MMM: Monday Memo 10/19/26

Our Look Up Essential Standards!

Thank you, Oner Medrano, for your assistance with a student in need. I greatly appreciate your willingness to go over and beyond to help all students and staff as well as the enthusiasm and positive energy you bring into Stanton each and every day.

Thank you, Regina, Jillian, and Jack, for taking time out of your days this week to keep me informed regarding students on my caseload and also taking time for my feedback as well.

Thank you, Karen Lobo, for bringing me coffee. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Thank you, Renee Evans, for inviting me on your walks ensuring I get a lunch break, time out of the basement and avoiding those microwave mishaps lololol ;)

Thank you, Karen Brnot, for your patience and successful efforts in encouraging a challenging student.

Thank you, Michele and Jill, for being able to answer quick questions when my brain is scattered. :)-

Thank you, Jack, for taking extra time to vacuum my office after a student sandstorm :)... we appreciate how hard you work each and every evening keeping our school clean!

-Kim Mack--Social Worker at Stanton

A big thank you to Mike S for helping with multiple technology issues in the structured room this week! Your quick, efficient way of tackling anything technology related is much appreciated! We are so thankful for your assistance!!

Shout-out to the amazing Structured para team for rolling with all things thrown your way, keeping your humor, and bringing positivity even on the toughest days! Your flexibility, patience, and ability to laugh through various situations is so appreciated!

A big thank you to Amanda who wears many hats, and still finds time to check in to make sure the Structured class feels supported and guided. From data sheets to IEP meetings to guided lessons, your support means everything.

-Erin Donovan--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to the ENTIRE Stanton Staff for being so amazing for our students every day, and for the incredibly kind and generous Boss' Day gifts. It is an absolute JOY to get to collaborate with and learn from all of you each and every day!

Kudos to Danielle Becker for being so open to a classroom visitor on Tuesday, and for teaching an absolute KICK BUTT Math lesson in which the students were actively analyzing and explaining their thinking!

Kudos to Jill and Michele because they are THE BEST, crush every single task and activity they dive into while laughing and having the greatest time together. You truly make Stanton the most fun place on earth!

Kudos to all of our Fall Athletics coaches; Averie, Dayja, Dan, and Renee for fabulous seasons and growth opportunities for our student athletes.

KUDOS to Cynthia Cook for being THE MASTER regarding Medical Exclusions at Stanton. Not ONE student will be excluded form coming to school on Monday as a result of ALL the efforts!

Kudos to Adriana, Liam, Bryan, and AJ for the experiences you are developing and fostering with our students during their Explore classes!

Thank you to Kim Husko and Kendra Smeigh for some REAL conversations this past week that needed to be had. We are better off for having them!

Kudos to Mr. Mark and Connor Macko who, if memory serves me correct, each covered approximately 100 classes a piece on Friday!

Kudos to our 7th and 8th Grade teams for collaborating to adjust the schedules of two different students who were struggling in their initially scheduled classes.

Kudos to Kim and Meghan for always supporting in even the most challenging of student situations, and Meghan for running flawless 504 meetings.

-Tom Cardamone--Principal at Stanton

Thank you Gina Crostwaite, Mandi Otte, and Colleen Robinson. You are a dream team! You support us and the kids every day without ever needing to be asked. Then, there is all the prep work you help us with, especially this week with all the little squares that needed to be cut out for our math lesson; you did it with a smile and got it done super quick. Thank you for ALL you do to help make our classes a success.

-The First Grade Team

Big shoutout to Stephanie Kolk for leading our 4th grade team, taking on as much as you do, and always being willing to help! Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I am so grateful for you!

Thank you to Jacob, Alexa, Erin, Mollie, 4th grade lunch monitors, Chancelight staff and paras, and anyone that interacted with my new kiddo last week. His first week with us went amazing and I appreciate your flexibility and your support which is helping make this transition easier for him and me.

