Specialized Education for Bright Kids with Learning Disabilities
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LD Specialists
Co-Teaching We believe that co-teaching provides for a richer and more integrated educational experience for our students. At HPDS, regular education teachers, LD specialists and professional artists work together. In addition, we offer consultation to regular education teachers to ensure a smooth transition for students returning to their home school. Meet Everyone at the Hyde Park Day Schools! The Hyde Park Day Schools' strength is directly related to the quality of their faculty. The selection process is very in depth and competitive. The result is a group of administrators, teachers and integrated service providers who are not only extremely well qualified, but who have outstanding skills, enthusiasm and the dedication needed to bring out the best in our students. Dr. Pamela Adelman – Executive Director Dr. Pam brings a life long commitment to the field of learning disabilities, as a teacher, researcher and administrator, to the Hyde Park Day Schools. Her vision is to create an environment that fosters success for children with moderate to severe learning disabilities. This success will be achieved through a variety of innovative and specialized educational approaches that are directed towards the unique learning needs of each student. Prior to joining HPDS, she was a professor at Barat College in Lake Forest, IL, since 1977. She was appointed the first Graduate Dean after leading the accreditation process to receive approval for the College's first master's program. She was also the Director of the Learning Opportunities Program, a nationally recognized support group for college students with learning disabilities. From 1986 to 1997, Dr. Pam was Chairperson of the Education Department. Also the Director of Special Education at Barat, she taught and supervised student teachers in both public and private schools. Previous to joining Barat, she taught at all levels, K-12, both as a regular classroom teacher and as a learning disabilities specialist. Dr. Pam has authored numerous articles and chapters for professional publications and is the co-editor of the book, Success for College Students with Learning Disabilities. She is on the Nominating Committee of the Illinois Chapter of the International Dyslexia Association, listed in "Who's Who in American Education", "Who's Who in America" and is a Fellow of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, biking, and long walks with her husband and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Stephanie Ball - Teacher Stephanie was born and raised in the Chicago area. She grew up in Kenilworth and now lives in Lakeview. Stephanie attended Denison University where she studied Communication and Literature. Upon finishing her undergraduate work, she had a strong passion for helping others and wanted to pursue a career in human resources and recruiting. However, Stephanie came from a family of educators and realized that working with children to impact their lives would be more appealing. She then went back to school to earn a Master’s in Elementary Education from National-Louis University. After completing a Master’s in Elementary Education, Stephanie started working at Devonshire School in Skokie. While at Devonshire, she worked with many different grade levels but particularly enjoyed the work in 4th & 5th grade special education. Stephanie has learned the importance of using a wide range of learning strategies in the classroom to meet the needs of all students. Stephanie is now embarking on her third year with HPDS. She progressively works with new curriculum to make a strong impact on her students. Outside of school, Stephanie enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, playing sports and participating in outdoor activities, going to movies and more. Susan M. Blaul – Teacher Susan was born and raised in Rhode Island; she moved to Evanston 15 years ago and has enjoyed life by the lake ever since. Susan attended Bryant University where she completed her undergraduate degree in business and marketing. She started her career working for major hotel resorts training employees in front desk operations. Susan made a career change upon moving to Chicago. She completed requirements for secondary social studies teaching and earned a Master’s Degree in Reading and Learning Disabilities from DePaul University. Her thesis research concentrated on the effective transition for students with learning disabilities from secondary to post secondary education. While completing her degree, Susan was a teacher assistant and substitute for North Suburban Special Education District and had the privilege of working in many of the grade schools and high schools of the North Shore. Upon graduation, she taught at Thresholds Young Adult Program High School, a specialized therapeutic school in Chicago. Susan taught 9th-12th grade students utilizing a team approach to behavior management and differentiation classroom strategies to reach the wide range of ability levels. Susan most recently earned a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Administration from National-Louis University and spent the last two years as teacher and administrator at Thresholds. She has a love of the arts and is dedicated to integrating the arts into the curriculum at every opportunity. In her leisure time, Susan enjoys being a Wolf Den leader and playing a variety of sports. Heather Leneau Bragg - Teacher Heather is a native of the Chicago area. She left Illinois during her undergraduate years to attend the University of Oklahoma. After receiving a B.S. in elementary education, she moved to Texas and taught in the Austin and Dallas areas. She returned to Chicago in 2003, and taught first grade in the Chicago Public School system. In the fall of 2004 Heather began Northwestern University’s M.A. program, receiving her degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (with an emphasis in learning disabilities) in December 2005. This degree also lead to LBS-I certification. She then taught at The Cove School in Northbrook. This is her first year at The Hyde Park Day School. Heather was initially attracted to teaching at the primary level because she believes in the importance of a positive school experience for children, as well as the positive impact of early intervention. She became curious about intervention strategies used for children with reading disabilities while teaching first grade. She decided to pursue a graduate degree in order to study proven teaching methods, which led her to Northwestern’s program. She feels fortunate to be joining the HPDS team and is looking forward to learning from her students and colleagues. Heather is a football fan, loyal to the Oklahoma Sooners and the Chicago Bears. She has completed two triathlons, teaches spinning classes several nights each week and has plans to run her second half marathon this January. She just got married in August in Napa Valley, California. Scott Budeselich - Physical Education Teacher Scott returns to Hyde Park Day School for his fifth year. He looks forward to expanding and developing the physical education program at the school. In addition to his duties at Hyde Park Day School, he is also the Assistant Baseball Coach and Assistant Sports Information Director for the University of Chicago. Prior to his work with the University of Chicago, Scott was the Special Projects coordinator at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Scott played three seasons of baseball at Chicago State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education. He was selected to the Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team. While attending Chicago State, he also served as a student assistant teacher and assistant junior varsity baseball coach at suburban Thornwood High School. He received his M.A. in Sports Administration from Central Michigan University. During this time, he was president of the Sports Management Association. Scott has been involved in athletics since he was four years old and has seen the benefits that can come from participating in sports and fitness activities. He cherishes the opportunity to pass on these benefits, such as self-esteem, goal setting, and team-building, to the students at Hyde Park Day School. He grew up in the south suburbs and currently resides with his wife and new baby daughter in Northwest Indiana. Mandy Bunte - Principal/Teacher Mandy is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, where she earned a B.A. in English Literature and received her Secondary Teaching Certification in English. Mandy taught freshman and sophomore English at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights for two years. Following her two years at Bloom High School, Mandy went on to continue her education at DePaul University in Chicago, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction, Special Education Certification in Learning Disabilities and an endorsement in Behavior Disorders. While completing her degree at DePaul, Mandy worked in DePaul’s Reading and Learning Lab, where she aided in the testing and remediation of students with special needs, and in DePaul’s PluS Program, where she assisted college students with learning disabilities in completing graduation requirements. Following the completion of her Master’s degree, Mandy moved to South America where she worked as a Special Needs Teacher at Escuela Bella Vista in Maracaibo, Venezuela. At Escuela Bella Vista, she supervised the education and aided in the instruction of over 50 first through twelfth grade students with a variety of special needs and learning disabilities. Mandy has been working at HPDS since her return to the U.S. in March 2003. When Mandy first came to HPDS, she worked as a classroom teacher, instructing first, second, third and fifth grade students. She then went back to DePaul University to pursue her Administrative Certification, completing her coursework in November 2005. This year will be Mandy’s fourth year as principal of the Chicago Campus. Susan Buono - Teacher Susan has taught children with special needs in a variety of settings for nearly 20 years. She received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Psychology and an M.A. in LD/BD from Northeastern University. Susan worked in the public schools for five years teaching children with behavior disorders and learning disabilities, and then serviced the special needs population at the School of St. Mary, creating a resourced program for grades 3-8 and an intervention program for at-risk readers for children in pre-school through grade 2. She has two children who are currently attending college and graduate school. Susan enjoys the challenge of engaging her students in their studies. As each child is unique, she finds she continues to learn from each teaching experience. In her spare time, Susan enjoys walking, swimming, music, reading, and writing. Susan is beginning her third year at HPDS.
