Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 4/20/26--5 more to go!!!!

Tip of the Week

Every Student, Every Day

So, I came across an amazing series of infographics...I love them, so I thought I'd share with you! 💙

Thank you, Emily Reczek for facilitating Cheer Up Your Coworker Week! I loved seeing (from afar) many coworkers enjoying their little surprises!

-Mollie Crow--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to Jillian R for creating the GREATEST most absolute moment of JOY that I have seen EVER! BOOM!

Kudos to the Stanton Wellness team of Dan, Kendra, and Kim for being flexible as IAR make up testing took over everything PE/Health spaces on Friday!

Kudos to Tyler Fish for all the patience and leadership regarding IAR testing

Kudos to ALL of Stanton for patience, flexibility, and enduring of many all call interruptions on Friday in order for ALL students to complete IAR testing!

Kudos to Jill, Michele, and 50 Cent for all the laughter in Da Club!

Kudos to Cara Creager and Jack Resnick who CRUSHED it in support of our students while Karen S was out.

Kudos to Karen Skorup, Meghan Reimers, Danielle Donelli, Matt Shannon, Dan Miller, Kendra Smeigh, Kim Husko, and EVERYONE for the creative planning and support of one of our 5th graders!

-Tom Cardamone--Principal at Stanton

hank you to Kristine G for making visuals for my students. You are such a wiz on the computer! I greatly appreciate your expertise and knowledge on how to layer images in order to make the perfect visual. Thank you for walking me through the process and teaching me something new.

Thank you to my amazing paraprofessionals, Mary, Sam and Russell. Your flexibility in a variety of unexpcted circumstances are awe inspiring! I couldn't ask for a better team!

Thank you to Monica, Kaitlyn and Mandi for popping in the classroom to support as needed this week. You are true team players and greatly appreciated!

Thank you to Gina for brightening my day by being a genuine, amazing soul. You are a beautiful example of what "walking on sunshine" looks like. I appreciate your assistance through the day for our learners, your laughter and your kindness.

Thank you to Sammi G- not once but TWICE this week you made my day by having a special student swing by to brighten my day! I appreciate you making sure that my friend was able to serve me items using the snack cart. You have a heart of gold.

Thank you to Sammi G and Stephanie for supporting a parent and her children during a change in dismissal. Your attention to detail and compassion shine in all you do, and you were greatly appreciated for going the extra mile.

Thank you to Erica, Stephanie S, Ashley B, Fiona, and Sammi G for coming together to brainstorm and discuss the various transportation possibilities for a specific student, your collaboration is invaluable, I am blessed to be a part of such an amazing team!

Thank you to Pam for brightening my world each and every day with your humor, hugs and harmony that you bring to Lotus. You are a GEM, my friend!

-Erin Donovan--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Shout-out to Dayja Wydzierzecki and Cynthia Tsarpalas for their outstanding work coaching the Scholastic Bowl team this year, to Susan Sroufek for stepping in as our moderator, and to Katy Gardner for her expertise in scorekeeping for the meets! Your time, dedication, and commitment to our students truly made a difference.

This year's team is the biggest ever, and they finished their regular season strong with two back-to-back wins! Thank you all for your hard work, support, and the positive impact you’ve had on our students. Good luck at regionals—we’re cheering you on!

-Jill Becmer-Administrative Assistant and Athletic Director at Stanton

Kudos to Melissa McCart, Kelly Roland, and Matt Peters for joining our 4th Grade field trip to Mainstay Therapeutic Farm this past Wednesday. The students had a blast, and Serene and I are so appreciative of all of your help and support!

Kudos to Kaitlyn May for subbing for my class on Monday when I had an unexpected absence. I appreciate you!

-Adalia Tate-4th Grade Teacher

Shout out Dan, Kaitlyn, Niccole, Avery, Jill, and Michelle for their part in allowing Thursdays track meet to run so smoothly. Who knew Stanton had some Olympian level timers in the building!?!

Matt, it was great to have you back on the infield with us!!

Shout out Bryan, Niall, and Oner for a great first couple of meets. Can’t wait for the rest of the season with you guys!! Special thanks to Oner for always going above and beyond for the team!!

Shout out Jill for her great communication as athletic director. We appreciate all that you do behind the scenes.

-Jessica Lieber-5th Grade Teacher

Thank you to Matt, Erica, and Chad for your responsiveness and support when I need help with a friend in the classroom! I love how cohesive our little school is.

-Janene Leicht--2nd Grade Teacher

Many thanks to Christina, Misty, Courtney, Mary M-P and Colleen R. for all they do to help our kiddos, and for the positive impact I see every Art class. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! -Gayle McManamon - Art Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to Karen Skorup for supporting me with behaviors this week and every week! So happy to have you back!!

Kudos to Averie Schultz for all the laughs and collabing with me always on how my kids are doing I appreciate it!

-Jillian Rejczyk-Special Education Teacher at Stanton

Thank you Brittany for your amazing penmanship help!

Thank you Joan for the hug when I really needed it!

Thank you to my secret co-worker for all the amazing goodies this week!

Thank you Ashley for collaborating with me and helping me make BIG decisions.

Thank you CJ for helping me clean up a water spill in the staff lounge.

Thank you Sonia for the water to make my lunch.

Thank you Dina for changing your schedule to support our student!

Thank you Tate for being flexible and accepting two of my kiddos for cursive/vocabulary. Also thank you for the positive feedback about their participation.

