News Releases
February Volunteer of the Month:
Lisa Isaacs, PTA, Thomas Jefferson School
 A dedicated parent volunteer, Lisa Isaacs became involved with Thomas Jefferson School when her oldest child entered kindergarten. Now, eight years later, she’s still deeply involved and—with her youngest child just in third grade—she looks forward to several more years of volunteering at the school. “I’ll cry when we have to leave Thomas Jefferson,” she says.
Lisa’s primary effort this year centers on the PTA’s GREAT program (Great Reading Evident at Thomas Jefferson), which she co-chairs with another parent. GREAT is designed to help children in kindergarten through second grade improve their reading skills and strategies, and Lisa volunteers her mornings two days a week. She first helped with GREAT when her daughter was in the program. “It really helped her, and I had the feeling that I had to give something back,” she says. “It’s an awesome program, and the results are truly phenomenal.”
Her very first PTA assignment was kindergym where Lisa helped when each of her three children were in kindergarten. She’s worked on the school’s parent-to-parent program, created to help new parents get acclimated not only to the school but also to the community. In addition, Lisa “contributes her time and creativity to our family recreation nights, helping to organize games and activities for parents to enjoy with their children during this fun-filled event,” her nominators said. She and a co-chair initiated the school’s annual sock hops at Carl Sandburg Junior High.
Lisa and husband Jon moved to Hoffman Estates 12 years ago. “We fell in love with the feeling of community here, especially in this school,” she says. “Here at Thomas Jefferson, we’re a true community of parents, teachers, and students.” All three of their children—Jim, now an eighth grader at Carl Sandburg Junior High; Sara, now in sixth grade; and Kaity, now in third—have attended Thomas Jefferson.
Originally from Michigan, Lisa is one of ten children. She has four sisters and five brothers, yet somehow her mother always found time for volunteer work. “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Lisa chuckles. Lisa earned her undergraduate degree in health and physical education from Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. She also holds a master’s degree in cardiac rehabilitation/exercise physiology from Eastern Illinois University. She worked in a rehabilitation center for six years when she and Jon lived in New Jersey. Two years ago, she returned to work as a part-time preschool teacher at Prince of Peace in Schaumburg. A competitive runner in college, Lisa still exercises regularly. Two years ago, she did a two-day walk for breast cancer sponsored by Avon, which she found to be a very rewarding experience. She’s a Brownie leader for Kaity’s troop, and in her spare time, she enjoys reading.
“Lisa Isaacs is a huge asset to our Thomas Jefferson community,” her nominators said. “We thank her for the valuable time she donates to our school.”
Lisa will be recognized at the February 9, 2005, Board of Education meeting, to be held at Thomas Jefferson School, at 7 p.m.
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