District Directory

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.

Mrs. Fitzpatrick earned her bachelors degree in music education from Bradley University and her masters in music education from Illinois State University. Along with directing the MJHS bands, she is the woodwind instructor for the MHS marching band.


Mission for the Class

To develop and enhance a musical community through independent musicianship, music performance, and music appreciation.

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.

I live in Peoria with my wonderful husband, who is also an educator. We got married in the summer of 2016 and purchased a house shortly before that keeps us very busy. I grew up in Waukegan, IL. I obtained my Bachelor's Degree from Illinois Wesleyan in 2011 and received a Masters in Reading Education in 2015 from St. Xavier University. I began teaching in Chillicothe, IL where I taught 5th grade for 6 years. I am incredibly excited to start my first year at Lincoln and I look forward to being a part of the Morton Community! Go Lions! 

Mission Statement
It is my personal mission as a fourth grade teacher to provide all students with the highest quality of education. I promise to do so in a safe learning environment that will continually support the academic, social, emotional, and physical growth of my students. I will strive to teach all students fourth grade curriculum in innovative ways. Not only will I teach and stress the importance of academics, I will also work hard to help students develop the skills they need to be knowledgeable, value-driven, and open-minded members of our community.

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.

Crystal Lohnes came to Morton 709 to bring the food services home. After decades of paying food service providers, she came on board to intentionally build a meal program that students and staff can look forward to in the middle of the school day. She is building menus as she builds a food services team. She would love to hear what your students look forward to the most.

I graduated from the University of Illinois in 1990. I have been teaching orchestra in Morton for 22 years. I have 4 daughters who have all played in the orchestra. I also coach the girls' tennis team at the high school and spend my free time running/working out and hanging with my family!

Mission
To provide students with the opportunity of artistic achievement and enrichment through the study and performance of high quality and stylistically diverse orchestral music.To create an atmosphere of musical and personal growth through commitment to high standards, respect and cooperation for members of the ensemble, instructors, facilities, music materials, and the rehearsal process. To enjoy the process of learning and have fun making music!!!

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!