Home of the Bulldogs
District 124
Assessment Team
Who we are:
School psychologists have specialized training in both psychology and education. They use their training and skills to team with educators, parents, and other mental health professionals to ensure that every child learns in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. School psychologists understand school systems, effective teachings and successful learning.
What Do School Psychologists Do?
School psychologists work to find the best solution for each student and situation; they use different strategies to address student needs and to improve school and district-wide support systems. They also develop programs to train teachers and parents about effective teaching and learning strategies, techniques to manage behavior at home and in the classroom, working with students with disabilities or with special talents, addressing abuse of drugs and other substances, and preventing and managing crises.
Rachel Lesiak
Rachel received a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology and an Ed.S. in School Psychology from Loyola University and prior to that received a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from DePaul University.
Dr. Svetlana Petrova
Svetlana holds a PhD from Ziolkovsky Kaluga State Pedagogical University (Russia) and an Ed.S from National-Louis University.
Luke Fischer
Luke graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance (classical guitar) and continued his education at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for an Education Specialist degree in School Psychology.
Who We Are:
School Social Workers (SSW) are a vital part of the educational team, working together with educational administrators, teachers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, speech and language pathologists and other staff. School Social Workers identify factors that can make school a more successful experience for students.
What Do Social Workers Do?
School Social Workers help STUDENTS achieve maximum benefit from their educational opportunities, understand themselves/others, improve interpersonal relationships, cope with stress and develop decision making skills.
School Social Workers help PARENTS participate effectively in their children's education, understand and meet their children's social and emotional needs, understand programs available to students with special needs and utilize school and community resources effectively.
School Social Workers help SCHOOLS understand factors (cultural, societal, economic, familial, health, etc.) that affect students' abilities to make maximum use of their school experience, utilize their resources in meeting the educational, social, and emotional needs of students and to promote a safe school environment.
Michael Gaughan
Michael received a Masters Degree in Social Work in 2013 from George Williams College of Aurora University. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northern Illinois University.
Dawn Kalk
Dawn received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1996 at Eastern Illinios University and went on to complete her Masters degree in Social Work in 2000 at Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois
Phone: (847) 973-3438
Pam Skeels
Pam received her Bachelor of Social Work in 1996 and Masters of Social Work in 1997, both degrees from Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois. Pam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds an Illinois Type 73 School Social Work certificate.
Marissa Kelley
Marissa earned her Masters of Social Work in 2022 from Aurora University. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Social Work in 2018 from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater