From the Desk of the Superintendent | | |
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Summit Academy One of Eight Alternative Schools Spotlighted at National Alternative Education Conference | |
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We are so proud to share that Summit Academy was featured as a "spotlight" school at the annual National Alternative Education Association 2023 Conference held in Tampa, Florida this month. One of only eight schools in the nation chosen to represent the best of the best in alternative education, the Summit Academy administrative team was honored to bring "The Summit Story" to over 600 partipants from more than 30 states.
Executive Director Nicole Corbett and her team of Assistant Director Faith McNamee, Social Worker Paul Cassioppi, Counselor Meg Parker, ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services Director Meghan Hawkinson, and ROE 4 Regional Superintendent of Schools Scott Bloomquist were all in attendance. The "Core 4" from Summit were able to showcase their extensive work within the NAEA 2-year cohort on Exemplary Practices. This will allow the group (once they graduate) to be one of eight schools in the nation that have embedded the Alternative Education Standards into their school’s systems and structures. It's incredible to note that this deep dive into excellence at Summit arrived along with Mrs. Corbett and the vision of Scott Bloomquist and Assistant Regional Superintendent Allison Pierson a mere 2.5 years ago.
The Core 4 were invited to present "Connections Before Corrections - How Rounding for Outcomes and Restorative Circles Can Elevate Reciprocal Feedback Cycles" for alternative education administrators from throughout the nation. The staff members also manned a busy table at the Conference Gallery Walk, where they could share one-on-one with many of the event attendees who waited in line to speak with them.
The Illinois Coalition for Educating At-Risk Youth (ICEARY) also shared out to all of its members the details of Summit's trip for this national honor. ICEARY included the fact that the team was headed up by ICEARY members and all "presented breakout sessions or had leadership roles throughout the conference". They went on to stress that this work is all done in an effort to "create safe and supportive climates for students and staff". We could not be more proud!
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Unlocking Potential: The Summit Academy Difference
⬇⬇⬇ (click the Summit Academy logo below to view video) ⬇⬇⬇
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Representatives of Suburban West40 Regional Safe Schools
Visit Summit Academy in October
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During the month of October, the Summit Academy school community hosted administrative representatives of West40's suburban safe schools program. The admin team had requested a school tour and to meet with the school and regional leaders who created Summit's current strategies.
The school welcomed Karen Tiemann, Program Director of West40 Safe Schools, and an administrator from West40's Maywood Campus. The goal of the visit was twofold: to observe a successful alternative school's structures and programs and to talk through Summit's ICEARY advocacy work to elevate Truants' Alternative and Optional Education Program (TAEOP) funding and remove the competitive nature of the statewide grant. This was front of mind as late last month the ICEARY board met with the Illinois State Board of Education to discuss the lack of funding for TAEOP programs and to explore how to better partner with ISBE.
During the West40 visit, the two administrators were treated to a tour of the school, led by three student ambassadors: Jaiden L, Larenzo G, and Bolivia H (pictured above). Each of these students has achieved "Eagle" status at Summit, the highest level of privilege, responsibility, and leadership attainable in the school community.
Summit administrators along with Regional Superintendent of Schools Scott Bloomquist also sat down to talk through "The Summit Story" with their guests. Per West40's website, it's notable that they "serve students and families in West Cook County through in-school advocacy programs and Safe Schools, transforming struggling kids into flourishing members of their communities," a description similar to the goals at Summit. Interestingly, West40 was the Regional Office alt ed program Mr. Bloomquist hoped to utilize as a model for his re-envisioned regional alternative school when planning to transition the previous siloed programs in Boone and Winnebago Counties.
With the tremendous strides Summit has made during its evolution to a nationally spotlighted program, West40 and other alternative education programs are now turning to Mrs. Corbett, Mr. Bloomquist, and Mrs. Pierson for site visits and collaboration, as well as Regional Office of Education 4 support as their own programs learn and grow!
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SUMMIT EAGLE PRIDE
We are so very proud to share that the Summit staff is taking leadership to an entirely new level as a full 39% are currently enrolled in college courses! WAY! TO! GO! SUMMIT!
