Monday Morning Memo 8/26/24

 

You are amazing. Just know that! 😎

                                             

Repeat as needed this week...

This Week's Wellness Invitation: Incorporate Purposeful Rest

Incorporate purposeful rest into your days this week. This is any stress-reducing activity, such as going for a quick walk, doing a mindfulness meditation, or simply pausing for some deep breaths while looking away. TIP: Remember the 60 second fish breathing video we did on opening day? It's linked here! 🧡

                                  

KUDOS to all my fellow paras who helped tackle all the copies, laminating and cutting of many items last week with me!! Together, we knocked it out in no time!! 

-Gina Crosthwaite-Paraprofessional at Lotus

I would like to send kudos for Erin Donovan. She has been great with the thousand questions I ask! She is also very patient and shows me hands on how to do things bc that’s the only way I learn! She has been fabulous 

-Mary Fisher-Paraprofessional at Lotus

Kudos to Erica Barraza and Amanda Lorenz for helping the Resource Team with all things curriculum and testing!  We are ready for  the new school year!

-Karen McMurphy--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you to Adam Schafer who spent a lot of time last week to get a working phone for my office!

Thanks to everyone who worked on the Stanton Lounge.  It looks amazing!  The updated bulletin boards and plants make it feel so welcoming and calm.  

-Kim Rauchfuss--District School Psychologist

Kudos going out to Sonia, Yesenia & Hilda for being the best at their job. They go above and beyond daily. It is appreciated. It’s not just co-workers, it’s a sisterhood

-Penny Brown--Kitchen Team at Lotus

Thanks to the Stanton kitchen team for adding fresh fruit to the lounge. It was a nice surprise on Monday morning 

-Lynn Smolen-Special Education Coordinator at Stanton

Thank you to all the paras that have been working so hard getting the new teachers copied, laminated, cut-out, and hung up. You are an AMAZING group!

-Cheryl Schuck-Paraprofessional at Lotus

Kudos to Lisa Shannon for guiding us through our first week of school! 

-The 5th Grade Team

I want to shoutout Cathy, Kaitlyn , and Connor on the 6th grade team for being super flexible on the very first week of school in order to better help support the kiddos in my community building. 

It was super appreciated. 

-Dayja Wydzierzecki-6th Grade ELA Teacher

Shout out to Amber for being an amazing teammate! Thank you for making me feel welcome right away, being open-minded to my ideas, and answering all my questions! I am blessed to be learning and working with you. 

-Jillian Kilty-PE Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to Kim VanH for helping me make a kindness bulletin board after school… And thank you to Gail, Amber, and Sonia who stepped in offering us different supplies to help us get it done. Also thank you to all the teachers who have taken time to send me kindness shoutouts to hang up and send home. The kids all felt very proud and enjoyed the recognition. 

Kudos to Nicole Brinkman. You are an awesome partner and I'm so lucky to have you. Thanks for all the things you do… your list is long and you have a lot on your plate, but you make it happen. I really appreciate you. 

Kudos to Karen McMurphy, Stephanie Thiel, and Sienna Kallner. Thank you for taking time to meet with me and collaborate on functional goals and being willing to help me get things situated for our more complex kiddos. 

Kudos to Sarah Gallivan who jumped right in this week and made sure my student in her room had her accommodations available to be successful. You had a lot of information “dumped” on you this week and you rocked it. 

Kudos to Allie Mixon. I needed a lot of different things from you this week…. And I know I wasn’t the only one. I have no idea how you juggle it all. Thank you for your patience, willingness to help, and kindness. I'm so grateful we have you. 

Kudos to Misty, Devoss, and Amanda for volunteering to start CICO coaching this Monday. It’s a little bit of a learning curve for me making new sheets and getting things set up on panorama. I appreciate your patience and willingness to help these students.

Kudos to Mike for helping me get technology set up in the gym for the PBIS assembly. And Yesenia for being Rocky the Star. The kids loved it, especially the little kinders. ️

Kudos to Brittany Luther for helping me get point sheets up and running for the kids in her room. I'm so grateful for your support with this. 

Kudos to Russ for helping me move a bunch of stuff to make my office more functional, and for being an awesome teammate .