Kelli is beginning her fourth year at HPDS in Northfield. Prior to this position, she was a middle school resource teacher at Francis W. Parker School for six years. She has a Bachelor's degree in History, and she spent three years working in arts administration before returning to education and earning her Master's degree in Learning Disabilities in 1998. She believes all students have gifts and talents and greatly enjoys helping them feed their strengths while helping them minimize and manage their weaknesses. When not thinking about school, Kelli enjoys reading, discussing books with her book club, and seeing movies with her husband. She also likes to spend time with her dog and two cats.
Larry Crost, Art Therapist and Instructor of Visual Arts Larry is a native Chicagoan who began his career teaching and directing therapeutic recreational arts for The Sunset Park Day Treatment Program in Brooklyn, New York. He also works as an art consultant for CPS and Community Education District 214 “Kids on Track “Program at the Arlington Park Racecourse. Larry is the author of “ARTSCOPE, An Accessible Source to Explorative Imagery”. His extensive experience encompasses numerous educational and community based art workshops for the Smithsonian Institution’s Resident Associate Program, The Potomac Art Therapy Association at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Gallery 37 in Chicago and the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County in Glenview, Illinois. He was also a visiting artist for the Adaptive Art Therapy Program at The Lab School of Washington in Washington D.C. As an exhibiting artist, Larry focuses his creative endeavors on the use of sustainable materials. He actively exhibits at the New Century Art Gallery located in Chelsea, New York City. Last year, Larry thoroughly enjoyed teaching at HPDS. This year, he looks forward to offering visionary learning experiences that will inspire and motivate unconditional creativity in interdisciplinary education. Anna Deignan Anna is a native Californian who moved to the Chicago area last year. She is a graduate of Boston College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in U.S. History. Anna previously worked in publishing and internet industries in San Francisco before discovering her passion for education. She received her master’s degree from San Francisco State University in Special Education with a focus on mild and moderate disorders. Anna previously worked at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes as the director of their Berkeley, California-based learning center. In addition to running the center, she enjoyed working one-on-one with students to help them strengthen their literacy, language comprehension, and mathematic skills. She is excited to begin her first year of teaching at Hyde Park Day school this year. Anna enjoys literature, travel, cooking, swimming, and helping children discover their passions. Brooke Doppelt, Teacher After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2003, Brooke moved to Chicago and taught at Sinai Preschool downtown. The following year, Brooke was an assistant teacher in a first grade classroom at Francis W. Parker School in Lincoln Park. At Parker, she especially enjoyed working with students in small groups where she could differentiate instruction on an individualized basis. Brooke attended DePaul University for graduate school, where she received her Master’s degree and became certified in both elementary and special education. During graduate school, she student taught at Greeley School in Winnetka in a resource room for first, third, and fourth graders and in a first grade general education classroom. Brooke grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and is fortunate to have a large network of cousins in Chicago whom she loves spending time with. She also enjoys traveling, playing sports and exploring the city with her friends. Brooke truly values the unique nature of each child she works with and is thrilled to begin another school year at Hyde Park Day School. Keren Faling – Transition Specialist Born and raised in Massachusetts, Keren moved to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago. After graduating with a B.A. in English, Keren worked with children and families as a residential counselor and case manager for 5 years before returning to school to earn her M.Ed. with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2001. While at UIC, Keren worked as a graduate assistant, coordinating an Early Intervention Training Grant. In addition, she had the opportunity to work in the University’s assessment clinic, evaluating and recommending services for students with special needs. Since earning her degree, she has been teaching students with learning challenges, first in the Chicago Public Schools, and then, beginning in 2004, at the Hyde Park Day Schools. After three years of teaching at Hyde Park Day, Keren is looking forward to her new role as the school’s Transition Specialist. She is excited to be working with students, faculty, and parents from both campuses. Having advocated for students and families as case manager, teacher, tutor, and parent, Keren sees this new role as a natural transition. Keren is currently working towards her Ed.D. in School Psychology at National-Louis University. When not working or studying, she can be found rooting for her son’s soccer team (Go Internationals!), taking photographs, and relaxing with friends and family.
