New Kipling Staff 2014-2015

Anthony McConnell - PrincipalMy name is Anthony McConnell and I am honored to be the new principal of Kipling Elementary School. I live in Deerfield with my wife Cayce, son AJ (2), and my daughter Aurelia (6) who also happens to be entering first grade at Kipling. I am interested in all aspects of education, learning, and leadership. I am passionate about implementing best practices identified through research into our schools and classrooms. My interests include reading, science, and history. I look forward to getting to know all of you this year.

Svetlana Sutic - Assistant PrincipalHello! My name is Svetlana Sutic. I am very excited to be Kipling's Assistant Principal! I am a highly collaborative, energetic, and passionate educational leader dedicated to advocating for academic excellence and social and emotional well-being for ALL of our students, staff, and parent community. I put great value in the personal relationships I form and the professional manner in which we all interact. I have a high regard for education and what it can afford all of us in bettering who we are for ourselves and how we contribute to the world. I am committed to the Kipling Family and supporting our shared vision for who we are and what we want for our kids.I am a wife of 25 yrs to Mike (Milic), a mother to Darinka (20), Danilo (19), and Daniela (15), live in Libertyville, love cooking, snow skiing, golfing, fishing, and coffee! I have degrees in education, reading, and administration. I am a first born Orthodox Serbian-American and fluent in Serbian. A quote that fits my belief is; "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”~James Arthur Baldwin

Kerry Molway - Kindergarten Hi, my name is Kerry Molway and I am so excited to be joining the Kipling family! This will be my fourth year working as a kindergarten teacher and I couldn’t love this grade more. I grew up out in the Chicago suburbs, but am originally from the lovely little state of Connecticut. After high school I went to DePaul University of Chicago where I earned my degree in Elementary Education. I love painting, photography, and teaching yoga to children. I also love watching baseball with my fiancé and our beautiful golden retriever Marnie! One of the most important ideas that I hope to pass on to the students is that learning never ends (even Ms. Molway learns in our classroom!). I believe education is an open-ended process in which the educated must force themselves to be risk takers and unprejudiced to new people and situations. Education is only the stepping stone to more education and more self-learning. I can’t wait to be that step in your child’s life!

Rebecca Dushman - Kindergarten

I’m Rebecca Dushman,one of the new kindergarten teachers, and I am very excited to be joining the Kipling family. This will be my 5th year teaching in the district and my 10th year teaching kindergarten. I am passionate about empowering young children academically, socially and emotionally to achieve their full potential. I welcome parent participation in the classroom and look forward to having a great year with you and your children. My husband and I have been residents of Deerfield for 15 years and all four of our children have been educated in the Deerfield public school system. When I’m not in the classroom, I enjoy spending time reading, dancing and going on adventures with my family.

Karen Gluskin - 2nd GradeMy name is Karen Gluskin and I’m very excited to be teaching Second Grade at Kipling Elementary School! I am from Buffalo Grove, so I feel like I’m returning “home” after teaching first, second and third grades in Naperville, Lemont, and Lombard the past 3 years. I graduated from Syracuse University, where I received a degree in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education, and I also had the opportunity to study abroad in London. I have experience using social media and technology, so am thrilled to incorporate 1:1 technology into my instruction. I love teaching because I can encourage students to learn new things, push their thinking, discover new passions, and share their ideas with everyone. Outside of teaching I enjoy running, doing yoga, watching sports, cooking, and reading. I’m looking forward to a great year!

Amanda Gomberg - 3rd Grade(Pending Board Approval)

Hi! My name is Amanda Gomberg and I am extremely excited to join the Kipling Elementary School community. I grew up in Buffalo Grove with my parents and my two older sisters, who are also elementary school teachers. I graduated from The University of Iowa with degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education. I was previously a third grade teacher in Zion, and I am very excited to bring that experience to Kipling! I have also worked for Keshet for the past six years over the summer and love it! I enjoy traveling, reading, and spending time with my family and friends. I cannot wait for the school year to start and to get to know all of you!

Elizabeth Foran - ArtHello, my name is Elizabeth Foran and I will be the new Art teacher here at Kipling Elementary School! I grew up in Lake Forest and attended The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Art Education and Art History. I started my teaching career at a private school in River Forest, IL and am very excited to become part of the Kipling community. I am passionate about education! I have always loved learning and I believe that I bring this passion to the classroom as a teacher now. Some of my hobbies include spending time with family and friends, photography, reading, running, and cheering on the Blackhawks! I am eager to meet the families of Kipling Elementary School and cannot wait to start the school year!

