District Directory

I have been blessed to be teaching 1st grade at Grundy since 2017! I cannot wait for each new school year to begin. Each one is filled with new faces, new learning and great adventures.

In May of 2013, I graduated from Illinois State University with my Bachelor's in Elementary Education. This year, I received my Masters in Elementary Education from the American College of Education.

I was born and raised in Germantown Hills, and I have two loving parents, two older brothers who are both married with children, and a cat named Betty White. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling when I can, reading and shopping.

I am extremely passionate about my career as a teacher, and I especially love 1st grade and all of the growth that it brings for students. I hope to instill a lifelong love for learning and reading in my students, similar to what my own teachers did for me. Let’s have a great year!

Mrs. Behm graduated from Illinois State University with her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2012 and has been working in Morton CUSD 709 ever since! She currently provides speech therapy services to our Early Childhood Education (ECE) students at Grundy Elementary School. Mrs. Behm resides in Morton with her husband and two daughters. She believes everyone deserves a voice and is excited to help students communicate effectively!

I was born in Darien, IL and lived there until I was five years old. At that time my family moved to Central Illinois where I grew up in Tremont, just a few minutes away from Morton. After high school I attended Bradley University where I graduated with a degree in Vocal Music Education in 2009. I started teaching in Morton in 2010. I've been at MJHS since 2012. I graduated with my Master's Degree in Music Education from Illinois State University in 2015.

When I am not in school, I am either with my wonderful wife Melissa and our kids or my barbershop quartet, After Hours. Melissa and I were married in 2009, and we are current Tremont residents. We have two children, Lincoln and Gwendolyn, and they keep us busy! Melissa and I also enjoy serving with our musical abilities at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Groveland, IL. My quartet, After Hours, is the 2010 Illinois State Champion quartet, as well as the 2018 International Champion Quartet. We do quite a bit of touring on the weekends, throughout the country and we have recorded 4 studio albums. I absolutely love coming to work every day, working with students at Grundy. I love watching them grow as young musicians.

I started working for Morton 709 in 1994. I have worked as an aide, a third-grade teacher at Jefferson, and retired from teaching as a fourth-grade teacher at Grundy. I am now working as a Resource aide at Grundy and I love working with the students and with my former colleagues. I attended Grundy when it opened its doors in 1961 and all three of my sons attended here. We are Grundy Strong!

Education: BS in Elementary Education, BS in History and MS in Curriculum and Instruction

I have been teaching health and PE in Morton since 2004, and have taught at many of the buildings in the district. I love teaching PE at Grundy! My husband Kevin and I have two kids, Brady and Aubrey. I also coach the junior high cross country team.

Grundy gators love books! We devour them daily. The Grundy Library belongs to all of us. The PTO gives generously to the purchasing of books at Grundy. As parents support the Scholastic book fairs during the year, classrooms and the library, are gifted with even more books.

Students come to library once a week. Students are also encouraged to check out books during school and immediately before and after school if they desire. Students check out books once a week from the library and return them the following week. If they want to renew their book, have them bring them weekly anyway. We will renew their book when they bring it to the library. Ask your child about what they are checking out from the library. And help them keep track of them at your house, so our books can return to their Grundy library home.

The days of card catalogs are long gone. Now each student (and STAFF) has access to looking for books in our library online 24/7 through the DestinyQuest website. Go to Grundy Gators homepage>>Students tab>>Destiny. Or here: http://destiny.morton709.org/. Students sign on with their Accelerated Reader name and password. Students can put books on hold, request them to be sent to Grundy from other Morton Elementary libraries, or just browse for a book.

I am very excited and grateful to be the library aide at Grundy! I look forward each year to sharing my love of reading with all the students. My husband Patrick (who was a Grundy Gator!) and I have been married for 17 years. We have three sons, Jack in 9th grade at Morton High School, Andy in 7th at Morton Junior High, and Sam in 5th at Lettie Brown. Previously I have worked at Lettie Brown as an aide in first grade and early childhood. In addition, I have worked as a substitute aide in each elementary class and the library. In my free time I enjoy reading (of course), watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. We also have two cats that perform tricks like playing fetch and shaking hands.

My mission for our library is to help every child find books they love, in which they can have an adventure, learn about a place they want to visit, get wrapped up in a fantasy or mystery, and just find themselves enthusiastic for the next chapter. When you read, the whole world opens up for you.

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.

I have been teaching pre-kindergarten since 2011 and in 2018 started teaching early childhood in Morton. I have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education with an endorsement in special education from Illinois State University. I reside in Morton with my husband, Nicholas, and our two children.