Thirty years of experience in the computer industry led Pat to the position of Sr. Vice President of a computer company specializing in financial applications. After a brief retirement, she shifted her focus to education and served as a special education aide and a technology assistant in District 181 Hinsdale, Illinois. With a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Mundelein College, Pat recently completed her Master’s degree from National Louis University concentrating on Technology in Education. Pat returns to Hyde Park Day School as Technology Coordinator and Technology Teacher for the Hyde Park Campus. Elizabeth Gallo - Teacher Elizabeth is honored to have joined the faculty at Hyde Park Day School in Northfield, Illinois. She will be part of the fifth grade cooperating teaching team and is looking forward to starting an exciting year together. Elizabeth comes to Hyde Park with both elementary and special education experience. She has taught for a number of years in various parochial schools on the Northwest side of Chicago, and for her last two years was the Special Education Coordinator at a private school in Lake Forest, Illinois. Elizabeth believes in the value of a good education, and feels confident that Hyde Park will welcome her. She hopes that her spark for creativity and enthusiasm for learning will enhance the success of her special students. During Elizabeth’s free time, she reads best-selling, fiction novels and is fortunate to have traveled throughout Europe during the summer months. She is thankful for the love of her family and friends and appreciates their continued support of her teaching career Bridget Harrigan-Speech Language Pathologist Bridget is returning to Hyde Park Day school as a part-time speech pathologist. Bridget is a graduate of University of Illinois, in Urbana with a B.S in Speech and Hearing Science and a graduate of St. Xavier University with a M.S in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She has worked for Chicago Public Schools for 5 years servicing many students with a wide variety of communication disorders. She has spent the last 3 years with a majority of her caseload being children with language learning disabilities. Bridget also spent a year as a Speech/Language Pathologist in the suburb of Willowbrook working with early childhood special education students. She also has experience and currently provides treatment in the Early Intervention program servicing children ages 0 to 3 years. In her spare time, Bridget resides in the south loop of Chicago and enjoys playing tennis, yoga, reading, and cooking, and spending time with family and friends Natalie Harty - Teacher Natalie is currently in her fourth year of teaching at the Hyde Park Day Schools Chicago Campus. She has extensive teaching experience in both public and private settings. Before joining HPDS, she taught for Chicago Public Schools as a K-5 LD Resource teacher. This position allowed her the opportunity to offer LD students the remediation necessary to support their placement in a mainstreamed setting. Prior to this, Natalie taught at the Windward School in the New York area as well as the Cove School in Northbrook. Both are private schools exclusively for children with learning difficulties. While living in New York, Natalie attended Columbia University. There she received her Master’s degree in the Learning Disabilities program from the Teachers College. During her graduate studies, Natalie worked at the St. Luke’s Hospital Language and Learning Lab in Harlem, NY. At St. Luke’s, she developed a curriculum for the summer program and taught children in need of academic and emotional remediation. In addition, Natalie had the opportunity to work at the New England Diagnostic Center in Riverside, CT, completing diagnostic evaluations and providing individualized and small group instruction. Natalie is thrilled to return to teach at the Hyde Park Day School. She believes that this type of learning environment, where the whole child is considered, allows children who learn differently a setting that is optimal for academic remediation. Lynn Hiatt - Secretary Lynn was a stay-at-home mom for her two children prior to joining the Hyde Park Day School. Volunteering at the children’s schools was always an enjoyable experience for Lynn as she loves children. Lynn has personal insight into children with learning disabilities and their families. Prior to raising her children, Lynn was an American Airlines flight attendant. Lynn enjoys her work in the Northfield office. Of particular interest to Lynn is greeting the children, parents and visitors to make them feel welcome and comfortable. A native Californian, Lynn now considers herself a Chicagoan. During her spare time, Lynn enjoys travel, theatre performances, museums, movies and family gatherings.
