Tip of the Week
Look for JOY!
Thank you to the entire Life Skills para team (Russell, Mary, Sam, Monica, Mandi and Kristine) who came together as one on Friday. There were many moving parts and varied schedules-some in the classroom, and some out of the classroom. It was amazing to see everyone in action. I’m so thankful to witness the student and staff resiliency with changes, and I’m proud of Life Skills for being One Team, All In.
Thank you Ms. Monica for subbing in for Ms. Sam on Monday and popping in to clean the classroom while all the classroom paras were on buses. You are an absolute GEM! I appreciate you!
Thank you Mary F for always being on top of EVERYTHING. This week brought some changes, and I appreciate your agility to think on your feet. I am so happy to have your support.
Thank you Gina for always being ready to assist and help at a moment's notice- all with a smile on your face!
Thank you to the kitchen staff for delicious food and treats this week! Your scrumptious food is always such a hit!
Thank you to Ms. Sam S for sticking by my side with some challenging behaviour. I appreciate your therapeutic approach, giggles when necessary and I appreciate how you always have a song in your heart. "We're All in This Together".
Thank you to Stephanie, Sammi G and Anna for supporting Life Skills students across various settings. Your support, guidance and heart mean so much to us and the program overall.
Thank you to Ms. Sue and Ms. Jenny who helped receive a TREMENDOUS donation of hand sanitizer from a family. I honestly had no idea it was 30 something boxes....I appreciate your assistance in getting the donations for our district. Thank you SO MUCH for helping the family to unload the items!
-Erin Donovan--Special Education Teacher at Lotus
Thank you Gina, Brooke, Dina and Sonia for setting up for my baby shower! It was super cute! 
Thank you Tasha for decorating the mason jars!
Thank you Carmen and Laura for bringing the beautiful flowers!
Thank you Courtney and Misty for creating the games to play! So fun!
Thank you to everyone who made a dish to share, everything was so yummy! 
Thank you to everyone who came to the shower to celebrate our little nugget! It meant the world!
We can't thank you enough for all the thoughtful gifts! Thank you from my heart and the tiny little heart growing inside of me! 
WE LOVE OUR LOTUS FAMILY!
Brittany Luther - Paraprofessional at Lotus
Kudos to Amanda Lorenz for stepping in to sub in a classroom all day on Friday instead of splitting the day with me, so I could finish MAP testing with my students. I truly appreciated your flexibility and support—it ended up being such a wonderful birthday gift. Thank you so much!
-Caitlyn Fenton--Interventionist at Lotus
Kudos to Jack Resnick for always supporting students and asking to help out anywhere and everywhere. Thank you for being an AMAZING sub while I was recovering! You put the time in before I left to learn the program, make connections with the students and plan engaging lessons for all 3 grade levels. You are an awesome co-teacher and the students respect you - You are going to do great things!
Kudos to Cara Creager for seamlessly stepping into the role of ILPB para and making great connections with the students! Your patience and planning help maintain the calm classroom environment. I am so glad we got to work together this year!
Kudos to Tom Cardamone and Matt Shannon for your support of the ILPB program all year, but especially in the weeks since I've been back, checking on support, coverage, and me!
Kudos to Jillian Rejczyk - my hallway partner, my tag-team partner, and all around supportive colleague!
Kudos to Sue, Yvette and Emily for storing my ice packs, the reminders to take a break, and always having a smile on your faces when I come down to the cafeteria.
And finally.....Kudos to my Stanton family for welcoming me back from leave, checking on me, and giving me encouragement when we pass in the hallways! Knee replacement surgery and recovery is difficult, but I couldn't wait to get back to my Fox Family! 
-Karen Skorup--Special Education Teacher at Stanton
Thanks Sammie for checking on my class when I was in the hallway dealing with an upset student.
Thanks Colleen for the amazing book and pizza!
Thank you Mary H for creating a fun sight word game for the class.
Thank you Abby and Kelly for talking with an upset student and double checking with me about if he was a parent pick up.
Thank you everyone who provided snacks and goodies this week.
Thank you to...
Everyone who pitched in to help with Staff Appreciation Week! I hope everyone had a ducking good time!
Kelly and Sonia for being the ultimate Fun Run planners!