-Ashley Reese--4th Grade Teacher

Kudos to Conner Macko for covering for me last week so I could go on my honeymoon! Thank you so much for taking on 5th grade for two days!

Kudos to Regina Abizaid for all that you do, couldn't imagine how things would be without you. You do so much for our team and our school in general! You are a rockstar!!

Kudos to Oner Medrano for all your help each day with ELA and EL support for some kiddos, I greatly appreciate you and all that you do!

Kudos to Jenny Reiff for triple checking my sub plans and making sure the days ran smoothly while I was out! As well as making sure that I took the time to enjoy my trip and not worry too much about things here! You're the best!!

-Danielle Misiek--5th Grade Teacher

Cary S. Kendra L. Jen G. And Mandi O. For welcoming me to first grade.

Ashley A. Misty M. Brooke M. Thank you for a great start to the year. I love working with you guys

Courtney M. Welcome back, you were missed

Lotus Lunch bunch thank you for the amazing food on Institute Day

Chad, Erica, Matt for always supporting me.

Sue and Jenny for keeping things running smoothly.

-Colleen Robinson--Paraprofessional at Lotus

SHOUT OUT to the team who continues to make my job in Stanton's health office a smooth and enjoyable place and especially for the effort it took to get through the vaccine requirement season! Thomas Cardamone, Matt Shannon, Michele Burgess, Jill Becmer, Oner Medrano Thank you!

-Cynthia Cook--Health Tech at Stanton

Kudos to Kim R. for helping me with a difficult situation and giving guidance! It is very much appreciated

Kudos to Russ for fixing my couch!

Kudos to Erica, Caitlyn, and Joan for working with me to find a plan to help a struggling student in my room be more successful.

-Lily Tosado--3rd Grade Teacher

Kudos to Mike Szotek and Amanda Lorenz for helping me navigate tech anomalies!

Your expertise AND your willingness to share it, are invaluable. Thank you!

-Joseph Fernandez-Literacy Interventionist at Lotus

Kudos for Kaitlyn Goorsky-Thanks for the pick me up after a tough week!! Thank you for also being my sounding board. I love having you across the hall!

-Danielle Becker--5th Grade Teacher

Gina – Thank you so much for making copies for 4th grade! Your help is so appreciated, and we are lucky to have you!

D114 – Thank you for your generous donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in honor of my brother-in-law, Anthony. It truly means so much to my family.

Everyone – Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences or checked in on me and my family. Your kindness and support mean more than you know. You guys are the best!

-Kaitlyn May--4th Grade Teacher

Thank you to Dan Miller for a great cross country season! Couldn't have done it without you. Best co-coach.

-Renee Evans--7th Grade Math Teacher

Thank you Amanda for covering for Corinne and I so we could have a lunch- you're a real one!!

-Laura Faro--Blended PreK Teacher

Congratulations Sue for being our "Lotus Queen (Bee Duck)" staff winner for the 1st 8 weeks. You keep us going and always with a smile:) THANK YOU!!

-Kim VanHoorelbeke--Library Paraprofessional at Lotus

Thank you to:

Cynthia and Anna for all your amazing hard work on helping kids NOT be excluded!!!! You're incredible!

-Heather

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

🍁🍂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!

Veterans Day Reminders

LOTUS:

There are Veterans Day notes in your mailboxes regarding the upcoming Veterans Day events at Lotus. In addition, information and a form for the Honor Wall have also been placed in your mailbox.

Please send these materials home with students by Monday, October 19th so families have time to review them and so we can properly plan for these meaningful activities.

Reminder: If you or a loved one has served in the military, please complete the Honor Wall form and submit a photo so they can be included on our Honor Wall display.

Thank you for helping us honor and recognize the service and sacrifice of our military families and veterans.

We will continue our Veterans Day tradition with an 8:15 a.m. assembly honoring the veterans connected to our Lotus community. Following the assembly, we will host a breakfast for our visiting veterans and their family members who attend Lotus.

