Ogle County Educational Cooperative

10/19/2026

Preston had a birthday! Happy birthday!

10/19/2026

Senior Stories Continued...😋

Mrs. Julie has started a fun new tradition at Chana! Each senior gets to create their own lunch menu featuring one of their favorite meals, which is then named in their honor and served to the entire school.

Thursday's featured special was ✨ "The Nadiyah!"✨ A KFC-inspired chicken nugget bowl loaded with mashed potatoes and corn.

We love finding little ways to celebrate our seniors and make their final year at Chana a little more special. Thanks to Mrs. Julie for making it happen!

Who's hungry for the next senior special?

10/17/2026

10/17/2026

Thank you to Chief Kalnins and Lt Brechon of the Oregon Police Department who trained with our staff on safety this week.

A big thank you to the Oregon Police Department for spending time with our Chana Education Center staff and providing Run, Hide, Fight training to help us better prepare for an active threat.

It's the kind of training we hope we never have to use, but one we can't afford to overlook. Keeping our students and staff safe is always a priority, and being prepared is an important part of that responsibility.

We appreciate the Oregon Police Department's continued partnership and commitment to keeping our school community safe!

10/16/2026

Dr. Laura Gumbiner met with school psychologists and school social workers today to discuss the impact of and support for youth impacted by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

It’s always such a pleasure to exchange information with Ogle County Educational Cooperative - what an incredible group of professional! 📚💪🏽🧠

10/16/2026

🌟 OCEC Staff Spotlight: Today we presented two exemplary staff to the OCEC Executive Board and recognized them for their daily, significant contributions to students.

Emily Basler! 💙💛

Emily, School Social Worker serving Lincoln, May, and Tilton in Rochelle D231 consistently goes above and beyond for students and staff. Her teamwork, positive attitude, and willingness to step in wherever needed make a difference every day!

Thank you, Emily! You are valued and appreciated by both Rochelle and OCEC! Ms. Buss presented Emily with her award.

Sarah Lawrence! 💙💛

We are proud to recognize Sarah Lawrence, paraprofessional, for her outstanding dedication to Chana Education Center elementary and middle school students. Sarah brings patience, consistency, and a calm presence to challenging situations while helping students build communication skills, independence, and success.

Her persistence, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to never giving up on a student make her an invaluable part of our program. Thank you, Sarah, for the difference you make every day! Mrs. Kalnins presented Sarah with her award.

Pictured L to R: Samantha Buss, Emily Basler, Sarah Lawrence, Lynn Kalnins

10/15/2026

Happy annual trip around the sun, Mrs. K! 🎉 We appreciate all you bring to us day by day!

Mrs. Koch and crew sure know how to make someone feel extra special on their birthday! Mrs. K’s recent annual trip around the sun was celebrated with made-to-order strawberry shortcake, solo performances of “Happy Birthday,” homemade cards, and several rounds of kid-crafted jokes.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Love.
Love who?
Love you! ❤️

We're pretty lucky to be surrounded by people at CEC who make even the smallest moments mean so much! A big thank you to Mrs. Koch and her thoughtful little party planners for such a sweet celebration!

10/14/2026

Bowling season has concluded for the Special Olympics in Ogle County. Coach Thomas and the Cooperative thank all of the volunteers who assist in making this event happen!

10/14/2026

🍎🎃 Fall Fun at Jonamac Orchard! 🎃🍎

Our students and staff had a wonderful morning at Jonamac Orchard! Students learned about the orchard, enjoyed feeding the farm animals, and picked some BIG, fun pumpkins to bring back to Soar House! 🎃

After a morning full of fall adventures, everyone enjoyed lunch at Jimmy John’s, where each student had the opportunity to order their own sandwich and practice valuable independence and communication skills.

From hands-on learning to pumpkin picking and lunch with friends, it was a fantastic day filled with learning, laughter, and memories! ❤️

10/09/2026

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