ROE4 Connections

ROE4 Hosts Regional Spelling Bee

Twenty-two champion spellers. One grand prize.

On March 25, champions from spelling bees across Boone and Winnebago County schools came together to compete for the title of Regional Spelling Bee Champion. With each participant already a top speller at their school, the competition began with impressively challenging words right from the start. The evening moved quickly; narrowing to just seven outstanding spellers within the first 45 minutes.

In the end, Matthew Messina, a 5th grader at Olson Park Elementary, spelled his way into third place, and Bailey Carter of West Middle School claimed second after a head-to-head round with this year's champion, Ananya Joshi of Roscoe Middle School. The three winners are pictured above, holding their trophies and smiling alongside Assistant Regional Superintendent Allison Pierson and Regional Superintendent Scott Bloomquist as they celebrate their incredible accomplishment!

Ananya is no stranger to winning at the Bee; after earning second place last year and first in 2024, she once again rose to the top. Along with a trophy and a $400 gift card, she earned a trip to Washington D.C., where she will represent our region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this May.

Congratulations to all of our incredible spellers and job well done on some incredible spelling! Be sure to tune in this May and cheer Ananya on as she takes the national stage.

A special thank you to the Eunice Wishop Stromberg Foundation and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for their continued support in funding the Regional Spelling Bee every year!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEE

Student Support Services

ROE4's McKinney-Vento Coordinator Receives Award

On March 20, ROE4's McKinney-Vento Coordinator, Elmer Rice, received our region's Excellence in Advocacy Award from the Illinois Coalition for Educating At-Risk Youth (ICEARY).

Elmer has dedicated his 30 year career in education to advocating for young people, and his work has had a profound impact on countless youth. Thank you, Elmer!

Education Services

Summit Academy's Teacher Recognized by ISBE

Selena Martir, one of our very own Summit Academy high school teachers, was the only educator in all of Winnebago County to be recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with a Those Who Excel Award!

This award was very well-deserved! Selena is a fantastic teacher who cares deeply about every student she serves. She regularly goes out of her way to make sure that students have the academic and emotional support they need to be successful. Congratulations, Selena!

Education Services

WCCMHB Visits Summit Academy

Last month, Summit Academy welcomed the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB) for a site visit. We are always excited to share the amazing progress our students are making in their journeys at Summit.

Board members Andrell Bragg-Shaw and Dr. Terry Giardini came along this time, and Dr. Giardini took the chance to test out Summit’s guitar!

Thank you to the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the 1/2 Cent Sales Tax, for the funding that supports this position!

Community Network Anchor

Regional Convenings

It’s been a busy and exciting month for our Community Network Anchor Specialists, Linsey McDanel and Christy Schweitzer! On March 18, they hosted their second Regional Convening at Highland Community College, and had a fantastic turnout. More than 50 people attended in-person, and more engaged online via Zoom. It was a beautiful display of collaboration in action—seeing community members with lived experience sharing a table with representatives from mental and physical health organizations. Together, they spent the evening engaging in meaningful dialogue working to close gaps in access and increase awareness of essential resources from across our nine-county region.

The spirit of collaboration continued as Linsey and Christy made their way to Naperville to join as guest panelists at an event hosted by the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation. The event brought together peer organizations from across the state to help ensure that we are not working in isolation, but aligning efforts, resources, and systems to build a more coordinated system of mental and physical health supports for Illinois.

We're looking forward to continuing the work at our next Regional Convening on April 15 at Rock Valley College in Rockford.

JOIN THE NEXT CONVENING

RPS Paraprofessional Students at the Testing Center

Regional Services

Testing Center Opens Doors to Future Paras from RPS

On April 8 and 9, ROE4 opened its Testing Center doors for 11th and 12th graders from RPS to take the WorkKeys Paraprofessional Test, the exam required for paraprofessional licensure in Illinois. These students are part of RPS's Career and Technical Education (CTE) Education Pathway Program, led by Scott Sevey.

In addition to providing RPS students the opportunity to take this test at ROE4, the program also offers expanded Early Childhood Education training, along with an optional educational internship program next year, giving students an idea of what it’s like to actually work in the field.

Students who passed the test are now eligible to obtain their paraprofessional license through the Illinois State Board of Education. For those who decide to stay local, RPS offers an alumni hiring preference, creating a direct pathway into a career in education in their hometown.

Thank you to the RPS Education Pathway CTE teachers for your dedication and hard work in making these opportunities possible for students!

PARAPROFESSIONAL TESTING AT ROE4

Picture Your Organization Here

This summer, hundreds of area educators will gather for our fourth annual Summer Symposium, a full-day conference dedicated to inspiration and learning. We're looking for SEL-aligned organizations to join us... can you picture your organization in our exhibitor space?

ATTEND SYMPOSIUM

BE AN EXHIBITOR