Ms. Anderson is excited for another year as an English as Second Language (ESL) teacher at Romona. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in English. She also has a master’s degree in educational leadership and an ESL endorsement. Over the course of her career, she has worked as an assistant principal and curriculum coordinator in District 39. Before working in Wilmette, Ms. Anderson worked as a third grade, fifth grade, and ESL teacher in her hometown of Skokie. She now enjoys spending lots of time with her twins, Ella and Charlie. When she is not immersed in her work, you can find her reading, trying new recipes, and spending time with her family.

Megan received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from The University of Iowa...go Hawkeyes!  After teaching in Iowa for three years, she made the move to Chicago.  She received her Master's Degree in Reading from Northeastern Illinois University and her English Language Learners endorsement from Benedictine University.  She taught for eleven years in Westchester and fourteen years in Skokie.  In addition to being a classroom teacher, she has also enjoyed being a reading specialist and EL specialist.  Multilingual learners hold a special place in her heart, and she is looking forward to supporting students in her fifth year at Romona.  When she's not focusing on school, you can find her practicing yoga, traveling, hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband and dog.

Miss Cook is excited to begin her third year teaching at Romona! She earned her Bachelor's degree in Special Education and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Reading Education with a Reading Specialist Certification from Concordia University. When she's not teaching, Miss Cook enjoys living in Bucktown and exploring new restaurants and workout classes with friends. In her free time, she loves spending time outdoors, reading, running, and practicing yoga. She is looking forward to another wonderful year in Wilmette!

Mrs. DeSalvo is thrilled to be back for another year as Romona's Math Support Teacher! Mrs. DeSalvo LOVES math! Before becoming the Math Support Teacher, Mrs. DeSalvo taught kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grade. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from DePaul University with endorsements in Mathematics and Social Sciences, her Master’s degree in Reading Education with a Reading Specialist Certification from Concordia University, and, most recently, her Elementary Math Specialist endorsement. Mrs. DeSalvo is looking forward to another wonderful year at Romona!

My name is Maggie Donner, and I am a Learning Behavior Specialist at Romona Elementary School. I have an undergraduate certificate in American Sign Language from Columbus State University, a B.S. in Education from The Ohio State University, and an M.A. in Teaching from North Park University. I am very passionate about teaching, and I enjoy implementing a variety of pedagogical approaches to maximize my students’ development. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, camping, hiking, gardening, and spending time with my family and friends. I have been married to my husband, Chris, for 15 years, who is a criminal justice professor at Loyola University Chicago. We have a 5-year-old daughter, Olivia, and an 12-year-old miniature dachshund named Layla. I grew up in Logan, OH and have also lived in Florida and North Carolina. My husband and I moved to Chicago in 2015 and have been living in the Chicagoland area since 2020. 

 Mrs. Fochs is excited to begin her 18th year of teaching! She first joined the Romona community as a Learning Behavior Specialist, and has spent the last eight years as a certified Reading Intervention Specialist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education (LBS I) from Illinois State University, as well as Master’s degrees in both Literacy Education and Special Education (LBS II) from Northeastern Illinois University.

Outside the classroom, Mrs. Fochs loves tackling home improvement projects with her husband, Chris, and making memories with family and friends. She is also the proud mom of four children who fill her home with joy and beautiful chaos: Adeline (8), who is heading into third grade; Henry (6), who is starting first grade; strong-willed threenager Eloise; and Charlie, who just turned one!

Mrs. Hanawalt received her MS in occupational therapy from UIC in 2012. She is excited to begin her 5th year in district 39.  She will be supporting students at Romona in the LEEP program in addition to K-4 students. In her free time she likes to paint, take hikes, and hang out with her family including her husband, 2 kids and dog, Theo. 

Ms. Harney is proud to be celebrating her 21st year in Wilmette District 39. For the past 12 years, she has served as a certified Reading Specialist and had previously taught first and fourth grades at Romona. Her diverse educational experience spans early childhood through eighth grade in various districts including roles of English Learner (EL) teacher, literacy specialist, classroom teacher, and Early Childhood Head Start Site Director.

