SOUTH LOOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Speech - Language Pathologist
I am a veteran teacher and hold over twenty years of teaching experience with an extensive background in literacy as a reading specialist, Reading Recovery teacher, literacy coach and middle school ELA teacher. This is my 6th year teaching at South Loop Elementary School and I am thrilled to be teaching at the primary level again. In my free time I enjoy running, reading, and seeing plays and musicals.
I have been teaching at South Loop School since 2009. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and hold a Master's in Instructional Design and Technology. During the weekends, my husband and I love to take our two little ones on adventures. I enjoy watching movies, eating steak and sushi, and shopping on Amazon!
I earned my undergraduate degree from UCLA and my masters degree from DePaul University. I have been teaching at South Loop since 2006. I enjoy traveling, running by the lakefront and making my family's favorite Taiwanese foods.
I started teaching in 2016. In 2023 I earned my Master of Arts in Teaching from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I have a great appreciation and interest in a variety of art and love sharing my interests with students. Vice versa getting to know each student through their own interests in the art room is one of the many reasons why I love teaching art. My wife and I enjoy spending time finding fun activities for our two children especially trying to fit in as many lake days as possible during the summer!
This is my 10th year as a Middle School Math Teacher in CPS and my 3rd year as a SLES Teacher. My students are intrigued that I'm a proud graduate of Whitney M. Young High School and as such, a Chicago native. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and my Master of Teaching degree from the University of Chicago. I LOVE teaching math because it's fun and my favorite subject. I like to remind students that MATH is perfect for learning and growing as it's an acronym for Mistakes Allowed To Happen. I look forward to fun times with my Math Scholars, they get me FIRED UP!
My husband and I are proud parents of two young adults, attending Morehouse College and The University of Michigan. I enjoy dancing, celebrating others (birthdays are a big deal to me), spending time with family/friends and traveling.
My name is Misty Loske. I've been working with children in some capacity or another since 2002. I studied the Reggio Emilia Approach to education at Columbia College Chicago, where I received my degree in Early Childhood Education. I minored in American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation and LOVE doing ASL with my students. I also have a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I'm married and have a pet cat named Addy. I love warm weather, the beach and snorkeling. I'm originally from Missouri, but have also lived in Virginia, Guam, and now Illinois!
I started teaching in 2014 and have been at South Loop since 2019. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Northeastern Illinois and my Master of Education in Special Education and Reading Instruction from National Louis University. In my free time I am on a masters swim team, and I love going to concerts and spending time with my nephew.
Tara Shelton currently serves as principal of South Loop Elementary, a position she has held since 2007. Serving students who are racially, culturally, and economically diverse, Tara has led the increase in academic performance for ten consecutive years. Tara began her career as a middle school math and science teacher at Benjamin Banneker School, on Chicago's South Side. Her leadership is guided by a vision that all students deserve access to an intellectually challenging academic program in a responsive environment that respects the humanity of all students and works to meet their needs.
Tara's leadership has been recognized by numerous organizations. She was named a Chicago Cahn Fellow (2012-2013) and in 2014, as a CPS Principal Fellow. In 2013, Shelton was awarded the Chicago Public Schools Principal Achievement Award for closing the achievement gap. She was a finalist for the 2016 Golden Apple Foundation's Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award. Additionally, her teaching has been recognized, with her being named a recipient of the Who's Who Among American Teachers in 2003 and 2004.
In her spare time, Tara enjoys mentoring principal candidates and reading educational literature as a means to engage as a lifelong learner. As much as Tara enjoys collaborating with her teachers, fellow colleagues, and community members, the best part of her job is her interactions with her students.
Tara is an avid reader. She also enjoys travelling to different cities with her friends to try new food.
Hello! My name is Ms. Nguyen ("Winn") and I am your student's 2nd grade teacher this year! This is my my seventh year teaching 2nd grade! I am from Michigan. I live southwest of South Loop with my husband, Ryan, and our son, Benjamin. I love to read, bike, hike, travel, and spend time with my family. Fun Fact: both my mom and dad immigrated from Vietnam!
Mr Zettl has been South Loop's band director since 2009. He has taught music/band grades Kindergarten through high school.
When he is not at South Loop, he is a gigging guitarist playing around the Chicago area with several groups, as well as his own.