A special thank you to Erin, Joan, and Sonia for helping coordinate this meaningful event. It's a wonderful tradition, and I appreciate everything you do to make it special.

STANTON:

Coming soon!

Updated Special Education Timelines

Click here to see UPDATED timelines for all the types of Special Education meetings. Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns! Thanks to all for helping streamline our processes!

Red for ED!!!! First Wednesday of each month!

Thanks to Kendra Logar for putting this together! 💓

SOCK-tober!!!!

UPDATED SOCK COUNT...847! WOWOWOWOW!!!! 😍

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!

Looking for financial planning advice or loan forgiveness? Discover the different possibilities!

We have a NEA Retirement Specialist assigned to our Fox Lake 114 certified and non-certified membership. His name is Steve Podgorski. His role is to help our members understand the many benefits of NEA union membership that are available to us - especially the ones mentioned below.

Free life insurance
Education about your TRS Tier 1 or 2 pension and what you need to know about it now.
The Federal Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program for public school teachers.
Teacher Loan forgiveness for Title One certified staff.
Basic knowledge about your 403(b) choices including the one NEA Member Benefits recommends.

Steve Podgorski has times set aside this week just for our membership. Follow the link to sign up for a virtual or in person meeting.

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!

2026-2027 PTA Membership

$10

Every membership makes a difference!

By joining your donations helps support our students & teachers and provide District events FREE to all families:

Book Fairs & Book Buddies
Family Events: Santa's Breakfast, Bingo Night, Family Fun Fair, & Rocket Launch
Stanton Halloween Dance

Join Here: https://d114pta.givebacks.com/shop

Next meeting will be October 20th at 5:30 in the Lotus Library

We will be finalizing all details for the Halloween Dance that will be taking place on Friday, October 30th at 7pm at Stanton!

PTA September Meeting Highlights

At a Glance

Slides

2026-27 PTA Event Dates

Lotus Events

-Book Fair November 16th- 20th- in the library with Mrs. Kim doing Family Reading Night that week

-Family Fun Fair- Saturday 2/20

-Book Fair 2/23-2/26 in the Library

-Rocket Launch- 5/19

Stanton Events

-Halloween Dance- Cafeteria- October 30th from 7:00-8:30

-Book Fair- 11/30-12/4 in the front a hallway again

-Santa's Breakfast - Saturday 12/5

-Bingo Night- 1/13 or 1/20 (TBD)

Link to the D114 26-27 Calendar

26-27 Board of Education Meeting Calendar

*NOTE--PTA meetings will be the same nights at Board meetings starting in September in hopes to help more staff be able to attend. Join us at 5:30!

This Week..

October 20

New Staff/Learning Partners Meeting at Stanton (3:30-4:30 PM)

PTA Meeting at Lotus (5:30 PM)

Board of Education Meeting at Lotus or via Google Meet (7PM)

Coming Soon

November 11-- Veterans Day--SCHOOL IN SESSION

Family Reading Night – Thursday, November 19

Family Reading Night is another event that our families absolutely love! We consistently have a fantastic turnout, and it's a great opportunity to bring our school community together around reading.

However, we need volunteers to make this event happen! Kim does an amazing job organizing this evening, but she can't do it alone. I would really hate to see such a popular and meaningful event go away because we don't have enough help.

If you're able to volunteer in any capacity, even for part of the evening, it would be greatly appreciated. Please reach out to Kim if you're willing to help.

Parent/Teacher Conferences--November 23 (Early Release ) and 24 (No Student Attendance)

*Note--10 month paraprofessionals do not attend conferences to make up being in attendance on Veterans Day.

Lotus Conference Times:

Monday=1-5 and 6-8 (dinner break 5-6)

Tuesday=8-12

Stanton Conference Times:

Monday = 2:00 - 9:00

Tuesday = 8:00 - 12:00