Fontane Thomas is a National Board Certified teacher in Early Childhood. He received his B. A. in Psychology from Arizona State University and his Master degree in Early Childhood Education from National-Louis University. In 2008 Mr. Thomas was nominated for a Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award. Mr. Thomas currently teaches Prekindergarten and is the Coordinator for the Parent Teacher Organization. Before teaching, Mr. Thomas served in the Armed Forces Reserve. Mr. Thomas also enjoys exercising, reading science fiction novels, and working with computers.

Hi, I am Erin Wysong. I have been teaching for 12 years and have been a pre-k teacher at Hayt Elementary School for 7 years. I have taught first grade, second grade, and pre-kindergarten—which is my favorite age to work with. I have my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Manchester University and my master’s degree in Curriculum and Reading from California State University, and a certificate in English as a Second Language from National Louis University. I love to help young children develop a love for learning and a greater sense of independence. At home, I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, cooking, and exploring the outdoors. Phone: 773-534-2265
Room #: 118

Hello! I am Ms. Duenas. I graduated from Loyola University with a Bilingual Elementary Education degree and an endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL) in 2018. I was born and raised here in Chicago. Growing up, I also attended CPS. I speak Spanish fluently as well. I am in my second year of teaching and I have been at Hayt since the Fall of 2018. Some of my favorite things to do are dancing, traveling and drinking coffee.

Mi nombre es Rocío Radziszewski, les doy la bienvenida a la escuela Hayt y a nuestro salón 120. Me encanta trabajar en preescolar y ayudar a mis estudiantes a alcanzar sus metas. Les ofrezco un salón en donde reine la positividad, con actividades que les ayudaran a desarrollar sus habilidades sociales, emocionales, físicas, y lenguaje. En nuestro salón aprenderemos, cantaremos, y nos reiremos mientras aprendemos juntos. Este es mi primer año como maestra de prescolar, sin embargo, trabaje como asistente de maestra en el año 2018-2019, y estudie para maestra gracias a un programa de residencia entre CPS y la universidad National Louis. Me gradué de maestra en junio del 2020, con un Maestría en Educación temprana infantil y aprobación de Ingles como segundo lenguaje/ Bilingüe. Tengo un bachillerato en Patología de lenguaje, habla, y el sistema auditivo de la universidad Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Tengo una hija de 10 años, llamada Natalia, y un hijo de 9 años llamado Tobías. Durante nuestro tiempo en familia nos gusta salir a explorar la ciudad, leer, y ver televisión. La educación es la mejor herencia que le podemos dejar a nuestros hijos. Yo creo en la perseverancia y por eso he logrado mis metas, y me gustaría que mis alumnos también crean en la perseverancia.

Humera Begum has been teaching Kindergarten at Hayt Elementary School for the last 7 years. She has taught English Language Learners from K – 8 for 12 years.

She received a degree in Teaching Science and Social Studies from Karachi University in Pakistan. Ms. Begum placed 1st in the College of Education Exhibition for researching and creating audio visual aids for science instruction. She received recognition through a daily newspaper “Express” where her research was acknowledged to set precedence for new educators. Then she received a Child Development Certificate from Truman College and an ESL & Bilingual education endorsement from Illinois Resource Center. Ms. Begum also earned a Master’s degree in Teaching Elementary Education from Chicago State University.

Ms. Begum has administered ACCESS to Kindergarten through Eight grade for bilingual students and collaborates with general education teachers to improve academic standards. Her philosophy of education is to engage students in active, hands-on learning, and to provide a nurturing environment for students to excel. She enjoys working with diverse learners and helps them build bridges to further their knowledge. She enjoys reading, exercising, sewing, and cooking food for her family.

