From the Desk of the Superintendent

Happy December!

I have a confession to make……I love winter and I love Christmas time. During this change of seasons, I often reflect, dream, and remember what is most important to me in my life: the presents.

While your first thought may be presents in relation to actual gifts, I am most thankful for the gifts of those people in my life I get to be present with. The time I get to spend with my kids and extended family is a present to cherish. The time spent with our team at the ROE who work tirelessly to make a difference in our schools is a present to celebrate. Being present at Summit Academy and having a few hundred students say Good morning and Have a great day is a present.

Being present with those I care most about is the greatest present I could ever receive.

Each day is a gift; unwrap it with joy and expectation, making a difference in the lives around you, and also be present in a manner that others will feel is a gift.

Thank you all for an amazing 2022, and we will see you in 2023!

OVERVIEW

December Updates

Social-Emotional Learning
Leadership, Professional Learning & School Improvement at RSAC
Summit Academy
Human Resources/Finance
At-Risk Student Services
Professional Services

ROE 4 Connections is a monthly snapshot of Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education news and updates for our 13 districts, students, staff, and communities in Northern Illinois! We'll keep you informed of what we've been up to as well as upcoming events. We are grateful for the opportunity to advocate, educate, and serve.

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PLEASE NOTE: ROE 4 will be closed December 16 @ 3 p.m. through January 2, 2023.

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Social-Emotional Learning

The Area 2 Social-Emotional Learning Hub Coaches and Specialists have been conducting in-person visits and following up with schools and districts in Northwest Illinois, guiding SEL support for students and staff. The group, along with Assistant Director Kim Maville, also invested two full days learning together at an ROE 4-based training. In addition, they participated in a Social-Emotional Learning Foundation (SELf) cohort full-day session.

Planning time together for this dedicated group included insightful circle time, celebrating already reaching their FY23 goal of partnering with 40 Illinois schools on The REACH Project. Training then covered nominations for a second SEL cohort, building capacity for their SEL communities, the creation of networking opportunities in all regions of Northwest Illinois, communities of practice, and future focus groups and the quality feedback this could bring to their statewide initiative.

At completion of the first day of training, the SEL Hub shared a meal and participated in a group exchange with a theme of "What brings you joy?" The Hub finished out the day with some fun photo sessions, games of inspiration, and an hour of mindfulness/yoga.

Director Allison Pierson was quick to offer accolades to the small but mighty group of go-getters. "With SELf already looking to expand into a second cohort and schools signing on to dive deeper into social-emotional training to become more trauma responsive, I completely trust that this hardworking team will be a catalyst for SEL change. They are the force behind reaching out, connecting with districts, offering support, and continually nuancing the optimum pathway for each school," she said.

Mrs. Pierson and the ROE 4 leadership team continue to be inspired by the passion the Area 2 SEL Hub brings to work every day. As a bonus, feedback has them excited for things to come as they continue to support education in our region and beyond.

Visit the Area 2 SEL Hub Website

ROE 4 Leadership, Professional Learning & School Improvement Present at RSAC 2022

Regional Office of Education and Summit Academy representatives recently attended IARSS's Raising Student Achievement Conference for 2022. These teams at ROE 4 definitely bring their "A" game when it comes to exploring innovations in education and leadership. Approximately a dozen Regional Office staff members attended the annual conference, and four of those participated as presenters as well as learners. The four taught 5 breakout sessions over the popular 2-day event.

Leading off Day 1 of the conference, Casey Veitch, BWROE 4 Director of Professional Learning, taught 3 full breakout sessions over the course of the first day. Always engaging and entertaining, Mrs. Veitch again delivered impactful content, with her unique presentations making connections to Queen, Ted Lasso, and even a little F.r.i.e.n.d.s!

Scott Bloomquist, Regional Superintendent of Schools for the Regional Office, and Allison Pierson, Assistant Regional Superintendent, presented Student Threats: What Can You Do as a Teacher to Keep Your Students Safe? The duo are well know locally as well as statewide for their comprehensive Administrators Academy on Student Behavior Threat Assessments. Their focused breakout adaptation for educators at RSAC 2022 was well attended and will be truly impactful for making schools safer and giving teachers an added sense of security for students in their classrooms.

