Congratulations to the 14 Downers Grove Grade School District 58 staff members who will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. “Think of the impact you’ve had,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell. “It’s the people and the relationships you’ve built that have made the difference and for that I thank you.”
The 14 retirees include two teachers, 10 instructional assistants and 2 custodians. In all, they combine 269 years of experience. The retirees are:
- Barbara Manley 31 years, O’Neill Family and Consumer Science Teacher
- Melita Jenzake, 26 years, Grove Preschool Instructional Assistant
- Maria Haarth, 24 years, Grove Preschool Instructional Assistant
- Ginger Sallas, 23 years, Fairmount Instructional Assistant
- Sheri Kluga, 23 years, Whittier Instructional Assistant
- Traci Leach, 22 years, EL Teacher, Kingsley
- Raffaella Bruno, 22 years, Instructional Assistant, Grove Preschool
- Deborah Van Keulen, 21 years, Whittier Instructional Assistant
- Mary Drobny, 16 years, Lester Instructional Assistant
- Nancy Mueller, 13 years, El Sierra Instructional Assistant
- Fran Jones, 10 years, O’Neill Instructional Assistant
- Denise Clinnin, 20 years, Hillcrest, DLP Instructional Assistant
- Thomas Moran, 14 years, Belle Aire Head Custodian
- David Johnson, 4 years, Fairmount Night Custodian
The Board of Education hosted a Retiree Luncheon on Friday, May 17 to celebrate this year's retirees. At the luncheon, principals and administrators shared insights about retirees who were present and their impact on District 58. (Clinnin, Moran and Johnson did not attend the retirement luncheon.) The following are excerpts from their remarks:
- Barbara Manley, 31 years, O’Neill Middle School Family and Consumer Science Teacher
“Barb is the matriarch of O’Neill Middle School. According to her students, ‘She’s really helpful, hardworking, super funny and dedicated to her job!.’ She is everyone’s work mom and staff go to her for just about everything.” – O’Neill Principal Lauryn Humphris
- Melita Jenzake, 26 years, Grove Preschool Instructional Assistant
“She loves the students and clearly wants to see them succeed. She also works at Kohl’s part time and every once in a while she will show up in the morning with a bag of clothing for a student who has worn the same thing for a week. She is caring and kind and fiercely loyal to the program and the staff members.” – Susan Dillon, Preschool Coordinator
- Maria Haarth, 24 years, Grove Preschool Instructional Assistant
“Maria is a whirlwind. She never stops moving, whether it’s cutting out projects, taking students for a walk, cleaning up the room or filling backpacks. Her infectious energy will be greatly missed.” – Susan Dillon, Preschool Coordinator
- Ginger Sallas, 23 years, Fairmount Instructional Assistant
“She is an incredibly hard worker and truly willing to help anyone and everyone…additionally, her colleagues describe her as dependable, clever, patient, empathetic, humorous and my personal favorite, “just wonderful!” – Fairmount Principal Lisa Niforatos
- Sheri Kluga, 23 years, Whittier Instructional Assistant
“Sheri is the model for flexibility. She shares her love of reading with students and helps them enjoy it hopefully as much as she does. Sheri is also our IA go-to and answers so many questions.” – Whittier Principal Michael Krugman
- Traci Leach, 22 years, EL Teacher, Kingsley
“Traci has a knack for working with our EL students and developing relationships that last through their elementary years. Traci helps our EL students break through to understand the English language and brings language to life for them. She supports our families and makes them feel welcome and included.”– Whittier Principal Michael Krugman
“Mrs. Leach has worked with passion, dedication, and boundless wisdom to instill a love of learning, and has inspired generations of students. Her impact goes far beyond the curriculum, nurturing creativity, fostering empathy, and preparing learners for life's journey.”
– Kingsley Principal Charles Brewster
- Raffaella Bruno, 22 years, Instructional Assistant, Grove Preschool
“Ra knows each child so well and has a great intuition for what they need from her. Love, acceptance and kindness are in abundance with Ra and the students in her classroom benefit from it every day.” – Susan Dillon, Preschool Coordinator
- Deborah Van Keulen, 21 years, Whittier Instructional Assistant
“Debbie has worked with hundreds of students and has supported them in their academic struggles, social and emotional challenges, and in sorting out life experiences. She has made a difference in the lives of children and families more than she will ever know.”
– Whittier Principal Michael Krugman
- Mary Drobny, Lester Instructional Assistant
“Mary is unbelievably patient and calm with her students. She believes in them, encourages them, and helps them reach their potential. She goes out of her way to make all students and staff that she encounters feel cared for and valued.” – Lester Principal Katie Novosel.
- Nancy Mueller, 13 years, El Sierra Instructional Assistant
“She impacts all students, especially those in the classroom where she is assigned. Her attention to detail, kindness, and sense of humor really help her succeed in this role.”
– El Sierra Principal Jason Lynde
- Fran Jones, 10 years, O’Neill Instructional Assistant
Fran leads by example following her guiding principle “All you need is love.” She helps with after-school supervision and attends extra-curricular events to support her students. As one student summed up, ‘She’s a good friend, likes laughing with me and likes my jokes.’ ”
– O’Neill Principal Lauryn Humphris