Fanny Florez is beginning her ninth year as the Assistant Cook at Romona.  She is married and has three children; ages 41, 40 and 36. She is happy to be the proud grandmother to eight. In her spare time she loves walking with her dog. 

Mr. Gomez is beginning his 14th year in the district. He attended school in Mexico. When he is not working he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, ages 19 and 23.  He is an avid sportsman both playing and spectating. 

Emma Glauser is a new secretary at Romona Elementary School. This is her first year at Romona, and she’s thrilled to start the school year with you all! She is a recent graduate from University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in Creative Writing. She is an avid reader, bike enthusiast, and loves going to music festivals. Some of her favorite books are Bluets by Maggie Nelson and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Ms. Kropp first came to Romona in 2005 as a parent when her youngest child entered the Early Childhood program. She liked it so much her family moved into the Romona district, and all three of her children came for elementary school. Now her children are young adults, and she's still here! After substitute teaching all over District 39 for over four years, Ms. Kropp joined the Romona staff nine years ago. Her favorite thing to do is DEAR (Drop Everything And Read), especially at the beach, or when on vacation with family and friends.

This is Mr. Marcelin's second year at Romona working as a custodian at Romona.  I have a Daughter who is 28 and a son who is 27 and they both reside in Florida.  I love to spend as much time as possible with them.  I have a French heritage and am currently learning to speak and read French.  I look forward to another year at Romona. 

Mr. Patino has worked at Romona for 22 years. He attended Evanston High School. He enjoys playing music in a band. His favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. His wife Ana, is the cook. Mr. Patino and his wife have three children, ages 24, 21, and 11. 

Mrs. Roche is a registered nurse starting her 14th year as the school nurse at Romona. She graduated from Boston College with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and has worked exclusively in pediatric settings. In addition to working with kids, Mrs. Roche enjoys reading, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends. 

Ana Rojas is beginning her 20th year at Romona Elementary. After her very busy days preparing meals for the students and staff, she loves to spend time with her family. She has three children, ages 22, 19 and 8. In her spare time she loves to cook (even outside of school), and relax whenever she has time.

Mr. Valencia is the father of three wonderful children. His oldest, Oscar Jr., graduated six years ago from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. His daughter, Amy, graduated five years ago from Colorado College, and his son, Nicholas, graduated from Warren High School in Gurnee where he played basketball and baseball. In his spare time he likes working around the yard, spending time with his family, and watching sports on TV.