Mrs. Elizabeth Stein Barrera has been teaching for over 10 years. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago with a major in education and a minor in psychology, she travelled to Cairo, Egypt. She taught for several years at Nefertari American International School. Upon returning to Chicago, Mrs. Barrera taught for several years on the south side.
She is teaching first grade at Stephen K. Hayt Elementary.
Mrs. Barrera is a National Board Certified teacher, has an ESL and a social studies endorsement, and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a member of the PPLC committee, Social Studies committee, Wellness committee, mentor teacher for a Loyola University Teacher Intern, and a Girls on the Run Coach.
Mrs. Barrera is a world traveller who enjoys exploring and learning new things. Whether she is trekking through the jungle or swimming with sharks, Mrs. Barrera eagerly brings all her adventures to the classroom.

Mrs. Kondos has been a teacher at Hayt for over ten years. She is a proud product of Chicago Public Schools, having attended Clinton Elementary School and Lane Tech. Mrs. Kondos attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she received a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and Loyola University for a Masters as a Reading Specialist and an Administration certificate.
Mrs. Kondos love teaching and coming to work every day to see her students’ smiling faces!

Mrs. Ochoa has been a teacher for over 15 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Reading from Chicago State University and a Master of Arts degree in Administration from Concordia University. She is currently teaching the students in the First Grade Gifted class.
Mrs. Ochoa is a die hard White Sox fan. She watches games at the stadium, on television or listens to the games on the radio. “Let’s go White Sox!”

Hi! I’m Mrs. Navarrete (Foss) and I’m the 2nd Grade teacher in Room 217. This is my 15th year teaching at Hayt Elementary. I hold a Masters Degree in Instructional Leadership in Education from the University of Illinois in Chicago and endorsements in bilingual Spanish Education and English as a New Language. I LOVE our school. In school, one of my favorite activities is to read books aloud because I get to make up different voices for all the characters. What do you like about school? I want to make our school a better place to grow and learn! I have actively sponsored and supported our school garden, Girls On the Run, Ballroom Dance and the annual spring Cultural Family Festival. I have applied for and been awarded numerous grants over the years to incorporate creative materials and ideas into my classroom and our school: The Chicago Foundation for Education (CFE) – Fund for Teachers Summer Fellowship Grant and numerous CFE Small Grants, the Rochelle Lee / Boundless Readers Grant, The Chicago Children’s Museum – Project CLIMB Grant and the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education grant. My favorite things to do outside of school are riding my bike, taking walks in nature, and baking things like cookies. What do you like to do in your free time?

Mr. Torres is currently a 3rd grade bilingual teacher and has taught at Hayt since 2003. He is bilingual in Spanish and English having received his primary and secondary education in Gurrero, Mexico and college education in the U.S. He received a B.A. in History and Education at Loyola University and a Master’s Degree in Language Arts from Northeastern University. An interest in gardening inspired him to cofound Hayt’s environmental club Roots and Shoots in 2006. Other interests also include running, biking and music. Mr. Torres believes it is important to know students and their families. Please feel free to contact him with questions or ideas!

Ms. Von Iderstine teaches 1st grade. This is her ninth year at Hayt School. At Hayt School, she serves on the Bilingual Team, is a member of the Balanced Literacy Committee, and is a co-chair of the Climate and Culture team.
Ms. Von Iderstine graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Elementary Education with endorsements for ESL and Bilingual/Bicultural education. She has a Masters in Reading from Olivet University. She also has an endorsement for Middle School Spanish, having studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain for one semester. Ms. Von Iderstine completed her student teaching at Sabin Dual Language Magnet School in Chicago, teaching in a dual-language 2nd grade classroom. In her free time, she likes to read, dance, bake sweet treats, and play with her puppy Piper!

Ms. Battaglia graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2011 with a degree in Elementary Education. She taught 5th grade her first year at Hayt and has been teaching 2nd grade since 2012. In 2015 she completed her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an ESL endorsement from Concordia University Chicago and most recently graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 2019 with her Masters in Reading as a certified Reading Specialist. Ms. Battaglia is a member of Hayt School’s Balanced Literacy Committee, MTSS Team, Cultural Family Festival Committee, and is a co-chair for the Climate and Culture Team.

Mrs. Keco was born and raised in Bosnia. She graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. She is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with Bilingual and ESL endorsements. This is her 6th year at Hayt Elementary and she enjoys working with diverse students. Her hobbies include reading books, drawing, skiing, cooking and eating delicious food!

Ron Hale is a Chicago native who attended Chicago Public Schools. He wanted to come back to work in CPS, to help create a better educational experience for the city’s students, but always figured it would be through the law or public policy. Working in a volunteer tutoring program changed everything. It was from there he enrolled in Northwestern University’s NU-Teach program and began his teaching career. Ron now teaches 5th grade with an emphasis on science inquiry at Hayt Elementary School in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.
Over the last 6 years, Ron has worked with such organizations as the Inner City Teaching Corps, Golden Apple Foundation, Teach Plus and the Museum of Science and Industry. He has led science inquiry professional developments, received grants and collaborated with teachers across Chicago. For his recognition as a leader by his peers he has been nominated for a CPS DRIVE award and a winner of the 2011 Golden Apple Teaching Award.

Mrs. Nguyen was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and Sociology. She’s currently at North Park University for her Master in Leadership (est. June 2022). Mrs. Nguyen is also a Program Manager, Coding instructor, and Curriculum Coordinator for the inSTEM Program (inspiring STEM in middle-school girls) at DePaul University. Mrs. Nguyen has partnered with the Art Institute through their TEAM program to integrating art across curriculum focusing on the development of critical and creative thinking skills through ongoing encounters with works of art from the Art Institute of Chicago collection. She was part of Math 4 All cohort where she participated in several professional developments to help students with diverse strengths and needs—including those with disabilities—achieve high-quality, standards-based learning outcomes in mathematics.  Mrs. Nguyen engages in ongoing Science professional developments throughout the years focusing on the importance of unpacking phenomena to help alter students’ perceptions of science and scientists while giving them the skills, knowledge, and confidence to pursue scientific endeavors with a high level, real-life science class investigation, and activities. In her free time, Mrs. Nguyen likes to explore the Chicago food scenery and spend time with her dearest family and friends.

Ms. Franklin began her career as a pre-kindergarten teacher in Evanston. After a brief stint with the little ones, Ms. Franklin made a great leap to providing literacy remediation to under-privileged students at Evanston High School. Those ten years with ninth graders left an indelible imprint on Ms. Franklin’s beliefs about how elementary school educators must prepare students for success in high school and beyond.
After years of hearing high school teachers gripe, “What are they doing in elementary school?” Ms. Franklin decided to earn a Master’s Degree in Reading and join the ranks of other dedicated CPS elementary school teachers. Ms. Franklin’s instructional and leadership styles are based on her fervent belief in standards-based instruction, the writer’s workshop model, and the gradual release of responsibility theory. She tells students explicitly what they are expected to learn; she gives them models and supports to scaffold their learning; and she eventually pushes them to independence.
In her past seventeen years with CPS, Ms. Franklin’s dedication to student achievement has led to notable accomplishments. She is a recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is one of eight featured teachers (from various states) in a video series, Making Meaning in Literature: a Video Library, Grades 6 – 8, produced by Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2002). Additionally, Ms. Franklin is a consultant with the Chicago Area Writing Project. She facilitates professional development workshops across the Chicago-land area. During her nine-year tenure as a literacy specialist at Hayt, Ms. Franklin developed several literacy strategies that teachers have successfully used to drive student achievement. She is currently attempting to write a book about her myriad literacy strategies and experiences at Hayt.
She has already published several articles in professional journals:
• “Reflections from a wheelchair: Education is still a wondrous and noble profession!” (Chicago Area Writing Project, Fall 2013)
• “More than a statistic: Reflections on the black side of school discipline”
(Rethinking Schools, Fall 2008)
• “Beyond test prep: Making a case for extended responses to reading”
(Illinois Reading Council Journal, Vol. 33, No. 1)
• “Fifteen Minutes of Fame – A Lifetime of Memories”
(The Voice, National Writing Project, Fall 2001)
• “Thinking about Thinking: A New Look at Comprehension
(Illinois Reading Council Journal, Vol. 26, No. 3)