Mrs. Grant is in her 19th year of teaching. She has been at Grundy School for fifteen years. She taught special education for eleven years and is now in her 7th year of teaching Kindergarten. She graduated from Western Illinois University in May of 1998 and also has a Master's Degree. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, shopping, working out, and spending time with her family and friends at the cabin. She and her husband live in Peoria with their 2 kids, a son and a daughter and one furry friend, Charlie Brown.

My mission in Kindergarten is to provide a safe and encouraging environment where students can explore all aspects of learning. I hope to motivate children by creating a classroom family where hands-on acitivities foster communication, literacy and love of learning.

Welcome to an exciting year of 3rd grade! I began teaching third grade at Grundy in 2008. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Bradley University, a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Illinois State University, and a second Master’s in Elementary Education.

I love teaching and feel blessed to be working in a district with great students, supportive parents, and an amazing staff! My husband Nick and I live in the Morton/Groveland area. We have two boys and many fur babies including dogs, a cat, and miniature horses. I am very passionate about teaching and learning. It is an honor to have the opportunity to prepare students for not only the next grade level, but for life as well. My goal is to help each student reach their highest potential in a safe, structured environment. I want my students to have fun learning and love coming to school each day!

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 began working as an aide at Grundy in 2004. I love watching the children grow from grade to grade, and from semester to semester as they learn. I love putting my Elementary Ed. Bachelors degree from ISU to work as the 2nd grade aide.

I am married to Bob, since 1984 at Pumpkin Festival time, and we have 3 children. All were Grundy Gators at one time. Laurel and her husband, Tyler, in Bloomington; Greg, in Denver; and Erika and her husband, Kyle, in Washington state. My husband works at Lighthouse Buick part time, and we enjoy traveling.

When I have a moment I enjoy reading, gardening and cheering for my beloved CUBS!!

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Knapp and I am the Social Worker at Grundy Elementary School. I have been working in the Morton 709 District since August 2016. I previously worked in the Decatur, IL school district with students in preschool-8th grade. I attended Illinois State University for my Bachelor's degree in Social Work and the University of Illinois for my Master's degree in School Social Work.

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 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!!!

I am honored and excited to be able to tell people that I am a teacher at Grundy Elementary School!! After completing 13 years in this profession, I can honestly say that I can't picture myself ever doing anything else! Teaching is my passion!

I graduated from ISU in May 2006 with a degree in Elementary Education. I graduated in May of 2012 with a Master’s in Reading from ISU as well. I recently received a Master’s in Elementary Education too. I hope to continue teaching second grade for many years. I love all of the qualities that second graders possess, and I truly enjoy watching them grow both socially and academically throughout the year!

I have lived in Morton for the majority of my life, and I truly love the community! When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our children, Sydney (5) and Jude (almost 2). I also enjoy reading, shopping, and exercising.

I was born and raised in Fort Madison, Iowa. I graduated from Aquinas High School in 1986 and began my post-secondary education at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. After two years, I transferred to the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in elementary education in 1991. Trina and I were married that summer and moved to the Quad-Cities. I taught 5th grade in Bettendorf, Iowa for one year and 4th grade in Clinton, Iowa for six years. I graduated from Western Illinois University with a Master's Degree in educational administration in 1997. I served as the principal of Jefferson Elementary School in Harvard, Illinois from 1998-2002 before coming to Grundy.

In 2016, I completed the Superintendent Endorsement Program at Illinois State University. The 2022-2023 school year marks my 32nd year in public education, 7 years as a teacher and 25 years as a principal.

Beyond the world of education, we are actively involved at Cornerstone Baptist Church, enjoy attending our kids' activities, and love spending time with family and friends. Trina and I have been blessed with four beautiful children. Our daughter Katie and her husband Jacob live in Normal, IL where she works as a labor and delivery nurse at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and he works as an accountant at State Farm Insurance Company. They have a one-year-old son named Eli. Our daughter Rachel is a junior at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ studying exercise science. Our son Caleb is a sophomore at Morton High School and participates in soccer and track. And our son Joshua is a 7th grader at Morton Junior High School and participates in cross country and band. We love Grundy School and are very proud to call the Morton School District our home!

Each Grundy Gator comes to the computer lab at least once every week. During that class time, students work on projects or use educational software programs to reinforce topics taught in the classroom. Second through sixth grade students also use computer lab time to practice their keyboarding skills. This helps them to work toward achieving the district sixth grade exit goal of 20 wpm with 90% accuracy.

While in the lab, students will gain a working knowledge of computers and applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Publisher and Excel. Other software programs available to students in our lab include Type to Learn 3, Raz-Kids, Timeliner, IXL Math and many others. We will also learn the proper use of the Internet.

In our lab students have an opportunity to learn how to use hardware including printers, scanners, digital cameras, digital video recorders and so on. We have a lot of fun in computer lab, while also learning skills that are becoming more important everyday in our lives!

