MMM: Monday Morning Memo 9/28/26

Our Look Up Essential Standards!

Thank you to Penny Brown and the cafeteria ladies for always helping to take care of the articulation snacks and taking care of me when I forget to order my lunch. You ladies are the best!

-Maureen DeVoss--2nd Grade Teacher

Cindy K- Thank you so much for all your help setting up the teacher lounge for Apple vs. Pumpkin! Acquiring all the decorations made a huge difference, and the room looks fantastic. We really appreciate your time and effort!

Stanton Staff- A big thank you to everyone who brought in food and supplies for Apple vs. Pumpkin on Friday! Your support helped make it such a fun, successful day!

-Kaitlyn Goorsky--5th grade Teacher

Kudos to all Stanton Staff members for all the support and love during this past week while we mourn the loss of my husband's grandmother. It was a rough week, but working with amazing people makes it a little bit easier.

Kudos to Danielle Misiek for the birthday Dunkin! It was a great way to start this rough week...and thank you for all that you do - from setting up my classroom while I'm not there, to being a listening ear for anything and everything. I genuinely don't know what I would do without you. You're my rock and a rockstar! So thankful to work with you!

Kudos to Regina Abizaid! You are always going above and beyond for the team and students to make sure everyone's needs are met. You are an amazing asset to our team. I'm so thankful for you!

-Jenny Reiff--5th Grade Teacher

To Liam Fitzpatrick for sharing your space with SNN and allowing us to broadcast from there in the morning! Thank you!

To Kim Mack for the apple cider donut on the first day of SNN - you KNEW I would forget to eat breakfast and were prepared so I wasn't hangry. Thank you!

To Kendra Smeigh for checking in on me! Thank you!

To Renee Evans for the kleenex. Thank you!

-Meghan Reimers--Counselor at Stanton

Sam Mock for always making my copies and just being there.

Katy Gardner, Leah Falster, and Jack Resnick for the productivity.

Averie Schultz for being the best co-coach ever!

Hunter Banker for stopping in and chatting to make the mornings fun.

-Dayja Wydzierzecki--6th Grade Teacher

To Mandi & Gina for helping us with our hefty pile of copies. You both are amazing, helpful, and appreciated.

- The 4th Grade Team

Matt - Thanks for helping find some great resources and always willing to listen.

Chad - Thanks for the support in the PBIS World.

Joe F - Thanks for the cool comic books. You always find amazing stuff to share. :)

Tyler F - Thanks for updating web page Destiny portion and resolving my printer issue.

Very much appreciated.

-Kim VanHoorelbeke--Library Paraprofessional at Lotus

Kudos Erica, Amanda, and pre-K team for all the collaboration to make us work better together.

Thank you Aleina, Kristine, Lumi, Tasha, Haley, and Sammy for all you do. You are AMAZING!!!

Thank you Kelly and Abbey for spending time with our students. You are the best!!!

-Carmen Dean--PreK Teachers

Thank you Josie Rodriguez for being an awesome ELA partner I love collaborating with you!

Thank you Dan Olson for all you do for students. It's so awesome to watch you teach and see the students so engaged. Thank you for being you!

Thank you Leah Falster for being the best roomie and collaborative partner. I am learning so much from you!

Thank you Karen Skorup for your guidance and support with the students in 8th grade. I really appreciate collaborating with you!

Thank you Hunter Banker for all you do for every student. I am so glad you came back to Stanton!

-Cathy Jawnyj--Special Education Teacher at Stanton

Kudos to Joe Rubino for jumping right in as the ILPB paraprofessional! Your professionalism and calm demeanor with the students are the perfect combination of support our students need.

Kudos to Jillian Rejyczk for being an amazing colleague and teammate! I appreciate the way we were able to communicate on schedule changes that will best support the needs of a student we will now share.

Kudos to Connor Macko for always willing to be an extra support/teacher in ILPB. I appreciate your efforts to reteach concepts, generate ideas, and be a sounding board when we need fresh ideas for our students.

-Karen Skorup--Special Education Teacher at Stanton

Kudos to the 4th grade team for dropping our breakfast bin off every day! Your help is greatly appreciated!

-Penny Brown--Kitchen Team at Lotus

Jackie Mathews: thank you for helping brainstorm some other options for my students with IEPs in ELA to help them succeed.

Kaitlyn Goorsky: thanks for helping me stay organized and thinking ahead!

-Danielle Becker--5th Grade Teacher

Karen Skorup for being there at all of the right times this week and last, I appreciate your support so much!

Karen Lobo for being there for a student when other supports were limited, you are a lifesaver!

Jamie Smeigh for always being ready to have my back and the flexibility with our crazy days!

Mark Perlman for always being willing to jump in with my crew when there is a sudden change!

-JIllian Rejczyk--Special Education Teacher at Stanton

SHOUT OUT to Penny Brown going out of her way for calling stanton just to get prek some bowls for a special activity!

-Laura Faro--Blended PreK Teacher

To our Stanton paraprofessional team. You're amazing! You help our students in small groups to get caught up on work, give students the support they need in the classroom and engage with them in the lunchroom and at recess (not a small feat!). Thank you!

To Jill and Michele for all of your dedication to our students. The planning and prep you have put in to make the Attendance Month initiative a reality is above and beyond. Thank you!