Ms. Harney holds a middle school endorsement in Language Arts and Social Studies and participated in the Global Student Teaching Program in Dublin, Ireland. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Psychology, from DePaul University and her Master’s degree in Reading from Concordia University.

A dedicated lifelong learner, Ms. Harney values her involvement with the North Shore Township Reading Association. Outside of school, she enjoys kayaking, traveling, cooking, painting, horseback riding, and spending time with friends. Ms. Harney is committed to helping students discover their strengths, develop confidence as readers, and realize their limitless potential. She feels fortunate to work in Wilmette District 39, where families, educators, and the community work as a team and share a strong commitment to supporting student success.

This is Mrs. Hurlburt's 5th year at Romona Elementary! She received her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her master’s degree in school social work from Loyola University Chicago. In her free time, Mrs. Hurlburt enjoys reading, hiking, and practicing yoga. Mrs. Hurlburt hopes to one day visit every national park in the United States!

This is Mrs. Konecnikʼs 22nd year teaching at Romona. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences with a concentration in Learning Disabilities at Northwestern, and her M.Ed. in Special Education at University of Illinois. Mrs. Konecnik loves spending time with her son, Cooper, who is in 5th grade this year, and Bennett, who is in 2nd grade this year. They love reading books, playing soccer in the backyard, and playing games. She and her husband like to take Cooper, Bennett, and their dog, Barley, out for walks or on bike rides. She loves crocheting Woobles! 

Mrs. Kramer is thrilled to be at Romona and McKenzie schools, serving as a Student Services Coordinator. This will be her 7th year in Wilmette. Previously, she taught pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten general education, as well as K-2 special education, in Kalamazoo, MI for 7 years before coming to Wilmette. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Special Education with a focus in Emotional Impairments and Behavioral Disorders from Western Michigan University.

Mrs. Kramer lives in Chicago. She enjoys road trips, hiking, and camping. She spent her summer preparing to welcome her first baby, expected to join the world in Fall 2026. 

This will be Mr. Lee's ninth year working in District 39 as a Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS). Mr. Lee grew up in Wilmette and attended Wilmette schools. He enjoys the opportunity to work in the schools and community that he grew up in. Mr. Lee graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree as an Intervention Specialist. In his free time, he enjoys biking and spending time with his friends and family.

Ms. Martyn received her undergraduate degree as a Spartan from Michigan State University in Special Education and Elementary Education. She went on to receive a Masters Degree as a Reading Specialist from DePaul University. During that time, she also worked for Wilmette Junior High. After teaching at an International School in Switzerland for a few years, she moved back to Illinois and taught in Burr Ridge. Ms. Martyn is so excited to be back “home” in District 39. She is looking forward to working with students at Romona! In her off time, Ms. Martyn enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and playing with her 13 and 15 year old children. 

Mrs. Matthews is excited to be returning for her 6th year at Romona Elementary. She earned a bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Science and a Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Illinois. Prior to joining D39, Mrs. Matthews worked with children in the pediatric hospital setting. Mrs. Matthews enjoys reading and spending summers by the pool with her husband and two daughters.

Mrs. Mermelstein joined Romona School eleven years ago and is thrilled to be part of this amazing school. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology, and earned a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University. She loves working with students and helping them gain the skills to feel successful both in school and outside of school. In her free time, Mrs. Mermelstein loves to cook, read, and travel to exciting new places.

Mrs. Miller is thrilled to be back as the Instructional Coach at Romona! Previously, she taught first through fifth grades in Atlanta, Georgia, Schaumburg, Illinois, and San Francisco, California, before coming to Wilmette. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University. Mrs. Miller is looking forward to a great year full of learning and fun.

This is Ms. Morse's second year teaching at Romona. Before coming to Wilmette, she served as a teacher in New Mexico and Massachusetts, as a school leader, and as a graduate school professor. She earned a Bachelor's Degree from Wesleyan University and a Master's Degree from Boston College Lynch School of Education. Ms. Morse lives in Evanston with her husband, two children, and cats. In her free time, she likes to run, read, and be outside!

