NewsTribune_Lighted Way_093023

Hello, and thank you for sharing in the celebration within the pages of this magazine. Having Lighted Way Children’s Developmental Center selected by the NewsTribune to share our legacy with the Illinois Valley area is an honor. We are blessed to have the opportunity to share our beautiful facility and the continued service provided to our students since the doors opened in 1957.

This magazine issue is about how the past has brought us to the present and how the present will build the future.

Polly Rimmele was the first Executive Director in 1957 until her retirement in 2000. Our second Executive Director, Jane Duncan Wamhoff, served Lighted Way for 44 years and as the Executive Director from 2000-2018.

Polly and Jane helped develop the concept of serving students with special needs from across the area. Being selected to become the third Executive Director in 2018 has allowed me to work with our incredibly dedicated staff to develop programming for our students with special needs to enhance their lives and challenge them to new heights of independence. Our gifted staff has risen to the opportunity of taking the work of Polly and Jane and growing Lighted Way into a facility known for serving students with multiple disabilities.

Our student population has grown from 18 to 56 in the last six years, and our staff has grown from 19 to 60. The incredible staff at Lighted Way come to work every day with one goal in mind – to change the life of a child. These are some of the most extraordinary people I have worked with in 36 years in Special Education. This growth prompted our Board of Directors to consider moving to a more user-friendly, appropriate location to continue building the quality education being offered to the greatest kids in the world. Thanks to the generous support of our community, we have been able to meet new friends and build relationships, helping to spread the Lighted Way mission while receiving donations towards our 5.9 million dollar building project.

Being able to breathe new life into a nursing home that provided comfort, love, and peace to so many residents and their families is a perfect backdrop for the message we share at Lighted Way. This project has allowed us to meet so many who work diligently to improve the quality of life for all of us in this area. Partnering with Angela Kalsto from BCA Architects in Ottawa and Dean Tieman from Tieman Builders in LaSalle, our project launched in the spring of 2022 and is a reality today. The people we worked with during this renovation project listened to our needs to create a safe haven for our students and staff. We now have a beautiful school to call home.

On Saturday, August 5, 2023, we had the opportunity to dedicate our new building in honor of all the love and support of past students, families, staff, and board members. Our community came together to empower us to continue to make a difference in the lives of everyone we come in contact with as we choose joy and find kindness for all in our school.

Schools are defined by the board members who set standards, the staff who strive to make a difference, the students who attend, and the families who support them. Lighted Way has educated over 500 incredible students from across the Illinois Valley area in the last 66 years. As we dedicate this building, may this structure be a legacy of hope for all students with special needs. Thank you all for supporting Lighted Way’s mission as we proudly share our new “home” with all of you.

Jessica Kreiser Executive Director Lighted Way

Board Members 6 Foundation Members 9

What Is Lighted Way 11

The Staff 15

The Building 20

On the cover: Kobey, a student at Lighted Way, waves to the sta as he is helped down o of a school bus by Christina Croissant, Johannes Bus Service Director, during the rst day of school at the new Lighted Way building on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023 in La Salle.

NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO BY SCOTT ANDERSON

Jessica Kreiser, executive director of Lighted Way, leads a group during a tour through the building during the ribbon cutting and dedication on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023 in La Salle.

NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO BY SCOTT ANDERSON

Scott Schweickert

Scott Schweickert was first introduced to Lighted Way after presenting a donation on behalf of his family, who are long-time supporters. After learning more about Lighted Way’s mission and meeting its inspiring staff, Schweickert joined the Board of Directors in 2021. He is incredibly proud of his involvement in helping Lighted Way move to a new, much larger location, where more children can be blessed by Lighted Way’s selfless, loving, and devoted staff. Schweickert is an attorney serving as Corporation Counsel for the City of Peru. He and his beautiful wife, Colleen, have three young boys together – Arlo, Bennett, and Charlie.

Leah Erickson

Leah Erickson has been on the Lighted Way Board for 2 and a half years. Erickson loves seeing the smiling faces on the students and believes there is not a more caring staff and group of teachers in the area. Erickson is a commercial real estate broker and consultant with Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Group. Her experience in the construction industry, economic development, and property management has been helpful with the renovation of the new Lighted Way building. This year, her son, who attends another school, and the rest of his eighth-grade class will be PALS with the students of Lighted Way and make visits and participate in activities with them.

Adriane Shore

Adriane Shore has been a member of the Lighted Way Board since 1997. Her awareness of Lighted Way began as a special education teacher in Putnam County. The Shores’ appreciation grew when their own daughter, Erin, born in 1980 with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities, became a student at Lighted Way, attending from age 3 to 21. Shore’s 33 years as a special education teacher was followed by 12 years on the Putnam County School Board. She also serves as a Board member of Gateway Services for Disabled Adults. She is currently president and literacy chair of the Putnam County Rotary, and volunteers regularly at the Putnam County Food Pantry.