Mr. Moy teaches fourth grade and believes that all students can be achievers through hard work and determination. He enjoys collaborating with students and their families to reach academic success. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Moy launched an after-school science club for intermediate grade students through a partnership with the Museum of Science and Industry. He also helps train teachers on how to use primary sources through the Teaching with Primary Sources program at Loyola University. As someone that helps facilitate science professional development, he works with other teachers on how to make science more engaging for students. Mr. Moy joined Hayt School many years ago as a Teach For America corps member, and received a BA from Northwestern University and a MAT from Dominican University.

Mrs. Baig was born and raised in India. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and a Master’s degree in History from Osmania University located in India. She pursued her second bachelor‘s degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Education and then went on to receive a Master’s in Reading. She teaches 3rd grade. She has been teaching for over 20 years and loves doing it. Mrs. Baig is a Drive Award winner. In her free time she likes to read, cook, sew, and spend time with family.

Mary Beth Payne is a third generation educator whose teaching is a part of her genetic code. She is a graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and earned her Master’s Degree in Urban Education from the University of Chicago. Math is an academic focus for Ms. Payne, and she holds the CPS Algebra endorsement, a Middle School Math endorsement and has led workshops for Chicago Lights volunteers. Ms. Payne believes math instruction should be accessible, yet challenging, for a variety of learning abilities.
The 2014 – 2015 school year in Room 202 holds wonderful promise with thought-provoking and collaborative activities, terrific literary adventures, and intriguing projects that will keep the students and their teacher inspired.

In her free time she enjoys trying new restaurants, running, and spending time with her friends, family, and rabbit Bodie.

Raffaella Romano is a middle school teacher who is endorsed in both Social Studies and Language Arts. She is in her fourth year of teaching, and her second year at Hayt Elementary.Prior to teaching, Ms. Romano worked for ten years in investment management, and continues her interest in the workings of the economy which she passes on to her students.This year, Ms. Romano is teaching 6th grade in room 206. She also serves on the ILT committee.
Ms. Romano is originally from Ohio, and attended Miami University in Oxford, OH for her undergraduate degree in English literature. She continued her education here in Chicago at National-Louis University, where she received her Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2010.
In her spare time, Ms. Romano enjoys contemporary art, film, and experiencing live theater and musical performances in Chicago’s many exciting venues.

Cynthia Smith is a Chicago native who grew up in the Rogers Park Neighborhood and attended Chicago Public Schools. She dreamed of working in the Chicago schools since the age of eight and finally became a Chicago Public School teacher in 2013. She spent two years at Brennemann Elementary teaching 5th and 6th grade. Cynthia now teaches 5th grade at Hayt Elementary School.
Over the last two years she has been working on her Masters in Middle School and Elementary Mathematics at Northeastern Illinois University. Cynthia has had the opportunity to work with the Golden Apple Foundation since 2008, as she was selected to be a Golden Apple Scholar prior to beginning her first year at college. She continues to work with them over the summers along with attending a variety of professional developments they offer. In her spare time, Cynthia likes to take long walks with her dog, Dasher, and she loves to find new neighborhood restaurants to try. Room #: 206

Hi, my name is Ms. Zolp. I teach middle school math (7th and 8th grade). I’ve been at Hayt Elementary School for ten years now and even completed my student teaching here. I am endorsed in math, science, and ESL. In addition, I received my Master of Art degree in literacy education. When I’m not busy teaching math, I love staying active and reading books.  