Lori Avdoian - School PsychologistI was born and raised in the greater Detroit area, and attended Albion college in Michigan. I decided to merge my love for working with kids, psychology, and school systems at the University of Cincinnati, where I received my Specialist Degree in School Psychology. I have worked in both Ohio and Illinois with children from Pre-K to 12th grade, but have always felt a special connection with Elementary-aged students. My primary professional goals include helping all students achieve in both academic and social/emotional areas and providing thorough and effective consultation with staff and family members. My husband Greg and I recently bought our first place, a condo in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. We are excited but in definite need of decorating advice, so please feel free to share any of your expertise in this area. I was very fortunate to live in Australia for a semester during my Junior year of college, and to more recently to travel to Armenia on a service trip. Greg and I are looking forward to discovering several countries in Europe next summer. I love cooking and baking, and have been known to watch way to much of the Food Network. I also enjoy playing tennis and basketball, and even knitting a scarf or two to help family members brave the Midwest winters. I am very much looking forward to being your School Psychologist at Kipling this year, and hope to meet many of you soon!

Ali Paster - Resource Teacher Greetings! My name is Ali Paster and I am thrilled to be joining the Kipling family as a special education resource teacher. I am a native Minnesotan and former Badger, graduating from the University of Wisconsin: Madison with a degree in Special Education. After moving to Chicago, I worked in the Chicago Public Schools for 7 years as a special education teacher and later after receiving my Masters in Elementary Education, a 2nd and 3rd grade classroom teacher. While taking time off to raise my three children, I kept busy working at the Chicago Children’s Museum and National Louis University as a student teacher supervisor. During these years, I missed teaching and longed to return to a school community. I joined the DPS staff last year working at South Park and Shepard in long term substitute positions. I was immediately impressed by the commitment of the staff and warmth of the community and felt I had found a special place. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, exercising, reading, and traveling. I live in Glencoe with my husband, children, and adorable 13 year old beagle named Madison. I am beyond excited to be joining the Kipling staff and look forward to meeting many of you throughout the school year.

Elaine Olbur - Resource Teacher I am happy to be joining the staff at Kipling Elementary for the 2014-15 school year. This will be my 8th year teaching in DPS 109 including four years at South Park elementary and three years at Caruso Middle School. Prior to teaching in Deerfield I spent three years teaching in the Chicago Public Schools. Teaching is not only my career, but it is my passion. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband, two-year-old son, and dog. My hobbies are reading, scrapbooking, and watching sports. I went to the University of Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!) for my bachelors’ degree and received my Masters from National Louis University. I grew up in Glenview and currently live in Chicago. I love to travel and two of my favorite places are Hawaii and London. I am looking forward to another great year in DPS 109.

Claudia Steinbrecher - Social Worker

I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. I attended Michigan State University (Bachelor's) and the University of Michigan (Master's). This is my 27th year as a school social worker, my 16th year in District 109. I've also worked for the Special Education District of McHenry County, and I was the social work supervisor at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire for three years.My husband, Richard, and I have been married for 22 years, and I have seven step-grandchildren! My hobbies include reading, and spending time at the cabin we built on Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin. The coolest place I've ever been? The Taj Majal in Jaipur, India.I love helping struggling children learn new strategies to help them to be more happy and successful at school!

Taylor Meredith - Instructional CoachHi, I am Taylor Meredith, one of the new instructional coaches at Kipling. I am a graduate of Syracuse University and received my Master’s Degree from Hunter College in New York City. I have experience as a Special Education teacher in NYC public schools and as a 5th grade teacher in Glenview, IL. My husband, Frank and I live in Lincoln Park. I love to explore new places, practice yoga and watch NCAA basketball. Working with students to help foster an authentic love for reading and writing is one of the reasons why I love teaching. In addition, I am passionate about developing strong student ownership, engagement, life-long learning and brain research. I am thrilled to joining the Deerfield and Kipling community!

Michelle Primack - Instructional Coach

Hello Kipling Families! My name is Michelle Primack and I am one of the new iCoaches at Kipling Elementary School. Prior to this year, I was a differentiation coach at Walden and I began my career in education several years ago, when I taught fourth and fifth grade in Arlington Heights. One of the things that I love about my job is that it is different everyday and provides me unique opportunities to work with teachers. I am specifically looking forward to all of the innovative things that I will help support in classrooms as we move to a 1:1 learning environment!When I am not busy at school, I like to spend time with my family. My husband, Stuart, my children, Maya (10 years old), Mason (8 years old), and I live in Northbrook. My husband and I are very excited to run the Chicago Half Marathon together this fall. I have spent quite a bit of time training over the summer. I am looking forward to a great year at Kipling!