-Ellie Seyfert--Social Worker at Lotus

Paula, Sue, Andrea, Sharon and Natalie thank you for your help answering questions and support with conference related tasks for PreK this week! Erin, thanks for sharing a wealth of information and Abbey for your availability to support during PreK conferences! AND PreK TEAM thanks for answering my many questions and making sure I'm administratively prepared to help keep our program consistent across all PreK classrooms this school year (ECERS audit? We've got this!).

-Mindy Auld-PreK Teacher and Permanent Sub

Sending a big THANK YOU and WOW to Karen McMurphy for an amazing binder she created for one of my students. 

Thank you to Sue for letting me borrow some of your pens for Meet and Greet. You truly are the heart of Lotus!

Kudos to my first grade teammates for getting our center ideas together! 

 Jen Groot--1st Grade Teacher

Thank you Ashley Arff for always remaining calm and using all the tools in your toolbox even in tough situations!

Thank you to all the related service providers for spending so much time on the very tedious scheduling puzzle and making sure every student gets what they need! 

-Allie Mixon-Special Education Coordinator at Lotus

Calista Warmowski for helping the PBIS team cut and make stacks of Courageous Cash to help us start our PBIS incentives for the start of the school year. THANK YOU!  

Kendra Smeigh, Kim Husko and Chris Carvell-Wellness Team at Stanton

Thank you Adisyn & Gina for cutting and laminating our sound wall. 

Thank you Amanda & Erica for helping support all of us resource teachers! We appreciate you so much! 

-Sienna Kallner-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Brittany, Misty, Megan, Kristine and Haley for all you did this past week to help our most challenged kiddos get off to a good start in specials. And to Pam E., your flexibility and kindness were so appreciated when we switched our wonderful kiddos scheduled days to align with the other class rotations! Big Thanks to Sonia for going the extra mile in helping us get the equipment from the cafe to specials for the last class of the day!!! 

Thank you all!  

Erin and Gayle-Fine Arts Teachers at Lotus

Allie Mixon, thank you so much for all your support and guidance and for putting up with all my random calls/visits. I'm still adjusting to you not being right next door! You were also a shoulder to lean on when I needed it and I'm so grateful for you.

Kelly Roland, you are so inspiring and truly see our students for who they are. Even if it can be a struggle. You persevere and find their strengths and what works for them! You've got this!!

PreK Team! I am so excited to get to work with you this year and truly appreciate your detailed norms and willingness to show vulnerability this year. I can't wait to see what this year brings for our littles 

-Nicole Brinkman-Counselor at Lotus

Kudos to everyone for making the first week fantastic.  Seeing all the kiddos makes my heart happy  

To the ILP team at Lotus ( Sherry, Ashley, Courtney, Megan and Misty) for making our transition smooth as we all learn our new roles.

Jackie and Brittany for open communication so I can i can walk in without too much disruption.

To all the paras especially Gina and Cheryl for laminating, cutting and copying for our amazing staff.

Paula and Sue for always knowing the answer to my questions. Sometimes before I ask.

Alli Mixon for checking in and making sure things are running smooth. 

-Colleen Robinson-Paraprofessional at Lotus

Huge thank you to the ILP paras and being so flexible! We couldn't have done it without you! This week has been such a smooth week and YOU are key to the success! I am blessed to work with such hard working and wonderful people. 

Thank you to DeVoss and Spittler for being such amazing neighbors. I appreciate the time you take to check in and reflect with me. 

Thank you to our Administration for helping me in times of need and offering support through the process.  The continuous check ins and support does not go unnoticed. One team, all in! Proud to be at Lotus! 

1st Grade team, thank you for your collaboration and amazing lesson plans to share. 

I want to give a shout out to each and everyone of you for making such a smooth transition back to school. You've all done such a great job and your hard work is rewarding to all of us and the students. This is going to be a great year! Remember your why! 

-Ashely Arff-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

THANK YOU to Cheryl Schuck for her continued assistance in prepping the classroom.

THANK YOU to Gina Crosthwaite for her continued assistance in prepping the classroom.

THANK YOU to Erica Barraza for teaching me how to use the apps to assist in planning schedules, etc. etc. 

THANK YOU  to Brittany Luther for being such a GREAT classroom assistant and for being so creative and making the classroom sparkle!!

THANK YOU to Colleen Robinson for all of your assistance and sharing of knowledge.

THANK YOU to Adisyn and Mary for supervising students back and forth to classrooms.

