The first day of school for Coal City Community Unit School District 1 is set for Wednesday, Aug. 13, and Coal City Intermediate School will welcome five new educators.
Kyra Benson joins the staff of Coal City Intermediate School as its new fourth grade teacher. Benson earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State University and has spent the past three years as a kindergarten teacher at Gardner Grade School.
Kyra grew up in the Coal City School District and graduated from Coal City High School. “I know how great of a district and environment it is and I am thankful to be a part of it,” she said of her new position.
Her path into education stems from a love of working with kids, and desire to make a change in their lives.
In her classroom, Kyra strives to make learning fun for students so she turns concepts into games, saying “anything to get students more interested and involved.”
For her, a good day at school is one when students leave the classroom in a better mood than they came in with and more knowledge.
Kyra shared she is excited to meet her students and begin developing positive relationships with them, as well as getting to know her fellow educators and building staff.
Outside of the classroom she enjoys reading a good book, attending concerts, spending time with her dog and traveling—she has been out of the country the past two summers on cruises, most recently to Norway and England.
Holly Engstrom will serve as the school counselor for Coal City Intermediate School’s fourth and fifth grade students. After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she went on to obtain her masters degree in school counseling from Lewis University. She completed an internship at Minooka High School and has worked in District 308—Oswego— for the past three years as a middle school counselor.
As she enters her new position in Coal City, Holly wants students to know that she is, “always in their corner.”
Providing students with the tools they need to help them be successful emotionally, mentally and academically is key.
Holly said she is excited to get to know everyone and settling into her new position with the fourth and fifth grade staff and students.
She is a wife and mother of three children. The family has two dogs—a pitbull and a corgi.
When not at school she enjoys reading, being outside and trying new things. She also shared, “I talk a lot and I love meeting new people and being interactive.”
Ashlyn Fisk will be teaching fifth grade this year at Coal City Intermediate School. She is a graduate of Illinois State University where she earned her degree in elementary education with an ESL endorsement.
Ashlyn grew up around the excitement and joy of working with kids, as both her mother and grandmother were special education teachers. They inspired her to fulfill her passion for education that started at a young age. “Ever since I was little I would play school with my siblings and friends,” she said.
As she begins her first year with Coal City, Ashlyn said her goals are simple, “to learn and grow as much as possible, and to build relationships with students and staff.”
A good day in the classroom, she said, is having productive time spent on learning material, students engaging with the content and being excited about it and having positive moments throughout the day with and between the students.
Outside of the classroom, Ashlyn enjoys hiking and exploring, swimming, being artsy, playing video and board games and spending time with her three cats.
Jessica Giordano will be working with fourth and fifth grade students this year as a cross categorical teacher at Coal City Intermediate School. Jessica is no stranger to the district as she is a resident and former paraprofessional and substitute teacher within the school district.
Jessica attended Lewis University where she earned her bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in special education.
“I’ve always loved working with kids,” she said. That interest sparked her decision to get involved in education.
Connecting with her students, fellow educators and families is a goal for the coming year and she is excited to build on those relationships.
Knowing every student’s success in the classroom is different,she believes it’s important to recognize each student’s strengths and meet them.
Any day that results in learning for students and herself is viewed as a good day.
“I want everyone to feel good and accomplished at the end of the day,”she said.
In her personal time, Jessica enjoys time with her family and takes interest in crochet and reading—she read 164 books last year.
Sofia Rankin will be teaching fifth grade this year at Coal City Intermediate School. She earned her degree in elementary education from Augustana College and completed her student teaching in a first grade classroom in Rock Island and was a long term substitute teacher in Plainfield before assuming her position in Coal City.
“As I grew up, I knew teaching—especially at the elementary level—was where my passion and desire fell,” Sofia said, noting she has looked up to her mom who’s been an educator for the past 28 years.
In seeking a teaching position, Sofia shared she was drawn to Coal City due to its drive for student excellence and relationships. “I love how the small community allows for personal and meaningful relationships to thrive,” she said.
“I’m excited to get to know my students. I can’t wait to learn about them and their interests, passions, and learning styles. I want to make strong and positive connections with each student, and grow our classroom family,” Sofia said.
In her classroom student success is determined by how much growth occurs—knowledgability, socially, and emotionally as individuals.
Outside of school, Sofia enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, community service activities, assisting others and babysitting—children and animals.