Mrs. Katz-Janssen is excited to begin her second year in District 39 at Romona in the Lechner Early Education Program. With 23 years of experience in education, her most recent role was serving as the school psychologist for the early childhood program in North Shore District 112. Mrs. Katz-Janssen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Barnard College, a Masters in Educational Psychology, and an Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology from Loyola University, Chicago.

She and her husband Avi are the proud parents of two wonderful children. Lizzie, 26, is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Dance Movement Therapy, while Owen, 24, is a computer programmer in the Boston area.  In her free time, Mrs. Katz-Janssen loves traveling, hiking, and running. She also loves reading and playing word games of all kinds.

Mrs. Foley is the Inclusion Specialist for the Lechner Early Education Program, supporting our three blended preschool classrooms.  She has been a part of the early childhood program at Romona for 13years and has over 20 years of teaching experience.  Mrs. Foley works with children, families and classroom teams to create and foster equitable learning experiences and environments where everyone feels supported, valued and invested.  In addition to her special education background, Mrs. Foley has a master’s degree in school leadership and an endorsement in English Language Learning (ELL). Outside of school, Mrs. Foley loves spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors, practicing yoga, and trying out new recipes.

Ms. Gershune (a.k.a. Ms. Jill) is excited to be returning for her 14th year as a Social Worker with the LEEP Early Childhood team. She has 26 years of experience in the field of School Social Work and continues to love it each day. When she is not working with students in Wilmette 39, she likes to spend time with family. She also enjoys swimming, traveling, and reading. Always feel free to ask her what she's reading and please share what you are ready-- she's always looking for recommendations! She is looking forward to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. She can't wait to see the kids! 

Mrs. Harvey is the Assistant Director for Special Education for the district as well as the administrator that oversees our Lechner Early Childhood Education Program. She is a Wilmette native and began her teaching career at Highcrest Middle School. She has served many roles in her time in D39 including special education teacher, behavior specialist, student services coordinator, and assistant principal. 

 Mrs. Lostumbo is beginning her tenth year teaching at Romona in the Connecting Kids Early Childhood Program and her eleventh year teaching overall. She received her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Illinois State University and obtained her Master's Degree from Northern Illinois University, where she also received her English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement. Justyna believes in cultivating a classroom culture that enhances a child's love for learning, using a student's strengths and interests to engage them in learning, and creating an environment of care and compassion. She enjoys working with her classroom team to provide a well-rounded education for every child. In her free time, she likes exercising, reading, listening to audiobooks, planning new travel opportunities, and playing with her son!

Mrs. Johnson graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders. She is looking forward to her second year in the LEEP program and her sixteenth year in District 39.  Mrs. Johnson lives in Chicago with her husband and new puppy Gunner Blue!  Outside of school, Mrs. Johnson loves exercising, camping, snowboarding, scrapbooking, jewelry making, and frequent trips to the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Ms. Nelson is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). The 2024-2025 school year will be her 13th year practicing as a SLP and her 8th year in LEEP. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in 2008 from Western Illinois University and her Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2012 from Saint Ambrose University. Ms. Nelson’s clinical experiences include working with infants, toddlers, children, and adults with a range of communicative and developmental needs within the schools and early intervention settings. She has a passion for supporting and empowering children on their journey to become confident and effective communicators. Outside of school, Ms. Nelson enjoys spending time with her family, sipping on a warm up of coffee, trying new restaurants, and traveling. She is looking forward to another wonderful school year!

Ms. Rusnak has been the school psychologist for the Early Childhood Program at Romona Elementary School since 2018. In addition, she is a part time school psychologist working with Romona’s kindergarten through fourth grader classes. Ms. Rusnak spent her first 13 years in District 39 as the school psychologist for Central Elementary. In addition, she has filled short term assignments at Harper and McKenzie Schools as well as supporting Wilmette’s parochial and private schools. Originally from New Jersey, Ms. Rusnak arrived in Chicago via Washington, D.C., yet retains her northeastern sense of humor. She earned her Education Specialist degree from Loyola University Chicago after a 12 year career in software consulting. Previously, she earned a Master of International Business Studies from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech. She is very excited to be a Romona Mustang, especially because unlike her southern universities, Romona’s mascot is not a member of the poultry family.