Lanette grew up in Decatur IL and graduated from Maroa- Forsyth High School. She attended Olivet Nazarene University and earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Social Justice from ONU in 1989. She worked in the field of social work for about 11 years as Resident Director for group home facilities and Director of Vocational Services for adults and youth with developmental disabilities in Illinois and Oklahoma. She has also been a contracted consultant and service coordinator for the State of Illinois for individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities. She has many years experience in the field of education. She was an assistant teacher for several years with the At-Risk Pre-K program in Belleville, IL and then for a school in O’Fallon as a kindergarten aide. She student taught in Early Childhood and Elementary classrooms in St. Clair County. Upon meeting requirements for an Illinois teaching certificate in 2004, she became lead teacher for the At-Risk Pre-K programs with O’Fallon Dist. 90. In December 2007, she graduated from SIUE with a Masters Degree in Elementary Education. Most recently, she taught the Explorers level students at New Enterprise Academy during the 2007-08 school year. She and her husband John, who is a firefighter and EMT, built a home in Trenton in 2005 and reside there with their son Blaise who is 5 and attends NEA, and Lanette’s son Cody who is a Senior at Wesclin High School in Trenton. Lanette’s oldest son, Kyle, resides in O’Fallon and is a Junior at SIUE. She enjoys moon and star gazing, listening to music, photography, crafting with vintage jewelry, collecting Santas and vacationing to the gulf coast of Alabama.

Investigators
Email Sandra Casson

Sandra graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Her endorsement areas are Middle School Language Arts and Social Science. At SIUE, she was involved in Collegiate Middle Level Association and Kappa Delta Pi. In 2003, she worked at Douglas School in Belleville as an Americorp tutor. Her student teaching was at the third grade level at Whiteside Elementary School in Belleville, Illinois. During the past three years, she taught Language Arts and Social Studies at the seventh and eighth grade levels at Madison Accelerated Middle School in Madison, Illinois. She was the Powerful Learning cadre facilitator and member of the school steering committee. At the 2007 and 2008 “No Child Left Behind” Conferences in Chicago, she presented on "Inclusion-Strategies That Work." She enjoys working with students through hands-on, student-centered projects. Students are encouraged to become actively engaged in all aspects of their learning. Sandra lives with her husband, David, in Collinsville. During her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with the Italianfest and Miners Theater in Collinsville. Her hobbies include golfing, drawing and painting. Sandra’s oldest son, T.J., resides in Collinsville and works for Pennsylvania Tools. Her daughter, Jennifer, lives in Louisville, Kentucky and is employed as a manager for National City Bank. 

Explorers
Email Jessica Edwards    

Jessica grew up in Mascoutah, IL and has lived in the area her whole life. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from McKendree University in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, specializing in Mathematics. In college, she was an active member of the educational honor society, Kappa Delta Pi. Jessica has a passion for making learning meaningful and exciting. She has observed and taught in a number of schools around the area throughout her field experiences, and recently completed a semester of student teaching at Delores Moye Elementary School in O’Fallon, IL. She has worked at The Little Gym of O’Fallon for the past three years teaching gymnastics and dance to children from ages 10 months to 12 years. Jessica currently resides in O’Fallon and enjoys traveling, reading, music, and is active in her church. 

Navigators 
Email Marla Hartsell

Marla graduated Magna Cum Laude from McKendree College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology. She holds a Type 3 Illinois State Certificate. She has ten years experience working with children from birth to sixth grade in various settings such as Junior Achievement, teacher assistant positions and student teaching. Currently, Marla instructs the Discoverers classroom at New Enterprise Academy. Her teaching style is guided by how students learn and she addresses and accommodates to challenge each child within the classroom. As a facilitator in the classroom, she poses open-ended questions, suggests alternatives, encourages autonomy, promotes higher order thinking, engages in active dialogue, and provides positive learning experiences. She actively engages the children in the learning process to develop problem-solvers, effective communicators, and responsible citizens. Marla resides in Dupo, has one child Gage, age 5, and enjoys photography and scrap booking.

Discoverers
Email Meghan DesPain

Meghan was born in Collinsville where she also currently resides. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Murray State University in May, 2008, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education. In college, she was Vice President of the Educational Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi, and also received a recruitment grant from Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women educators. She recently completed a semester of student teaching at North Calloway Elementary and Calloway County Preschool in Murray, Kentucky. Throughout the past three years, Meghan has worked in child development center and day care settings. Meghan believes that children should be actively engaged in the learning process, and that families play a key role in the education of children. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, scrapbooking, traveling, and collecting turtles. 

Spanish
Email Mercedes Mark

Senora Mark is originally from Madrid, Spain. She attended college at San Pablo CEU and Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UNED). Her experience in teaching is extensive and diverse. She has taught K-12th in private schools in Washington State and 9th-12th grades in Colorado public schools. She has also taught in an experimental program for home-schooling with a multi-age/multi-level classroom. After relocating to O'Fallon in 2003, she has served as an interpreter and translator for the Early Head Start program in Breese and an interpreter in multiple surrounding counties. For the last 22 years, Mercedes has traveled and lived in several European countries and many states in the United States, which has given her a true taste and understanding of the meaning "citizen of the world." She lives with her husband, Jim, and two children, Lesley and Nicholas. Mercedes enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and volunteering with Scouts and other organizations.

Tae Kwon Do - Song's Martial Arts
Email Physical Education