Meet the Pack!
Introducing Graciela Vences - 1st Grade Dual Language Teacher
Introducing Graciela Vences - 1st Grade Dual Language Teacher
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Carol Fraser - School Nurse
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited to meet new staff and students this year.
Favorite children's book?
-My Favorite Children’s book is George and Martha
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-We have two guinea pigs names Barbie and Bluey
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-My advice is “ friendship grows when we share a smile and kindness”
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Laurie Forsberg - Attendance Secretary
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Nancy Perez - DL Science and Digital Literacy Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
- I am excited to get to meet and know all of our new huskies as well as everyone that I will be working with this school year!
Favorite children's book?
- My current favorites are Watercress by Andrea Wang and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- I have a dog named Robin! She is a 7-year-old Beagle and Doberman mix who enjoys napping all day and eating endless amounts of treats!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- I would tell students that it is okay to be nervous. It is a new school, new friends, and new teachers. Ask questions and be yourself! We are all in this together!
Kindergarten Playdate Alert!
Join us this summer for a special playdate at Wing Park. Let your future kindergartener enjoy the playground, meet their future classmates, and connect with our school community. Save the date: August 19 @ 5:00 PM (raindate August 20). Illinois Park’s staff looks forward to meeting you and your child!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Lisa Kincaid - Cross Cat Resource Teacher
I’m most excited about getting to know our students and staff, & working together to make an IL Park a great place to be!
My favorite children’s book is Charlotte’s Web.
We have one dog, a border collie named Elvis.
For the first day of school I’d tell students to smile, take a deep breath, and know our staff is all here for you.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Ruddy Almanza - Secretary to the Principal
What are you most excited about this school year?
- To meet all the new students & staff and also seeing all the familiar faces return.
Favorite children's book?
- Love You Forever
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- Sadly no pets yet!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- It’s okay to be nervous, trust me we all are! Just be yourself and remember to always smile!
Meet the Pack!
Nora Neri - Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
What are you most excited about this school year?
-This year, I am most excited about joining a new school community and collaborating with a fresh, inspiring group of students and colleagues.
Favorite children's book?
-My favorite children's book is any book from the Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly series. It's such a great way to get the littles interested and expanding their communication skills in a playful manner.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I have one cat, her name is Mia. She was featured for the month of April in the Paw Print Store's cat calendar this year.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-The advice I would give students on their first day of school is: the challenges you face here will teach you lessons that no textbook can ever print. When things get difficult, don't walk away. The hard days aren't roadblocks. They are where you do your deepest growing.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Katie Csapo - Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-Being apart of the transition from the old I’ll kid park to the new Illinois park and meeting all the new staff and students.
Favorite children’s book
- Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-Nope, but I am an excellent dog sitter
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- Everyone else is nervous too, even if they don’t look like they are!
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Rosalia Cornejo - ELL Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited to meet all of my new students, build positive relationships with them and their families, and watch them learn, grow, and gain confidence throughout the school year.
Favorite children's book?
-As a child, some of my favorite books were the Amelia Bedelia series and Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine. I loved the humor in Amelia Bedelia and the fun, spooky adventures in Goosebumps.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-Yes! I have a very social pet bird. He loves interacting with the family and spends time flying freely around our home. He has a fun personality and always keeps us entertained.
What advice would you give students on home visit?
-Come ready to smile, play, and make new friends! We are going to have a wonderful first day together.
Meet The Pack!
Introducing Maria Martin-Bowman - Assistant Principal
What are you most excited about this school year?
-Creating the NEW Illinois Park TOGETHER. I'm excited to build a new school community with our teachers, staff, students and families.
Favorite children's book?
-Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty (the whole series actually).
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-We have a dog, he's a little guy, only 6 lbs. His name is Tostito (like the chip!).
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- All of us, teachers, staff, your parents and even your Principals have some butterflies about the first day. But remember butterflies are there because while we might be a little nervous, we are also excited. And the best part is that we get to become Illinois Park together.
Kindergarten Bus Safety Program
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we are excited to offer our annual Kindergarten Bus Safety Program to help our newest students feel confident and prepared for their first ride to school. Our goal is to help ease any anxiety students may have while reinforcing the importance of school bus safety. Please join us at Illinois Park School on Monday, Aug 10 at 10:00 AM to see and get familiar with our school buses! Guardians and siblings are welcome to attend.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Sarah Mackh - Elementary Library Paraprofessional
Favorite children's book?
