Bloom Academy at School District U-46
Bloom Academy is an in-district program serving students of School District U-46 in grades K – 6. Students will attend the program for up to 45 days, with access to academic learning, positive behavioral support and daily social-emotional learning (SEL) in a small and predictable environment. Focused on individualized education, our students can build confidence and competence in a caring environment, with the goal of a return to their home schools.
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- (P) 847-888-5000 ext. 3500
- Prairieview School, 285 Mayflower Lane
Bartlett, IL 60103
Meet the Team
Jane Boyd, Program Director
Jane Boyd earned her original teaching certification in elementary education. While teaching middle school math, she felt the calling to become a special educator. After teaching special education (grades 2-12) for over 10 years, she moved into administration with a degree from Northern Illinois University. Her many years as a special education leader included two positions as the principal of therapeutic day schools, and 10 years as a director of special education in Chicago and the suburban area. She is excited to have joined the SESI team in partnership with U-46, giving her the chance to come full circle and work with students every day.
Jane’s focus on caring for children who face challenges extends to her family life as well. After many years as a DCFS foster parent, she adopted three younger siblings for her son. Her adult children are now giving back: her daughter as a nurse, and her two sons in the military.
Bill Toomire, Middle School Classroom Teacher
Bill Toomire is an experienced general education teacher with over 12 years of experience in public, private and charter school environments. Prior to becoming a teacher, Bill achieved a bachelor’s degree in business administration and enjoyed a successful career in the telecommunications industry. It was through serving children in Sunday school that Bill was led to a career in teaching. Once he obtained his masters in education, he was fortunate enough to be able to teach students ranging from 3rd to 8th grade. Bill holds endorsements in language arts and social studies and looks forward to sharing his love for learning and expertise with students at Bloom Academy.
When away from the classroom Bill enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 children. He loves spending time outdoors, especially near any ocean. Bill and his wife are empty nesters and love to travel. Because of his passion for ancient history, Bill hopes to travel one day to Rome, Athens, Cairo, and Jerusalem.
Anthony Marasco, Intermediate Classroom Teacher
Anthony has a background in Psychology to go along with his master’s degree in Elementary Education. He attended Benedictine University in Lisle Illinois, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After working as a classroom aide in several different school settings, he decided to pursue his master’s degree. He graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Arizona, with a master’s degree in Elementary Education. Anthony has five years of experience working with both Special Education and General Education students.
Anthony currently lives in Carol Stream, Illinois. He is a big Chicago Cubs fan and is looking to adopt a dog (or 2) in the near future.
N’kechia Wheat, Middle School Teacher
N’kechia Wheat is a Chicago native who has taught 6th through 12th grade mathematics for sixteen years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and later, a master’s degree in Education from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. Most of her teaching experience has been in Chicago, while also teaching for three years in Philadelphia. N’kechia has always been passionate about the importance of education and the opportunity for scholars to learn through the exploration of their passions. She would like to experience an education system where students are allowed to dive into subjects that evoke creativity and the use of their talents to better the world.
Mary Utterback, Special Education Teacher
Mary Utterback is a licensed learning behavioral specialist as well as an elementary school educator.
She grew up in the northwestern suburbs of Illinois. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Education, Mary spent three years as an elementary school teacher and library information specialist. She worked in a therapeutic day school setting and realized that she has a passion for teaching diverse learners. Thus, she went back to school and earned a Learning Behavior Specialist Endorsement, spending the next 13 years working as a special education teacher in various settings. Educational management was the next step in her career, and Mary became the Director of a Program for at risk youth ages 16-24. She enjoys all facets of education and is grateful for the opportunity to be able to use her skills in varying levels within the education system.
In her free time, Mary enjoys camping, hiking, painting, theater, and singing. She loves dogs and have a passion for rescuing them.
Kristine Campbell-Solak, School Social Worker
Kristine has her undergraduate degree in psychology and her Master’s degree in School Social Work. She has obtained her (LCSW) Licensed Clinical Social Work and a (PEL) Professional Educator License.
Early in her career, while teaching preschool, she took on a part-time position providing respite support for high school students who had significant behavior challenges. Working with these students led her to discover her passion. She decided to pursue her degree in social work which included internships in both crisis centers and an alternative program. It was during the second internship that she solidified her desire to work with special and challenged students.
After over 10 years of working in special education and having a son who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, the family moved to Colorado. She started her own private practice while continuing to work with children and adolescents with special needs. After 7 years in beautiful Colorado, her family decided to move back to Illinois to be close to extended family. Kristine continued working in both regular and special education settings, until her unique encounter with the now Director of Bloom Academy. Kristine joined this team where the possibilities are endless and the outstanding group of professionals will enrich, provide brighter outcomes for students and possibly change the way that education is viewed.
Miriama Kisiel, Primary Classroom Teacher
Miriama holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She is a graduate of Concordia University Chicago with endorsements in general science, language arts, mathematics, and social science. She has worked both in public and private school systems as a substitute teacher and a paraprofessional. She has four years of experience in general/special education classrooms from grade levels 1 through 8. Miriama enjoys volunteering her time as a youth assistant soccer coach.
Outside of school Miriama enjoys being with her husband and three children. As a family, they love to travel and spend time outdoors. In her spare time, she loves to read and run.
Our Students
Students are identified for short-term placement in Bloom Academy by the School District U-46 Safety Team, and are generally in grades K – 6. We serve students with significant social and emotional needs, and providing them with a daily social-emotional learning and positive behavioral management and support. An ideal setting for students to begin to develop expected school behaviors, positive placement outcomes can include increased student engagement, a new or revised behavior support plan, and new insights into students’ academic skills and needs.
Our Staff
The Bloom Academy is proud to employ licensed general education teachers, a licensed special education teacher, a licensed school social worker, and bilingual (Spanish) staff members. Our program works closely with district staff, including a nurse, related service providers like speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and occupational therapists (OTs), counselors and English Language Learning (ELL) teachers.
Utilizing four specific instructional rotations, students are assessed academically, gain self-regulation skills, learn with district-aligned academic curriculums, and utilize integrated technology.