Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 1/12/26

Tip of the Week

Put the Pieces Together to Look for JOY!

In what has become tradition, I'll share an invitation to celebrate our intentions for the year by summing up in a word or phrase.

My word for 2026 is FUN. I intend to find and create more FUN in my life each and every day. I had a ton of FUN in December and it made me think of how much I focus on work, completion, and tasks...but not MAKING FUN HAPPEN. So that's my intention...in big ways and (more often!) small...to find, look for, create, and celebrate having FUN!

Update--to create fun and embrace a YOLO state of mind, I'm headed to Miami to at least be in the city as my Hoosiers play for that National Championship. Meeting friends and sorority sisters there to be together, and--at a minimum--have a table reserved at a game watch party. Who knows...maybe we'll get some last minute tickets to the big game?!?! You never know if you don't try, right???

If you have a word or phrase that you're willing to share, would you please add it here? If you'd prefer to not share with everyone but are ok sharing with me, I'd love to know it to try to help you meet that intention! 💙

In the spirit of FUN, here are two January "fun by day" options if you're looking for ways to make your days brighter...

Kudos to Kendra Smeigh and Dan Miller for the fun and collaborative dances created by our students this week! To see the students collaborating and smiling with one another, especially some who wouldn’t typically do so, was a joy!

Kudos to Norm, Cari, and Jack for everything that they do every day to keep Stanton looking GREAT each day! We appreciate you SO much! (Sorry for all of the garbage under the bleachers, Norm!)

Kudos to the Stanton PBIS team for all of the care and effort put forth to make the first day back from break a memorable and appreciated one by all! So sorry I couldn't join in the fun!

Kudos to the entire Stanton Kitchen staff for putting smiles in the bellies of our students (and some staff members) every single day! My favorite part of the week was when Sue was telling me about a 7th grade student who thanks her and tells her how good the food is every day! Keep on being awesome!!!

Kudos to Jamie Smeigh for being awesome! Jamie's flexibility and willingness to jump into any situation to support students is admirable and does not go unnoticed. It's a joy to get to work with Jamie every day!

Kudos to Hailey Decker, and the entire 8th Grade team, for welcoming Josie Rodrigues to our Stanton family! Changes in the middle of a school year are never easy, and the care, patience, and partnership shown, especially by Hailey, has been nothing short of outstanding! Thank you, Hailey. And welcome, Josie!

-Tom Cardamone--Stanton Principal

HUGE kudos to Erica, Chad, Sam G., Mollie, Kim R., and Lynn for working so closely with me to finalize a very supportive plan for my student. Your collaboration, ideas, and support truly means so much and have made such a beneficial impact in my classroom! THANK YOU!!!

-Lili Tosado--3rd Grade Teacher

Kuddos to all the hard working staff for just being back and making it to the end of the first week back! You are all doing great

-Corrine Corona--Blended PreK Teacher

Gina and Brooke for helping fourth grade with our copies. You are the best.

- The 4th grade team

Kudos to Dayja Wydzierzecki for trying something new (Lit Circles) in 6th grade ELA! The kids are enjoying the books and are taking responsibility for their learning. Way to go, Dayja!

-Katy Gardner--6th Grade Math Teacher

I would like to thank Abbey Kadera for being my "Sanitizing Queen" during SST meetings this week. It was very sweet of her to sanitize a desk or table for me at each meeting to make sure that I do not catch any of the illnesses that are going around.

I would also like to thank Kelly Roland for sharing her lucky winnings with the rest of Lotus School. I am so grateful for the word work boards that she has purchased for all the teachers and students at Lotus. They will be a very useful resource for teaching phonics.

-Joan Kantenwein--Literacy Interventionist

Shoutout to Ashley Brown for helping transition one of my second graders out of the gym in a pinch. She was having some big emotions and you were able to steer her back on track immediately so I could teach my next class. I admire your patience and nurturing skills with students!

-Sarah Gallivan--PE Teacher at Lotus

To Dayja: I love being in your ELA class! The activities are always engaging and I love being able to partner with for making accommodations. Thank you for being so organized and answering my silly/Leah questions. Keep doing what you’re doing<3

-Leah Falster--Special Education Teacher at Stanton

Thank you to Sammie G. for all her help with a couple of my students who often need a little additional support! You are awesome!

-Janene Leicht--2nd Grade Teacher

Thank you to Drew Hinkle, Kendra and Jamie Smeigh, Kim Husko, and Matt Shannon for overseeing 8th-grade promotion pictures while I was out of the building for a meeting. Your willingness to jump right in and keep things running smoothly is truly appreciated.

-Jill Becmer--Administrative Assistant at Stanton

Kudos to absolutely EVERYONE for a great first week back!!! The positivity, calm, and happiness were absolutely clear. THANK YOU!!!

Kudos to Nicole Mild for absolutely filling my bucket with a picture of a special someone earning Chia pet time after having a great first week back!!!!

Kudos to AJ Tripoli for securing $4000 in FREE percussion materials for our fabulous new BAND program at Stanton!!!!

-Heather 💙

Opportunities Await!!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who stepped up for the Calendar Committee and the up and coming Foundation!!!!