Outside of school I have been married to my husband, Michael, for 19 years. We both grew up in Northeast Ohio and have also lived in Ann Arbor, MI before settling in Morton. We have 3 children who attend Morton schools.

In my free time I enjoy watching my children play sports and rooting for the beloved Ohio State Buckeyes and all Cleveland sports teams.

My husband Matt and I were blessed to move from Peoria (where we were both born and raised) to Morton two years ago. We have found Morton to be a friendly, clean, family-oriented community and we love it here! We have been married over thirty years, have a daughter Megan, and two grandchildren, Abby and Nathan.

I have worked off and on in the education field and find working at Grundy in first grade to be a real joy. I look forward to coming to school every day.

My hobbies include reading and cooking. Matt and I also enjoy taking day trips on the weekends.

My name is Anita Stidman and I am a Kindergarten aide. I began working at Grundy in 2010. I have worked as a classroom aide, reading aide, and reading RTI aide. Previously, before children, I taught Kindergarten at Peoria Christian School. I enjoy spending time with my husband, Scott, and our two children, Luke and Alison, who are former Grundy Gators.

Welcome to Resource!

The Primary Resource is a special education program for K-4th grade. The program offers direct instruction and collaboration instruction at the student’s individual learning need. Instruction may be given at an individual level, as a small group, or within the general education classroom.

I began my teaching career in 2000. I have taught in the Morton schools since 2004. I earned my bachelor's degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from SIUC. I also earned my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education.

It is my mission for my students to become lifelong learners and use the tools to be the best they can be!

Mrs. Webb began her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in 2012 after receiving her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Illinois State University. Prior to working in Morton, she worked in Peoria, providing speech therapy services to students in grades 2-8. Now, she services our preschool-aged students as well as the students at Grundy Elementary. She lives in Morton with her husband and three children. In her spare time, Mrs. Webb loves to read and spend time with her family and friends. She thoroughly enjoys working with the children and families in Morton!

I am so excited to join the Grundy staff this year as a Literacy Coach. I am looking forward to a wonderful year of hard work, meaningful learning, and fun! Prior to coming to Grundy I taught in the northwest suburb of Cary and in Pekin.

Before going back to school (ISU) to get my teaching degree, I was a stay at home mom for 10 years. My husband, Adam, and I have a busy family of 5 children. Our daughter, Gabbi, is a junior at SIUe where she studies Marketing. We also have two sets of twins! Drew and Emily are juniors at Tremont High School and Lucas and Cooper are 8th graders at Tremont Middle School. They are all very active in sports and youth group and keep us hopping to all of their events!

I love to read, take our dog, Sadie, on walks, and cheer on the Chicago Cubs!

Welcome to Gatorgarten! I have been teaching in Morton for over 25 years and just three years ago I started teaching kindergarten. My passion is children. I love to see their eyes light up when they understand a new concept, I love their sense of humor and I love being able to spend my time with them. I am truly passionate about instructing little ones and more than anything I want them to love school and love learning! I am an avid reader and enjoy reading and sharing books with my students.

My husband and I have been married for 28 years and are Morton residents. We have raised four handsome boys that each have hearts of gold. All of our boys attended Morton Schools. As a family, we love to read, travel, camp, watch sporting events and spend time with our furry friends. We have two dogs: Jasper and Montana. We also have three grand dogs. (Zooke, Hugo and Buster). The pack definitely keeps us busy.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology. Presently, I am working towards a micro-certificate in Early Childhood Special
Education. I believe that everyone should continue to learn no matter their age and children of all ages are capable of amazing things. I love to share my passions with little ones and just enjoy being in their company.

This is my 28th year of teaching fourth grade at Grundy School, and I believe I teach in one of the finest school districts in Illinois. I grew up in nearby Mackinaw, IL and graduated from Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School in 1991. I graduated from Eureka College with a B.A. in Elementary Education in 1995 and received my Master's Degree in Teaching and Leadership from St. Xavier University of Chicago in 2002. In the fall and winter, I am the public address announcer for Morton High School football and boys' basketball games. I retired from coaching boys’ tennis at MHS in 2016, having spent 15 years with the program. In my spare time, I enjoy jogging, playing tennis, reading books related to WWII and the Cold War, attending all Bradley Braves home basketball games with my father, and rooting on my beloved University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
In my classroom, I will set expectations that require each child to work to the best of his/her abilities. In addition, if I expect maximum effort from my students, I will put in the necessary time myself to instruct them properly and to assess them fairly. I believe preparation is a key to success. I look forward to another outstanding school year! Roll Tide, Roll!

I love being a Grundy Gator! I am the mother of 3 wonderful children. I am lucky enough to have one student in high school, junior high and here at Grundy. My husband, Kevin, works for the Village of Morton.