District Directory

About the Teacher

I have been teaching for seventeen years at Lettie Brown.  I was a special education teacher for the first ten years.  I spent a year in first grade before moving to my current position in second grade.

Mission for the Class

My goal for second grade is for my students to RESPECT themselves, others, and the learning process by being responsible and taking pride in their work, showing kindness to all, and sharing an enthusiasm for learning.

I will be beginning my tenth year as a teacher here at Lettie Brown School.  I have taught kindergarten all ten years, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  It was a dream of mine since the time I was in junior high to one day become a kindergarten teacher, and I feel like all my dreams have come true.  I feel truly blessed to be at such a wonderful school such as Lettie Brown Elementary and to work with a great staff.  I graduated from Illinois State University in 2001 with a bachelor^aEURTMs degree in Early Childhood Education.  After several years of teaching I continued with my education and received my masters in reading in 2009.  My excellent educational opportunities have prepared for my every day teaching experiences!

 I grew up in the surrounding areas of Morton as the youngest of eight siblings.  Being the youngest helped me to gain lots of life experience as I have watched my siblings make choices in their life.  Several of them are teachers and they have taught me many things.  I also have twenty-two nieces and nephews!  I was fortunate to marry my best friend who I have known since kindergarten!  We have been blessed with two children.  Connor is going to be a fifth grader this year and my daughter Ella will be two!  We stay busy with football, walks, church, traveling, and enjoying all that life brings to us.  You can often find us on the side of the mountains of Colorado or having a magical time in Disney World.

Mission for the Class
My mission for my class is to provide a positive atmosphere where my students feel comfortable, safe, learn a lot, and most importantly that they have FUN!  I want my students to be engaged in learning that is hands on and relevant to their little worlds.  My personal goal is to see each student grow in all areas and to make my classroom a multi-level classroom where each activity will meet each student's academic needs. I want their first year of school to be a positive and fun learning experience and a year where we see lots and lots of growth both academically and socially.

I have taught in the Computer Lab at Lettie Brown since 2002.  When I'm not helping students on the computers at Brown, I enjoy spending time with my family.  My three sons all attended Lettie Brown Grade School!  In my free time, I enjoy making jewelry, gardening, watching movies, and playing cards and games with my husband and the rest of the family. 

Mission for the Class
In the computer lab, we strive to reinforce with technology what is taught in the classroom.  Our goal is to help our students to become comfortable with and more knowledgeable about technology to prepare them for the ever-increasing importance of technology in our world. 

Hi, my name is Mike Finck and I began teaching 5th grade at Lettie Brown in 1994.  I have a beautiful wife, Trisha and two awesome children Austin and Alli.  I enjoy the outdoors and spending time with my family.  You can often find us at a sporting event for one of the kids.  Teaching is the greatest profession.  I never get tired of the look on a 5th grader's face when they have learned something new and I get to see the "Now I get it expression" for the first time.

Hi, I am Katy Gingerich! I began teaching 5th grade at Lettie Brown in 2012 upon graduating from Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Middle Level Education. In 2015, I received a Master's of Science in Teaching and Learning with a specialization in educational technology. I grew up on a farm in rural Tremont with three older brothers. Now, my husband and I live in Morton and have two children, Elyse and Reid.I enjoy running and spending time with my family.

Mission for the Class:
My goal is to educate each student to achieve personal excellence. I want to instill my passion for learning into my students in a supportive, encouraging environment with infectious enthusiasm.

Hello!
I am the 4th-6th grade resource teacher at Lettie Brown. I work with students with math, ELA and math. I also coteach with our general education teachers for science and social studies. This is my sixth year in the classroom and I have taught in many different setting from high school geometry in Chicago, middle school technology in Pekin, and now in 4th-6th resource which has been my favorite setting yet! I am so blessed to be at Morton and have enjoyed my journey here so far. Please visit me in the new addition at Lettie Brown next to the gym! 

In this classroom...
Students are cared about. I value their ideas, thoughts, and actions. Each student has unique talents and strengths and I can’t wait to be part of their journey this school year.

Contact Me:
I love to have conversations with parents throughout the year. Please always contact me with any questions or concerns. I want to partner with you in order to best support your child! 

Some of my favorite things: 
Coffee, Running, My dogs, Traveling, Flowers and Reading 

I love third grade!!  I love it so much that I have been in third grade since 1991.  My husband, Brian, and children Tyler and Samantha and I  live in the Peoria area.  We enjoy playing sports together especially baseball and softball.  We also enjoy being outdoors and swimming in our pool.

Mission for the Class
In my classroom, I hope to create a positive atmosphere where as students feel that they can take a risk without fear of making mistakes.  I also promote independence and responsibility to prepare the children for future grades.

Mrs. Steiner is the school social worker at Lettie Brown Elementary School. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s of science degree in special education. Prior to graduating with a Master’s in social work from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in May 2017, Mrs. Steiner was a special education teacher and has taught in the Rock Island/Milan 41 District, Sherrard Unit 200 District, and River bend District. Mrs. Steiner is excited to be a part of the Morton 709 district and community. She is married to her husband, Andrew, and they have one daughter, Charlotte. In her free time, Mrs. Steiner loves spending time with her family, playing sports, drinking coffee, and reading a good book.

I feel very honored to have the opportunity to work in such a wonderful district.  I look forward to working with all of the students, parents, and staff in the Morton community.

I have been honored to serve as the principal and to work with the students, staff, and parents of the Lettie Brown community since July 2012.  After graduating from Illinois State University, I began my career in education as a social sciences teacher at Prairie Central High School in Fairbury, Illinois.  After teaching high school for three years, I returned to school to achieve my masters degree in the field of social work at the University of Illinois.  I was employed as a school social worker with Morton CUSD 709 for thirteen years before being appointed the principal of Lettie Brown.  I completed my administrative certificate from Bradley University in May 2006.  I truly consider it an honor and blessing to serve as the leader of Lettie Brown, and my family and I are thankful to be members of a community that places a high value on education. 

Mission for the School:   Mrs. Waterfield's mission for Lettie Brown is to make safety a top priority, to continually promote a positive school culture, to encourage collaboration and commitment among all stakeholders, and to help each student reach his/her maximum potential.  Truly, each student is a blessing, and he/she makes a special and unique imprint on the halls of Lettie Brown!

 

 

 

I have been teaching in Morton for 21 years. I taught fifth grade at Jefferson Grade School for 5 years, and then I moved to Lettie Brown Grade School, where I have been teaching sixth grade for the past 16 years.  My wife and I have four sons, a miniature dachshund, and a chocolate lab.  My family enjoys camping, fishing, and watching movies together on Friday nights. We are die hard Chicago Cubs and Bears fans.

Mission for the Class
Learn as much as you can while having as much fun as you can!

My husband Dennis and I have two children, and several grandchildren. We like to listen to cheer for the Cardinals and Steelers, garden, spend time with our family and dogs, and travel.

Mission for the Class
I see my role as a teacher as providing guidance and access to knowledge that will help my students acquire life skills.  I want my students actively involved in the learning process as they work to achieve their full potential as competent, caring citizens of our classroom, our community, and our world.