Schaumburg Education Association

Good morning, SEA!

I want to start off by thanking the delegates who joined me to represent the SEA and SEEO at the IEA-RA this past March 9-11: Dan Argueta, Michelle E. Burke, Adriana Caballero, Cynthia Dressler, Janet Green, Sue Hindenburg, Kathy Jesuit, Stephanie Krizmis, Michelle Mason, Vicki Mikos, Kelly O’Reilly, Rachel Rosone, Iris Santiago, Andrea Valdez, Linda Stolt, and Kara Zielinski. For highlights of the event, check out the SEA’s Facebook and Twitter. 

You are officially invited to the SEA/SEEO General Meeting on Monday, April 17, at Chandler’s in Schaumburg.  Doors open at 3:15 PM. The D54 Jazz Band will be performing from 3:30-4:00 PM.  The program will begin at 4:00 PM.  We are excited to have IEA President Kathi Griffin as our keynote speaker for our event.  Our D54 retirees and 2023 SEA Award recipients will be recognized.  Please RSVP here to attend this free event. 

After school today is our March SEA Building Rep Meeting in the PLC starting at 3:30 PM.  All members are invited to attend in person or virtually.  For the Zoom link, please email me no later than 3:00 PM. 

Don’t forget to participate in the Region 35 Election happening today in your buildings.  Thanks to the reps for running this election and bringing all ballots to the PLC for our rep meeting. 

Here is the other information included in the March 13th Edition of the Monday Message: 

• March Contract Tidbit: Sick Bank Leave
• IEA Votes Website
• LGBTQ+ Training with Bill Farmer, March 16, 4:30-6:30 PM, Palatine IEA
• Legal Update with IEA General Counsel, Rachel Clark, March 23, 4:30-6:30 PM
• Early Career Spring Retreat – Register here, apply for funding through Region 35 here

Good morning, SEA!

Busy week ahead for the SEA.  We are kicking it off this evening with the District 54 Board of Education Forum hosted by Region 35.  Thank you for those who have signed up to join us on Zoom for this event starting at 6:45 PM tonight.  It’s not too late for you to join us for this event. Here is the link to sign-up.  Zoom links will be sent out later today for those who have RSVP’d.

Later this week we are sending delegates from the SEA and SEEO to the IEA Representative Assembly in Rosemont.  Thank you to those members who are representing our organization at this annual event! 

Next Monday we are having our next Region 35 Election.  The candidates’ bios are attached for you to review prior to the vote.  

Here is the March 6 Edition of the Monday Message.  Check it out for various free professional development opportunities from the IEA, including the Early Career Spring Retreat that the SEA is looking to send a team of teachers to. 

Have a fantastic week!

Good morning, SEA!

I think we have all thawed out and had all power restored after last week’s ice storm.  Never a dull moment!  

Just a reminder that we are having a District 54 School Board Candidate Forum via Zoom next Monday, March 6.  The forum will take place from 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM.  Candidates will be arriving starting at 7:00 PM.  All SEA and SEEO members are invited to attend.  In order to participate and be sent a Zoom link, please complete this form. 
For more information about this event, check out the February 27 Edition of the Monday Message. 

Here are some other highlights from this week’s Monday Message:

• Legal Update with IEA General Council Rachel Clark – March 23 (4:30-6:30 PM) – Register Here
• LGBTQ+ Training with Bill Farmer – March 16 (4:30-6:30 PM) – Register Here
• Early Career Spring Retreat – April 28-29 (a free event for SEA’s Early Career Educators, 10 years or less of teaching experience) – Complete a conference funding request form and then register here. 

We’ve just about made it to March…which means spring is right around the corner.  Have a great week!

Happy President’s Day, SEA!  

I hope last Friday afternoon was a productive afternoon for you with our half-day of teacher directed work time. Hopefully you were able to get a good chunk of your report cards done or were able to get caught up on some other work you had so that you had less to take home on this long weekend. 

I wanted to take a moment to highlight an important event being hosted by Region 35, a District 54 School Board Candidate Forum: 

Region 35 would like to invite all SEA and SEEO members to a District 54 School Board Candidate Forum taking place on Monday, March 6.  Space is limited on Zoom to 100 attendees total, including candidates and required members.  The forum will take place from 6:45 pm – 8:30 PM.  Candidates will be arriving at 7:00 PM.  No additional members will be admitted after this time.   District 54 has four openings on their Board of Education and four incumbent school board members are running for re-election and have been invited to participate in our forum:  Bill Harper, Barb Hengels, Bob Kaplan, and Mary Kay Prusnick.  

Please complete this form to attend the School Board Candidate Forum.

Here is some other information you will find in the February 20 edition of the Monday Message:

• 10-Hour Racial Equity Facilitator Training – we still have openings on our team that’s participating.  Complete this form to request funding. 
• IEA’s Spring Retreat for Early Career Educators – April 28-29 – complete this funding request form. 

Enjoy the rest of your day off today!

Good morning, SEA!

Feeling particularly tired after staying up for last night’s game? The good news is next Monday we have no school.  Maybe the NFL should consider moving the Super Bowl to the Sunday before President’s Day, huh?

We have our monthly building rep meeting today afterschool at the PLC beginning at 3:30 PM.  All members are invited to attend in-person or virtually.  As a reminder, email me before 3 PM if you want the Zoom Link.  Reps, as always, the Zoom link is at the top of our meeting agenda. 

