Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 3/11/24

The ☘March Happiness Challenges are linked here! I hope you have some fun with them!!!!

Congrats to the February Challenge Winners!

Alana Carlson

Ellie Seyfert

Kaitlyn Goorsky

Teri Valenziano

YAY, YOU! Please let me know what gift card you'd like!

Adisyn- you are nothing short of amazing! Thank you for stepping into my classroom at the last minute, taking my materials and making something from it! We are so lucky to have you around.

and

Christine and Emily- I am beyond lucky! Thank you for dealing with the crazy that is working on my team. You never bat an eye to help out or stand by my side. Thank you doesn't seem enough to express how grateful I am!

-Maureen DeVoss (Second grade Teacher)

Rachelle for being the best Athletic Director in our conference. She spent countless hours hosting the 7th grade girl's basketball tournament.

and

the 5th grade team for asking great questions during our early release time together.

and

Meghan for filling in for Rachelle during the 5th grade morning meeting on Thursday and Friday.

and

Kim for taking over the Community Building lead for 6th, 7th and 8th grade.

and

Katy Gardner for trying some new strategies while working with a difficult student.

and

everyone and anyone that pitched in during testing week!! Lots of small groups and subs moving around. Thank you, thank you and thank you!!

and

Kim Husko for donating an Elliptical machine and Mike Husko for putting up with Kim and delivering the machine.

-From Jeff Sefcik (Principal at Stanton)

Erica, thank you for being my "planning partner in crime". We have absolutely rocked it! I can't believe how much we can get done in 40 minutes ha ha. I've had so much fun working with you this year :)

-From Cortnee Snell (Special Education Teacher at Lotus)

Thanks for all the TLC celebrating my award with me! I’m truly humbled to be named the Lake County Superintendent of Distinction, and I am only able to do what I do because of YOU. A special thanks to my team for making it so special…even though you know I HATE attention like this.

-From Heather 💓

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

SEL Targets for Us ALL This Week

Lake County Educator of the Year---Please, please nominate our amazing colleagues!!!

Educator of the Year

Reminder about Educator of the Year Info

Electronic nomination packets are due to the ROE by Friday, March 15, 2024.

Here are links for the 2024 EOY.

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

Gillespie Wiper Event

Field Trips

FYI--field trips are already booked on the following dates. No additional trips can be booked on these dates:

April 10th - Future Quest - 7th Grade - 3-7:30 pm - Lake County Tech - Career Exploration

April 11th - Future Quest - 8th Grade - 3-7:30 pm - Lake County Tech - Career Exploration

May 3rd - 3rd Grade - Legoland, will eat lunch on buses, 1Reg Ed, 1 SpEd bus

May 14th - 4th Grade - Camp Duncan - End of year class trip

May 17th - 1st Grade - Chicago Botanic Gardens

May 20th - 8th Grade Class Trip

Illness Reporting

If you test positive for COVID, please let me know immediately. You may return to work as soon as you meet all the criteria above. I am not asking for a 5 or 10 day window at this point; rather, you must meet the return to school criteria listed below. You are STRONGLY encouraged to wear a mask upon your return to prevent the spread of illness to others. Please alert me as to your date of return. Any days out are sick days.

Masks are available in the office for all staff who wish to wear one.

All staff MUST follow the same sick guidelines we apply to students. These days are counted as sick days. The guidelines are as follows (linked here and copy/pasted below):

Sick Day Guidelines: Making the right choice!

Dear Parents: To help prevent the spread of illness, we would like to give you some guidelines to help with your decision on whether or not to send your child to school. We ask that you keep your child home if he or she:

• Has a fever of 100.4 (oral) degrees or higher

• Has cramps and or vomiting • Has a sore throat with fever (see below)

• Has a persistent cough (dry or productive)

• Has diarrhea (three or more episodes in 24 hrs)

• Has a rash or open and draining sores

• Has symptoms that prevent him or her from participating in school, such as:

o Excessive tiredness or lack of appetite

o Headaches, body aches, earaches

o Severe sore throat (could be strep-throat even without fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache & stomach upset. Contact your pediatrician to assess or diagnose strep throat).

If your child has recently been ill, please be aware of the following guidelines before having your child return to school, athletic or social activities:

• They should feel fit for at least 24 hours.

• Be free of fever for at least 24 hours (without medication)

• Be free of vomiting and or diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

• If strep throat, they must be on the appropriate antibiotic for at least 24 hours.

• If conjunctivitis, they must be on the appropriate eye drops for at least 24 hours or cleared by a physician.

• Rash illnesses should be assessed by a doctor. If chicken Pox is suspected, keep home for at least 5 days after the appearance of the rash or until all blisters have scabbed over.

Please reach out to me with any questions, for clarification, or for support. Your safety and the safety of our students remains our utmost priority!

Reporting Absences

All employees are expected to enter all absences in Frontline, even if you text/call/email others to let them know you will be out. This is a professional responsibility!

In Case You're Interested...

Stanton NJHS Parents Night Out

Click here or see below for information!

Millburn Resale

BPAC Multicultural Event

CHIPOTLE Eat Out 2 Help Out **NEW**

Tuesday, March 12th, 5-9 pm

Rt 120 Lakemoor, IL

*Mention D114 at time of purchase to get credit! This is a MUST for this establishment.

March PTA Meeting

Thursday, March 14th, 2024

6:00 pm @ Lotus Library or Virtual

Use the link to join: https://meet.google.com/rps-xjos-qnn

Culver's Eat Out 2 Help Out

Monday, April 8th 5-8pm

Rt 12 Fox Lake, IL

*Don't forget to show your spirit for our next EAFL Spirit Day on Tuesday, March 19. Then, join us for the school board meeting at 7 PM that same night.

*Mark your calendars: our Union Articulation meeting will be on Wednesday, April 24, 2 PM at Stanton. We will be nominating new board members, so if you are interested or have any questions, please let one of the current board members know.

Join the region on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/738184451787562/

Some great opportunities:

DEADLINE – March 15! IEA-NEA LOVEWORKS Does Read Across America 2024: IEA Members are encouraged to apply for a chance to bring diverse books into their schools or classroom! Download the event flier or read more about this opportunity on the submission page!

March is Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion”. Check out these awesome resources:

Women Abolitionists - Lesson Plans & Activities (Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)
National Women's History Museum - Digital Classroom Resources: Classroom-ready resources created by the Museum and through the "For Educators, by Educators" initiative. There are lesson plans, biographies, posters, primary sources, and more to discover. Learn about the varied events and movements which have impacted and intersected with women’s lives throughout our history, and the force women have becoming in changing the world!
Nat'l Women's History Alliance Website & Toolkit.
Classroom resources from NEA

The Opportunity Coalition presents: “Leading Change Together: Building the Schools Our Students Deserve.”

April 3, 4 to-5:15 p.m. Check out the event flier and review the registration page for this free virtual event.

Learning Studio Courses: Through a generous grant, IEA members are being offered free and unlimited access to Opportunity Partners' Spring 2024 Learning Studio courses. These live practice development courses give participants the chance to learn about Leadership Pathways with NEA Director and Vice President of the Durham Association of Educators Turquoise Parker, the Collective Well-Being Project with Eboni "Restorative Rucker" and the Future of AI in Education with the Director of Innovation at Barrington Unit School District Ty Gorman. The courses are live, but online, which offers an excellent opportunity to network with educators from other districts.

When you register, you must use discount code: IEA!