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Eagles Nest Ribbon Cutting at Summit Academy | |
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The Eagle's Nest is NOW OPEN at Summit Academy, and we have to admit, this is a pretty cool hot spot, even for a progressive atmosphere like Summit.
A traditional ribbon cutting was held at the doors to The Nest on October 4th with students, administrators, staff, and "Eagle" status attendees. When Mrs. Corbett brings out the "big scissors", it tends to get pretty exciting!
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As explained above, Eagle status at the academy is reserved for students who have reached the highest level of privilege, responsibility, and leadership within the school community. This special space is exclusive to "Eagle" students only.
The comfortable retreat adjacent to the library is a respite for homework, reading, quiet time, or any school activity. Congratulations, Summit Eagles!
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ROE 4 Introduces Literacy Collective of Illinois | |
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As education professionals in Illinois are aware, the Illinois State Board of Education released its new statewide comprehensive literacy plan (ICLP) on their website in mid October. As this new plan affects every grade band from PreK to 12th grade in the state, there are now hundreds (if not thoursands) of educators and administrators looking for guidance on what both training and implementation will look like.
Lucky for us all, new ROE 4 PL Director Carrie Brockway considers literacy her passion. And it shows.
Once the 140+ page ICLP rough draft was shared far and wide, Carrie opened registration for a small in-person roundtable for regional leaders to discuss feedback that will be shared with ISBE before the final draft lands in January. She invited those leaders via email with the following thoughts:
"The most recent version of the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan was released on the ISBE website...on October 18th. The plan outlines specific components of literacy education for PreK through 12th grade students. During the window of 10/18/23-11/18/23, the plan is available for public comment, and listening tours are currently being held throughout the state. ISBE states that more revisions will be made to the plan after the second round of listening tours and before adoption of this plan in January 2024, as required by Public Act 103-0402," wrote Brockway.
*Just a few hours after word got out that ROE 4 was hosting this informal discussion, districts throughout Northern Illinois began contacting ROE 4 PL to request an invite to the meeting. Knowing that the most robust feedback she could offer the state on the ICLP would be following an open discussion attended by ALL literacy leaders who wished to be heard, Mrs. Brockway restructured the Literacy Leaders' Lunch & Learn and relocated the event to a larger venue to accommodate all interested parties. She added, "We need to collaborate...on the needs of our collective community, offering each person the opportunity to provide feedback to ISBE on the plan itself, as well as the literacy needs of educators and districts in this part of the state and beyond...and to discuss and problem-solve potential barriers to implementation of the plan."
With the realization that voice was important for not only our region but our neighboring districts and in an effort to build the most impactful literacy plan for all of the students of Illinois, Carrie and her team of Coach Leanna Keith and Consultant Dr. Kim Wagner, the Literacy Collective of Illinois was born. Going forward, this group will act as a mainstay for the consistency and integrity of the literacy ideals required for current and future students in the State of Illinois.
As such, all are invited to the first collective event on November 7th. The FREE Literacy Leaders' Lunch & Learn will be held from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the RPS Career and Education Center, 4151 Samuelson Road, Rockford, IL 61109. Time permitting, the new Literacy Collective of Illinois will also answer questions regarding upcoming professional development (see tentative schedule below) in response to the updated literacy needs in the State of Illinois.
If you'd like to join the Lunch & Learn, please visit this link to register ASAP as spaces are filling quickly.
