Welcome back! I hope your Spring Break was truly wonderful! We're in the home stretch now, so let's all bring our very best for the kids and for each other!!!!
☘
The March Wellness Challenge is a new spin on things! Check it out...it's linked here!
You're entered in the raffle if you complete 20 of the days...and March 23 and 30 are YOU CHOOSE days!
March challenges need to be in my hands by Friday, April 4 to be entered in the raffle.
I'll send the April Wellness Challenge information out soon... 🐰
April Focus--Trust Routines
This Week's Wellness Invitation: Avoid Gossip
Trust builders avoid gossip and negative talk about others. This week, if others talk negatively or complain about other people, walk away. If needed, consider working with a few colleagues to establish new norms for eliminating gossip, whining, and complaining about others in our schools...classrooms, hallways, or offices.
Thank you to Erin CJ and the Kindergarten teachers, it was truly a magical concert! 
-Natalie Udstuen--Assistant Principal at Lotus
Huge thank you to Abbey and Kim for helping me contact parents and support a student! You both went above and beyond and am extremely grateful!
Thank you CJ for walking a student in a wheelchair to the bathroom for me when I was teaching a class! I appreciate you taking the time to do that and help me!
Russ, you truly do so much for me and I don't know what I would do without you! Thank you for always being there and helping me fix things I can't and just being Mr. Reliable for me!
- Amber Mysliwiec--PE Teacher at Lotus
Thank you Colleen for watching Ellie for me to go to national boards and not chase an on the MOVE toddler!
Thanks Sonia for the yummy treats definitely need for a long day!
Thanks Russell for taking on a new schedule and holding the kids to a high standard!! I love hearing you interact with the class!
-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus
Natalie Molidor: Thank you for helping me tape all the 6th grade student names on folders for our activity during IAR Testing week.
Katie Jalove Filippelli: Thank you for collaborating and always being there for me. I also want to give a shoutout for coming up with the cross-content project-based learning activity for the whole 6th grade — it is such a fantastic idea!
Hunter Banker, Leah Falster, and Connor Macko: Thank you for all your help this week and for subbing for me while I was in IEP meetings. I truly appreciate your support.
-Kaitlyn Goorsky--6th grade Social Studies Teacher
Kudos Cathy Jawnyj thank you for helping support the needs of another grade. Your expertise in executive functioning will help this student excel. Your commitment, collaboration and willingness to do whatever it takes is so appreciated and valued!
-Lynn Smolen--Special Education Coordinator at Stanton
-Lynn Smolen--Special Education Coordinator at Stanton
Thank you to all staff members who made summer school calls!
Thank you to Michele Burgess who imported all of the iReady and MAP data, student and teacher rosters into IXL.
Thank you to Collette deOliveira for organizing and administering Access testing!
Thank you to Meghan Reimers & Kim Mack for planning the courageous classroom lesson each week!
Thank you to Jill Becmer for planning the academic assembly and getting us pumped for IAR!
Thank you to our science teachers and all small group proctors for the Illinois Science Assessment.
-Rachelle Peters-Stanton Assistant Principal
Thank you to:
*Whoever left the flowers and card for me. They made my day and were a true pick me up.
*Niccole Culbertson for welcoming me to your class. That was so fun, and I am glad to know WHO DID IT!!!!
*Everyone who contributed to and helped share information at the March BOE meeting. It was a long meeting, but full of great things to celebrate and show our progress!
From Heather 🧡💛🖤
Please send me your kudos for colleagues each week! I'll happily post them in this section!
_
Two great ones this week...love them both!
Injury Reporting
If you are injured on the job, you MUST IMMEDIATELY do the following:
1. Report this injury to an administrator.
2. Report the injury to Company Nurse.
Thanks in advance!
Administrator Hiring Teams
Please let me know by the end of the day TUESDAY if you are interested in being part of the selection team for the Associate Principals at Lotus or Stanton. Please also send any questions my way!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Chrome Settings
To add an additional level of safety to staff Chromebooks and Chromeboxes (attached to panels), idle settings will be implemented to lock the device after 90 minutes. This will be in effect starting TUESDAY, APRIL 1.
If your device is idle for more than that time period, the device will be locked and you will need to log back in. You will not be logged off. When you log back in, any open windows will remain open. This same action will occur when you close the lid of a chromebook.
Stanton Playground
When we planned for the update to the Stanton playground a few years ago, the student committee who helped with the design and vision felt strongly that we needed to add some equipment for younger kids so that the site would be a safe place for them to play and a place for younger siblings and family members to have fun while Stanton students participate in outside events like cross country, soccer, track, etc. We took a pause on this for awhile, but I'm thrilled to invite you to check out the additions to the playground, inspired by our very own Stanton grads!