Melanie Hodak – Assistant Principal/Teacher Education being her passion since childhood, Melanie enrolled in DePaul University to earn her Master’s degree in learning disabilities. She was the Coordinator of Special Services at the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in the Lakeview area of Chicago until taking over as Head of Lower School in 2000. She came to know Hyde Park Day School well through collaborating with them in those roles, and joined the advisory board in 2005. She joined the school’s Northfield campus in July, 2007. Melanie lives with her 12 year old son, Matthew, in Evanston. She is a lifelong student and enjoys being a learner as well as an educator. Melanie is convinced that all of us have areas of strengths and difficulty; she enjoys working in a profession in which she can help children, and herself, discover strengths and affinities, and then use them to overcome challenges. Sarah Imboden - Director of Arts and Technology Sarah is beginning her sixth year at the Hyde Park Day Schools. She has a B.S. in Education and Learning Disabilities from Southeast Missouri State. During Sarah’s senior year in college, she was selected to do her student teaching abroad through the education department at the Swansea Institute in Swansea, Wales. She worked at a fully-integrated special education elementary school, and was impressed with the accepting attitude everyone in the school community had towards all children with disabilities. Sarah worked as a classroom teacher for two years at the Hyde Park Day School Chicago campus. As Director of Arts and Technology, Sarah serves as the technology and art/technology teacher as well as the liaison for the artist-in-residence. She is enthusiastic about assisting the integration of technology and the arts in the curriculum. Last spring, Sarah completed her M.Ed. in Technology Education at National Louis University. Sarah is committed to building an arts program at the Hyde Park Day Schools. She led the Hyde Park Day School Drama Club and after-school programs in drama and art. She hopes to continue to build these projects throughout the school year. Sarah feels students should have an outlet for expression and creativity associated with their school. She feels that integrating the arts into education is an excellent way for students to gain self-esteem and experience positive social interaction. Outside of teaching, Sarah enjoys reading, playing on computers, traveling, acting and spending time with her family and friends. Elise Kleinman - Speech language Pathologist This is Elise’s first year as a Speech/Language Pathologist in the Hyde Park Day Schools. Prior to that, she worked at the Gillen Brewer School in New York City. Elise brings with her seven years of experience working with children with special needs. She holds a Master’s degree in Speech/Language Pathology from New York University and has received continuing education in auditory processing disorders, cognitive linguistics and executive function. Elise is PROMPT trained and is a member of the American Speech/Language and Hearing Association. This is also Elise’s first year living in Chicago. Born and raised in New York, she ends a ten year stretch living in Manhattan excited to discover Chicago. When not at work, Elise enjoys traveling, writing and cooking. Gloria Konrad – Teacher Gloria is delighted to be joining the dedicated professionals at HPDS, a school whose educational philosophy so closely mirrors her own. Throughout her 16 years in pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade general education classrooms, she has embraced opportunities to work with fellow educators and parents to best determine and serve the needs of each child. Having spent more than ten years in primary classrooms, Gloria has a wealth of experience in the area of early reading instruction and is particularly attuned to the challenges new readers face. She celebrates the differences among her students—both as learners and as people—and is committed to fostering a classroom climate that recognizes and appreciates their individual academic, social and emotional needs. Outside the classroom, Gloria enjoys reading, walking, biking, rollerblading, and spending time with her husband and 13-year old daughter, Olivia. She lives in Evanston on a friendly block where kids climb trees, neighbors chat, and the mail carrier greets everyone by name. She is thrilled to be at HPDS and eagerly anticipates a wonderful first year there. Alice Kyle - Teacher Throughout her career as an elementary education teacher she always worked with a diverse student population. Having the opportunity to work with primary grade students further underscored the importance of intervention and providing a highly supportive and nurturing school environment for all students. Working with special needs students within a regular class setting heightened her commitment to further create successful and academically challenging opportunities for her students. Her work with this population led to advanced degrees and additional course work in the areas of social/emotional needs and supervisory accreditation. In North Chicago, she worked with intermediate students with learning disabilities in a self-contained classroom. This prompted and underscored the need for the special education team to build a social skills curriculum that would assist students to better understand, interact and build their academic and social awareness skills. For the last eight years she worked as the Site Administrator and Assistant Principal at a private school in Lake Forest, Illinois. Daily responsibilities consisted of creating and implementing all of the systems necessary for all daily operations