|  | Mark Your 2024 Planner for Tentative PD Opportunities with Literacy Collective of Illinois | |
Literacy Collective of Illinois has compiled the following TENTATIVE in-person workshop dates for 2024. Once dates are finalized, these workshops will be posted on the ROE 4 website events calendar. You may also open your camera and scan the QR code below to request an email with dates and links once those final plans are set. | |
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Comprehensive Literacy Launch K-6 (2-Day Workshop)*
Audience: ALL Literacy Leaders & Teachers
- PreK-2: January 22 & 29, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
- Grades 3-5: January 22 & 29, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
*Teacher/administrator teams of 3+ will receive a discount
Building Strong Foundations in Early Literacy Classrooms PreK-2 (2-Day Workshop)
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PreK-2: February 12, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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PreK-2: May 6, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
Vocabulary: Words Matter (2-Day Workshop)
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PreK-2: February 26, 2024 & April 22, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 3-5: February 20, 2024 & April 15, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 6-12: March 19, 2024 & Date TBD with Dr. Danielle Klein
Comprehension: Moving Beyond Strategy Instruction to Deep Understanding (2-Day Workshop)
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PreK-2: March 5, 2024 & April 30, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 3-5: March 6, 2024 & April 24, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 6-8: February 1, 2024 & March 21, 2024 with Dr. Danielle Klein
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Grades 9-12: February 9, 2024 & March 22, 2024 with Dr. Danielle Klein
Fluency Doesn’t Mean Fast (1-Day Workshop)
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Grades K-1: May 14, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 2-5: May 15, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 6+: May 19, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
Two-Day Writing Summit (2-Day Workshop)
- PreK-2: February 6, 2024 & May 7, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 3-5: February 9, 2024 & May 10, 2024 with Dr. Kim Wagner
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Grades 6-8: February 29, 2024 & April 25, 2024 with Dr. Danielle Klein
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Grades 9-12: March 8, 2024 & May 14, 2024 with Dr. Danielle Klein
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Professional Learning Shout-Outs for October | |
All co-teaching collaborations in our SIX district partner schools have completed their first round of coaching and have had their first personalized, dynamic skill-building training of the year. This pathway already supports up to 60+ co-teaching pairs! | | |
ROE 4 PL Facilitator Linda DeYounge held the first graduate credit information session on our partnership with University of St. Francis. Together, USF and ROE4 provide robust PD with the option to earn PDCs and college credit. | | |
Social Emotional Learning | |
Area 2 SEL Hub Members Attend Virtual
State Equity Symposium
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The Illinois Board of Education recently hosted a State Equity Symposium for administrators and school leaders, and Area 2 SEL Hub members were in attendance at the virtual conference.
Following a welcome by Dr. Tony Sanders, Illinois State Superintendent of Schools, and Dr. Steve Isoye, ISBE Chairman, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings from University of Wisconsin-Madison was introduced as keynote speaker for the symposium. Sharing “Time for a Hard Reset: Revisioning Education for Equity”, Dr. Ladson-Billings stressed the importance of closing equity gaps at schools throughout Illinois.
She went on to speak about how the pandemic affected education, especially most marginalized students. She went on to explain why it is so important to do a hard reset and NOT go back to normal, where some students were excluded, had talents that went unrecognized, and were regularly suspended, expelled, or automatically assigned to Special Education classes.
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Pictured: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings from University of Wisconsin-Madison | |
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With over 10 breakout sessions offered over the day-long event, each including 100+ attendees, a wide variety of topics were discussed. Those included "Overcoming Barriers to Equity through a System of Supports, Monitoring and Measurement" and "Equity Equals Access: Providing Meaningful Educational Opportunities for Students Who Are At Risk of Suspension or Expulsion".
Like other large conferences, the State Equity Symposium is just one channel the Area 2 SEL Hub team stays up to date on emerging trends and strategies for the vast array of social emotional learning topics. The Hub Team then incorporates these concepts into their support of the districts, schools, educators, students, and families in Area 2.
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Area 2 Social Emotional Learning Specialist
Attends Poverty Simulation Training in Missouri
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During the month of October, Jennifer Kaiser, Area 2 SEL Hub Specialist based at ROE 4, traveled to Missouri to attend intensive training on the Community Action Poverty Simulation. This is an interactive, immersive experience that provides participants a glimpse into a variety of barriers faced by individuals living in low-income situations.
During the first day of this immersion, all attendees experienced the Poverty Simulation as family members in order to gain the perspective of not only families and students but of the school personnel who will eventually attend the training through the Regional Office. On day two, Mrs. Kaiser explained that participants gained the skills necessary to plan, promote, direct, and facilitate a Poverty Simulation in their own community.