-Sherry Tietjen--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to Mandy- thank you so much for pulling kids to do WIN folders when you guys were short students. It helps tremendously.

Kudos to my cheer up your coworker-you made my week a light brighter:)

Kudos to my team for always being supportive and answering all my questions.

Kudos to Joe for pulling some of our kids. I have seen so much growth in one of my students already!

-Adisyn Illg--Kindergarten Teacher at Lotus

Thank you to...

Sami Lear for letting me step in to do an art project with your Kinders...not sure we did it right, but I think we all had fun!

Jillian Kilty and Sarah Gallivan for putting together an amazing Blue Ribbon site visit plan. Thanks also to everyone who talked with the visitors to brag about PE at Lotus!

Jillian Rejczyk for sharing the ultimate joy you helped make happen for JR! Happiest. Video. Ever!!!!!

-From Heather

Watch your email this week for info about 2026-27...

*Insurance rates

*Supply Money

*Budget requests

Coursework Hours!!!

Please remember that any and all coursework reimbursement requests or lane changes for 26-27 MUST be submitted by June 30!

Summer School

I'll have class assignments for summer school ready around the end of the week.

Summer Curriculum Work

Hello!!! Just reminding you that it's that time of year...when I ask for your ideas and proposals for summer curriculum work! THANK YOU to the teams who have already sent in ideas! WOW....amazing!!!!!

Here's WHAT:

Summer Curriculum Writing:

What do YOU want to work on this summer?

Example Projects:

*15 Day Challenge Planning

*Getting ready for Bridges launch

*SST Planning

*Fencepost work, including 3-2-1 unit designs and 15 day challenge plans

*Stuff YOU want to work on!

Here's How:

Email Heather:

Name(s)
Purpose of the work/intended outcomes
Proposed number of hours
Proposed schedule and plan for work

Notes:

Work must be completed onsite.

Artifacts of the work must be shared with Heather.

Timesheets must be completed, and pay rate is the curriculum rate/hour.

Looking forward to seeing your great ideas! Please send any questions my way!

OPPORTUNITIES!!!!

Governors State University- College of Education & Human Development will host a few virtual informational sessions this month.

Sessions will begin promptly at the designated time. Each program coordinator will provide detailed information and explain how to apply. Questions will be encouraged!

Please share the registration links below with your staff.

LBS1 Endorsement & Master of Arts in Multicategorical Special Education (initial and advanced licensure)

Thursday, April 23rd at 5:30 pm - click here to register

Master of Arts in Educational Administration-Principal Leadership

*For current teachers with 2 or more years of teaching experience with a PEL

Saturday, April 25th at 10:00 am - click here to register

Ed.D. in Interdisciplinary Leadership

(Higher Education, Non-for-Profit, and Superintendent Tracks available)

*For individuals who currently hold a master’s degree (all tracks)

*Superintendent Track- for individuals who have their PEL, Principal Endorsement, and 2 or more years of educational administration experience.

Wednesday, April 22nd at 6 pm - click here to register

THIS WEEK!!!!

Employee Assistance Program Updates

Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partner, AllOne Health, has launched a new Member Portal.

The updated portal is easier to use and aligned with the AllOne Health App, making it simple to access counseling, mental health resources, and well-being support.

What’s new:

A refreshed, user-friendly portal
Easier access to EAP and well-being services
One login for both the app and the portal

You can access services at AllOneHealth.com/portal.

You may notice that new materials reference updated landing pages. If employees use an existing or bookmarked link, it will automatically redirect to AllOneHealth.com/portal—no action needed.

If you already use the AllOne Health App, log in with the same credentials. If not, create an account—your login will work for both the app and the portal.

Please review the attached flyer for sign-up instructions and watch the short orientation video here:
Orientation Video

Confidential support remains available 24/7 for employees and their household members.

If you have questions, please contact me.

Thanks,

Maddie

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!

Stay informed by reading the Region 49 Newsletter

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.

Good morning, District 114!

Day of Service Fundraiser Update:
Our sponsors got us off to a great start of $3,750!
We've raised $1,261 in online Family & Friend Donations!
Total raised so far is $5,011!
Our goal is to raise $25,000 to fully fund PTA programs and events
What is Day of Service?
Day of Service Fundraiser is the PTA's sole large-scale fundraiser of the year, which raises the money needed for the PTA's events and programs like the Halloween Dance, teacher conference dinners, Santa's Breakfast, Family Fun Fair, and Book Buddies.
Similar to a Walk-a-Thon or Fun Run, students raise money through donations, and then, instead of running or walking, they complete service projects to support the Fox Lake community on Wednesday, April 22nd.
Our Goal: $25,000
Anything raised above $25,000 will go into a dedicated account to help fund a future accessible playground at Lotus!
Donations can be made in cash or check (payable to Fox Lake School District 114 PTA) or can be made online here.
Envelopes are due back to school on Tuesday, April 21st.
Please help us reach our goal by asking friends and family members to donate to this worthy cause!

Mark Your Calendars for The Following Dates:
Day of Service
Help us raise funds to support PTA programs and events, and help raise funds for a future accessible playground at Lotus
Donations can be made in cash, check (payable to Fox Lake School District 114 PTA), or online here
Envelopes due back to school, Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Day of Service is on Wednesday, April 22nd!
Family Rocket Launch
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Rain date: Thursday, May 21, 2026)
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Lotus Cafeteria and Outside
Help us reach our goal of 90+ members this school year! We currently have 81 members, including 40 teachers and staff, and 41 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