THANK YOU to Sharon for your willingness to support a student.

THANK YOU to Sonia and the cafeteria staff for the wonderful filling salad.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL!!!

-Jackie Gorden-Platek--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you to Sonia, Sharon, and Mindy for educating me and helping me come up with a plan for my littles with food allergies who start on Monday. So grateful to have you all as a support! 

-Ben Landmesser-PreK Teacher at Lotus

Thank you to Russ Xhemaili and Matt Peters for bringing over a desk to a student's house.

Thank you to our PBIS team, Kim Husko, Chris Carvell, and Kendra Smeigh for putting together kickoff schedules to increase team building and understanding of expectations.

Thank you to Katy Gardner for finding out why a student was sad and helping her problem solve.

Thank you to Meghan Reimers and Kim Mack for putting together our Courageous Classroom curriculum and sharing it with the staff.

-Rachelle Peters-Assistant Principal at Stanton

Thanks to everyone who helped our Kindergarten students this week. 

Special shout-outs to the following folks:

 Ben L. and Dina who took extra time to ease first day jitters for a new to Lotus student. You went the extra mile and I appreciate you!!!!

 Yesenia F. for greeting all the Kindergarteners with such joy and making sure their little bellies are full.

 Natasha P. for being a ray of sunshine and helping Kinder start their day on the sunny side.

Ellie and Alana for making some visuals.

Autumn for being very flexible and helping out in all the Kindergarten rooms. 

Adisyn for always bringing her high energy and willingness to assist. 

Kim Leable for the humor and song (yes I will now remember how to correctly pronounce a student's name).

Abbey K. for your humor and willingness to make parent phone-calls.

Lastly, Ashley W, Donna S, and Sami L. it is a joyful experience to work with such a talented, caring, creative and spirited group of ladies.  I am blessed to be a part of this team.

-Nicole Mild-Kindergarten Teacher

BIG THANKS to Sue Pinkawa for providing the class lists in a format that can be easily uploaded to Artsonia for our online gallery posting. I so appreciate how quickly you got this to me so we can get this up and running!! Thanks again for ALL YOU DO!!! 

-Gayle McManamon-Art Teacher at Lotus

Kendra Logar- loved being able to participate in your round robin, awesome engagement strategy! 
Autumn Sagel- thanks for showing our new little some extra
Ellie, Allie, Ashley, Alana- great tag team of help and support for a student situation
Sonia- always helping to organize or build, the definition of whatever it takes, thank you!
Mary H and Adisyn- going with the flow and being everywhere 

-Natalie Udstuen-Assistant Principal at Lotus

Thank you Colleen for fitting my bathroom breaks in your schedule! I greatly appreciate it!

Thank you K Team for working hard, being realistic and always making me laugh. I'm so grateful for you all!

Thank you Autumn for jumping right in and always being willing to help! 

Thank you Natalie for making sure our students were taken care of and for kicking us out of the cafeteria the first day so make sure we had our lunch. :)

Thank you to the PBIS team for the great assembly!

-Sami Lear-Kindergarten Teacher

Kudos and thank you to Kaitlyn Goorsky for putting together and sharing a great lesson on fairness and equity for the 6th graders.

Kudos to Jack Resnick and Betty Cwiak for being flexible during PBIS stations  on Friday to give the 6th graders library time.

-Katy Gardner-6th Grade Math Teacher

Lynn Smolen, Meghan Reimers and Jill Becmer for turning the Stanton Teachers' Lounge into an adult Zen Den!  Complete with games, an affirmation station, we believe statements, a hydration station and a wonderful coffee bar!

Our drivers for a smooth bus evacuation drill.

All the CB teachers for providing a safe place for breakfast and everyone else for being so welcoming in the hallways as our students arrive each morning!  The way we start our day often impacts our entire day

Kim and Meghan for leading our learning on Wednesday as we prep for our new Courageous Classroom program on Monday!

Jill and Michele for creating a welcoming office space!

To every staff member that reminded our students to use proper manners this week...I heard more thank yous this week than I've heard in a long time!

-Jeff Sefcik-Principal at Stanton

Thank you to Ellie Seyfert for helping with a student that had a rough time coming in on the first day and getting him ready to have a successful day.

Thank you Haley Baum for helping out when you saw a student having a hard time in the hallway and getting them back on track and ready to learn.

