Tip of the Week...Pick the "Let Them" You (and They) Need!
Any or all of these may help you (and the kids) have an even more happy first week back from break, so please take what you need and pass them on!!!! Maybe the "them" is YOU...and that's ok! Let's show each other and the students grace as we transition back from break to business!!! 💙
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!
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 Eddie for putting my chairs down each night! This is a huge blessing!
Kudos to Donna for the holiday accessories!
Kudos to Adisyn for helping me take my class to specials!
-Sami Lear--Kindergarten Teacher
Thank you to all the Lotus office staff and bus drivers for their continued support while I was off with my daughter. You all have been amazing. Can't wait to get back after Christmas break!!! <3
-Alexis Nelson--Bus Driver
Thank you to my rescue team, Mr. Russell, Ms. Sam, Ms. Mary F, Miss Kristen, Ms. Sonia, Ms. Sue and Mr. Russ who all collaborated when there was a very unexpected, very wet and very messy situation in the boys bathroom. Thank you for all coming together to make sure students were cared for and the flooding was taken care of. I appreciate all of you and how everyone pitched in to help at a moment's notice.
Thank you to Ms. Pam who IS the sunshine on any given day. You bring so much light and laughter every day especially on a Monday after a long break. I appreciate you more than words can express, and I am so delighted to work with you this year! Thank you for purchasing inclusive Fisher Price LIttle People figures that reflect devices in our classroom settings. Thank you for your generous gifts.
Thank you to Ms. Mandi for helping to bind some books for my classroom. I appreciate your help!
Thank you Mrs. Saranzak for your assistance with discussing Number Corner specifics with me. I appreciate your time and resources! You made my day! Thank you to Mrs. Lear, Mrs. Sarenzak and Ms Illg for all having me observe your kindergarten number corner in action. I appreciate you all so much!
Thank you to Amanda and Erica for planning an observation for me to see a new curriculum in action at a neighboring school district. I appreciate all the background work that brings this new curriculum together, and I appreciate the time and efforts you all have had to make it a possibility. I feel heard, valued and a true team player based on our collaboration.
Thank you to Ashley, Stephanie S and Kaitlyn M for subbing for me this week while I had a multitude of meetings outside of the classroom. I appreciate knowing my classroom is in good hands! You are all so wonderful! Thank you!
Thank you to Stephanie S, Ms. Kilty and Ms. Gallivan, Mr. Russell and Ms. Sam for having a fantastic student centered conversation about some up and coming changes to support a student. I greatly appreciate you!!
-Erin Donovan--Special Education Teacher at Lotus
Thank you to Joe for the boxes of clothes for Eliana!
Thank you Matt and Erica for your help with the before break chaos.
Thank you Dina & Kelly for the goodies.
Thank you to my secret santa for the gifts.
Thank you team for meeting to be ready for January with a new behavior plan!
Thank you Dina and Ms. CJ for assisting Addy at the concert.
Thank you Arff for the book and stuffy for Eliana.
Thank you Mary MP for the bread and goodies
-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus
LifeSkills Paras: Russell, Mary, Samantha, Monica, Mandi, Kristine- You have ALL done a fabulous job helping our students progress their gross motor skills and I am so proud of the progress they are showing. I could not do my job without you and the kids could not do what they do without you so I cannot thank you enough for the hard work that you do every day to keep us all moving in the right direction!!!!!
Pam and Erin: WOW! What a year so far! Thank you for being the leaders for our LifeSkills students through all the schedule changes that have occured! Thank you for being the stability the kids need on a day to day basis so that the students can keep progressing! I am so grateful to get to work with both of you and these students are so lucky to have you as their teachers!
Michelle Magnes: Thank you for pushing our kids to be the best they can be in all areas! I love to watch you teach and I love how you incorporate gross motor into your teaching!
Carmen Dean: I have enjoyed getting to know you this year and have enjoyed our indoor/outdoor gross motor times and walks to the bus with your students!
Sarah and Jillian: I am so happy to get to see the great gross motor work you are doing in PE with ALL students! I love your visuals and slides. I am excited for the progress the Adapted PE program has made with Sarah leading it and look forward to working with you both for the rest of the school year. Thank you for your hard work!!
