Karen Moutvic

Meet Mrs. Moutvic

"This is a great place to be! There's a lot of pride in this school and I think that the kids are awesome. There's a lot of energy and a lot of support for each other.”

Listen to the Conversation Here

Biography

During our interview with Mrs. Moutvic she talked about her time working at McClure Junior High School. Mrs. Moutvic started working at McClure 28 years ago, and and during that time, she has sponsored several clubs. The many clubs she helped sponsor were the Game Club, Bulldog Bark, and the Bulldog Book Club, all of which are still going today. Mrs. Moutvic also said that the most impressive thing about McClure and Western Springs is the people because of their dedication to learning.

Conversation Topics

Western Springs and McClure's response to 9/11
Teaching in different classrooms over the past 28 years
How much she enjoys the staff, students, and community we have

Always Here, Even From Far Away

Mrs. Moutvic was one of two teachers at McClure who spent the majority of the 2020-21 school year teaching remotely from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She rejoined in-person teaching shortly after Spring Break in 2021.

Bulldog Spirit - It Runs In the Family

When Mrs. Moutvic's kids were young, she would bring them to school when she had work to do. Her son loved going to the basketball games - he even asked the 7th and 8th grade players for their autographs! Mr. Chick was the coach at the time, and when her son was about 5 years old, Mr. Chick let him sit with the basketball team on the bench at a game which was the highlight of her son's year.

"How Did That Happen?"

Mrs. Moutvic didn't always teach in what is now the 6th grade hallway. One of her former classrooms is Room 203 before she moved to 108. "I inherited Mr. Chick's room on the first floor with a broken door. He told me that one day he forgot his key and yanked so hard on the door that the lock broke." When Mr. Chick became Assistant Principal and there was a lockdown drill, the police and the fire department were able to just open the door. When Mr. Chick asked how that happened, "I had to remind him that he was the one who broke it!" After that, the lock was finally fixed.

Western Springs Story

Mrs. Moutvic told us that she always wanted to be a teacher. After teaching in another district for a few years, she came to McClure in 1995. That makes Mrs. Moutvic one of the teachers who has worked in the district for the longest...almost three decades! That also means that the village is a big part of her own story. Mrs. Moutvic loves the unique "small town" feel of Western Springs and she thinks the energy and the children make it a very special place. During our conversation, Mrs. Moutvic talked a lot about her relationships with staff and people in Western Springs. She talked about her family as well.

What Makes Western Springs Special

"The people are what impress me the most in D101, especially the members of my McClure family. Their dedication and kindness make McClure a great place for kids and adults."
The kids and when the community would come together during tough times. One of Mrs. Moutvic's memories that reflects how special this community happened after 9/11. The day after the attacks, Mrs. Moutvic remembers a student who set up a table with flags and pencils and collected donations to help. The student wanted to do something when everyone felt so powerless. Word of her project spread quickly, and several thousand dollars were raised just that morning alone. When that student grew up, she even taught in D101!

Changes Seen in Western Springs

Safety has changed over the years, both in Western Springs and in the world. Even though Western Springs is still a close knit community that is caring and kind, the world is different than it used to be.
Access to technology has also changed the way kids learn, how they show what they've learned, and how they communicate. Mrs. Moutvic shared the story of the very first email she ever sent and received at school---she remembers thinking that it was a lot of work for something that could just as easily be said by walking down the hall to talk with someone!
Air conditioning in the classrooms!

Describe Western Springs in 3 Words

Community
Family-oriented
Supportive