Greetings! My name is Julizara Kurtovic and I have the pleasure of teaching your child this year. I am already in my 25th year of teaching in the Chicago Public School district, time flies when you love what you do! I was borned and raised in Chicago and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree from Loyola University in 1995. In 2012 I went on to complete my Masters in Curriculum Instruction with an ESL Endorsement and I’m also a National Board certified teacher in Language Arts for Adolescents ages 11-16. I began my teaching career as a Bosnian Bilingual teacher for two wonderful years and then proceeded to teach self contained third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms. My most recent years have been in Language Arts and Social Studies for 6th, 7th and 8th departmental grades. I have been teaching at Hayt School for the last five years and I absolutely love the community we have here. I enjoy traveling to warm climates with my husband, and spending time with my family. Some of my favorite things to do are reading (of course!), cooking, shopping and yoga.

Hello, my name is Lissa Chaloff and I am the librarian at Hayt Elementary School. In 2012 I passed the Illinois Library Information Specialist licensure exam. Before becoming Hayt’s librarian, I taught a variety of grade levels and am currently teaching students in every grade level at Hayt School. As a strong advocate for incorporating fine arts into the curriculum, I enjoy acting out stories with students during classes. While participating in Art Centered Education (ACES) I was awarded the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts grant. When I am not teaching I love yoga, being outdoors, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. And of course, I love to read!

Mrs. Walsh is the PK-8th Grade Technology Teacher at Hayt Elementary. She has been proudly teaching here for almost 7 years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University. She loves teaching Technology to all grade levels and getting to know the students as they move from one grade to the next. Mrs. Walsh also coaches the 7th & 8th Grade Girls Volleyball Team & teaches Computer Science Club after school. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, running, and traveling.

Mrs. Decker graduated from Augustana College in 2001 with a double major in Psychology and Art. She earned a MAT from Concordia University and is currently working on an ESL Endorsement. Mrs. Decker holds several endorsements and is a National Board Certified Teacher since 2010. She has taught every grade level from Pre-K through 12 grade in a variety of subjects including Science and Social Studies. Mrs. Decker loves making cross curricular connections to the Arts and believes you can learn anything through the arts. She is very excited to be at Hayt Elementary and loves watching students grow as artists! When she is not teaching or creating, she loves spending time with her family, traveling, knitting, hiking, and running.

Mrs. Flores has been teaching physical education at Hayt since August 2008. She graduated with a degree in physical education from Northeastern Illinois University in May 2008. Mrs. Flores also coaches volleyball, and pom poms for 5th-8th graders. The 2013 5/6 volleyball team made it all the way to the semi-finals, and the 7/8 volleyball team won 2nd place in the warren park league. Mrs. Flores’s poms teams has won the network title in 2010 and 2011. Her passion for dance started when she was 5 years old. When she was 17 she was on the world baton twirling team winning that competed and won the 2003 world title in France.

