Regional Office of Education 47

CONGRATULATIONS to Clara Thorpe, teacher at Challand Middle School, nominated for the Marigold Award. Clara was nominated by Nicole Prusator. “I would like to nominate Ms. Clara Thorpe to be one of this year's Jen Banks Marigold Award recipients. Ms. Thorpe has been through several life changing events in her personal life this school year. However, you would never know it by the way that she presents herself at school. She is one of the most supportive and encouraging teachers I have ever met. She is extremely positive each day and allows the students to be their true selves. The students feel comfortable talking to Clara about problems they are having in their life knowing that she can provide a listening ear without judgement and can provide advice. Ms. Thorpe also holds high expectations for her students to prepare them for high school and beyond. Clara Thorpe embodies each of the aspects the Jen Banks carried including positivity, being encouraging, and being supportive.” Thank you for being a marigold in our schools!

ROE 47 was one of 29 recipients of the Rochelle Area Community Foundation grants. The ROE will utilize the grant to expand the community referral system IRIS within the Rochelle area and to support families in need. @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

CONGRATULATIONS to Janet Scott, teacher at Morrison Junior High School, for being nominated for the Marigold Award. Janet was nominated by Joe Robbins. “Jan Scott does everything she can to help all students. The checklist only allows me to choose one grade level, and although Jan is primarily one of our 6th grade ELA teachers, she helps 7th and 8th grade students as well. She voluntarily allows students to come to her room during her prep times and after school, whether they are in her class or not. She volunteers to be on school and district committees, heads our district mentor training program, assists with our student leader program, and donates her time to after school activities and events. Jan is a building leader and is respected by her students and peers. I could go on and on about her qualities, but I think it would be easier to say she is the epitome of what a great teacher is and should be!” Thank you for being a marigold in our schools!

CONGRATULATIONS to Crystal Miller, who was nominated for the Marigold Award! Crystal is a 2nd Grade Teacher at Montmorency School in Rock Falls. Crystal was nominated by Kelsey White. “Crystal Miller is a veteran teacher who still gives 110% to every student in her classroom every day. No matter what challenges arise or obstacles that come against her, Crystal finds a way to meet each of her students where they are and provide lessons, activities, resources, and nurturing care to help them reach their highest potential. Crystal is infamous for giving up recess/lunch breaks, staying late after each school day and going in on weekends and extended breaks to ensure she is providing a curriculum that coincides with current best practice, is engaging, and allows for differentiation among the learning styles of her students. Crystal is a great communicator and doesn't shy away putting in the extra time and effort to connect with or have difficult conversations with students, parents, and colleagues regarding input, suggestions, and strategies on how to best support her students and their needs. Crystal is attentive to and supportive of both her students and colleagues, possesses a genuine love for helping others succeed, and is a true leader in the field of education. She more than deserves to be honored and celebrated for her dedication and leadership among Sauk Valley educators.” Thank you for being a marigold in our schools!

Congratulations to Angela Shaw, nominee for the Marigold Award. Angela is a Speech & Language Therapist at Lincoln Elementary School in Sterling. Angela was nominated by Michelle Virtue. “Angela is a Speech teacher but does not only see her assigned students. She is a teacher and a friend to all. She has lunch with students that she does not even work with because she knows that often the students that ask need the attention and love. Angela is always patient and seems to always know the words that a student or coworker need to hear. She often steps in when a child is having a hard day to offer to take them on a break or walk. She also does a Word of the Week with the entire school each week to encourage vocabulary growth and excitement. She always has a smile ready and kind words. She is a role model of how people should treat one another to students and staff. She is never negative, is always encouraging, grateful and generous. She is wonderful at her job and pursues further learning and her dedication to her students is evident. Many students that do not need Speech services, beg to go with her when she comes into the rooms. In a nutshell, she is the kind of educator many of us strive to be!” Thank you to Angela, for being a marigold in our schools!

CONGRATULATIONS to Becky Haas, nomainated for the Marigold Award by Dr. Sara Dail. Becky is the Student Services Director at Sterling Public Schools. “Becky Haas strives to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, have their academic and social-emotional needs met. As a friend of Jen Banks, I see many of the same qualities in Becky Haas. Over the past few years, Becky has welcomed the challenges of taking over and running our own Life Skills program for our school district. She wanted all of our SPS students to be able to attend SPS schools and feel like a part of our family. After 1 ½ short years of running our program, our students are learning cooking skills, taking weekly outings into the community, visiting businesses, and gaining academically and social emotionally. They are interacting during the day with peers in their same grade level and it is a joy to see the progress they are making. This was all a part of Becky's goal to ensure all of our students' needs are met, even those with special needs. Along with life skills, Mrs. Haas is in charge of our Pre-K program and you can often find her in our PreK-2 buildings helping in our blended, PreSchool for All, or special needs classrooms. She enjoys working with students and doing all she can to ensure they are successful. She really is one-of-a-kind and we are blessed to call her ours.” Thank you for being a marigold in our schools!

