guarantee hotel room availability.

It's exciting to be able to meet in person once again and your Aspiring Ed IEA Leadership Team has worked hard to bring you a strong program.

Where: DoubleTree Oak Brook, 1909 Spring Rd, Oak Brook IL, 60523
Registration Fee: $25 – All attendees must pre-register online
Housing: $50 for double occupancy, $100 for single occupancy
Registration deadline: April 2

EARLY CAREER MEMBERS

Please join us for the Spring Early Career Retreat, April 28-29 at the DoubleTree in Oak Brook. This event is specifically designed for members in their 1-10 years of teaching and is hosted and planned by the IEA Early Career Committee members from across the state. The primary focus of the conference will be work-life balance, setting boundaries, building your support community, and union activism and engagement. We are fortunate that the 2023 Aspiring Ed Spring Conference will be running simultaneously at the DoubleTree, so we will be joining them for the excellent keynote speakers Danielle Alexander and Jonathan Juravich. Aspiring Ed is a membership category of IEA specifically dedicated to future educators completing their undergraduate to join the teaching force. There will also be a social event Friday evening exclusively for Early Career Members included with the cost of your registration.

Where: DoubleTree Oak Brook, 1909 Spring Rd, Oak Brook IL, 60523
Registration Fee: $25 – All attendees must pre-register online
Housing: $50 for double occupancy, $100 for single occupancy
Registration Deadline: April 2

IEA Education Support Professional Spring 2023 Skills Training Series: The Education Support Professional skills training workshops are targeted one-hour conversations designed to help ESPs develop specific union and/or job-related skills; in order to facilitate conversations and create a unique personalized experience, each session is limited to a maximum of 10 participants. Each conversation will be held on ZOOM. Here are the first three conversations in the series. All ESP members are encouraged and invited to participate.