related to personnel, student needs, curriculum, instruction, and staff development. Administrative duties included initiating a child-find process that established intervention and remediation for students at risk. Outside of school, Alice enjoys spending time with her husband John, family and friends. Reading, art and gardening are just some of her special hobbies. She is delighted to be part of the Hyde Park Day School community. Naamah Levi – Music Teacher Janice Madrecki – Teacher Janice is definitely looking forward to continuing in her second year with HPDS this year and in working with our 7th and 8th grade students. With teaching experience in both the public and private sectors, Janice has worked with children in a variety of venues, ranging from teaching and coaching to before and after school programs. Her experiences within the Archdiocese of Chicago gave Janice the opportunity to teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade algebra, math, science, and technology, in which several of her students went on to both regional and state science fairs. Working within the Chicago Public Schools and Chicago suburban schools, Janice soon discovered her niche to bring out the best in her special needs students in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. Janice’s expertise also includes work with gifted and talented students at Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development, as well as with the poor and underprivileged children in Chicago’s Austin community, working with early elementary, intermediate and upper grades in a variety of enrichment and artistic endeavors. Prior to teaching, Janice was involved with development and fund raising, grant writing, editing, and public relations. As a result of both her parental involvement and love of working with children, Janice has experience working with children in drama and literary events, coaching and sporting venues, scouting, and test preparation skill building for standardized testing and high school entrance exams. As the parent of a second year college student, Janice is well aware of the balance that students must make in order to be successful – first and foremost in their academic studies, but likewise where their social, physical, mental, and emotional needs are concerned as well. Janice looks forward to continuing to bring her time, talents, and treasures – together with her own lifelong love of learning – to the students at HPDS. As an experienced middle school teacher, Janice is well equipped to motivate her students to excel in their daily coursework and takes pride in being instrumental to them as they prepare to successfully transition back into their own elementary/middle school and/or high school setting. In addition to working with many of our incoming 6th grade students at the south campus this past summer, Janice spends her free time traveling and bowling with her son, Thomas. She also enjoys reading, writing, walking, working out, and sporting events.
Kristy Marling-Teacher Kristy is entering her seventh year of teaching with experience in special education specializing in reading and learning disabilities. She has worked with students of all ages from K-8 in one-on-one, small group, and larger class settings. Kristy began her career as a cross-categorical special education teacher at a public school in Madison, WI. Kristy then moved out to San Diego, CA and taught in the San Diego City Schools for two years as the Language Arts Special Day Class teacher for students with learning disabilities. Here, Kristy focused on teaching explicit reading and writing lessons using the Lindamood-Bell processes and other direct instruction teaching methods. It is through this experience that Kristy’s passion for teaching reading grew, and helping students with severe learning disabilities reach their potential. Amy Messacar, After-School Art Teacher This is Amy’s sixth year at Hyde Park Day School. Prior to teaching at Hyde Park Day School, Amy was the Director of Special Education at the New Century Charter High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Amy was a special education teacher at the Social and Learning Institute in Michigan City and a teacher at the Sylvan Learning Center. She is currently working on a M.A in Art Therapy at the Adler School of Psychology. She enjoys the commitment Hyde Park Day Schools have towards integrating the arts with education. Amy feels that being a teacher is an integral part of her life and feels committed towards working with children with special needs. She enjoys the small size of the Hyde Park Day Schools and working collaboratively with other teachers. While not working, Amy enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends. Karen Meyer – Manager of Development A native Chicagoan, Karen joins the HPDS with combination of experience in private day school development, public relations and admissions programs. She is a graduate of Illinois State University where she earned a BA in Communications and she also attended National Louis University and completed her Masters Degree in Teaching. Karen enjoys not-for-profit work and currently volunteers her time as the Chairman of Fundraising for The Village Treasure House, an organization that supports women and children in crisis. Karen lives in Glenview and has two teenage children…Tommy and Sharon. She is an avid runner and has participated in a triathlon, two half marathons and various other races. She spends most of her free time enjoying activities with her children and husband. Karen recognizes that the HPDS is at a very exciting point in its development and looks forward to joining the community as it moves forward furthering the School’s mission. Jill