Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 4/17/23

I'm thrilled to welcome Allie Mixon as the Lotus Special Education Coordinator for next year! She has experience in the role in Palatine 15 and, before that, was a Special Education teacher! She's going to be an amazing addition to our D114 family! If you'd like to reach out to Allie to welcome her, you can do so via email at

alliemixon8@gmail.com.

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!!!!

Kudos to Lemar Wilson for all the work he has put into the third and fourth quarter PBIS celebrations at Stanton!

-From Katie Jalove Filippelli (5th grade teacher)

Coaches Bailey, Livesay, Medrano and Roat for getting the 2023 Track and Field season going last week. The Feeder School Classic at GCHS on Monday and the Ross Gandtt Invitational on Saturday. Two very long days

-From Jeff Sefcik (Stanton principal)

Oner just making sure you are reading this Congratulations on you para award and thanks for passing out ice cream at the articulation meeting.

-From Sherry Tietjen (ILP-B teacher at Lotus)

Kudos to Nicole Brinkman for putting together a cat-themed calm down bin for one of my students and for being such a light

-From Victoria Corrado (4th grade teacher)

Kudos to David Roat for near-constant trouble shooting during IAR testing!

-From Michele Burgess (Administrative Assistant at Stanton)

Thanks to Maddie Friestedt for all your hard work making/organizing the IAR small group spreadsheet for 7th grade. And a big thank you to Liz Andersen, Karen Brnot, and Cassie Curtis for always being flexible and helpful. I love working with you all!!! 7th grade team rocks!

-From Niccole Culbertson (7th grade teacher)

A huge shout out to Amber Mysliwiec for ordering and picking up all of the custard for the articulation meeting last week. I know everyone appreciated the sweet treat!

and

Kudos to Cheryl Schuck, Cathy Jawnyj, Katie Jalove-Filippelli, Oner Medrano. Victoria Alper, and Katy Gardner for your dedication and commitment to the staff, as well as your unending support!

and

Thank you to Christine Spittler, Emily Reczek, Mindy Auld, Sherry Tietjen and Erica Barraza for stepping into my classroom at a moment's notice for me to attend different meetings last week. I know having me as a team mate isn't always easy...and please know that I see all that you do and how you help!

-From Maureen DeVoss (2nd grade teacher and EAFL President)

Thank you to Kristie Paul, Andrea DeMatteo, Maddie Mercado, and Mary Taylor for all you do...and especially for putting up with me. I couldn't do my job without you!

and

Thank you to Natalie Udstuen for being such an absolute professional. I appreciate you very, very much!
--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.

Here's a link to a document full of questions to use for your PGD if you're running out of ideas!

Please join us for...

You will earn CPDUs for this time, and I really, really, really would appreciate staff participation in setting our priorities and goals for the next 4-5 years!

Please let me know if you can make time to attend or if you have any questions!

THANK YOU for considering this!

2-Step Verification

This is another reminder to set up 2-Step Verification for your district Google account, if you have not done so already.

All staff are required to enable 2-Step Verification. This is for additional security purposes, requested by our insurance provider, and will help reduce our liability insurance.

Since Friday, the 2-Step Verification has been enforced. The next time you log in, you will be asked to set it up in order to proceed with login.

If you choose "Do this later", you will be allowed in, but asked to enroll the next time you log in.

You have until April 21, 2023 to enroll. If you do not enroll by April 21st, the system will lock you out of your account.

Thank you in advance for taking care of this. It's greatly appreciated!

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:

*Using Flash Back (will be created during upcoming CTT time) to plan to Flash Forward for next year

*SST Planning

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

*UFLI training

*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 $34 per hour.

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

2023-24 Budget Requests--Sending in a separate email as well!

Here is a document to use if you have specific budget requests for the 2023-24 school year. This DOES NOT include your supply money--that's a whole different thing. If you have already submitted a request, you DO NOT NEED TO RESUBMIT. I'd appreciate receiving all requests by Friday, June 4. If you need more time, please let me know.

As always, we'll do our best to meet the students' needs in the most fiscally responsible ways.

When you use the document, remember...

