Author: sea54web

Good morning, SEA!

Here is the January 12^th Edition of the Monday Message.

We are opening up registration for Region 35’s SPARKS Conference on January 30-31 to all SEA and SEEO members.  You do not have to be an early career teacher to attend.  If you have never attended SPARKS before, I highly encourage you to sign up to join us.  We will be having a special presenter Saturday afternoon, Hanifah Ross, who will be presenting on Peace Circles, a restorative justice strategy for our classrooms. More information about our event will be sent out later today to all SEA and SEEO Members.  Register here bit.ly/SPARKS2026 by January 20^th.

Looking forward to meeting with SEA’s Exec Board today after school.  Have a great week, SEA, and enjoy your MLK Jr. Weekend right around the corner.

Welcome back and Happy New Year 2026, SEA!

Hard to believe we have made it into January 2026! Hope you had a great winter break and time off.  

Here is the link to the January 5^th Edition of the Monday Message.

Highlights from this week’s edition:

• Slides from the December Building Rep meeting
• Legal Update at the Palatine IEA Office – February 26 | Register here
• IEA Community of Care Conversations – January 14 | Register here
• Jason Eliasek Scholarship available now to apply for
• SPARKS 2026 – free overnight event for our early career members | Register here by January 17

Wishing you a successful second half of this school year!

Hello SEA!

We made it to our last week before winter break.  Very excited for all the time off we have that is right around the corner!

Here is the link to the December 15^th Edition of the Monday Message.

After school today is our monthly Building Rep Meeting in the PLC from 3:30 – 5:00 PM.  All members are welcome to attend.  We will have a special presentation on educator/para relationships that Kathy Jesuit and I will be leading out together.

Building reps, remember to bring your food pantry donations to the meeting today.  If anyone wants to still contribute, you can give your donations to the SEEO reps in your building to bring the items to their SEEO Building Rep Meeting tomorrow after school.  I thank both of our memberships for supporting our District 54 Food Pantries!

Don’t forget our SEA/SEEO Sip and Paint Event happening this Thursday after school at 3:30 PM in the Nerge Art Room (Room 209).  Here is the link to sign-up and join us for some hot cocoa and a simple winter scene painting.

Also, it’s not too late to get registered for our 2026 SPARKS Conference (January 30-31) open to all of our early career members within their first ten years in education.  We would love to have you join us.  Bring a friend from your building!  Here is the link to register.

One last thing, the 2026 Jason Eliasek Scholarship is now available for children of SEA or SEEO members who are high school seniors or current full or part-time college student students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the area of public service (public education, physical therapy, social work, nursing, law enforcement, firefighting, EMTs, and library sciences). The application with all of the directions are attached.  Any questions about the scholarship go to our Scholarship Chair, Danni Koscielak (Fox): dkfoxunion@sd54.org

Wishing everyone a wonderful break and happy holidays!

Good morning, SEA!

Just two more weeks left until winter break, but who’s counting?    You should receive a link to vote in our Region 35 Election today around 6 AM.  If you have any questions about your ballot or do not receive that email, please reach out to Kelly O’Reilly at kellyoreilly@sd54.org or x.2105.  As elections chair, Kelly is the only one that can help you.

Here is the link to the December 8^th Edition of the Monday Message.

You will find out information about our SEA/SEEO District 54 Food Pantry Drive that starts today and ends next Tuesday, December 16^th.   Your SEA and SEEO Building reps will bring your donations to our rep meetings next Monday (SEA) or Tuesday (SEEO).  Our food drive is running in conjunction with the IEA Feeds Illinois Statewide Food Drive.  Local associations across the state are organizing events in order to make sure no student goes hungry this winter.  The items we collect are items that you will find on the District 54 Food Pantries’ Amazon Wishlist. 

Please be sure to stick to the brands and items on the food pantry shopping list:

Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Quaker Oatmeal

Campbell’s Spaghettio’s

Nutrigrain Bars

Golden Grahams

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cheerios

Top Ramen Chicken Soup

Colgate Toothpaste

Lady Speed Stick Deodorant

Degree Deodorant

Huggies baby wipes

The Monday Message also includes invitations for our members to attend a Sip and Paint Event on Thursday, December 18^th and Region 35’s SPARKS Conference on January 30-31 geared towards our early career members.  We would love for you to attend!

The SEA is also going to start recognizing our building reps each week.  Let’s see which amazing building rep is featured this week!

Hello SEA!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed the time off!

Here is the December 1^st edition of the Monday Message.

December 1^st is one of five IEA Walk-in’s being scheduled across the state of Illinois on December 1, February 2, March 2, April 1, and May 1.  If you are wearing your new SEA/SEEO solidarity shirt and participated in IEA’s Walk-in with other members of the SEA and SEEO this morning, please text your photos to me: 847-344-5249. To find out more about the walk-ins, check out IEA’s May Day Strong – United We Win website.

Please mark your calendars for a few other upcoming SEA/Region 35 events:

• December 3: Sips N’ Snacks with the SEA Listening Session, 3:30-5:15 PM, Fox and Hound – stop in anytime!
• December 18: Sip and Paint, Nerge Art Room (209), 3:30 PM
• January 30-31: SPARKS Overnight Conference for SEA/SEEO’s Early Career Members (10 years or less)

Stay warm and have a great week everyone!

Happy American Education Week, SEA!

I am looking forward to celebrating with the SEA/SEEO after school today at our Member Appreciation Event from 5-8 PM in the PLC.    Let’s see who comes dressed in their favorite decade!  We will have a 50/50 drawing at today’s event as well.  Didn’t RSVP?  Come join us anyway, as there is always more than enough food!

