School Board Shout Outs - February 2024

At our February Board meeting the following D100 staff who were nominated by their fellow peers to receive a shout out during a Board meeting:

Courtney Adkins, Caledonia Elementary - Courtney has been generous with her skills and knowledge to support teachers and students in D100.  She has a grace and style about her empowers others to try new strategies an supports to meet the needs of our students.  She has been called upon several times this year to support teams that are struggling to meet challenging needs of students in our classrooms.  She is a VIP!  Her passion, professionalism and pride for the work she does needs to be celebrated.  She is an excellent teacher, SLP, and coach.  We are fortunate to have her on our team. Submitted by Theresa Montalbano Owen
 
Katie Hornbeck, Perry Elementary - Katie has done an outstanding job in the first five months as our new leader.  She meets every challenge that is thrown at her with integrity.  Having been a Perry student herself, she is empathetic to situations that are unique to Perry.  But above all of that, she is a principal that is trusted by both the staff and our students.  We are truly blessed to have her in our Perry family.  In addition, Mrs. Hornbeck is continuing to provide balanced leadership to Perry's students and staff.  Her kindness and attention to details is evident in the school culture and everyday operations at Perry.  Her guidance is helping staff and students achieve their best across learning environments. Submitted by Sue Thomas and Ryan Peterson
 
Ann Abraham, Seth Whitman Elementary - Ann stepped in and covered evaluations for outplaced students.  Not only did she so a fantastic job with the assessments, but she took the time to go out and spend time with the students and get to know them. I am extremely grateful to have Ann not only as a representative of special education, but of D100 overall. She is a phenomenal asset to the district. Submitted by Kim Ramsby
 
Jody Farris, South Middle School - Jody excels in her role as an Essential Elements teacher.  Not everyone has the privilege to see the happenings on a day-to-day basis in her classroom, but those who do, knows that she goes above and beyond to make learning fun and engaging for the students in her classroom.  From "flying into space on rockets" to her annual "fat bear week" activities and polls.  Jody makes her classroom a safe place students are eager to return to each day.  Jody always finds ways to celebrate student success and their individuality! Submitted by Kristen Endres 
 
Anita Koziol & Pam Schwendau, South Middle School - Anita and Pam were incredibly helpful to me while I was covering the nursing office at SMS.  They were supportive and offered to help look up parent contact information in the printed binders, as this information was not accessible due to technical issues with the eSchool program.  It was a busy day in the nurses office, and their support made such a difference, allowing me to focus on providing the best care to our students.  They were kind and had a positive attitude during this time.  Submitted by Evelyn Corral
 
Emily Owen, Belvidere High School - Emily was invited to speak this fall at the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) FAFSA Symposium on both October 25th at Illinois Central College in East Peoria and again on November 7th at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills.  Since joining the district in 2020, Emily has taken on the cause of financial aid access for our students with enthusiasm and passion and ISAC has recognized her efforts by inviting her to speak. I am incredibly proud of and honored to work with her everyday.  Submitted by Jon Young 
 
Jeanine Hadley, Central Office - I needed permissions added to be able to send out a ParentSquare message.  I contacted Jeanine at 4:05 on a Friday, hoping she would still be there, as I wanted the message to go out that weekend.  She called me right back from her phone (she must have her messages forwarded) to help problem solve the situation. She then called me from home to ensure that it worked and I was able to do what I wanted.  It would have been easy for her say, "I am done for the day, it can wait until Monday", but she did not.  She even went above and beyond by calling me from home to make sure the fix worked and that I was able to do what I want to.  Thank you Jeanine for going the extra mile for me! Submitted by Linda Colson 

Congratulations everyone and thank you for all you do for D100!