Region 35 nominations are due today by 4 PM.  They are to be virtually submitted this year. Here is the link to the various positions that are open.   We’d love to have a full delegation sent to the NEA-RA in Orlando, Florida this summer.  Feel free to contact me if you’ve never been to an representative assembly and want to find out more. 

Other information you will find in the February 13 Edition of the Monday Message: 

• 10-Hour Racial Equity Facilitator Training through the Equity Literacy Institute
  • Apply for funding through our Region 35
• 2023-2024 IEA Committee Application
• 2023 Early Career Spring Retreat – April 28-29
  • Apply for funding through our Region 35

Thank you to the many SEA and SEEO members who purchased Candy Grams being sent throughout the district this week!  Enjoy the extra sweet treat this week!

Hope your 1/2 day on Friday is a productive one!

Good morning, SEA!

This week’s February 6th Edition of the Monday Message is filled with several opportunities for the members of the SEA.  

Attached you will find the Region 35 Election Notice for our Spring Elections on March 13.  Region 35 has several open positions and you can also apply to be a delegate at the National Education Association Representative Assembly the first week of July in Orlando, Florida.  The SEA will be accepting nomination forms virtually for the first time!  Here is that link. Select the ‘post-it’ of the position you are seeking in order to apply.

Also, we are wanting to send a team of SEA members to IEA’s 2023 Early Career Spring Retreat happening on April 28-29.  The primary focus of the conference will be work-life balance, setting boundaries, building your support community, and union activism & engagement. Interested members register through the IEA at this link, but then will need to fill out a form here through Region 35 so that we know you are attending and get provide you reimbursement for your registration and hotel stay. 

Other opportunities highlighted this week…

• Racial Equity Facilitator Training through the Equity Literacy Institute (funding available through Region 35)
• Join an IEA Committee for the 2023-2024 School Year (must sign-in using your IEA Members Only Login)
• Order your Candy Grams to support the District 54 Education Foundation – order by Friday, February 10, make your donation directly to the Foundation anytime now through February 14.

Wow, so many links this week, but I think that is just about it.  Have a great week, SEA!

Happy Monday, SEA!  

We definitely are going to need the extra layers as we walk in and out of our buildings the next couple days.  Stay warm!

Today is our monthly SEA Building Rep meeting at the PLC from 3:30-5:00 PM.  As always, all members are welcome to attend.  If you would like to attend virtually, please email me for the Zoom link before 3 PM. 

This week’s January 30th Edition of the Monday Message is filled important information.  

Here are some of the highlights:

• January Contract Tidbits: Transfers and Transfer Fair
• Books Matter – Using Children’s Literature to Invite Conversations about Identity, Bias, & Social Justice – Free Webinar on 2/1 at 4 PM
• Applications are now being accepted for IEA’s 2023-2023 Committees – you will need to login to IEA’s Members Only webiste
• SEA/SEEO General Meeting Entertainment and Performers Request – recommendations due February 3

Lastly, the SEA and SEEO are running a CANDY GRAM fundraiser for the District 54 Education Foundation’s Crisis Fund in conjuntion with the Foundation’s Caring for Our Community Campaign.  We will send a Candy Gram with your own personalized message to anyone within the district for $5.  You may send as many Candy Gram as you wish!  The cost will be $5 per candy gram. For more information about this fundraiser, check out page three of the Monday Message. 

Click here to order your Candy Grams by Friday, February 10. 

That’s it for now.  See you at our Building Rep meeting today!

Good morning, SEA!  

This week’s edition of the Monday Message includes a Save the Date for the SEA/SEEO General Meeting on April 17. The event will be held at Chandler’s in Schaumburg with entertainment beginning at 3:30 PM and the program from 4-5:30 PM.  

Our General Meeting Planning Committee is looking for student groups or members to help us with entertainment, lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, or sing the National Anthem.  If you have a suggestion, please fill out this General Meeting Entertainment and Performers Request by Friday, February 3. 

Other information you can find more about in this week’s Monday Message include…

• Jason Eliasek Scholarship (attached)
• Books Matter Webinar tthrough ADL Education
• IEA’s “How to Become a Teacher in Illinois” to share with prospective teachers
• NEA Complimentary Life Insurance

That’s it for this week.  Make it a great one, everyone!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, SEA!

Check out this week’s Monday Message for a list of museum in Chicago offering free admission today in honor of MLK Day. 

Here are some other highlights you will find in the January 16 Edition of the Monday Message:

• Find out why February 1 is an important date in the SEA Contract
• Jason Eliasek Scholarship Application (attached)
• SEA Award Nominations – window closes this Friday, January 20
• Worker’s Compensation Virtual Presentation – Thursday, January 19
• NEA’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Fact Sheet (attached)
• Edutopia Article: A Classroom Built on Trust

That’s it for today! Have a great week, SEA!

“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy New Year 2023, SEA! Hope the past two weeks were enjoyable to you! 

Here is the link to the January 9th edition of the Monday Message.  

Highlights this week include…

• December 2022 Region 35 Election results (attached)
• Jason Eliasek Scholarship Application (attached)
• SEA Award nominations – due January 20
• IEA SCORE Grants – applications due January 15
• NEA’s PSLF Fact Sheet: Navigating Student Debt (attached)

Region 35’s Cultural Competency Committee meeting originally schedule for this week has been postponed until Wednesday, February 1, 8 PM via Zoom.  Chair Adriana Caballero will be sending out information via Zoom to anyone who has attended our events in the past.  Contact her for more information (adrianacaballero@sd54.org). 

Have a great week back, SEA!