The 2015-16 school year is going to be one for the record books at Walden. At the conclusion of last school year, we officially had six retirements, five staff transfers to new schools, and two teacher moves within our own school. We have not been exposed to this much change in a long time, if ever. And since Deerfield is a “destination district” – one in which teachers, administrators, and all staff desire to work and stay – we have, for the most part, had the great privilege of consistent staff assignments and are treading in unfamiliar waters.

We cannot replace the experience, loyalty, or the mastery of craft of our retirees and transferring staff overnight. What we can do (and what we did) is seek out candidates who are predictive of excellence, with the talent and skill to maximize student achievement. There is nothing more important I can do as your principal than hire teachers with these qualities, who will ultimately have the greatest impact on your children.

The entire DPS109 administrative team is trained and certified in a very thorough, structured selection process that allows us to hire the best candidates. Along with application, resume, and essay reviews, “fit” interviews with teacher-input teams, and reference checks, we believe we have new staff coming on board that will continue the excellence that our departing staff built for us.

In this first blog post, I want to share a brief introduction to the newest members of the Walden family. I am confident they’ll fit into our outstanding school community and look forward to them not only joining our team, but also spreading their wings and positively impacting our students for years to come!

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Katie Kalnitz – Kindergarten

My name is Katie Kalnitz and I am excited to introduce myself to the Walden School community as a new Kindergarten teacher! I received my Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois in 2013, and I am currently working toward completing my Masters Degree in Special Education. I previously taught Kindergarten in Wilmette, and absolutely fell in love with this special age group. I am truly honored to be a new member of the prestigious Walden School staff, and look forward to building a strong partnership with the families and students I will have the pleasure of working with. I am eager for the school year to begin and to see many smiling faces fill up my classroom. Cheers to Kindergarten!

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Christina Buettner – Kindergarten

Hello! My name is Christina Buettner. I graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in elementary education. I student taught at Walden (under the mentorship of Mrs. Oshiro) and have been working at South Park elementary as a teacher assistant. This summer, I am teaching an iPad Imagination class through the Deerfield Summer School program. I have also participated in after school enrichment programs as a tumbling and dance instructor. I am very excited to be working at Walden in the fall as a kindergarten teacher and I cannot wait to meet my students and their parents! It’s going to be a great school year!

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Miriam Tallman – 1st Grade 

I have been a member of the DPS109 family since 2011. I come to Walden with 6 years of experience teaching grades K, 1, and 2, and am excited to be teaching first grade at Walden for the 2015-2016 school year. I attended University of Michigan (Go Blue!) for my undergraduate degree and Dominican University for my Masters in Education. I join you from Wilmot Elementary and am looking forward to a great year ahead!

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Jasmine Gore – 5th Grade 

I graduated from Trinity International University with a degree in Elementary Education. Since graduating, I have completed three long-term substitute teaching positions, two of those positions taking place in Deerfield Public School District 109. Having taught fourth grade at both Walden and Kipling this past year, I feel prepared to return to Walden to teach fifth grade. I greatly enjoyed all of those experiences, and am very excited to be teaching at Walden this upcoming school year!

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Lindsey Summers – Art

Hello, my name is Lindsey Summers and I will be the new art teacher at Walden! Originally from the Chicago Area, I attended Drake University for college (go Bulldogs!) and stayed in Des Moines the past few years to teach elementary art in the area. Sharing artwork and teaching my students to think creatively are my passions. I can’t wait to get to know all of my students and their families this year!

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Caitlin Skrbec – Music

I graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in June. My student teaching experience was at Beebe Elementary School in District 203 in Naperville, teaching Kindergarten through Fifth Grade general music and Fourth and Fifth Grade Choir. I have also been teaching private trumpet lessons for three years. I love teaching music and I am very excited to share my love of music with the Walden students this coming year!

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Genevieve Lukes – School Psychologist

Hello!  My name is Genevieve Lukes.  I am the new school psychologist at Walden this year!  I graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2012, and this will be my fourth year as a school psychologist. I am very excited to work with a great staff, and to meet all of the fantastic students and their wonderful families!

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Kimmy Bielawa – Resource

My name is Kimmy Bielawa. I have been a Special Education teacher at Kipling Elementary school since 2001 in a full time and part time capacity. Previously I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology. I then continued on to receive my Master’s degree in Special Education from National Louis University. Now, I will be returning this fall full time again, working half of the week at Kipling and half of the week at Walden, and cannot wait to be a Walden Wildcat!

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Corey Epton – Resource

My name is Corey Epton and I am very excited to be joining the Walden community this school year. I have been working in Schaumburg for the past 2 ½ years as a special education resource teacher. I attended Illinois State for my undergraduate degree in Special Education, and am currently pursuing my Masters degree through National Louis. The last 6 summers I have been a supervisor for NSSRA inclusion camps, and taught summer school this past summer. I am looking forward to this school year!

 

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Megan Vanden Heuvel – Resource 

Hello! My name is Megan Vanden Heuvel and I am excited to be one of the resource teachers for the 2015 – 2016 school year. This is going to be my first year as a Walden Wildcat and I cannot wait! My experience in the Special Education field began with multiple volunteer opportunities including coaching a flag-football team for children who have Autism and volunteering at a school for children who have emotional disabilities. I graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor in Special Education. This will be my second year teaching; last year I taught a middle school classroom for students who have Autism and intellectual disabilities. I am thrilled to work with you and your child this year!