Skyward Updates (Maddie emailed this to you before break--same info below)
We recently migrated from Skyward SMS to Skyward Qmlativ. With the conversion, all the history housed in SMS was rolled over into Qmlativ. Your username and password remain the same as your current one in SMS. Within the next 24 hours you will receive an automated 'Welcome Email' from Qmlativ. This email will include your username and a link to reset your password. If you know your password, you DO NOT need to reset it. Simply follow the link to login.
Here is the link for your live Qmlativ database:
I am including a few videos below to assist you in navigating the new database. These videos are very brief. Please take a few minutes to review them to ensure you know how to navigate the new database.
Within Employee Access, employees have the option to view their payroll check history.
This video will demonstrate how to print a check stub within Employee Access.
This video will demonstrate how to estimate a check.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Summer School 2025
As you know, we used our ESSR funds to a large extent to build a phenomenal summer school program--including increasing salaries for staff to be more than the hourly curriculum rate. While we can't match the salary we've been able to offer for the last few years, we are budgeting above curriculum rate for certified staff.
So, the pay rates for this summer are:
Certified staff=$45/hour
Support staff=your 25-26 hourly rate
Knowing that, if you are interested in working summer school (July 7-August 7, Monday-Thursday mornings), please email me to let me know!
Mark Your Calendars!
April 22, 2025!!!
May 17, 2025!!!
Come celebrate our GOTR program AND Jeff Sefcik's retirement! There will be food, fun, music, and community! More info coming soon!!!!
Remember the Employee Assistance Program!
The EAP is typically a great place to start when you need care and aren’t sure what support you or a family member might be needing. They can guide you to specific care and even set up the appointment for you. Take advantage of this confidential and supportive service to address any
personal or work-related challenges you may be facing by calling Perspectives at 800.456.6327.
Good morning, District 114!
Day of Service planning is underway! If you or someone you know owns a business and would like to sponsor this event, please visit our Givebacks (Memberhub) page here to learn more!
Don't forget to join our Facebook group to see the meeting highlights and more, and while you're at it, join the PTA here! Membership dues are only $6 for the whole year!
YOUR PTA Board
Key 2024-25 Dates
April 22
Day of Service
May 2
Rocket Launch (Stanton)
Possible Star Wars Theme
Rain date May 9
Dates to Mark Down:
Tuesday, April 22nd--April BOE meeting
Wednesday, April 23rd- EAFL Articulation Meeting @ 2:00 PM at Stanton
Interested in getting more involved on the Union Board? We would love to have you. At the April Articulation meeting, we will be looking for nominations for some new board members. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to any current board member with questions. It is a great way to know what is going on with your district and your union and a great group of people to work with.
**Don't forget about your NEA no cost benefits! To check them out, you should go to Deals and Discounts: www.neamb.com/start
*Additional benefits and deals can be found at ieanea.org
Region News:
Want to know what is happening in the Region? Check out the Region 49 Newsletter!
**Get your SCORE GRANT applications in! Grants for up to $1,000 are available for IEA members & their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service/school projects APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026 SCHOOL YEAR WILL OPEN APRIL 1, 2025
PD Calendar: Take a look at all the PD training we lined up here at IEA by clicking here : The IEA is an ISBE approved provider for Professional Development Clock Hours. Clock hours are offered at trainings that meet the PD requirements set by ISBE. Events on the calendar are hosted by IEA or vetted by IEA
April 18--District Closed
April 22--Day of Service, Early Release, and BOE Meeting
April 23--EAFL Articulation Meeting
May 17
District 114 CARES
At District 114 Fox Lake, the well-being of our students and families is our top priority. Understanding the critical role mental health plays in student success, we have launched District 114 CARES—a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving access to quality mental health services across our community.
What is District 114 CARES?
District 114 CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support. This program is specifically designed to provide essential mental health resources and support to students and families, with a focus on those facing financial challenges.
Our mission is to ensure that every student has the tools they need to thrive—both emotionally and academically. By addressing barriers to care, we aim to empower students to reach their full potential in and out of the classroom.
Our Commitment
Through District 114 CARES, we reaffirm our dedication to fostering a supportive, resilient community where every student has equitable access to the resources and support they need to succeed.
ICE and D114 Plans
Please see the document linked here, which outlines exactly how we will respond should ICE come onsite.
Paste the URL below into your browser:
For Primary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.
For Secondary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.
2024-25 Early Release Plans--DRAFT--always a work in progress
Heather 🧡