Schöne Grüße! Ich heiße Susan Feiler und ich bin die Deutschlehrerin an der Hayt Elementary School. Ich habe vor vielen Jahren bei Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo Michigan Musik und Deutsch studiert. Ich habe auch zwei mal in Deutschland studiert. Das erste mal habe ich als Austauchstudentin an der Friederich Alexander Universität in Erlangen, BRD studiert. Nach meinem Studiumabschluss beim Kalamazoo College habe ich ein Stipendium vom DAAD (Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst) bekommen. Ich habe ein Jahr wieder an der Universität in Erlangen verbracht, wo ich Germanistik und Kirchenmusik studiert habe.
Als ich nach Chicago gezogen bin, habe ich mich beim CPS angemeldet um Vertreterlehrerin zu werden. Ich habe zwei Jahren als Verterlehrerin gearbeitet. Endlich habe ich meine erste Stelle als Klassenlehrerin bekommen, 7. Klasse alle Fächer! Später habe ich auch die 1. Klasse unterrichtet. Endlich bin ich zur Hayt Schule gekommen! Vor 22 Jahren habe ich als Musiklehrerin bei der Hayt Schule angefangen. Diese Stelle hat mir sehr gut gefallen, weil ich doch Musik studiert habe!
Dann vor vier Jahren hat Mr. Gomez die tolle Idee gehabt ein Sprachprogramm einzuführen und hat Deutsch als die Sprache gewählt. Ich war sehr begeistert und habe meine Hilfe angeboten. Jetzt unterrichte ich seit vier Jahren Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Dieses Jahr unterrichte ich alle Schüler 4.-7. Klassen ein mal der Woche eine Stunde. Ich freue mich den Schülern ein bisschen Deutsch beizubringen.
Greetings. My name is Susan Feiler and I am the German Language teacher at Hayt Elementary School. I graduated many years ago from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo Michigan with a B.A. in Music Education and German. I also studied in Germany. The first time was during my undergrad in a study abroad program at the Friederich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany. After I graduated from Kalamazoo College, I received a scholarship from the German government (German Academic Exchange Service) and returned to the university in Erlangen for a year of graduate work in German and Church Music.
Upon my return from Germany I moved to Chicago and registered myself as a substitute teacher with Chicago Public Schools. I enjoyed this very much and eventually landed my first full time teaching position, a 7th grade classroom at Hamilton School, all subjects self contained! After two years in 7th grade, I spent a year and a half as a first grade teacher at Trumbull School. Finally, I came to Hayt School in the winter of 1992 as the general music teacher. I taught music at Hayt for about 20 years. During that time I also earned a Master’s Degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music.
Two years ago Mr. Gomez had the great idea of adding a World Language Program to our enrichment offerings. I was pleased that he chose German as the language. Naturally, I offered to help in any way I could, and here we are today! This is the third year of the German language enrichment program for Hayt Elementary School. This year I am teaching German to all students grades 4-7 once a week for one hour. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to teach German to the students at Hayt.

Sakeena Khan is an ESL teacher for grades K-4 at Hayt Elementary School. She is from Hyderabad, India, where she received her college degree in Education. She came to America in 1993 and completed her teaching requirements at Northeastern Illinois University. Since Hayt school is a very diverse school, she is able teach students of different cultures and backgrounds. Mrs. Khan utilizes a small setting classroom, which allows her to focus on smaller groups of students at a time. She also does inclusion teaching and collaborates with general education teachers to measure the progress of her students.

As the ELL Liaison, Mrs. Khan keeps the records of bilingual students updated and coordinates the ACCESS testing for bilingual students in collaboration with resource and homeroom teachers. She also holds Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings and is a member of the Bilingual Parent Committee.

Aside from being a bilingual teacher, Mrs. Khan likes spending time with her family cooking, and visiting India.

My Name is Emily Hallam and I am one of the school social workers at Hayt School. This is my third year at Hayt. I received my bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My master’s degree in Social work is from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I have my professional educator license. I am a member of the culture and climate team as well as the behavioral health team.

Ms. Slota received her Bachelor’s Degree in both General Education and Special Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In 2013, she earned her Master’s Degree from Concordia University in Curriculum and Instruction with an ESL endorsement. She has taught 12 years of special education and 3 years of reading intervention. She is currently the Kindergarten through 2nd grade Diverse Learner inclusion teacher. She feels so lucky to be a part of the Hayt Elementary community. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, practicing yoga, and traveling.

Hello! My name is Elizabeth (Liz) Graham and I am the case manager at Hayt school.  I am originally from Kansas City, but have lived in Chicago since 2001.  My Bachelor’s degree is from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and my Master’s degree is in special education from National Louis University.  I have my LBS1 (Learning Behavior Specialist) endorsement, as well as my middle school ELA and math endorsements.  I was a special education teacher at Hayt for 14 years.  This is my second year as the school’s case manager.  I helped bring PBIS and Restorative Practices to our school, which has now turned into the Climate and Culture Team.  I started (and co-lead) Trailblazers, a middle school girls club.  I am also one of the girls basketball coaches.   I am on the climate and culture team, MTSS team, and BHT team.  In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends, doing pilates, reading, and doing puzzles.