To our Social Squad for a great Team Apple vs. Team Pumpkin event on Friday! It was a fun and delicious way to end the week. Thank you!

To Lynn for helping me last week. I appreciate all the help! Thank you!

-Matt Shannon--Associate Principal at Stanton

Mary Fisher thanks for meeting up with me to just relax.

Ashley, Misty, Brooke, Melissa, and Mollie for holding down the fort while I got to meet up with so many amazing autism mamas and learn so many things and just feel seen.

Matt P for laughing at me for getting stuck on Wednesday. Wouldn't want it any other way. Glad we can laugh about it.

To all the paras who have picked up extra buses since school started. And Amy Olson for offering if needed.

-Colleen Robinson--Paraprofessional at Lotus

Kudos to:

Walter, Niccole, and Cathy for going above and beyond to show kids in the office extra TLC on Friday.

The Mental Health team for a GREAT meeting on Wednesday!

Sue Pinkawa for dropping everything to come to Stanton to do some vision and hearing checks.

Kim and Meghan for showing me grace when I was showing frustration.

Stanton Guiding Coalition for brainstorming great ideas.

The Guided Team at Lotus for doing whatever it takes.

Everyone at Stanton for letting me crash and try to help a little.

-Heather

Please send me your "Look Up" kudos by Friday at 4PM to add them to the next Monday Memo! THANK YOU!

Try some of these to keep LOOKING UP as we turn the calendar page to September!

🍁🍂Let's try something new for October...🍁🍂

It's a photo a day challenge! If you make a folder of the pictures you take, share it with me!

Upcoming Wellness Event

It's time for our annual Wellness Screening Event through NIHIP!

Empower Health Services will be at Stanton on Friday, October 9, 2026 from 6:30am - 10:00am. The event is available to ALL staff.

The wellness screenings will consist of three components:

The Screening package
Seasonal Flu Shot
Additional Test Options

Screening package and Flu Shots are available at NO COST to employees and spouses on any district medical plan.

Additional test options are available for BCBS PPO members and BCBS HMO members. Please see Additional Tests Menu for tests & fees.

Employees not enrolled in district's insurance plan can also participate on a self-pay basis.

For those only interested in the Seasonal Flu Shot, you must register online and select the "Flu Only" option when creating an appointment . Flu Shots will only be provided to those with an appointment.

Registration is now open! Please follow these steps to sign up:

Visit the Empower Health website by clicking here
Returning Participants: If you previously created an account, sign in under "Welcome Back!'
New Participants: Complete "New User" fields and enter
client code: foxlakedist114EHS

Please reach out to Maddie Mercado if you have any questions or concerns.

SOCK-tober!!!!

When students bring in a pair of socks, they can drop them in a collection box by the front desk.

This will be a building wide collection so you do not need to keep count of your individual classrooms (unless you want to - I see you, Michelle!)

We will be collecting from October 1-October 30. Please remind students that the socks should be new and unused. Staff are welcome to donate as well!

*If you get used socks, we will still take them (and wash them) to have extra socks on hand in the nurse's office, Pre-K etc.

We will be hanging all of the collected socks on a string with clothespins to see how far our donation string can go throughout the building before we donate them to Grant Township.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if something is unclear.

Thank you all for your support in this endeavor!

Let's get ready to rock the socks off October

-Girls on the Run Coaches (Kelly, Mollie, Sonia, Christine)

Stipends--Clubs, Coaching, and More...OH MY!

Interested in sponsoring a club, coaching a sport, seeing what opportunities are out there?

Check out this stipend folder and read this letter for information!

ATHLETIC COACHES PLEASE READ: There is a new timeline for applying for coaching positions. Coaches should apply prior to their season, and coaches will be notified as follows. Please contact Jill Becmer, Athletic Director, with any questions, please.

Late Fall: Boys Basketball, Cheer

Applications accepted through September 1, 2026
Announcement of Coaches by September 15, 2026

Winter: Wrestling, Girls Basketball, Scholastic Bowl

Applications accepted through October 1, 2026
Announcement of Coaches by October 15, 2026

Spring: Track

Applications accepted through November 1, 2026
Announcement of Coaches by November 15, 2026

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!

Absence Reporting

Please carefully review this updated document with all you need to know about reporting absences during this school year!

Thank you to everyone for attending the EAFL articulation meeting last Wednesday. It was great to see everyone and to have a chance to share out information. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to anyone on the board.

Ongoing Trauma Informed/ACEs training throughout the year through IEA. Typically training lasts anywhere from 1-3 days. Stay tuned for more information. For more information about ACEs and Trauma Informed Systems, click the link above.

SCORE Grants –The purpose of SCORE grants (from IEA) is to encourage early career members (1-10 years as an educator) and their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service projects for school projects. A list of previous winners and the application can be found on the website.

Check out the IEA Teaching and Learning Portal on the IEA website for FREE clock hours on your own time!

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

One Click. Endless Possibilities. A Union Here for YOU!

This school year, turn your commitment into action. Visit the IEA Leadership & Justice Department website to explore equity-focused opportunities, request professional learning, and stay up to date on training, events, and ways to get involved. Together, we can lead with purpose and create schools where every student thrives!