Mrs. Kaiser shared that the training opportunity was nothing short of "intense". She noted that she was included in very persistent and uncomfortable situations during her time there, in an effort to simulate real life. This level of reality interspersed in the workshop surely prepared her for unexpected scenarios that may arise during her facilitation of this training going forward.
The Poverty Simulation Experience has been offered to educators/schools by the Professional Learning and Social Emotional Learning Departments at the Regional Office for at least five years. The ROE 4 version of the nationally taught professional development includes small adjustments. These tweaks are incoorporated into the impactful training to make it personalized to the Rockford/Belvidere area, such as including local statistics on poverty and feedback from previous sessions.
In order to best achieve worthwhile outcomes, all attendees are required to participate in a reflection circle following the experience, which allows the SEL team to structure future activities in a way that enables attendees to gain the most from their customized event. If you're interested in holding a Pov Sim Experience for your school community, reach out to Jen at the Area 2 SEL Hub or call ROE 4 to connect!
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Pictured: Transportation Passes Utilized During ALL Poverty Simulation Experiences | |
FREE and Discounted Professional Learning Opportunities Available Courtesy of Area 2 SEL Hub
There is still custom and self-paced SEL-focused professional learning available through ROE 4 Events at a reduced price point courtesy of the Area 2 SEL Hub. If your department or school is interested in these opportunties, please reach out to SEL Specialist Jennifer Kaiser as soon as possible. These are also essential content pieces to round out any SEL needs for your remaining SIP and Institute Days! The customized training offered can also be integrated into before- or after-school workshops while the Area 2 SEL Hub has the ability to subsidize the cost.
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If you don't currently have an SEL team in your Area 2 school community, DO NOT scroll past this flyer!
There's still time to EARN $1,000!
Simply agree to create an SEL Team, design an action plan with the support of an Area 2 SEL Specialist, and build your school's capacity to meet the wellness needs of your school's students and staff! Follow these steps, and you may be eligible for $1,000!
Contact Allison Pierson or Jen Kaiser to learn more!!!
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Area 2 SEL Hub Welcomes Two New Specialists | |
Regional Office Professional Services Director Attends Conference | |
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Always looking at ways to gain knowledge about state mandated updates to support those we serve, the team at the Regional Office often dives into helpful trends and guidance for the districts and schools in our region. One of those instances this month included Leah Blake (pictured second from left), Director of Professional Services and Licensure at the Regional Office, taking part in the virtual Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE) 2023 Fall Conference.
Ms. Blake shared that many topics were addressed at the event:
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Release of 2023 lllinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan
- Information regarding recent mandate changes, including paid student teaching, bilingual education report, one year alternative licensure program, and elimination of edTPA assessment
- $5 Million Bilingual Education Grant to assist educators in 210 districts
- $2 Million Teacher Apprenticeship Pilot Program with Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
- Three-Year Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program due to 3,500 unfilled teacher positions
- Early Childhood Content Test
- Prevention of Current Educators Leaving Profession by supporting less burnout, better serving students, safe predictable learning, positive teacher/student relationships, and educators practicing self-regulation skills
Ms. Blake is currently working on updating and sharing procedures to support educators and community members per conference discussions. She is also taking proactive steps to implement solutions and remedies to the issues raised during the event. If you have comments or feedback, please contact Leah at lblake@roe4.org at your convenience.
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High Volume of Service Requests
Continue for ROE 4 in October
The number of service requests submitted from our communities remain strong year-over-year for the Regional Office. The Central Office Team has been cross-training to offer consistent attention to the demands of school districts and professional fields throughout Boone and Winnebago Counties. Appointment scheduling for licensure support, fingerprinting, training, testing, and permits are offered up to six days a week. The numbers (for mid September to present) are as follows:
- Individuals Fingerprinted: 145
- Worker Permits Issued: 12
- School Bus Drivers Trained and Certified: 39
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School Bus Drivers Recertified: 46
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November 1st is Golden Apple Foundation Classroom Grant Application Deadline
Grant applications for small (up to $300) and large (up to $2,500) classroom projects are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Finish up your application on the Golden Apple Foundation website, and drop it by their office or send it via email. There is currently a lot of money available for STEM grants and resources for LITERACY, MENTAL HEALTH (educators and/or students) AND MORE! Don't miss out on this awesome opportunity! Head to their website to learn more and apply.