Mr. Needleman has been a Speech Language Pathologist in schools for over 20 years, and is very excited to join the team at Romona Elementary School. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, then a Masters in Communications Disorders from William Paterson University in New Jersey. 

He lives with his phenomenal wife (who is also an educator) and two fantastic children in Chicago. They enjoy exploring all that Chicagoland has to offer, and being outside as much as possible when the weather allows.

This is Mrs. Parker's 16th year teaching at Romona. Before starting at Romona, she taught in Ohio for eight years in a variety of positions, including as a fifth and sixth grade Learning Behavioral Specialist (LBS), a seventh and eighth grade LBS and as a special education pre-k teacher. She also worked for two years prior to that at Don Johnston, Inc., a company that specializes in technology and support for struggling students. Mrs. Parker earned her undergraduate degree in Special Education from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and a Master's Degree from Concordia University in Inclusive Classrooms. Mrs. Parker currently lives in Lake Villa with her 17 year old son, 16 year old daughter and her husband. She spends her free time playing board games, working in her garden, birding, baking, and geocaching. Mrs. Parker always looks forward to school in the fall and can’t wait to get started!

This is Mrs. Pastuovic's eleventh year at Romona Elementary School! She received her undergraduate degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her Master's Degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Behavior Intervention and Curriculum Adaptation. Mrs. Pastuovic absolutely loves co-teaching 3rd grade with Mrs. Kukankos and their amazing team! They have so much fun together and with their students. Mrs. Pastuovic is looking forward to another great year in 3rd grade.

Dr. Patel holds a Doctorate in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in School Psychology from National Louis University (NLU). Her background includes working in District 39’s Early Childhood program, fulfilling long-term school psychologist substitute roles, teaching undergraduate courses at NLU, and practicing in private settings. Outside the classroom, Dr. Patel enjoys early mornings, audiobooks, good puns, and spending quality time with her husband and three children. She is thrilled to rein in her 10th year as a full-time mustang!

Dr. Voight is thrilled to join Romona Elementary School this school year, and is looking forward to meeting the entire Romona community. Prior to coming to Wilmette, she served as a school psychologist in Skokie and Elmhurst communities and worked primarily with elementary aged students. Dr. Voight is passionate about supporting school mental health, developing meaningful connections with students, partnering with families/guardians, and collaborating with educators. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Loyola University Chicago, her Education Specialist Degree at Valparaiso University, and her Doctoral Degree at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Voight lives in Park Ridge with her husband, daughter (6), son (1), and labradoodle (10). In her free time, she loves to spend time with her precious family and friends, travel to a new city, state, or county  each year, dream about her next Disney vacation, try new Peloton programs, and read new and beloved books with her children and neighborhood book club. 

Mrs. Spalo has worked as a physical therapist for 26 years, including 22 years at Romona School. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Master’s in Physical Therapy from Midwestern University.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She also enjoys playing mahjong, playing pickleball, attending her children’s sporting events, and traveling.

Ms. Valaitis (aka "Ms V the Feelings Teacher") loves being one of the social workers at Romona! She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago in 1999. Over the next several years she honed her clinical skills in a variety of settings, such as therapeutic preschools, an early intervention program, psychiatric hospitals, and a foster care community. After discovering her love of working in schools, she returned to Loyola University Chicago for additional classes and became school certified in 2006. Since that time, Ms. Valaitis has worked with children in both alternative and elementary schools. When she is not working, you can find Amy running by the lake, traveling to the Caribbean, and trying new restaurants. If you have any recommendations - she would love to hear them!

Mrs. Undesser has worked as the Districts’ Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) for the past thirteen years. Mrs. Undesser earned her undergraduate degree at Illinois State University in Low Vision and Blindness and Learning and Behavior, she continued her education and earned her Master’s in Elementary Education from St. Thomas University and a Master Certificate in Developmental Therapist of Vision (DTV) at Illinois State University. Recently, Mrs. Undesser earned her Vision Coordinator Endorsement from Aurora University as well as her CVI Range Endorsement from Perkins School of the Blind. Mrs. Undesser enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as traveling to new places and gardening.