From the Desk of the Superintendent | | |
Regional Superintendent Visits Yale University with ESA National Leadership Academy | |
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According to newsletter headlines sent out by the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA), the very first class of the Educational Service Agencies (ESA) National Leadership Academy is off to a great start. That phrase seems even more impactful for our region when you realize Regional Superintendent of Schools Scott Bloomquist is a member of that academy.
Mr. Bloomquist explained that the AESA is a national association of state agencies like our Regional Office of Education. He is one of only 19 individuals selected to this very first cohort of the National Leadership Academy. The cohort meets throughout the year in-person and online to learn best practices in supporting school districts and communities.
The focus of the cohort's training will include:
- Entrepreneurism and business development
- Adaptive and technical problems
- Advocacy: Local, state, and national
- Culture
- AI
- Recruitment and retention
Mr. Bloomquist's group recently met at the Summer Leadership Conference in New Haven, CT, diving into a wide variety of course topics, including two he is very excited about - AI and entrepreneurialism. The former is a new MUST LEARN ABOUT TOPIC in our field, while the latter gives a nod to the trending strengths of modern educational service agencies, like ROE 4.
We are excited for future updates about the National Leadership Academy's work and training and what new strategies Mr. Bloomquist will incorporate into supporting the districts and communities served by the Regional Office.
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ROE 4 Hosts High School Art Competition | |
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Six high school artists and their friends, families, and art instructors headed to the Regional Office on July 12th for their own Art Awards Ceremony and Gallery Walk.
Those local artists were the winners of the ROE 4 Second Annual "You Go, Young Picasso!" Art Competition. This year's theme was Graphic Design, and each winner received a $100 check and area recognition as their submitted art will hang in the Regional Office of Education for one year.
Winning artists were Joslyn Cnota, Mya Hildebrand, Jia Alejo, Ah Lar Blu, Tyler Lawson, and Lavon Rowell.
We would llike to thank Project Creator Linda DeYounge for her unique vision and follow-through, Keynote Presenter Tabatha Dougherty from CEANCI, Regional Superintendent Scott Bloomquist and Assistant Superintendent Allison Pierson, who both spoke during the awards ceremony, and the supportive family members, friends, and art instructors who attended the event in order to honor these impressive young artists.
We invite the community to stop in any time to view these art pieces being displayed at the Boone Winnebago ROE 4 Loves Park office. We can't wait for school to begin so we can send out submission invitations for the FY25 Picasso Art Competition - stay tuned!
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License Renewal Deadline Passes, Job Seeking Heats Up | |
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The FY24 school year ended in May for most, but the professional educators license (PEL) renewal deadline continued throughout the month of June, keeping Licensure and Professional Services Director Leah Blake on her toes.
That is not the only reason the central office has been hopping during the month of July. Customers seeking positions in the field of education created a non-stop flow of phone calls with questions and in-person appointments with Blake, as well as for the fingerprinting and school bus driver training departments. Those services were in hot demand due to certification and verification documentation that is required before school begins - for most in mid to late August. Summit Staffer Brittany Bauer (pictured above) also helped out by filling in during this busy time.
Add to that the fact that ROE 4 Administrative Assistant Madelynn Glenn was promoted to GED Program Coordinator after Logan Watts left his position in order to utilize his college training in a new national role. This required the rest of the front office staff (and occasionally Assistant Superintendent Allison Pierson) on a rotation to fill in at the front desk, fielding walk-in traffic and incoming calls for the entire organization.
Ms. Blake and ROE 4 Leaders along with representatives from the Central Office Team are currently interviewing candidates for the administrative assistant role. The job posting on Indeed brought a lot of interest, and the office continues to set up interviews until they land on the perfect candidate.
"My team is definitely ready for consistency in our department!," Blake laughed. "Once the new admin assistant is hired in the next week or so and their training is underway, we'll all be able to return to focusing 100% on our own roles."
And not a minute too soon as school staff will be heading back to their buildings in the next few weeks, with students enjoying their first day of school shortly thereafter. Great job keeping the ship steady, Central Office!
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Jennifer Kaiser will begin the FY25 school year in a new role at the Regional Office. It is a new position for the Area 2 SEL Hub as well. Kaiser was recently named the Associate Director of our region's Hub, which includes ROE 8, 16, 28, 35, 47, and 49 in addition to ROE 4.
Jen is no stranger to the SEL Hub and what goes into working with districts and schools within that program as she was an SEL specialist last year. She is at ease partnering with schools and their SEL teams. This may be because she has had experience in many educational roles, having been a classroom teacher, interventionist, team lead, parent, and school board member. Adding to her well-rounded resume, Jen has undergone specialized training in restorative practices, mindfulness, youth mental health first aid, and is a certified yoga instructor for both youth and adults.
We can't wait to see the new SEL content Ms. Kaiser and the SEL Hub Specialists bring to our area this year.
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"My mission is to support schools in seamlessly integrating SEL practices into their policies, practices, and learning environments so that all students and staff thrive!" ~ Jen Kaiser | |
Please Help Us Welcome Our New Team Members | |
ROE 4 Hosts Before the Crisis: Implementing Best Practices in Student Behavioral Threat Assessments Academy | |
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Illinois school administrators from as far away as Coal City filled the ROE 4 Training Room during the month of July to take Administrators Academy #1876: Before the Crisis. This offering is presented by Regional Superintendent Scott Bloomquist and Assistant Superintendent Allison Pierson. The pair created the academy several years ago following a school shooting in another state that involved a friend of the ROE.