Flu Updates

I just got this from the Health Department, and I will be attaching it to my weekly family update. Wanted to make sure you saw it here, too! The PDFs are also attached to this week's Monday Memo email!

Updated Absence Info

Please refer to this document for all things absence reporting. Please send any questions to Maddie Mercado or me.

THANKS!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be sure to enter absences as far in advance as possible! WE HAVE A POOL OF SUBS who can fill spots that are entered!!!! We're working on adding even more, so PLEASE enter your absences as soon as you know you'll be out.

REMINDERS

1. If you know you're sick, please put in your absence ASAP. This helps us plan for coverage more effectively. The more we have to react to in the morning, the more crazy the start to the day for everyone.

2. If scheduling personal tasks, it would be amazing if you could try to avoid THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS whenever possible.

3. If you are asked to cover for someone, please know that you're being asked as part of a bigger plan to meet the needs of kids. Unless there's a truly extraordinary situation, you are expected to say YES when asked. We only ask when it's the best answer for kids.

Please direct any questions to me about this. Principals and Associate Principals are charged with creating the plans that best meet the needs of our students. If you have questions or issues with this, they should come to me for discussion.

Thanks!

Referral GPS--Reminder!

We are committed to creating a culture of well-being of students, staff,

parents, and community. In an effort to continuously support this

commitment, the district has entered an agreement with Referral GPS.

ReferralGPS is a web-based service focused on assisting our students,

staff, and community in finding local mental-health and substance use

related treatment. The service compliments the districts existing

systems of support as a tool for student service teams and families to

connect with treatment. Along with a searchable database of treatment

options, Referral GPS provides Care Navigation to assist families in

triage, appointment setting, and follow up care.

School families may access Referral GPS in two ways:

1) Contact Student Services (social workers, psychologists,

counselors) to seek out treatment options.

2) Visit this link at https://referralgps.com/find-help/D114 to

search for treatment resources or connect with a Care

Navigator anonymously.

ReferralGPS takes into account all types of private and public insurance

including PPO, HMO, Medicaid, Medicare, and families who are

uninsured or underinsured. The platform also filters by age, gender, zip

code, and special requests.

ReferralGPS is available for use by district students, staff, and families at

no cost. All information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is completely

confidential and securely stored.

If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time,

please consider visiting https://referralgps.com/find-help/D114 or

reaching out to the Student Services team.

Field Trips

If you are planning for a field trip, please remember:

All field trip requests must be submitted to the principal no later than the 15th of the previous month of your trip.

Example: Trip is in March, Form must be in by February 15th. This allows time for approval and our drivers to select trips.

1. Complete the Field Trip Request Form.

2. Submit the form to your Principal for approval.

2. Principals, if approved, submit to NATALIE UDSTUEN to arrange transportation.

Work Orders

When you have something you need the Facilities Team to handle for you, please complete a Work Request. Be sure to include the LOCATION in the "summary" field.

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!

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.

Stay informed by reading the Region 49 Newsletter

NEA Member Benefits is hosting 10 free virtual meetings to guide our members through student loan options and relief programs. If you’re carrying loans, this is absolutely worth your time. Pick a date and time that works best for you.

AND...don't forget

See what your membership has to offer! Go to ieanea.org to see all of the happenings and most up to date information on union matters. Go to ieanea.org/benefits/ to explore discounts and deals that are offered to you with your membership. Stay informed by reading the Region 49 Newsletter

Burroughs Education Association

$2,500 College Scholarship funded by Woodruff Johnson Evans & Haugen. Applications are accepted from October 1 through January 31. The winner will be announced in March. Scholarship Information

Happy Monday, District 114!

Come join us TODAY for our January Eat Out to Help Out at Antioch Pizza and attend our January meeting:
January PTA Meeting
Date: Monday, January 12th
Time: 6:00 pm to ~7:00 pm
Place: Lotus Library or Google Meet
click here to see the December Meeting Presentation
We'll provide updates about Day of Service and Family Bingo Night, and we'll start making plans for February's Family Fun Fair!
We hope to see you there!
January Eat Out to Help Out: Antioch Pizza
Date: Monday, January 12th
Time: All Day!
Place: Antioch Pizza in Fox Lake
Battle of the Grades! Make sure to show the flyer (attached) when you place your order and tell them which grade level your order is supporting!

We're also excited to have you join us for our first-ever Family Bingo Night!!
Family Bingo Night
Date: Wednesday, January 28th
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Place: Stanton Cafeteria
What to expect:
First book of 5 games is free, $5 for each additional book
Prizes!!
Snacks (popcorn and lemonade)
First round of games: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Second round of games: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Choose to come to one or both rounds!
Help us reach our goal of 90+ members this school year! We currently have 80 members, including 40 teachers and staff, and 40 parents/guardians.

Here's what you need to know:
Dues are $10 for the whole year! That's less than a dollar a month!
You'll receive a District 114 PTA Calendar featuring student artwork
Join here today!
Join the PTA and help enrich your child's educational experience this year!
Make sure to join our Facebook Group Page!

YOUR PTA Board