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Spelling Bee Discounted Enrollment Rate Ends TODAY! | |
LAST CALL to enroll your elementary or middle school for the 2024 Regional Spelling be at spellingbee.com at the early bird (early bee?) cost of only $180 for schools. The special price is only good through October 31, 2023. The school enrollment fee will then bee $199 throughout the remainder of the Spelling Bee registration period, which ends on January 31, 2024. Keep in mind that this also acts as the registration for your school's winning speller to participate in the Regional Bee scheduled for early March 2024. | |
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School Improvement Expands
Effective Teams Training in Regional Districts
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While Chris Collins' "Four: For Leaders" monthly educational leadership share took a brief hiatus during the month of October as he traveled overseas to take in the sights, sounds, and culture of Paris, France, his schedule most definitely was NOT on pause. His whole school training strategies are currently some of the most requested at the ROE, and Chris' calendar has continued to fill in response.
Diving into yet another request for his collective voice training, Chris traveled to Rockford Environmental Science Academy (RESA) on October 12th and 13th to work with both the leadership team and the whole school staff. The training group numbered appoximately 180, who attended to collaboratively developing team norms with a focus of moving to collective voice.
Mr. Collins explained his teaching process is customized to each school team he works with, stating "this begins as leadership team training, transitioning to training the whole staff. The group structure will teach all to use collective voice in order to land on effective solutions to best practices and outcomes."
Chris was very impressed by the work RESA Principal Ben Stover requested and the end results he hoped to obtain, adding “the teams were incredibly engaging from day #1, and it led to an incredibly productive session.”
Collins and ROE 4 have been chosen to continue to work on strategies and processes with RPS 205 school communities. This is in addition to several other regional schools and districts.
Connect with Chris Collins directly to learn more about Effective Teams training for your building or district at 815.636.3060 or at ccollins@roe4.org.
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In Their Own Words...
"...shout out to Collins! He sat down with me and a couple of the other members of the Youth Mental Health Systems of Care Committee yesterday to problem solve, plan and realign the work! They were amazed at his talent and ability to ask the right questions. :) Thanks, Chris!" M.H.
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Watch for F4L to return in November! Chris Collins, Director of School Improvement for ROE 4, authors the monthly Four: For Leaders article. Receive F4L delivered monthly to your inbox by checking Four: For Leaders on this form to subscribe! | | |
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44
New Case Referrals Since 09.01.23
241
Court Appearances Since 09.01.23
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Human Resources & Finance | |
November Human Resources Advisory Council Meeting | |
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Don't forget to register for the next HR Advisory Council meeting, which is scheduled for November 14th, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. In-person attendees will do so at the Regional Office, 300 Heart Blvd, Loves Park. Virtual participation is also an option. Both require registration, where you'll enter your choice of format on a registration form.
The November meeting will include a presentation by Lindsay Jonas of IASPA, with "Who is Helping Our New Teachers? - Induction and Mentoring". A roundtable discussion will immediately follow.
If you have additional topics you would like to touch on with the group, please add it to the shared agenda available to all members. To attend, remember to sign up by visiting this link and clicking the orange REGISTER button, which will direct you to a Google form. As always, everyone is welcome. See you soon!
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Open Positions 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 search "Boone Winnebago Regional Office of Education" on Indeed or "ROE #04" on the Illinois Job Bank under the Job Seekers section.
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Learning Technology Center of Illinois Monthly ROE 4 #TechTip
Hey, Google-ists! Sarah Phelps has a year-end email organization push for everyone with this month's #TechTip. Join her for "How To Manage Email Lists In Google Contacts" with Learning Technology Center of Illinois and ROE 4. Here we go!
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Quote of the Month:
"If I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns."
~ George Eliot ~
Novelist and Poet
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300 Heart Boulevard, Loves Park, IL 61111 • (815) 636-3060
www.roe4.org
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