Chris Collins, Director of School Improvement for ROE 4, offered a session on design principles and collaboration for attendees. With both teaching and administrative experience, Chris is a common sense presenter and always brings an "a-ha" moment to any workshop he leads. His breakout consisted of great information for educators and administrators alike.

Additional team members from the Regional Office and Summit Academy who were in attendance included Nicole Corbett, Paul Cassioppi, Joel DeYounge, Linda DeYounge, Kelly Duncan, Heather Hall, and Kim Maville.

The annual conference draws hundreds of educators and administrators to Schaumburg, Illinois. This year's keynote speakers were Dr. Joe Sanfelippo and Dr. Jenni Donohoo. With over 100 breakout sessions, it was an excellent opportunity for education professionals to connect, re-connect, learn, and grow.

Thank you to Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools for this yearly offering.

January In-Person Workshops:

Are you looking for engaging opportunities to earn professional development or administrators academy credit? Visit the ROE 4 registration site for something that fits your schedule. There are currently 20 sessions available either in person or online during the month of January.

Drones in the Classroom

Presented by

Ben Sondgeroth, LTC Illinois

January 13

The Emotionally Intelligent Principal - AA #1838

In Partnership with IPA

January 24

Teach. Train. Thrive.

Presented by

Lani Lawson, M.Ed., BCBA

January 26 & 27

ROE 4 Unveils HS Art Competition:

You Go, Young Picasso!

The Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education is proud to announce its very first art competition, You Go, Young Picasso! Recently, we've renovated our offices but still have empty wall space to fill. We're hoping to use that blank canvas to showcase winning art entries created by talented regional high school art students.

The theme this year is “Architecture That Elevates.” Our hope is that each public high school in our region will be represented by a young artist. A winner will be named from EACH high school and will receive a $100 gift card, as well as the opportunity to display their winning entry at a reception to be held at ROE 4. Submission deadline is May 26, 2023, so check out the details TODAY!

Click HERE to Learn More!

Yule Love Summit Academy's Holiday Spirit

No stranger to making every holiday and event special for their staff and students, Summit Academy had a full agenda of holiday-themed celebrations planned leading up to the scheduled winter break.

Nicole Corbett, Summit Academy Executive Director, and her administrative team shared that the school community would be treated to festive decor throughout the campus. She described the main office area as looking like a winter wonderland. The staff also participated in their yearly classroom door decorating competition. It was no surprise that this fun staff got super creative with their entries.

While voting for favorite doors doesn't end until tomorrow (head to the ROE 4 Facebook page to view the entries and cast your vote), the students and community have really enjoyed selecting their top choices. Mrs. Corbett stated, "Our doors are so cute! We felt like everyone was a winner as the entire school felt extra 'merry and bright' dressed up for the holidays."

Frivolity aside, the most heartwarming phase of the seasonal celebration for the Summit Eagles will be students and staff coming together for a meal the week before Christmas. Mrs. Corbett explained that the school will feed all students an entire Christmas dinner the day prior to dismissing for the winter break. The most meaningful moment for all who attend is anticipated to be simply joining together for fellowship at such a special time of the year.

Merry Christmas, Summit Eagles!

Learning Technology Center of Illinois Monthly ROE 4 #TechTip

Take a few minutes to learn new technology tips and tricks! Enjoy learning about Google Keep with the December Tech Tip from LTC's Eric Santos.

Human Resources

With 2023 just around the corner and distribution of employee W-2s prior to the tax deadline looming, the month of December rolls along as one of the busiest times for the Human Resources and Finance Departments at Boone-Winnebago ROE 4. Their loaded schedules also include onboarding new employees, payroll, staff meetings, as well as audits and day-to-day processes.

