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

Tip of the Week

Make Purposeful Decisions

I found ANOTHER great image this week that I just have to share. When the world feels like an upside down, crazy place, remember that YOU get to make decisions...

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.

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 Natalie, Russ, and Don for braving their care and going above and beyond to keep Stanton dry and safe this weekend! We can’t put into words how grateful we are for you!

-Matt Shannon and Tom Cardamone--Principals at Stanton

Don, thank you so much for helping me put together the sensory table pegboard! You are the best!

Eddie, thank you for cleaning up the “fake snow” that got absolutely everywhere on Wednesday. It was a Pinterest fail. I promise not to put that in our sensory bin ever again!

Kaitlyn, thank you for ALL your help the past couple weeks.

Colleen, I’m a week late, but thank you so much for being awesome and leading our para meeting last week.

-Monica McCollom--Paraprofessional at Lotus

Stepping up her sourdough game.......THANK YOU, KIM HUSKO, for the most delicious

sourdough grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter day!!!!!

-Michele Burgess--Administrative Assistant at Stanton

I would like to give a BIG thank you to Kaitlyn May and Kelly Roland for coming to help during testing when one of my friends got sick. You're the best! Thank you for helping us be able to get back on track and do our MAP test.

-Cary Scarpino-1st Grade Teacher

Thank you, Michelle for sharing your dips with me “Thursday dip days”!!!!

Thank you Brittany, Gale, & Colleen for helping making my senior wrestling board come to life! David’s regular wrestling season has come to an end now it’s time to qualify for state

-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you to Sammie, Stephanie and Fiona for constantly sharing such vital information and strategies for the PREK to use with our kiddos! We are so appreciative!!

-Lora Faro--Blended PreK Teacher

Thank you Kelly for gifting us with new Blending boards!! Thank you Brooke. Mary H., and Kaitlyn for helping 2nd grade put together our new UFLI blending boards! We cannot wait to use them!

-Christine Spittler--2nd Grade Teacher

Kudos to...

Natalie, Russ, and Don for all your work to make sure the buildings and lots are ready to open!!!

Everyone for your flexibility and support for Friday's closure. Tried to make the call as early as possible while still collaborating with my superintendent colleagues. Only one super mad parent---not bad!!!!

-Heather 💙

February Institute Day

GAHHHHHH!!!!!! I'm excited to share that we will host a MAGNIFICENT speaker for the morning on 2/13/26 who will focus on YOU!!!! The agenda is still coming together, and input is welcome, but know that...in the morning...we will spend time pouring into our own hearts, soul, and joy!

National Board Certification

We are considering offering another National Board Certification cohort. Please let me know if you'd be interested in learning more about this. I'd encourage you to connect with Maureen DeVoss for more info!

Here are the requirements for participants to apply:

Opportunity!!!!

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!

Happy Monday, District 114!

Attention 3rd Grade families! Be on the lookout for your child's certificate for Antioch Pizza this week! Congratulations on winning the Battle of the Grades!!

We hope to see you at this week's Family Bingo Night on Wednesday!! Read on for more details.
Family Bingo Night
Date: Wednesday, January 28th
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Session 1: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Session 2: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Place: Stanton Cafeteria
What to expect:
First book of 5 games for each session is free, $5 for each additional book
Prizes!!
Snacks (popcorn and lemonade)
Choose to come to one or both sessions!
Come help us promote this year's Day of Service this Saturday!
Day of Service Sponsor Reach Out
Date: Saturday, January 31st
Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Place: Meet in Lotus Parking Lot
What to Expect:
We'll be working in teams to distribute letters to potential sponsors around Fox Lake and some neighboring communities.
Come bundled up and in comfortable shoes so we can get the word out and secure as many sponsors as possible!
Our goal is to raise $25,000 to cover next year's operating costs (family events, assemblies, teacher money, book buddies, etc.).
Any amount raised OVER $25,000 will be added to a special account that will be used to help fund a new playground at Lotus!
Sponsorships help us meet this goal along with the donations students will collect in the weeks leading up to April 22nd- The Day of Service!
Our next Eat Out to Help Out will be at Skate on Grand!! Come skate with us!
Eat Out to Help Out: Skate on Grand
Date: Sunday, February 1st
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Place: Skate on Grand, 720 Grand Ave., Fox Lake, IL 60020
What to expect:
$8 admission per person (skate rental included)
$3 meal deal: 1 slice of pizza and a small drink, PTA gets $0.50 back per meal deal!
The more people who come, the greater percentage we earn!
51-74 people: 25%
75-99 people: 35%
100+ people: 50%
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