District Directory

Mrs. Behm graduated from Illinois State University with her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2010 and again with her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2012. She has been working in Morton CUSD709 since August 2012 and has had the privilege of working with so many amazing Morton families over the years. Mrs. Behm currently provides speech therapy services to our K-6 students at Grundy Elementary School. 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.

My name is Morgan Bush and I am the School Social Worker for the Early Childhood program at Grundy Elementary School and another supporting social worker at Lincoln Elementary School. I am a two-time graduate from Illinois State University, receiving my Bachelor's in Psychology in May 2020 and my Master's in Social Work in May 2023. I did my master's internship here in the Morton School District and am so excited to continue being a part of the 709 family. I am passionate about working with children and social-emotional wellbeing. I look forward to working with the amazing kids and families in Morton!!

I graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and I have a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with a focus in Literacy from American College of Education.

I started teaching first grade at Grundy in 2019. Prior to Grundy, I taught first and second grade in District 150, kindergarten in St. Charles, Missouri, and I was a fourth grade classroom aide at Lincoln! I attended Grundy for K – 6th grade, and I could not be happier to be a Grundy Gator once again.

I absolutely love teaching first grade and I love being a Grundy Gator!

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 a combination of PE and health in the Morton School District 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 who were both Grundy Gators!

Grundy Gators love books! Students come to the library once a week. Students are also encouraged to check out books during the school day, as well as 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 are still reading their book and want to renew it, they should bring the book weekly anyway. Ask your child about what they are checking out from the library and what we are reading each week. It's a great conversation starter! And please help your student take good care of our Grundy library books and return them each week so other students can enjoy them as well.

I am very excited and grateful to continue as the library aide at Grundy! I’ve been here since 2017. Each year I look forward to sharing my love of reading with all the students. My husband Patrick (who was a Grundy Gator!) and I got married in September 2001. We have three sons- Jack is a 2022 graduate of Morton High School and now studying music at ICC while playing in the Bradley Symphony Orchestra, Andy is a senior and Sam is a sophomore at Morton High School.. Previously I worked at Lettie Brown as an aide in first grade and early childhood. In addition, I 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, shaking hands, and walking on a leash.

The mission of 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 was born and raised in Peoria, where all of my family still lives. My husband and I live in Groveland and have two kids at Grundy. I have taught both first and third grade in the district. I love focusing on the ELA and Social Studies world in 6th grade. We are able to dig deeper into higher-level texts and topics to meet high expectations and standards. It's great to be a Grundy Gator!

I have worked as a School Social Worker since 2017 after graduating with my master's degree from U of I. I am passionate about providing our students with social emotional support to help them be successful in school and throughout their lifetime.

I live here in Morton with my family and I love this community. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve our Grundy students and families!

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.

"Ms. Glidewell graduated from Illinois State University with her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2021 and with her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2023. Ms. Glidewell currently provides speech therapy services to our ESCE students at Grundy Elementary School. This is her first year working as a speech-language pathologist and she is so honored and excited to start her career with Morton 709!"

Mrs. Grant started teaching in 1998. She came to Grundy school in 2002. She taught special education for eleven years and moved to Kindergarten in 2017. 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, Buck.

"My mission in second grade 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 activities foster communication, literacy, and love of learning." - Mrs. Grant

I am one of the Early Childhood Special Education Teachers here at Grundy Elementary School. I started my teaching career in 2009.

I went to the University of Illinois and received a Bachelor’s in Special Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. I teach the Core Vocabulary classroom where the focus of our day is communication! I love teaching!

When I am not at school, I spend time with my husband, Justin, and our daughter, Josie.

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 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 became Board Certified in 2018 as a Middle Childhood Generalist.  In 2024, I completed my Educational Leadership Certificate at SIUE. I began teaching in Chillicothe, IL where I taught 5th grade for six years. I came Morton School District in 2017 to teach 4th Grade at Lincoln. I’ve spent the last two years serving as one of the elementary instructional coaches. My wonderful husband and I have two curious and busy boys, Leo and Charlie.

Mission Statement
It is my personal mission 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 with curriculum in innovative ways. Not only will I teach and stress the importance of academics, I will work hard to help students and teachers develop the skills they need to be knowledgeable, value-driven, learning-seeking, and critical thinkers in our learning community. I love what I get to do every day.

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 am honored and excited to be able to tell people that I am a teacher at Grundy Elementary School!! I have been teaching since 2006. 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 have 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 and Jude. I also enjoy reading, shopping, and exercising.

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 was married the summer of 2024 and look forward to new adventures as Mrs. Rutan.

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!

After graduating with an early childhood degree in 2000, I taught preschool for 2 1/2 years in Peoria. I decided that I could offer more help to children as a paraprofessional. I’ve been a preschool paraprofessional since 2017. 2022-23 is when I joined Morton 709. I absolutely love being a part of the Grundy ECE team, and seeing how much our littles grow and learn by the end of the school year.

I love my dachshund Dasher, the beach, and my Chicago Cubs!

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 began my teaching career in 2012 after graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in Elementary Education. I furthered my education a few years later by completing my Master’s in Reading from ISU as well. I have worked at Grundy since 2017, first as a sixth grade teacher then as the Literacy Coach, before coming to third grade. Being a teacher is my dream job and I pour my love for teaching, learning, and reading into my students!

Before going back to school to get my teaching degree, I was a stay at home mom for 10 years. My husband, Adam, and I have 5 grown children that are our whole world! I love to read, take our dog, Sadie, on walks, and all things Disney!

Third grade is an exciting year of growth and transition for our learners. We work really hard in fun and engaging ways while becoming a class family! My goal is that third graders leave at the end of the year knowing their standards, having formed new friendships, feeling a bigger responsibility for themselves, and love coming to school each day!

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. My most recent certification is my Early Childhood Special Education Certificate. 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 29th 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.