Biography
School Psychologist:
· 2nd year working at Hayt Elementary (3
days a week)

· 4th year working on the City-Wide
Assessment Teams (2 days/week)

· 12 years of experience in working with children
in early childhood settings, elementary and high schools

· Referral and Intake Coordinator for a
Therapeutic Day School for 2 years

· Current national certification, National
Association of School Psychologists

· Current professional license State of Illinois

· Master’s degree in Educational Psychology

· Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology

Occupational Therapist

· 25 years of experience

· Worked in hospitals, therapeutic schools,
clinics, home health and public schools with families and children.

I am a licensed speech language pathologist in the state of Illinois, and additionally hold a professional educators license (PEL.) I have my certificate of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA.) I obtained my B.A. in speech and hearing sciences from Indiana University, and M.S. in speech, language, and learning from Northwestern University. Over the last few years, I have earned the ASHA award for continuing education (ACE), as well as been a small grant recipient from the Chicago Foundation for Education. \n\nThis is my 4th year as a school-based speech language pathologist in Chicago Public Schools. However, I have additional experience working in early intervention, private practice, and medical pediatric outpatient settings. I love to be creative and fun while working on communication skills. I approach therapy with a growth mindset, meaning all kids can grow, succeed, and learn despite challenges. I believe in a collaborative approach involving parents, teachers, and staff.
I am a licensed speech language pathologist in the state of Illinois, and additionally hold a professional educators license (PEL.) I have my certificate of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA.) I obtained my B.A. in speech and hearing sciences from Indiana University, and M.S. in speech, language, and learning from Northwestern University. Over the last few years, I have earned the ASHA award for continuing education (ACE), as well as been a small grant recipient from the Chicago Foundation for Education.

This is my 4th year as a school-based speech language pathologist in Chicago Public Schools. However, I have additional experience working in early intervention, private practice, and medical pediatric outpatient settings. I love to be creative and fun while working on communication skills. I approach therapy with a growth mindset, meaning all kids can grow, succeed, and learn despite challenges. I believe in a collaborative approach involving parents, teachers, and staff.

Speech Language Pathologist You can find speech therapy resources, ideas, and other helpful information on my website: https://sites.google.com/cps.edu/speech-therapy-with-ms-sara/home?authuser=0

Carol Rowley is originally from Virginia where she earned her BA in English from James Madison University. She moved to Chicago in August of 2002. After many years in the hospitality industry, she decided to go back to school to become a teacher. She has an MA in Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University located here in Chicago. Ms. Rowley has been teaching for CPS since August of 2014 and at Hayt since February of 2017. Ms. Rowley currently works with seventh and eighth grade students in the resource setting. When not teaching, Ms. Rowley enjoys cooking, bike riding, reading, and drawing. She can be most often found walking her very spoiled dog, Brodie.

Catherine Anton-Sandberg has been a diverse learner teacher with CPS since 1996.  She has taught at Hayt for twelve years and holds a B.A. in English from Iowa State University and an M.A. in Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University where she was part of the Teachers for Chicago Program. Mrs.S  has taught in resource, inclusion and with co-taught classrooms spanning 1st-8th grades during her career. Currently, she is pursuing her bilingual certification to better support her students.  When not in face to face or the virtual classroom,  she enjoys hiking in the outdoors, cooking and traveling the world. Mrs.S loves seeing friends and spending time with her husband, three kids, two dogs and 7 chickens.

Chris Twomey is the principal at Stephen K. Hayt Elementary School. In 2001 he graduated from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Psychology. He started teaching in the fall of 2001 at Garfield Elementary School where he taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades over the course of 4 years. In 2004 he moved to Chicago where he taught middle school writing in the International Baccalaureate program at Andrew Carnegie Elementary School. After eight years of teaching he earned a masters degree in school leadership from Concordia University, River Forest, IL. Following the completion of his school leadership program he moved to the Chicago New Teacher Center where he supported teachers during their 1st and 2nd years in the teaching profession. In 2010 Mr. Twomey joined Hayt as the assistant principal.  The 2022 – 2023 school year will be Mr. Twomey’s first year as principal.  He feels very grateful to work in a school where collaborative efforts are made everyday to benefit students and families.