Thank you to my first grade team for helping get this year off to a great start!

Thank you to all the different paraprofessionals that have been coming in to help and also helping to make copies, laminate and cut out tactile necessities for our kiddos!

-Cary Scarpino-1st Grade Teacher

Nicole Brinkman, Ellie Seyfert, and Kim VanHoorelbeke: Thank you for organizing this year's PBIS Kick-off. Your efforts set a positive tone for the school year!

Yesenia Flory: Thank you for bringing Rocky, our school's mascot, to life! Your enthusiasm added a special touch to the event.

Russ Xhemaili: Thank you for going the extra mile to ensure a family in need received a desk. 

Sonia Miller: Thank you for your assistance in putting together a cabinet. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Sue Pinkawa: Thank you for all your hard work during the transition to your new desk. Your dedication does not go unnoticed!

A Big Thank You to the entire Lotus Staff: I want to extend my deepest gratitude to every member of our team for starting the school year off on the right foot. Your hard work, positive energy, and commitment to our students have set the tone for a successful year ahead. 

-Matt Peters-Principal at Lotus

Huge huge shoutout to Gina and Cheryl for helping me cut lots of lamination and laminating with me;)

Thank you so much to our amazing kitchen staff as always they do amazing work.

Congratulations to all staff on finishing week one

Thank you to Paula for always checking in on me making sure i’m ok! It always means a lot to me!

-Adisyn Illg-Permanent Sub at Lotus

Thanks to..

Jeff Fewell for making the kids (and families) feel bus ready by letting them practice on Monday!
The Lotus Kitchen "Dream Team" for all the help before Meet and Greet to make sure Lotus was shining clean!
The anonymous angel who left me amazing Autism stickers. I truly appreciate the TLC. 

EVERYONE for the positivity and energy! I truly love working with you all. 

From Heather 🧡💛🖤

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

 

Try this..

Choose SEL learning targets that will help kids be successful with your Engagement Task. 

If students will be working together to discuss something as the task, then some SEL targets that could help them know the expected behavior might be:

I will make eye contact when others are talking. 

I will use whole body listening. 

I'll listen to really understand what the person talking is saying. 

I will let people finish their thoughts before I start talking. 

Mandated Trainings

Be on the lookout for an UPDATED memo from Maddie Mercado about this year's mandated trainings. We'll be adding an additional Early Release time for completion since there are so many we are required by ISBE to complete. 

Maddie Out

FYI, Maddie will be out of the office Wednesday-Tuesday on a much needed family vacation. Please contact me with any pressing questions, or email Maddie knowing that she will respond when she's back in office on Sept 4. 

eLearning Plan

We are required to have our eLearning Plan approved every 3 years...and this is our year. We'll have to do a public hearing for this at the September Board meeting. Please see the updated plan linked here. This plan shifts any remote day to an EARLY RELEASE schedule, which the EAFL Board and I agree makes a LOT more sense. If you have input or questions, please reach out! 

Health/Life Safety Inspection

Representatives from the ROE will be onsite at both schools on September 18 to conduct the annual inspection. We'll be doing a "dry run" of this on September 11 to get ahead of any issues and give guidance in advance on any shifts that need to be made before the formal inspection. 

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID...

You are expected to return to work as soon as you meet  the following criteria:

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

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

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. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Be on the lookout for key information from our fabulous PTA!

Key 2024-25 Dates (so far)

August 19th

Meet and Greet 

Lotus 12 - 2

Stanton 1 -3 

April 22

Day of Service

We'll be forming a committee of parents and staff to plan this event for the SPRING of 2025

October 21-25 Book Fair

Family Reading Night (Lotus)

October 23

Santa's Breakfast and Stanton Book Fair--TBD

February 22

Family Fun Fair (Lotus)

May 2

Rocket Launch (Stanton)

Possible Star Wars Theme

Rain date May 9

We are looking forward to seeing all of our EAFL members on Wednesday, August 28 at Stanton for our first articulation meeting this year.  I am attaching the agenda for you to look at ahead of time. 

Please remember to arrive no earlier than 1:45 PM to allow for a safe Stanton dismissal. We will have small snacks, but you may want to bring your own drink.