- I’m a librarian, so I have a LOT of favorite books! One of my top choices is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- I have three dogs: Lou is a 9-year-old 100-pound Chocolate Labrador, Gracie is an 11-year-old black-and-white pitbull/coonhound mix, and Kazooie is a 1-year-old Corgi/Dachshund mix (we think) – she looks like a fox with stubby legs.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- My best advice for the first day of school is that everybody is new this year, so it’s a great chance to make new friends and have a fresh start.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Ms. Angee Marin Rodriguez - Intermediate MAC Paraeducator
What are you most excited about this school year?
- I am so excited for this fresh new chapter! New school, new students, a new career path, plenty of new things to learn, and getting to work with a "semi-new" staff. To top it off, I’m thrilled to be reunited with some wonderful friends from my old school!
Favorite children's book?
- Huevos verdes con jamón by Dr. Seuss (the Spanish translation of Green Eggs and Ham)! "¡No me gusta, Juan Ramón, huevos verdes con jamón!" 🍳💚
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
- Yes! Frankie, my 10-year-old brindle French bulldog. His current schedule consists of extra-long naps in the sun and very short walks around the block. I love him so much I even have a portrait tattoo of him on my forearm!
MY FAVORITE FUN FACT: Frankie actually got to meet Princess Leia herself: Carrie Fisher!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- This is a fresh start for all of us, so let’s make day one the beginning of something awesome! Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. We’re all learning, growing, and figuring it out together.
Meet the Pack!
Introducing Lisa Kees - 3rd/4th Grade Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited to meet new people and help build a new school community.
Favorite children's book?
- I have so many!! Wonder and Mr. Peabody's Apples are two that I love to read with my students.
Do you have any pets?
- I have a black cat named Stella.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
- Don't be afraid to be yourself and ask questions. Exciting things happen when we try new things.
Meet the Pack!
Tina Parkin - Speech Language Pathologist
What are you most excited about this school year?
-New friends, new students, and new challenges.
Favorite children's book?
-Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I have a german shepherd mix named Sampson (Sammy, Sambo) and a black cat named Kona. They are both the absolute best pets and they are very patient with my young kids.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-Never be afraid to ask for help.
Meet The Pack!
Ofelia Rodriguez - 5th Grade Dual Language Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I’m most excited to build meaningful relationships with both students and staff and celebrate all the successes we’ll achieve together throughout the school year!
Favorite children’s book?
-Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-No pets, just a proud dog auntie to a pyrenees husky mix named Rover.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-Be yourself, be kind, and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Meet the Pack
Ashley Burstein - Social Worker
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am excited to meet all of our new huskies!
Favorite children's book?
-Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I have a 6 year old Aussie poo named Shadow Mae! She currently knows how to sit, stay, roll over, give her paw, and bark happily at guests!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-Everyone feels butterflies on the first day- even teachers! Take a few deep breaths and ask for help if you need it.
Meet the Pack
Samantha Preziosio - Primary Multi-Abilities Classroom (MAC) Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I am most excited about starting my first year teaching and getting to meet so many wonderful staff members and new students!
Favorite children's book?
-My favorite children's book is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom or Goodnight Moon
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
-I currently have a grey cat named Dusty who likes to nibble on you! I also have a parrot named Pete and his favorite thing to say is Go Bears!
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-Advice I would give is to be yourself and say hi to as many people as you can because you never know who your friends are going to be!
Meet the Pack
Mrs. Shelton, Science Teacher
What are you most excited about this school year?
-I’m most excited about getting to know my students and discovering what sparks their curiosity about science. I can’t wait for the questions, experiments, discoveries, and “wow, that’s cool!” moments we’ll share this year! 🔬✨
Favorite Children’s Book:
-The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them
-We have a dog named Ginger, and she is the sweetest girl! 🐾 She loves being part of our family and has been enjoying all the extra cuddles and attention she’s been getting this summer.
What advice would you give students on the first day of school?
-My advice for all future Huskies on the first day of school is simple: Be yourself! 💙 When we show up as our true selves, we create meaningful connections and make our school a place where everyone feels welcome. I’m excited to meet each of you, learn about what makes you unique, and share an amazing year filled with curiosity, discovery, laughter, and fun! 🐾✨