The pair has delivered the session, which includes administrators actively developing or improving school crisis action plans and learning effective threat assessment strategies during the workshop, all over the country. During development of the academy, they used what the US Secret Service and the US Department of Education deemed best practices in the event of a major threat or crisis. This includes those that happen in or near schools.
ROE 4 Health Life Safety Director Will Hartje was also on hand for questions and to continue to help guide the Regional Safe & Secure Schools initiative.
During the event, Winnebago County educators and administrators were offered a 50% discount on the class fee thanks to Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board grant funding of the Safe & Secure Schools Project.
If your school safety team is interested in a closed or semi-closed session of Before the Crisis, please call the Regional Office at 815.636.3060 during business hours. We'd love to include you in the safety goals that are designed to keep all students and staff safe during a crisis.
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Leanna Keith Named Online Learning Program Coordinator | |
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If you're in Boone or Winnebago County and have worked on the Co-Teaching Collaboration or Classroom Engagement pathways, you probably already know the amazing Leanna Keith. She has been a professional learning force since her arrival at ROE 4 last summer. Maybe that's due to her competitive spirit; we love sharing that she is an Olympics fanatic!
She works with schools in our area and beyond, presenting, teaching, observing, and giving feedback as they strive to improve learning for students. She brings a consistent drive to the Regional Office, looking to support schools and sharing new strategies along the way.
So, when Linda DeYounge recently accepted a position outside the ROE, technology proficient Leanna welcomed the challenge to lead the online learning program for the PL Department. This gave her the opportunity to put her own creative spin on new courses that will land very soon.
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We are excited to see what she brings to the virtual training segment of our professional development offerings. She is off to a great start and has already been making adjustments, unveiling new offerings, and initiating fresh courses for educators in our area. Congratulations to Leanna! Your new title has a great "ring" to it! 😉 | | |
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Revamped Anytime Learning Library Available on ROE 4 Website | |
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Starting August 1st, the ROE 4 online, self-paced professional learning opportunities will be easily accessible by navigating to the ROE 4 Event Catalog, where you'll find the Anytime Learning Library logo that will LIVE at the top of that page. Click the orange REGISTER button to land on the course page and browse as much as you'd like. Short descriptions, prices and discounts, and even "coming soon" events are readily available for consideration on that page!
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Student Success Stories: Meet Student V | |
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Since I've met her, Student V has always been a determined, good-natured, hardworking, and responsible student. Upon arrival, she adapted well into her new school and immediately started to thrive in an alternative environment and helped make a positive impact on the school. She made great connections with her teachers and fellow classmates and oftentimes was a positive influence on other students being successful in class.
While also balancing a full class schedule, Student V was a manager at a local business, which I’m sure added to her organizational and leadership skills. Balancing the responsibilities of school and work are never easy, and Student V was able to prosper in her academics while taking on the responsibilities of being a manager. We are all really proud of her for fulfilling her graduation requirements. She will always be a part of the school community.
Good luck in your next chapter, V; our Student Support Services Team knows you are going to do amazing things!
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New Co-Executive Directors Guide Summit Academy | |
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You'll be seeing the names Chis Collins and Meghan Hawkinson a LOT during Summit Academy projects, updates, and announcements in the future. Collins, a past superintendent in the Chicago area, and Hawkinson, who has led the ROE 4 Student Support Services Division of the Regional Office for several years, both bring a truckload of experience to the Machesney Park campus. They are currently joining together to continue the Summit mission and vision established by previous administration teams...with even more improvements.
They're excited for their first staff kickoff on August 15th and the Student Blue Carpet First Day Welcome on August 16th. To be clear, the work begins well before students enter the building that day. Teams have already been on-site to build strategies and strength, while administrators are pulling together academics, handbooks, and policy, as well as planning attendance initiatives and community projects. This is in addition to hiring new team members and restructuring upper level staff that will confidently lead all aspects of the mission for the school's middle and high school students.
Dial in as these new leaders guide the middle and high school students and staff through education as they introduce a multitude of opportunities as well as support to students who attend the regional alternative school.
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Summit Executive Assistant Wins July Core Values Drawing | |
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Of COURSE she did! Executive Assistant Viri Duron's name was randomly drawn from this month's submissions by directors and co-workers as "living" the ROE's Core Values. She was awarded a gift card following nomination by her direct supervisor as the "Heart of Summit Academy." She really is! And, we truly love her.
We were so happy to celebrate her with a gift card to recognize how important she is to the operations of Summit Academy. You go, Viri!!!
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ROE 4 Current Career Opportunities | |
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We are including a list of OPEN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES at the Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education. This list also includes open positions at Summit Academy. Each position is a clickable link that will take you to the listing on Indeed or the IASA Job Bank for Job Seekers.
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Bookmark Openings at ROE 4 and Summit Academy
For the most up-to-date employment opportunities and information, please contact part-time interim HR Specialist Dr. John Ulferts at julferts@roe4 or find positions in THREE ways:
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Search "Boone Winnebago Regional Office of Education" on Indeed
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Search "ROE #04" on the IASA Job Bank under the Job Seekers section
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Visit the NEW & IMPROVED Regional Employment Opportunities page on the ROE 4 website with our current CAREER OPPORTUNITIES listed at the top of the page
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Quote of the Month:
“If I had my way, I’d remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead.”
~ Roald Dahl ~
British Author
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