*Don't forget to check out the IEA/NEA website to learn more about your rights and opportunities as a union member. There are discounts available under the Our Members tab as well! www.ieanea.org

August 26--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR PREK!

August 28--EAFL Articulation Meeting at Stanton at 2:00

CURRICULUM NIGHTS

Thursday, August 29 (Grades 2-4)

2nd Grade: 6:00-6:45

3rd Grade: 6:30-7:15

4th Grade: 6:45-7:30

Thursday, September 5 (PK-1)

PK: 6:00-6:45

K: 6:30-7:15

1: 6:45-7:30

Tuesday, September 10 (Stanton 5-8)

6:30-7:40

2024-25 Early Release Plans--DRAFT--work in progress

2024-25 Final Approved Calendar

2024-25 Assessment Calendar

2024-25 Stipend Documents

Social Emotional Learning Pacing Guide 2024-25

Work Order Request--please use this to ask for help with anything facilities, room, cleaning related!

2024-25 Certified Staff Evaluation Documents--Coming soon!

Business Office Shared Drive

I would like to share a funny story I had with one of my kindergarten friends. We were talking about what he had for breakfast one morning, and he told me a chocolate pop tart. I said that sounded delicious, and that I like the strawberry ones. He looked at me and said, “Do you know who makes chocolate pop tarts?…..(long pause)….Jesus!! Jesus makes them, cause He has all the ingredients!! But, not for the strawberry ones.” 

Outta the mouths of babes!! 

Thanks, Gina Crosthwaite, for the share!

Heather

Monday Morning Memo 8/18/24

 

AHHHHH!!! It was such a great first few days back together. I truly appreciate the positive energy!!! This week will be AMAZING because the kids come back!!!! YAYAYAYAY!!!!

                                             

This Week's Wellness Invitation: Track Rest Time

Track how much rest time you get throughout your days this week. REST means taking a small break during the workday. Consider what rest looks and feels like on days you can rest versus days you're not able to rest or can't rest for very long. TIP: A great way to get REST during the school day is to be sure to take your lunch break...get to a new space, get away from work, and take care of YOU. 

                                  

Kudos to Betty Cwiak, who took on the daunting task of re-organizing the Stanton lounge

copier room!  It looks like a high-end

school supply boutique now! 

-Michele Burgess-Administrative Assistant at Stanton

Thank you Erin Donovan for Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese on the flip side game from my wish list! 

Thank you Colleen for the 1st day gift bag.

Thank you Jackie for the hat and slippers for Eliana. 

Thank you Pam for the encouragement cards. 

Thank you Paula for helping me shrink a page to fit my border paper! 

Thank you Allie Mixon for printing my new curriculum since my Apple computer didn’t want to print

the whole

document.

Thank you Mo & Mollie for plastic labels to get all our extra supplies organized! 

-Sherry Tietjen-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

To the 7th grade team

Thanks for taking me in and showing me the ropes.

We are going to have a great year!

-Renee Evans–7th Grade Math Teacher

Thank you to the Lotus Para Squad for all your help to get everything ready to start the year!

-Sue Pinkawa-Administrative Assistant at Lotus

THANK YOU, Sherry T. for always asking how you can be of assistance, and for SHARING all the supplies you have.

Thank You, Erin and Monica for inviting me to join them at their table on Thursday, so nice to meet you both!!

THANK YOU, Kim R. for your warm welcome, and for your concern regarding my transition to Lotus.

THANK YOU, Ally M. for compiling and developing scheduling for the classroom.

THANK YOU, Erica, for taking time out of your day, to assist with instructional information and supplies

THANK YOU, Ashley A. for sharing Presentations and Slides.

THANK YOU, Brittany L. for laminating, and refreshing bulletin board.

-Jackie Gorden-Platek-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Russ for continually finding more desks and chairs for my classroom as more students

were added. 

My classroom wouldn't be ready without you!

-Cary Scarpino-1st Grade Teacher

A big kudos to our amazing kitchen staff for filling our bellies last week, thank you!

Thank you to Adisyn IIlg for helping first grade with our week one copies, you are appreciated! 

-Jen Groot–1st Grade Teacher

Thank you to Andrea for answering my transportation questions while providing visuals so that I could

visualize your work. I am thankful for your time, patience and kindness to make sure I truly understood. 