Sammie, Fiona, Alana, Ashley, Sam, Kim, Nicole, and Karen: I think I am the luckiest PT to have such a great related service team to work with! I have worked in many schools and I have NEVER seen a group like this that supports each other so well both professionally and personally. I hope you enjoyed a much needed and deserved winter break! We are a lucky group!!!
-Stephanie Silverman--District Physical Therapist
A BIG kudos to Erik, Brian, Colleen, Carie, Misty, Cindy, Mark, Karen Lobo, Averie, Jamie, Kendra, and Kamikane for giving their time and care to support and celebrate with our students at the Ray's Chevrolet Event on Wednesday night! All of the students and families had a wonderful time, and Buster was the biggest hit of all! 
-Tom Cardamone--Principal at Stanton
Huge shout-out to Mrs. CJ for directing and hosting such a wonderful holiday concert. From the dim lighting with the candle-lit backdrop to the intentional song selection, not a single detail was missed. It was a beautiful way to head into break!
A big thank-you to the fourth-grade team for stepping up at the last minute to support one another and help students start the day smoothly. Special thanks to Abbey and Kelly for jumping in with very little notice, positive attitudes, and a shared goal of having a great day!
Thank you to Sherry, Colleen, and Mary for the endless time and effort you’ve put into revamping schedules so that students in your program have meaningful access to general education, stronger inclusion opportunities, and more consistent support throughout the school day.
Thank you to Pam, Sammie, Stephanie, Fiona, Ashley, and Heather for showing up to a very unique IEP with such compassion and care. I truly believe that for our families, anything feels possible when they have a team like this by their side. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration.
To the stupendous ladies in the front office—Anna, Sue, and Jenn—thank you for knowing and being all the things everyone needs, even when they don’t know they need it. We truly don’t know how we would do this without you. So incredibly grateful for all that you do!
Lili Tosada, you are wise beyond your years and have an incredible way of setting high expectations for students while showing such compassion and kindness—creating a space where students feel supported, challenged, and confident in their growth.
Shout-out to Erin Donovan for stepping outside of her comfort zone to try a new curricular resource with students receiving support through our Life Skills programming. Thank you for joining us on a site visit to see the resource in action and for your commitment and dedication to our students and families.
And last but not least, to the amazing fellas I’m so lucky to work and collaborate with every day—Matt and Chad. You make me laugh, keep me grounded, and inspire me to show up as my best self. Thank you for always helping me find my missing items and for putting up with my random beverages left all over your offices
Lotus Family,
As we head into the new year, my greatest hope for our staff is balance—feeling supported and valued in the important work you do, while also giving yourselves permission to rest and recharge. I hope you find moments of joy, connection, and renewal, and that you’re reminded of the meaningful impact you make on our students and families every day. Thank you for showing up with such heart, care, and commitment. Our school is truly better because of YOU 
-Erica Barraza--Associate Principal at Lotus
Thank you to Tasha Pfau and Brittany Luther for doing EVERYTHING for me and the kiddos ALL THE TIME! Thank you for your incredible patience when I give you 5 items to do all at the same time and somehow you can read my mind and decide which one I really meant for you to do first! LOL. I could not do what I do without you both and I love that our kiddos have us as an amazing team to best help them and support them. It makes everyday so much better knowing I get to work with both of you!!!
-Michelle Magness--PreK Teacher
Sending Kudos:
- The entire 6th grade team. I love working with you all and I appreciate every day that we get to spend together. We are always open to new ideas and are able to bounce those ideas back and forth to problem solve for our kids. We made it halfway
- Becky Hiles. Thanks for being an amazing community building partner and just always radiating positivity. Can't wait to tackle the rest of the year together.
- Sam Mock. You are just always a warm ray of sunshine even on the hardest of days. I appreciate everything you do each and every day. Thank you.
- Everyone who came to see Drama Clubs performance of Thunder Mountain. The support was overwhelming. Thank you so much for showing up for our theater kiddos.