-From Heather
2026-27 Insurance
Our annual open enrollment period will begin on May 4, 2026 and end on May 31, 2026. Benefits will be effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. All benefit eligible employees returning for the 2026-27 school year must complete the open enrollment process, even if you are not changing any elections or waiving coverage.
During open enrollment you can enroll, waive coverage, add family members or make necessary changes. It's also a great time to review beneficiary, address and other personal information for accuracy. Note: You must re-enroll into your Flexible Spending Plan every plan year.
Dental/Vision Coverage:
Employees are no longer required to take Dental/Vision Insurance through the district. If you do not use our Dental and/or Vision insurance plan, feel free to waive coverage.
Please reach out to Madeline Mercado with any questions and please check your email for specific information from her about rates.
FUN RUN!!!!
We're so excited to host another fun filled, fitness forward, Fox Lake friendly, FREE fun run!!!
Cereal Drive for a GREAT Cause!
Supply Money 26-27
Budget Requests for 26-27
FYI, Spending for this school year is now CLOSED. Please reach out to me directly ASAP if you have items of need for this school year.
With that said, we are working on next year's budget!!! We are going to build a very, very LEAN budget for all discretionary items. As always, we'll do our best to meet the students' needs in the most fiscally responsible ways.
Here's how:
2. Save it as "(Your Name) Request for Funds 26-27"
3. Put all requests on ONE TAB, with each request and its information on one line. If you have multiple requests/vendors, put each on its own line on the same tab.
4. Share the document with Natalie Udstuen.
If you have already submitted a request, you DO NOT NEED TO RESUBMIT.
This DOES NOT include supply money--that's a whole different thing, and I just sent an email on that. 
Please direct any questions about fund requests to Natalie. Any questions about supply money should come to me.
Coursework Hours!!!
Please remember that any and all coursework reimbursement requests or lane changes for 26-27 MUST be submitted by June 30!
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!!!!!
Looking forward to seeing your great ideas! Please send any questions my way!
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 (updated 4/24/26). 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
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. Thank you to all who voted in the EAFL election!
Total of 20 votes at Lotus:
20 votes for Logar
20 votes for Kolk
20 votes for Evans
7 Write-in votes for Groot (Certified VP)
Total of 24 votes from Stanton:
23 votes for Logar
23 votes for Kolk
24 votes for Evans
Congratulations to the new and returning members of our EAFL Union Board....
Certified VP: Jen Groot
Treasurer: Renee Evans
Region Rep: Kendra Logar
Early Career Rep: Stephanie Kolk
Good morning, District 114!
We hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day weekend!
We'd love to see you at tonight's PTA meeting! We'll be:
- discussing the outcome of our Day of Service fundraiser
- providing updates on our last family event of the year
- discussing what events and programs to focus on next year
- voting on when to meet next year (please share your input here)
- voting in a new president (if you have someone to nominate, or would like to self-nominate, please email us ASAP)!
- May PTA Meeting
- Monday, May 11th
- 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
- Lotus Library or join us on Google Meets
Mark Your Calendars for The Following Dates:
- Eat Out to Help Out: Miller's Dog n Suds
- Tuesday, May 12th
- 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- Miller's Dog n Suds in Ingleside
- The PTA will receive 10% of all sales!
- Come join us for the last EOTHO, and you might just catch a glimpse of our school mascots!
- Family Rocket Launch
- Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Rain date: Thursday, May 21, 2026)
- 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
- Lotus Cafeteria and Outside
- Pizza and lemonade provided!
- Kona Ice Truck present for purchases (the PTA will get 20% of all sales)
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
May 11--PTA Meeting at Lotus
May 12
May 14--Girls on the Run Cereal Box Domino Day!!!
Saturday, May 16--D114 Impact 5K Run at Stanton
Looking Ahead...
May 19--Board of Education Meeting, Retiree Recognition, and first ever STANTON BAND Board performance--at STANTON
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Rain date: Thursday, May 21, 2026)--Family Rocket Launch at Lotus
May 22--Last Day of School for PreK
May 26--8th Grade Promotion Ceremony
May 28--Last Day of School and Staff CELEBRATION!!!! 🥳
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Proud to be...