And, 

Thank you to my new crew in the ECSE classroom! Mary, Lumi, Mandi and Monica- I’m so thankful for

all

the time we had together this week getting to know one another. It’s going to be a great year! 

And,

Thank you to the cafeteria staff for reaching out to confirm changes with upcoming students and also

taking

time to brainstorm and explain new procedures for the ECSE classroom. 

-Erin Donovan–Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Kudos to Mandi Otte!  She has joined our para team smiling and pitching in with gusto!  She asked the best questions! 

She is going

to be a great addition to the Lotus team!

Kudos to Cheryl Schuck for being such a great leader; and the whole para team for pitching in and getting so much done for the kids.

Kudos to Sue Pinkawa and Paula Kvacik for knowing what to do or where to find everything we need even when their areas are "not quite

settled."  

Kudos to the kitchen staff for another delicious start to the year!

Kudos to the best grade level team ever!  You know who you are!

Kudos to Allison Mixon  for a great start to the year!  And for being open and accessible, making

everyone

feel as comfortable as possible as we start this year's adventures!

Kudos also to Matt Peters and Natalie Udsten for doing - everything!

-Chris Brown–Paraprofessional at Lotus

Kudos to our new Resource team! We compliment each others’ strengths and work well together.

Thanks for

all the support.  We’ve got this!

-Karen McMurphy-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Erica Barraza for taking the time to work with PE on the 15 day Plan and Fence posts and

Rails.

We appreciate you stepping out of your comfort zone and learning PE standards while also

encouraging us to

be vulnerable and open! We are excited to work with you more this year!

-Amber Mysliwiec & Jillian Kilty–PE Teachers at Lotus

Adam and Miguel for setting up all the Tech for our trainings on Thursday and Friday 

Our Transportation Team for partnering with us in our Trauma Informed and Resilience Focused

training. I really appreciate you all being with us!

Sue, Georgette, Yvette and Karen for our wonderful meals. Great to break bread with the Foxes!

Jill, Michele and Betty for their work getting us ready for our trainings and setting up a wonderful

workspace in

our awesome new office. 

Lynn, Meghan and Jill for the DIY makeover in the lounge-I heard rave reviews 5️s!!

all our veteran staff for welcoming all our new staff-gonna be an exciting year for our Fox Family!

-Jeff Sefcik–Principal at Stanton

Many thanks to Andrea and Matt for all their help in getting the Art Room supply orders handled so

quickly!!

Thanks so much to Mike S. for getting all things technical ready to go for the start of the year!  

Kudos to Jillian (new Specials Team member) for jumping right in and positively contributing at our first

team meeting!  

Big thanks to Russ, Tim, Eddie, Don, and Kent for all your work in getting our building ready!  I

particularly

appreciate you putting all the Art Room furniture back where it was, and the sparkly clean floors!!

Wishing everyone a great year!

-Gayle McManamon-Art Teacher at Lotus

Stanton staff - Everyone has been so welcoming! Every day I’ve met new people who have been

genuinely

kind and friendly. Thanks for making me feel like I belong in just a couple of days! 

Collette de Oliveira-EL Teacher at Stanton

Thank you to Michelle Magness, Mindy Auld, Mary Foesterling, Mary MP, Dina M., Tasha P., and

Autumn for a

wonderful team prep day on Friday. I truly appreciate everyone's openness and willingness to lay clear

expectations and groundwork for a productive year for everyone! 

-Ben Landmesser–PreK Teacher

Sherry for being such a great leader and teammate. She really has worked so hard and helped those

around her

be successful! Thanks a ton!! 

-Ashley Arff-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Meghan and Jill for all your time and effort helping to make the Stanton Lounge project a

success!

I would not have been able to do it without all your help!!

-Lynn Smolen-Special Education Coordinator at Stanton

Kudos to Sarah Gallivan for jumping into new territory with enthusiasm and an open mind.

Also, thank you to Mo DeVoss and Christine Spittler (both now and in advance) for all the support and

help

you'll provide to Sarah to help make the first 8 weeks a success to my 2nd graders!

-Emily Reczek–2nd Grade Teacher

Sherry Tietjen, Ashley Arff,

 Misty Madula, Courtney Maas, Megan May for an amazing team bonding meeting on Friday.  I look

forward

to an amazing year.

Cheryl Schuck for always keeping me sane.  Loved our adventure to Lake Geneva last week.