Chris Vaske

Chris Vaske joined the Lighted Way Board in 2021 and currently serves as the Board Treasurer. Vaske believes that the organization is for the development of the children, but also serves as a resource for the families that have children who attend Lighted Way. He is proud of Lighted Way’s new facility that the students, families, employees, and the community can take pride in. Vaske has been the Chief Lending Officer at Peru Federal Savings Bank for the past 11 years and is thrilled to share his financial knowledge with the organization. His wife, Cindy, is a Special Education Teacher in Peru. They have three children – Carson, Cooper, and Clara who are in college and LP High School. He is also a volunteer for several clubs, non-profit foundations, and religious groups.

Fran Brolley

Fran Brolley believes serving Lighted Way and its noble mission is a great honor. He considers every visit to the child development center an inspiration – another opportunity to witness the care and compassion of its teachers, staff and administrators. Over Brolley’s career, he has been fortunate to work for other great institutions such as the News-Tribune, Illinois Valley Community College, and now Starved Rock Country Community Foundation. Brolley plans to remain on the Lighted Way Board for as long as they need him.

Ellen Credi

Lighted Way has been in Ellen Credi’s heart for more than 30 years. Credi, who is known as Sellin Ellen, began as a teacher’s aide, making bonds with children and her co-workers who were the most dedicated, loving, and giving staff she has ever worked with. Credi said that several past members she served alongside, as well as the current board, all paved the way for this expansion in some capacity. Before serving on the board, she and her husband, Mark, delivered pumpkins each year for the students to carve and then recruited their young sons, Luke and Max, to help, making it a family tradition. She has been on the Board of Directors for almost 15 years. In 2012, she represented the school in the area’s version of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Dr. Brandi Anderson-Maier

Dr. Brandi Anderson-Maier is a Superintendent at DePue Unit School District 103. She has been an educator for approximately 19 years. Dr. AndersonMaier lives in Peru with her husband, Mike, and three children, Nora, Leo, and Gus. She has been honored to serve on the Executive Board at Lighted Way since 2018. Dr. Anderson-Maier has always had a special place for Lighted Way in her heart since her early college days when she observed at Lighted Way. For fourteen years of her educational career, she was highly involved with Lighted Way as a School Psychologist and Director of Special Services for an area school district.

The Lighted Way Foundation Board consists of Foundation Board Secretary Deb Myers (from left), Foundation Board President Fran Brolley, Ellen Credi, Dr. Mike Rooney, and Jody Faletti.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Lighted Way is a Feeling

Not all children have the same needs, and some can benefit from the individualized attention provided in a specialized setting. Lighted Way, a not-for-profit organization and a United Way organization, can be the ideal school for certain students with disabilities, helping to improve their quality of life and reach their highest potential.

Whether a child should attend Lighted Way is decided by the special education administrator in the home school district, the child’s family, and the Lighted Way administration, according to Jessica Krei-

ser, who is starting her sixth year as Executive Director at Lighted Way in LaSalle.

Kreiser had a lengthy career in public education before joining Lighted Way, spending time in both special education and as an administrator. When she saw the Lighted Way position was available, she knew she had to apply.

“I was looking for a challenge,” she said, adding that her years with Lighted Way have been immensely rewarding. “I had a lot to learn.”

“I was looking for a challenge... I had a lot to learn.”

Jessica Kreiser, executive director of Lighted Way, smiles while giving a speech during the ribbon cutting and dedication on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023 in La Salle.

NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO BY SCOTT ANDERSON

Kreiser loves to use her knowledge to help parents understand what Lighted Way can offer their children. Sometimes, parents feel as if their home school district no longer wants their child when the recommendation is made for the child to attend Lighted Way.

“It isn’t that the district doesn’t want them. They want a more appropriate placement,” Kreiser said.

When a child with special needs is placed in the appropriate setting, they can thrive and have the opportunity to learn lessons that will help them for the rest of their lives.

“Special education is a completely different set of needs. I think it’s very important to experience the facility the school district is recommending,” Kreiser said. “Lighted Way is a feeling. You either have it or you don’t.”

“When parents have the opportunity to come visit Lighted Way and see our staff working with children just like their son or daughter, it can be overwhelming how much an appropriate placement can truly change the life of the child,” she said.

“Having friends, participating in activities, and being called by name by everyone in the building are all opportunities students may experience for the very first time when they are in a placement with similar age appropriate peers and qualified, trained staff. Our home school districts search for appropriate placements because they want the very best for every child they serve – that is why students are placed at Lighted Way.”