CONGRATULATIONS to Carmella McNeil, nominated for the Marigold Award! Carmella is a 6th grade teacher at Challand Middle School in Sterling and was nominated by Linda Brown. “Carmella McNeil seriously dedicates her days to the betterment of the children she serves. I have witnessed her passion and compassion on a daily basis. Carmella believes every child she teaches has the potential to do great things. Ms. McNeil commands respect without demanding it. Her students view her as their mentor and supporter. Carmella is straightforward and real and the students not only see that, they appreciate her for it. No matter how chaotic her day is going, she stops to hug, high five, laugh with and lift up her students. Ms. McNeil knows what is going on behind the scene and puts her heart into helping all her students including those who may fly under the radar. I truly believe Ms. McNeil takes her students successes and failures very personally and therefore gives her utmost on a daily basis to prevent the latter.” Thank you for being a marigold in our schools!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Watch ROE47's posts, as we share how we are addressing the mental health concerns with our students, throughout the month of May. @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! We appreciate our educators, not just today, but everyday. Thank you for all you do for our students! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

This week, ROE 47 will be honoring a very dear friend, as we celebrate the memory of Jen Banks by recognizing educators in Whiteside County with the Marigold Award. Please watch for posts throughout the week celebrating the 'marigolds' within our school buildings! Many experienced gardeners follow a concept called companion planting: placing certain vegetables and plants near each other to improve growth for one or both plants. For example, rose growers plant garlic near their roses because it repels bugs and prevents fungal diseases. Among companion plants, the marigold is one of the best: It protects a wide variety of plants from pests and harmful weeds. If you plant a marigold beside most any garden vegetable, that vegetable will grow big and strong and healthy, protected and encouraged by its marigold. Marigolds exist in our schools as well – encouraging, supporting and nurturing growing teachers on their way to maturity. If you can find at least one marigold in your school and stay close to them, you will grow. Find more than one and you will positively thrive. Jen Banks was a beloved teacher and school improvement coach who passed away as the result of a tragic automobile accident in December 2015. Her love for learning and the students that she worked with was an inspiration to many. Jen’s positive, supportive, and energetic attitude nurtured those around her and helped them to grow. In celebration of Jen’s life and dedication to learning, ROE 47 has created an award in her honor. As Jen worked with many elementary and middle schools in the Sauk Valley area, this award is open to K-8 Whiteside County teachers. Marigolds exist in our schools - encouraging, supporting and nurturing teachers. They are leaders in their community, class rooms, and families. They have a loving of learning and sharing that learning with others. We are so honored to recognize these educators!

Digital Safety Webinar May 2nd @ 6pm Mark your calendar ! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

Today we are celebrating our School Principals ! May 1st is National School Principal Day. Thank you for all the time and effort you pour into our students, families and communities. We appreciate you! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

REGISTER NOW - SUMMER BOOK STUDY Engage Every Family: Five Simple Principles Five Simple Principles, Second Edition, outlines a pathway and process for any educator or group of educators to engage every family in the academic lives of children and acts as a framework for implementing best practices to increase the likelihood of engaging every family, including those families that have been traditionally disengaged or disenfranchised from schools. * Principle # 1: A Culture That Engages Every Family * Principle # 2: Communicate Effectively and Develop Relationships * Principle # 3: Build Family Efficacy * Principle #4: Engage Every Family in Decision Making * Principle # 5: Engage the Greater Community Participants will need to purchase the book on Amazon Register athttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePDMpGd3hXjR6-50pVexXoYBEBKoqdupsRBuB4jKr61F4h-Q/viewform

ROE 47 would like to say thank you to all the administrative proffessionals in our 3 county area. A special thank you to the special ladies that work at our office. You keep things moving and we are so grateful! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

REGISTER NOW : How2INFORM: Media Literacy Kids spend 6-9 hours online daily, excluding school and homework. Harmful information persists on social media, including falsehoods that enable harm and targeted violence. How2INFORM (H2i) was designed to curb the spread of misinformation through social media. Passage of HB 0234 requires public school educators at the High School level to offer at least one unit of media literacy training, however, it is a training relevant for all K-12 students. This training provides educator tools and resources to aid in determining truths from fiction, critically analyzing media, and taking action when they encounter dangerous misinformative material. June 13, 2023 - Sauk Valley Community College; Room 1H16/18T Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxSCsntq6wLuHhxE-SVVRfWyg8JaPy6iGAEce3IKWft6Jy8g/viewform

SUMMER BOOK STUDY - REGISTER NOW! Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World By Stephanie Malia Krause With so much changing so fast―accelerated by the impacts of COVID-19―the most in-demand jobs and skills of today may be obsolete by the time our youngest become adults. For kids to be ready for this new reality, they must acquire four critical "currencies" that will serve them well, whatever their future holds: credentials, competencies, connections, and cash. This book focuses on how to prioritize these four key outcomes whenever and wherever learning happens. The author shares research and experience to help you understand and apply a human-centered and future-focused lens directly to your classroom, school, program, or at home. Register athttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_5c9KZBZVBp-QnyW0_bQq4CVrsvlnGk72hXuji3Zkz09KCg/viewform.

We are kicking off the Education Symposium at Sauk Valley Community College today with keynote speaker Dr. Lindsey Jensen, 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

Friday's School Celebration - 2nd Grade Field Trip Submitted by Jeffrey House, Principal , Fulton Elementary School The 2nd grade went on their annual field trip to Circa 21 and saw the musical "Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School." It was full of silly characters and fun music and dance numbers. The students all had a great time! After the musical we headed to Empire Park, where we had lunch and played on the playground before returning to school. Shout out to the PTO who fully funded our field trip! We are very appreciative for the opportunity!

Join us for summer learning! ROE 47 Summer Learning Opportunities 2023 are live on https://www.roe47.org/page/pl-opportunities-workshops. Check it out! @RegionalOffice47 #RegionalOffice47

We are excited to honor one of our ROE 47 staff this month, Nicole Oberg. Nicole is the recipient of the 2023 Crete Dillon Bowman Award for Community Leadership at the YWCA Women of Achievement Luncheon. This award is given to women who have exhibited outstanding volunteerism or leadership that has strengthened the community. Nicole has been with the Truant Alternative Program for three years and has been recognized for her effort and dedication in the position as well as other activities she is involved with. Congratulations Nicole!