Mary Fisher for asking for help with her bus duty and getting a head start on knowing what she needs

to do.

Way to be proactive.

-Colleen Robinson-Paraprofessional at Lotus

Sarah Gallivan- We are so excited to have you on our team and for all of the hard work that you have

already

put in this week. You are going to do amazing things!

- The Second Grade Team

All my appreciation to the paras that worked so  hard on bus tags, backpacks, sorting and delivering

t-shirts.

You were AMAZING!!!. 

Also, thanks to the kitchen staff who fed us 2 days in a row. What would we do without them?

Welcome to all the new staff . Hope you all enjoy your new home at Lotus. 

-Cheryl Schuck–Paraprofessional at Lotus 

Thanks kitchen staff for making sure we were fed and full both institute days! We are so lucky to have

you!

-Betty Cwiak-Paraprofessional at Stanton

Kudos to the transportation team that participated in summer school. It is important for some of our

students to

continue their education and you help make it possible. 

Kudos to the transportation team getting ready for the new school year. 

Everyone that helped getting the new buses ready and keeping our vans running and repairs done

over the

summer!!!!  What a great team!

-Andrea De Matteo–Transportation Coordinator

Thank you to Lynn Smolen and Meghan Reimers for showing so much TLC for the Stanton Staff Lounge. 

Thank you to Cheryl Schuck for organizing all the things to get the year started. 

Thank you Kim Husko for sharing your desk story during STARR training on Friday to help show that a reset space can be anything or anyplace as long as it's clear for the kids!

From Heather 🧡💛🖤

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

 

Try this..

Use ChatGPT, Magic School AI, or Gemini to get a list of options for PERSONAL GREETINGS AT THE DOOR for learners at the grade level(s) you support! 

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID...

You are expected to return to work as soon as you meet  the following criteria:

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

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

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. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Be on the lookout for key information from our fabulous PTA!

Key 2024-25 Dates (so far)

August 19th

Meet and Greet 

Lotus 12 - 2

Stanton 1 -3 

April 22

Day of Service

We'll be forming a committee of parents and staff to plan this event for the SPRING of 2025

October 21-25 Book Fair

Family Reading Night (Lotus)

October 23

Santa's Breakfast and Stanton Book Fair--TBD

February 22

Family Fun Fair (Lotus)

May 2

Rocket Launch (Stanton)

Possible Star Wars Theme

Rain date May 9

Welcome back to Everyone!

The EAFL Board is looking forward to another amazing year!

Please note: Our first articulation meeting as a staff will be held on Wednesday, August 28 @ Stanton. Our start time will be 2:00 PM. Here are a couple of reminders: 

- The meeting is for EAFL members only. 

- If you are traveling over from Lotus, please arrive after 1:45 PM to help Stanton get all of the students and parents out of the parking lot safely.

- We will meet in the cafeteria and we will have treats!

We look forward to having this time together to celebrate a new year and get you any important information that is upcoming.

*If you did not get your EAFL T-shirt, please see one of us at the articulation meeting to get it.

Don't forget to check out the IEA/NEA website to learn more about your rights and opportunities as a union member. There are discounts available under the Our Members tab as well!

August 19--Teacher Work Time (AM) and Meet and Greet Lotus 12:00 - 2:00 and Stanton 1:-00 -3:00 

August 20--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL K-8 and Board Meeting at Lotus at 7PM or via Meet

August 21--Early Release

August 26--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR PREK!

August 28--EAFL Articulation Meeting at Stanton at 2:00

CURRICULUM NIGHTS

Thursday, August 29 (Grades 2-4)

2nd Grade: 6:00-6:45

3rd Grade: 6:30-7:15

4th Grade: 6:45-7:30

Thursday, September 5 (PK-1)

PK: 6:00-6:45

K: 6:30-7:15

1: 6:45-7:30

Tuesday, September 10 (Stanton 5-8)

6:30-7:40

2024-25 Early Release Plans--DRAFT--work in progress

2024-25 Final Approved Calendar

2024-25 Assessment Calendar

2024-25 Stipend Documents

Social Emotional Learning Pacing Guide 2024-25

Work Order Request--please use this to ask for help with anything facilities, room, cleaning related!

2024-25 Certified Staff Evaluation Documents--Coming soon!

Business Office Shared Drive

Heather