McPhilliamy – Occupational Therapist Jill grew up in Skokie with her twin sister and 5 other brothers and sisters. She went to the University of Illinois for her Occupational Therapy degree. She has been practicing O.T. for 17 years. Her career experiences include home care, private clinical practice in the area and school-based Occupational Therapy. Jill also received her Massage Therapy certification from the school of Massage Therapy in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Audrey Resnick - Speech-Language Pathologist Audrey is pleased to continue as a full-time speech-language pathologist at the Northfield campus. She received her Master’s degree in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Northridge, and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Prior to joining the Hyde Park Day Schools in 2005, Audrey worked with diverse populations with a variety of communication needs in hospital, school and private clinic settings in both Los Angeles and Chicago. She enjoys the collaborative nature of working with the great team at HPDS. Outside of work, Audrey likes cooking, reading, and attending hockey games with her husband, Rick. Jenice C. Reyes – Speech-Language Pathologist Jenice is looking forward to her new position as a part-time Speech-Language Pathologist at the Northfield campus. She is a graduate of Saint Louis University and received a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor Psychology. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree, Jenice knew she wanted to help children with special needs, so she pursued a Master’s degree in Learning Disabilities from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. After graduate school, Jenice worked at The Hyde Park Day School-Hyde Park campus as a Learning Disabilities Specialist for three years. She taught first through sixth grade. With dedication and patience, she was challenged to strengthen each student’s academic skills, self-esteem, and motivation to succeed. Her passion and experience working with children diagnosed with language-based learning disabilities led to her decision to obtain a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Jenice moved back to Saint Louis, Missouri and attended graduate school at Saint Louis University. After achieving a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology, Jenice moved back to Chicago because she missed living by the lake and urban living. She worked at a pediatric clinic in the city and a northern suburb. Jenice conducted comprehensive speech and language evaluations and individualized treatment plans. She worked with a diverse population ranging from six months of age to eighteen months of age with a various speech and language impairments. Given her enriched background, she continues to provide one-on-one private speech/language therapy and academic tutoring for preschool-age and school-age children. Jenice was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is bilingual in English and Tagalog. Outside of work, Jenice enjoys spending time with her family and friends. In addition, she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and exploring ethnic restaurants in Chicago. Justin Roberts - Music Instructor Justin particularly enjoys working with children, as he finds that it inspires his own creativity. He has conducted many songwriting workshops in Illinois, and finds them to be an extremely rewarding experience. Justin looks forward to returning to the HPDS and believes it will provide an opportunity to utilize and develop the students’ musical skills while expanding their knowledge of the curriculum. While not working, Justin enjoys cooking, bicycling, tennis, chess and listening to music—especially Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, John Coltrane and Joni Mitchell. Veronica Shenault - Secretary Veronica is in her seventh year at the Hyde Park Day Schools, where she provides administrative support for the faculty of the Hyde Park Day School’s Chicago Campus. She brings years of experience as an administrative assistant in a number of University of Chicago departments, including the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School. Veronica finds her position at the Hyde Park Day Schools to be ideal, as it gives her the opportunity to combine her love for children with her administrative skills and experience. She feels the school has an exceptionally warm and nurturing environment. Veronica believes that “laughter is good for the soul” and so, she is often found laughing with the staff (and making them laugh!). Veronica is a lifelong Chicago native and has two children. She is very active in the field ministry of her congregation. She enjoys the outdoors, biking, skating, picnicking in the park, and spending time with her family and friends. Lisa Skrzypczynski - Teacher Lisa grew up in Skokie Illinois, where she attended local schools. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Northern Illinois University this past May. She is LBS1 certified through the state of Illinois. Lisa student taught at Cove, a school in Northbrook for students with severe learning disabilities. At Cove, she enjoyed helping her students identify their strengths and learn how to use those strengths to maximize their potential. Lisa has always loved living in the Chicago area. In her spare time, she enjoys books, movies, and going to plays. Lisa is an avid football fan who loves to watch games on Sunday with her family. Lisa is very excited to be part of the family at Hyde Park Day School. Last year, Lisa received an award for outstanding teaching from the Winnetka Alliance. She is looking forward to her third year of teaching at Hyde Park Day School.