Children can attend Lighted Way from the ages of 3 to 22. The oldest students are in the Transition Training Center,

Lighted Way’s Mission

It is the mission of Lighted Way to value each child as an individual, capable of personal growth and development in reaching his/her highest potential cognitively, emotionally, physically, and socially. Lighted Way strives to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Quality of life is improved by empowering students to make choices, thereby giving them some control over their environment. Lighted Way strives to integrate students into their community and to help students form social relationships. All students are treated with dignity.

which teaches pre-employment skills. As the 2023 school year begins, there will be 56 students attending the Lighted Way school. Last year, there were 46 students, but two students aged out of the program and 12 new students were added. One of the goals this year is to improve the students’ communication skills, which will prove invaluable for finding their voices as they grow and continue to make choices in their lives.

There are approximately 60 staff members, and they all are passionate about helping students achieve their full potential. The staff members are open to questions from parents and want them to feel comfortable with their child’s new school.

“I feel like we are different because we have trained staff to communicate with families and offer resources. It is definitely a partnership. Lighted Way is unique because of our people, because of our program, and because of the setting we have developed,” Kreiser said. “We are a family who cares for each other, our students, and their families. Lighted Way is a haven. It does not get any more meaningful than that.”

“Lighted Way is kind of like my second home. It’s the kids’ safe haven, but it’s also my safe haven.”

Ashley Stone, Lighted Way Middle School Teacher

Maze Lumber is proud to have participated in such an inspiring project!

Congratulations, Lighted Way, on your new school.

Have a great year and a successful future in your new location!

The Heart of the School

The staff members at Lighted Way make each day brighter for the children

Students thrive and learn best when they’re supported by dedicated teachers and staff members who work tirelessly each day to unlock the potential in each child. Lighted Way’s Schweickert Learning Center is full of staff members who make a difference every day in their students’ lives.

Ashley Stone, a middle school teacher at Lighted Way, is grateful she gets to help the children whose needs can inadvertently get pushed to the side at other schools because they don’t have enough resources.

“Lighted Way is for the kids that deserve more love and support. We have the resources,” she said.

Lighted Way teachers believe in their mission deeply and become so attached to their students that they miss them on the weekends and during school breaks.

“I love the kids here,” Allison Nichols, a primary classroom teacher, said. “We have the greatest kids in town. I love going to work. I feel lucky to work here. We have tough days, don’t get me wrong. But they’re all good days.”

Brandon Miller, a high school teacher at Lighted Way, said he enjoys knowing the students’ needs are being met every day because of the amount of support the staff is able to give them. The staff constantly reevaluates to develop new ways to serve their students. For instance, Lighted Way recently had its opening day for its new school store, which is run by the students and sells items such as potato chips, soda, water, and fruit snacks. The working cash register uses a color-coded system.

“All of our kids can do it,” Miller said.

Even though Ellen Eich, an administrative assistant at Lighted Way doesn’t

get to spend time with students in their classrooms, her favorite part of going to work each day is getting to interact with the kids.

“I enjoy seeing them. They make it all worth it,” she said.

While it was a big change for the Lighted Way staff who had worked for 60 years at Lighted Way’s old building, the staff all agreed having a new, spacious school would do wonders for the students.

Sara Nestler, a registered nurse who works at Lighted Way, said she loves the new building and how much space it offers.

“It’s a huge change from the other

High School Classroom students and sta work together to get ready for the day.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/ANGEL KIZER

Nothing can reassure a parent more when looking into a new school than hearing about the experiences of parents who currently have students enrolled. Three parents offered to share their experience with the staff at Lighted Way and the influence the school has had on their lives.

Malissa Irizarry and Skee

Hartmann, who reside in Princeton, are the parents of Stryder Hartmann, a 7-year-old who is attending his third year at Lighted Way. They couldn’t be happier with their Lighted Way experience.

“We love Lighted Way because it is the best place for Stryder to be. Their staff are the best around. We still communicate with teachers he had in his first year there. They all have a

The Inside Scoop from Parents

deeply vested interest in how to have these kids live their best lives with the most inclusion possible. There is just no other place like it,” Irizarry said.

Adriana Calamaco of Mendota has a son, Santiago, who is in his second year at Lighted Way.

“The staff at Lighted Way has become an integral part of Santiago’s life. Teachers have made an inclusive environment for all the children. The therapists have gone above and beyond to give kids the best shot at reaching their full potential. The paraprofessionals that have helped Santi always take the extra step to make play time into a learning moment,” Calamaco said.

“Lighted Way is such a personalized school for my son. Each child has different needs, and Lighted Way does an amazing job at individualizing their care. They not only take care of their educational needs, but their physical and mental needs are met as well. My mama heart is at ease when Santi goes to school

because I know the care and love he receives is like no other,” she added.