Dayja Wydzierzecki--6th Grade Social Studies Teacher
For everyone who helped at the Ray Chevy Holiday Event: I don't want to miss anyone so not naming names
Samantha, Mary F, Mary MP, Dina for always stepping up to ride buses if needed
Mr Sam for stepping in with my friend when we were short staffed.
Sammie G for being my secret Santa. You texts made my day!!
Mollie for organizing our spirit weeks (I know it's a thankless job)
Sherry : I would not want to be on this journey without you!!! You are an amazing teacher and an even better friend!
CJ for letting our friend play along on the piano during her concert. Dina for being so quick to respond.
To Admin for riding the buses for the paras on the last day before break.
-Colleen Robinson--Paraprofessional at Lotus
Kudos to the Stanton Staff for all the yummy food at our holiday breakfast! Everything was delicious!
Kudos to our fabulous 5th grade team for surviving the first half of the school year! We did it! All the laughter, tough moments, and all the "ARE YOUR SERIOUS" comments, we did it! Let's enjoy the next 16 days off to ourselves, we deserve it!
- Danielle Donelli ~ 5th Grade Teacher
Kudos to all the elves who helped pull off the "Photo Bomb" mission and Colleen for helping take them down.
Thank you CJ for your supplies-Sue, Jenny, and Gayle for helping me create the perfect spot for our Elf on the shelf.
Matt, Erica and Chad for dressing up in festive costumes and spreading so much Christmas cheer for our students! This is my favorite Lotus tradition!
HUGE SHOUT OUT to the best of the best kitchen staff!!!! You girls really help make it all posible!!!! Thank you for that last BIG holiday push!!!! Your hard work never goes unnoticed.
-Sonia Miller--Kitchen Lead at Lotus
Huge KUDOS to everyone who helped at the Ray Chevrolet event! Even with the "special gifts" from the kinda sorta reindeer! Your time and TLC for our kids is magical...thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Kudos to Sonia, Sue, and Jenny for being the magical elves who made the "Elf on the Shelf" possible at Lotus!
To Matt, Tom, and Natalie for spending a morning working over break together to plan ahead!
To Matt P, Erica, Chad, and Lynn for meeting on the Friday of break to talk through some tough stuff so we could leave for break with greater clarity.
To my entire D114 family--you are absolutely the BEST!
-Heather 💙
Opportunities Await!!!!
Looking for ways to get involved but don't have a lot of time to give? How about...
Joining the Calendar Committee?
We meet just a few times to put together options for the next school year's calendar.
Being Part of our NEW Foundation Board?
In partnership with Bill Lomas, an amazing former D114 employee, we are establishing a foundation with the sole purpose of creating opportunities for our students. We'll start with granting scholarships for D114 alums when they graduate from Grant and see where we GROW from there. I anticipate us meeting just a couple times a year, and we definitely want to have at least 2 staff members on the board. If you'd like to know more or are ready to volunteer, please email Heather by FRIDAY, JANUARY 9.
Absences
I know that we're heading into winter and when we tend to all get hit with sicknesses, so I have a few requests...
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.
Also, please know that we continue to work to build a sub pool...and so does every single district. We will continue to recruit and onboard subs, as we know days with lots of coverage shifts cause stress for everyone.
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.
Absence Reporting
Please refer to this document for all things absence reporting. Please send any questions to Maddie Mercado or me.
THANKS!
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.
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 NewsletterBurroughs 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 New Year, District 114!
We hope everyone had a wonderful winter break!
Here's what we have coming up over the next few weeks:
- 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 when you place your order and tell them which grade level your order is supporting!
- Family Bingo Night
- Date: Wednesday, January 21st
- 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
THIS WEEK
Welcome back to school!
Looking Ahead...
January 12--
Eat Out to Help Out--ALL DAY at Antioch Pizza
D114 PTA meeting 6:00 PM at Lotus
January 19--District Closed--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 20-- Board of Education Meeting AT STANTON
January 21--Family Bingo Night at STANTON 6-8PM
Paste the URL below into your browser:
For Primary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.
For Secondary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.
Proud to be...