John Station - Teacher John graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UIC in 1994, where he won several awards from both the History and Education Departments as well as from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He received his Master's Degree in history from the University of Prior to beginning this, his fourth year as one of the middle school teachers at the South Campus of Hyde Park Day School, John taught in the Chicago Public Schools, mostly at Bowen High School on Chicago's far South Side. His earliest teaching experiences were as a Little League baseball coach in St. Charles IL, his hometown, and as a seamanship instructor aboard the school ships Te Vega and Te Quest, where he also attended high school while sailing between Europe, Africa, South America and the West Indies. Having worked as a professional musician for over a decade, John brings his intense love of music and the arts to students who are interested and gifted in these subjects. An avid Michael Taback - Teacher Mike is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders focusing on learning disabilities. Mike continues his graduate work in the field and is currently completing his M.S. in Elementary Education at DePaul University. Mike worked in DePaul’s Reading and Learning Lab, where he aided in the testing and remediation of students with special needs, and in DePaul’s PluS Program, where he provided remediation services for undergraduate students with special needs. While an undergraduate, Mike was a recipient of a fellowship with the Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED), which provides special education services for over 20 northern Chicago suburbs school districts. In this role, he spent more than a year working with specialized teams of educational professionals and administrators to provide instruction and support for students with learning disabilities. Mike attributes his passion for teaching children with special needs to his own teachers who made such a difference in his life. His love for teaching has lead to his involvement with private therapy where he further pursues helping children. Outside of teaching, Mike enjoys playing sports and outdoor activities. Laura Thompson- Social Worker A native of Illinois, Ms. Thompson will begin her eighth year at HPDS as the school's Social Worker. Her past work experience includes working at the North Shore Academy with high school students experiencing learning, behavior and emotional disorders. Prior to this, she worked with elementary-age students providing therapeutic services, leading a violence prevention group and involvement with crisis intervention. As a recipient of numerous honors and scholarships, she was given the opportunity to participate in the University of Illinois Great Cities Study Abroad Program in London, England during 1996. While in London, she conducted a comparative analysis of social services for teen parents in Chicago and London. Ms. Thompson was drawn to Social Work because she enjoys working closely with children to address social issues and help them develop positive lasting relations and self-understanding. She has chosen HPDS because of its focus on integrated services, which she strongly feels is the most effective model for students' progress. She sees the school as a very special and welcoming environment. Helping the children to understand their learning disabilities and advocate for themselves is a prime focus for Ms. Thompson. She also helps with transitioning the students to and from their home school. Melodee Walker Melodee comes to Hyde Park Day School with an eclectic education and teaching background. Melodee has taught students with Learning Disabilities in a variety of contexts, but she is especially thrilled to be working in the exemplary environment at Hyde Park Day School. After graduating with honors from the University of Northern Iowa with an Elementary Education major and Reading Endorsement, she taught for two Judy Wall - Social Worker, L.C.S.W. Judy returns to HPDS for her fourth year as the Northfield school’s social worker. Her prior experience includes working with students with learning disabilities as the Judy believes the role of the social worker in HPDS’s integrated service model directly enriches the school experience of its students, provides positive opportunities
Michelle works hard to bring her love for a variety of art mediums to her students with her enthusiasm and creativity. Her passion for both children and the arts has led her to teaching. The primary goal for her students is to learn to enjoy creating. This will promote creating throughout their lives, and their education will in turn become easy and enjoyable. A native of New York, Michelle has been at the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School as the Assistant Director of Fine Arts and Recreation for eight years and is beginning her eighth year at the HPDS. Prior to this, she worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She is the recipient of numerous grants, including the National Art Education Foundation, Mary McMullan Fund for Art Education, the Packwood Foundation and The Illinois Arts Council.
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