We have some changes to our staff roster. I would like to welcome several new staff members this year to Avoca West Elementary School.
Our most recent hire was Kirstin Crispin as our new kindergarten teacher. She is a familiar face in our district because she has worked many long term substitute positions including last year working as a kindergarten teacher for Connie Moran’s maternity leave.
Amy Chun will be joining the staff as our new part time physical education teacher. She comes to us with the most recent experience of being a physical education teacher in Glenview School District 34 for six years. She will be replacing Heather Snyder who took a full time position in another district this summer.
Jill Elthanal will be our new speech language pathologist replacing Stacey Crowley who relocated to North Carolina. Mrs. Elthanal has had eleven years experience in a variety of therapeutic settings. She spent the last five years a lecturer in the School of Communications of Northwestern University. She was a clinical supervisor of graduate students in their Speech and Language Clinic.
Brigid Ohlwein will be joining our staff as our new ELL Coordinator. Mrs. Ohlwein worked as an ELL Teacher in both Elmwood Park Unit District 401 and Woodland School District 50. Most recently, Mrs. Ohlwein was working as an ELL teacher in Mundelein School District 75. She is replacing Gene Meltzer who retired at the end of last school year.
Sophia Kondos will be working part time as our Social Emotional class teacher. Many of you know her because she worked last year as a fifth grade teacher for Katie Morgan’s maternity leave. She will be replacing Vicki Specks who will now be working at the learning resource teacher for second grade.
Donna Toops will be the new pupil services director, replacing Cindy Devin who retired this summer. Mrs. Toops comes to our district with extensive experience from classroom to administration. Most recently she was the Director of Student Services for School District 57.
We wish all of the departing staff members the best of luck, and are excited about all of our new hires. Please take time to introduce yourselves to the new staff members.