Fred and Jill Becker of Utica have a daughter, Katie, who has been attending Lighted Way for approximately four years. Their love for Lighted Way started instantly – as soon as they toured it.

“I love that we have such an amazing and wonderful place for our special kids to go to and feel that they belong. We knew from the moment we walked through the door at Lighted Way that it was the place for our daughter,” Jill said. “As the parent of a special needs child, it is so very comforting to know that our child is welcomed and treated with respect and dignity when she is there. Everyone that works at Lighted Way is a very special person. The staff is amazing, and they are very well trained to meet the needs of all of the students. We are so lucky to have Lighted Way available to our special kiddos.”

Parents share their thoughts on the Lighted Way staff and experience

Valeria walks sta member Kim Smith to the building like a little lady ready for a great day.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/ANGEL KIZER

Heart

FROM PAGE 15

place,” she said.

Brittany Muller, an early childhood teacher at Lighted Way, loves the accessibility of the new building for all the students. It is on one level, which helps those who need walking assistance, and it has wide hallways for wheelchairs to pass easily, plenty of storage space, and enough room

to move around in the classrooms.

“I’m just very thankful,” Muller said, adding that the community stepped up to help the students. “I never thought this (type of building) would be possible.”

Jenny Calhoun, Lighted Way’s speech pathologist, said the new building has been a wonderful change.

“It looks like a school, and it functions like a school. It’s amazing for these kids,” she said.

We’re proud to be able to assist special people who are committed to helping special people Enjoy your new playground and beautiful school!

Oglesby Elks Lodge #2360 Elks Care and Elks Share

“Parents are super ecstatic about this building and what we o er the kids.”

Sara Nestler, Registered Nurse at Lighted Way

Lighted Way student Jacob Reed (left) works at the new Lighted Way store as paraprofessional Fredrick Davis is there to assist.

PHOTO BY SHANNON SERPETTE

Lighted Way finds a New Home

For more than 60 years, Lighted Way was located in a converted home at 941 6th St. in LaSalle. Over the decades, the needs of Lighted Way’s children outgrew that setting. Thanks to generous donations, big and small, Lighted Way now has a new home at 1445 Chartres St. in LaSalle.

This new location will offer more space to expand programming to help focus on the training of independent life and functional skills and will allow Lighted Way to make many other improvements that will benefit the students. Approximately 600 to 700 people attended the ribbon cutting for the new school.

“It was wonderful to be embraced in that way by the community,” Jessica Kreiser, Executive Director at Lighted Way, said.

The move to the new building was made possible by two large donations they received.

The LaSalle County Board approved

Lighted Way’s application for a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds it had available to disburse. Lighted Way was granted one million dollars from the ARPA funds – the largest amount awarded by the LaSalle County Board, according to Kreiser.

“It was an incredible moment. It was very difficult to keep your emotions in check. I was like a little puddle of mush,” she said. “We had an alderman, Mike Kasap, who really went to bat for us.”

Lighted Way board members cut the ribbon during the ribbon cutting and dedication on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023 in La Salle.

NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO BY SCOTT ANDERSON

Middle School Class takes their turn to enjoy some sunshine. SUBMITTED PHOTO/ANGEL KIZER

Another huge donation resulted in a name for the new Lighted Way school.

“We also had a $500,000 donation by the Schweickert Family Trust,” Kreiser said, adding that the new building has been named the Schweickert Learning Center.

Donations are crucial for the program’s ongoing operations because Lighted Way is not eligible for state or federal funding. They receive a state rate for the students who attend, but that doesn’t pay for everything. To cover the bills, they need to rely on donations that come in and fundraising events they have, Kreiser said.

While large donations are greatly appreciated, Kreiser said the smaller donations Lighted Way receives are equally meaningful and are given by those who do what they can to show their support for the program.

“We have many, many smaller donations that come in,” she said. “I feel like we have been so embraced by the community throughout this entire adventure. And I feel that this relationship will continue.”

All the donations, along with the continuous fundraising efforts Lighted Way has planned, will help them make the mortgage payments on the new building.

“We literally will go month to month on those payments,” Kreiser said. “We will continue to be frugal while making sure our kids have what they need.”

The staff and families of Lighted Way are grateful to the community for their support, Kreiser said. Lighted Way students will benefit from the extra space inside and outside the new building, including a newly constructed handicapped-accessible playground.

“We’ve added a new classroom,” Kreiser said. “We take field trips to Baker Lake, and now Baker Lake will be in our backyard.”

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The students and sta from the Transition Training Center enjoy some meaningful time in the new Music Room. SUBMITTED PHOTO/ANGEL KIZER