Even so, Maria Diestelmeier (HR Director), Rachelle Blitch (Finance Director), and Jamie Watts (Finance/HR Assistant Director) made time for extensive Skyward Applicant Tracking System training sessions throughout the month of December. Joined by Scott Bloomquist, Regional Superintendent of Schools, the 2 combined ROE 4 teams received education on the procedures required to operate this powerful system. The group also received guidance and coaching as they customized the software to meet their needs as employment applications are submitted to the Regional Office.

As Boone-Winnebago ROE continues to grow, with dozens of new employees already onboarded for the first half of FY23, it became clear that a more efficient application process would be required going forward. The company-driven programming will allow both internal and external applicants at ROE 4 to apply for open positions and will permit Human Resources to track the applications with attachments, make notes, make inquiries, designate priority, and set up in-person interviews. Applicant Tracking will also offer electronic signatures for offers of employment and will act as a permanent file throughout an employee’s tenure at the Regional Office, including evaluations and promotions.

The efficiency of this format will free up much needed time for this extremely busy department at ROE 4, and the entire team is looking forward to the integration of the newly created system in the very near future.

Plus, ROE 4/Summit Academy is still hiring! Summit currently has three open positions to fill at their Machesney Park campus. Visit www.indeed.com and search “Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education” under the Find Jobs tab to learn more or to easily apply.

ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services Adds Team Members

Meghan Hawkinson, ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services Director, is excited to introduce two new team members to her department.

Kelly Kolodzik comes on board as the second Intensive Attendance Interventionist. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement/Justice Administration from Western Illinois University, she has always worked with at-risk youth in Rockford and the surrounding areas. Her proudest accomplishments to date in her profession have been the relationships she has built with local families. She is hoping to bring assistance, communication, and a good attitude to the various districts we serve in an attempt to make a positive difference as an intensive attendance interventionist. We're happy to have Kelly join the ROE 4 work family.

Paula West comes on board at the ROE in an expanded roll as the full-time ARSS Administrative Assistant. Paula will bring hard work and dedication to her position, knowing that working full-time will personally give her a true sense of purpose. She is proud to have been the first and only female maintenance person at OSF St. Anthony's in the past. Her openminded personality shines through with her passion for Reiki healing and learning other forms of alternative healing. Welcome to the team, Paula!

The awesome news is that both Kelly and Paula are already considered top-notch additions to the busy attendance department. Congratulations to the growing ARSS team!

Kelly Kolodzik

Intensive Attendance Interventionist

Paula West

ARSS Administrative Assistant

At-Risk Student Services Team

Volunteers Time During the Holidays

The At-Risk Student Services Team partnered with Christ United Methodist Church in Rockford to provide 20 complete Thanksgiving meals to families that are part of the attendance interventionists' caseloads. Each meal consisted of three boxes filled with food, enough for a Thanksgiving meal as well as food for approximately an additional week or more.

Interventionists picked up the meal packages from the church bright and early and delivered them to the homes of the families they had identified and who agreed to accept the kind donation. There were many "thank yous" and smiles upon delivery of this generous helping hand.

Some of the interventionists have also partnered with other local organizations and churches independently to provide Christmas gifts to families who have indicated they are not able to provide for their children.

Thank you to the Boone-Winnebago ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services Dream Team for investing professional time as well as personal time to support students and families in our communities.

Professional Services

Even though our time in the office during December was shortened due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, we still have some pretty impressive numbers to share from our Professional Services Department. Check out the data below, and then enjoy a few pictures taken by the ROE 4 office elves.

We hope this festive time of year finds you and your family happy and healthy!

The 39th Boone-Winnebago

Regional Spelling Bee

THERE'S STILL TIME! The FY23 Regional Spelling Bee is set for March 8, 2023. The school enrollment period deadline is December 31, 2022, with a registration fee of $175. Your school MUST enroll with the Scripps National Spelling Bee at www.spellingbee.com by 12/31. This will also serve as your registration with the Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education. Please note, your school's bee MUST be completed and the results submitted prior to the March 3, 2023, deadline. Contact Denise Rux with questions!