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SELECT "FILE", THEN "MAKE A COPY".
1. Upon opening this document, select "File" and "Make a copy". Rename your new document using the following format: Date-Last Name-Vendor ex: 050721-Smith-Lakeshore. 2. Required fields are in yellow. Do not add columns or tally fields. One vendor per form, please. Do not use tabs. 3. When complete, share the doc with heather.friziellie@foxlake114.org, mary.taylor@foxlake114.org, and andrea.dematteo@foxlake114.org

Coursework Hours!!!

Here's a GREAT and inexpensive way to get additional coursework hours! Please remember that any and all coursework reimbursement requests or lane changes MUST be submitted by June 30!

Mark Your Calendar!

May 17--Open Enrollment meetings will be held at both sites for 23-24 insurance plans/pricing/opportunities! More details coming soon!

SUMMER SCHOOL 2023! We need one more Kindergarten teacher!!!!

Summer School 2023 is right around the corner!

6 weeks

Monday-Thursday, mornings only

Both sites

Weeks in session

6/12

6/19 (Monday off for Juneteenth)

6/26

Off the week of July 3

7/10

7/17

7/24

Pay rates comparable to last year, which were:

Certified staff--$52/hour (this pay rate uses the end of our ESSR funds, and the rate is higher than other elementary districts in our area)

Support staff--hourly rate + $75 weekly bonus for each week with perfect attendance

Please email me if you are interested in working summer school this year!

Summer PD Opportunity!

From the Regional Office...

The Lake County ROE is pleased to announce that registration for the 2023 Summer Professional Learning: Acquire, Share, Honor (SPLASH) Conference is now open. This is a FREE conference held on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 from 8 am-2:30 pm at Warren Township High School Almond Campus. Light morning refreshments, lunch, and the opportunity to win great raffle prizes will be provided to all participants! You will also receive 6.5 PD or CEU hours.

This year we are hosting a great lineup of speakers. The morning will start off with the keynote speaker Chris Singleton who will inspire with his topic, Overcoming the Unthinkable Adversity. From there, the day moves into breakout sessions of either 45 or 90 minutes for you to choose. We have featured speakers Chase Mielke from Top Youth Speakers and Genein Letford from Intercultural Creativity along with local speakers like Courtney Orzel from IASA, Laura Beltchenko, Dr. Erik Youngman, Valerie Burton and many more presenters ready to share their knowledge.

Check out the SPLASH website for more information and to register.

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!

Thank you everyone who came out to the articulation meeting on Wednesday. It was a wonderful chance to connect with everyone. If you were unable to attend, feel free to look over the agenda and make contact with anyone who was there for important updates.

Don't forget...if you are interested in participating in the negotiations team, we are looking for good people. Please go ahead and fill out the application and share it with Maureen DeVoss or give it to any member of the union board on or before Friday. The Board will then meet to discuss and create a team that is composed of a variety of our members and notify the members.

Negotiations Application

EAFL Spirit Day and Board Meeting!- Tuesday, April 18th is EAFL Spirit Day. Wear your EAFL shirt to show your spirit and then join us at the board meeting on Tuesday night @ 7 PM...or online!

Opportunities available to you:

NEA’s Blending Learning programThe application for NEA’s blended learning program is open and has an April 21 deadline. The program is for locals that think they might benefit from or be interested in blended learning.You can look here for an FAQ on the program and to see what past participants have said about it. The facilitated online courses are developed by teams of NEA members who are content experts, structured to run six weeks, worth 15 hours of professional development, are appropriate for aspiring educators, parapros, special educators, teachers, coaches, school leaders and education retirees. They are free for NEA members.For questions about the program, contact: Luis-Gustavo Martinez

APRIL is packed full of meaningful events! Here’s helpful information on just a few:

· Ramadan (March 22 – April 20): Learn from a student’s perspective and walk through a day with her family HERE (PBS). A teacher’s Toolkit for “Promoting Understanding: Islam” is also featured! NEA’s twitter post on how you can support students, HERE.

· National Day of Silence – April 14^th:Started in the mid 90’s by two college students, the Day of Silence happens each April, where students take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools. Learn more and gather resources HERE.

· National Deaf History Month: Visit the National Association of the Deaf to find Resources & read about the Education Advocates Program! Also, check out NEA's "Hearing Loss in Students: Signs & Symptoms".

· National Autism Awareness Month: Check out The Autism Society’s video for celebrating differences, HERE. Also available, NEA’s "Teaching Students With Autism Guide"