But before our kickoff to America Education Week event, we do have our monthly SEA Building Rep Meeting from 3:30-5:00 PM which all of our members are invited to attend as well.

Here is the link to the November 17^th Monday Message. 

It’s not too late to make your cash or check donation to the District 54 Food Pantries.  Please see you SEA Building Reps who have been taking up the collections for us.  We will be adding this to our annual $1 per member donation at this week’s Partnership Breakfast.  Can we work together to increase the donation to an average of $2 per member?   Reps, remember to bring these envelopes to our meeting today.

Don’t forget, nominations for December’s SEA/Region 35 election are due today at 4 PM.  

Happy Snowy Monday, SEA!

Each year the SEA/SEEO makes a $1 per member donation at the Partnership Breakfast during American Education Week.  We will be making our donation to the District 54 Food Pantries. We would like to increase this donation by taking up a cash/check collection this week in our buildings. Please see your SEA building reps to make your donation.  They will have an envelope for this collection.  We will also accept a check payable to the District 54 Food Pantries.  I would love to see us double our donation from a $1 per member to a $2 per member donation with this week’s collection.    Reps, please bring the envelope to our Building Rep Meeting next Monday, November 17th.  

Here is the link to our November 10^th Monday Message that will include more information about this donation and other upcoming events including next week’s SEA/SEEO Taco and Trivia Night.  Please RSVP here even if you will only be joining us for dinner next Monday.

Shoutout to all of our SEA/SEEO crafters who participated in this past weekend’s Craft and Vendor Fair.  It was another successful fundraiser for the District 54 Education Foundation.  Thanks to the many District 54 staff and families who stopped by and did some shopping!

You can still register for this Saturday’s IEA Fall Fest happening right in our own PLC from 9 AM – 1 PM.  Register here to attend.  If the link closes, just message me and we will get you signed up!

Welcome to the month of November, SEA!

Here is your November 3^rd edition of the Monday Message.

Some of the highlights this week include:

• Region 35/SEA December Election Notice
• SEA/SEEO Trivia Night – not too late to sign-up!  Not a trivia fan? You can join us for dinner from 5-6 PM.
• IEA’s Fall Fest – Register Here
• SEA/SEEO Craft Fair – THIS WEEKEND!  9 AM – 3 PM in the PLC
• D54 Education Foundation Dine to Donate – This Wednesday at QP
• Meet SEA’s Rachel Martin, our early career liaison and champion for mental health and well-being of our members

There are so many events happening in November.  Hope you can join us! Enjoy the week ahead!

Good morning, SEA!

It’s Halloween Week!  Hope all the trunk-or-treats and Halloween festivities go well!

Don’t forget to join SEA VP & Appraisal Chair, Cynthia Dressler, and I after school TODAY at Taco Maya’s on Roselle Road for our Sips & Snacks with the SEA.  We will talking about Appraisals.  Got a question on your appraisal or need some advice, we will be there from 3:45-4:45 PM to support you on that as well.  It’s not too late to sign up to join us, or just show up.

I’ve attached the December Election notice again to all of you if you were interested in submitting your nomination form to attend the IEA Representative Assembly or to serve in various roles on our Region 35 council.  Questions about what these responsibilities entail, let me know.

Here is the link to the October 27^th Monday Message.   You will find out information about various SEA & IEA events you can register for including the following:

• EMELT (registration closes this week and you can get funding from the SEA or Region 35 to attend)
• IEA’s Fall Fest (PD sessions, roundtable discussions and lunch with legislators)
• SEA/SEEO Trivia Night (bring a team or sign up to be on a team with other members – or if trivia is not your thing, join us for a taco bar from 5-6 PM on November 17^th after the SEA meeting)
• SEA/SEEO’s Craft and Vendor Fair coming up on Saturday, November 8^th

This week SEA’s Exec Board Member of the week is Maria Ayala, our Junior High Liaison.  Maria chats monthly with Dr. Jillian Sagan about various junior high curriculum questions or concerns. Looking forward to seeing you at our listening session after school today!

Good morning, SEA!

After school today you are invited to attend our October Building Rep Meeting from 3:30-5:00 PM in the PLC.  We will have a special presentation on IEA’s United We Win Campaign.  Superintendent DuRoss has also been invited to attend.

If you brought a winter gear item for donation to the Schaumburg Township’s Coats for Kids Drive, you can drop it off during the meeting or send it with your building rep if you are unable to attend.  The Coats for Kids Drive runs through this Friday.  Other drop-off locations are listed in the Monday Message.

Here is the link to the Monday Message for the week of October 20^th.

Other highlights from this week’s message include:

• IEA’s EMELT Conference – Registration now open through October 31th
• SEA’s Listening Session – next Monday, October 27th at Taco Maya
• IEA’s Fall Fest – presented by the Palatine/Libertyville IEA offices – November 15^th
• SEA/SEEO Decades Trivia Night – November 17^th
• Find out more about SEA’s Secretary, Kara Zielinski (Enders-Salk School)

If your building is having a special election today, be sure to take a moment to vote for your additional building reps.   

Speaking of elections, attached to this email is the Election Notice for SEA/Region 35’s December Elections. We will be accepting nomination forms to be a delegated to the 2026 IEA-Representative Assembly in Rosemont.  The Region 35 Council also has the following open positions: Early Career Representative Alternate, Ethnic Minority Representative Alternate, and two open council seats. Happy Diwali to those who are celebrating!  Have a great week, SEA!