8th Grade Staffing Update

April 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians of Eighth Grade Students:

We hope this letter finds you and your family well! We would like to provide an update to families regarding eighth grade staffing changes following spring break. This has been a unique year in that we have had several staff members who have needed to be on leave at different times throughout the year which has resulted in some unexpected transitions. We want to thank students, staff, and families for their patience and support during these transitions. 

We are happy to share that Nina Slefo has returned earlier than expected from her leave and is back in the classroom as our 8th grade math teacher. We want to thank Paula Kim for her coverage of that classroom during Ms. Slefo’s leave. If you have any questions about your child’s math academic progress please contact Ms. Slefo.

Ms. Kim will now be transitioning for the remainder of the school year into Mr. Shay’s ELA classes, replacing Mr. Kleeberg who has since obtained a full-time position in another district. We wish him well and are appreciative of the support he provided to our students during this unexpected transition. Ms. Kim is very familiar with the ELA curriculum and started the school year covering a 7th grade ELA classroom with great success. She has already spent time planning with Ms. DiZillo, the other 8th grade ELA teacher, as well as instructional coaches and co-teachers. We appreciate Ms. Kim’s dedication to our school community. If you have questions about your child’s ELA academic progress you can contact Ms. Kim directly by email at [email protected].

Klaudia McCrackan, our 6th/8th grade Spanish teacher, will soon be going on leave in mid-April for the remainder of this school year. We were able to hire a qualified substitute Spanish teacher to cover her leave. Jennifer Brody comes to McCracken with extensive experience in both the worlds of education and journalism. From 2005-2015, Ms. Brody worked in Chicago Public Schools teaching English. She then transitioned to Leyden District 212 as a long-term Spanish substitute for three years. Ms. Brody is fluent in Spanish and is currently working alongside Ms. McCrackan to ensure a seamless transition for the upcoming leave. You can contact Ms. McCrackan with any questions about your child’s academic progress in Spanish through April 11th and then reach out to Ms. Brody after that time by calling the school office at (847) 673-1220.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding as we worked to cover various staff leaves this school year. Please reach out to the administration with any questions.

Sincerely,

Nancy Ariola, Principal
Marty Behm, Assistant Principal
Trevor Dykes, Assistant Principal