Welcome Class of 2017!
Welcome Sauganash Class of 2017! I am so excited to start the school year and begin our journey. This year will be the year to get you ready for high school. There will be many opportunities to read interesting articles, primary documents, short stories novels and poetry. We'll also be writing within a variety of genres. For Social Studies we caver American History from post Civil War to the Cold War. Field trips will take place about once a month and give us an opportunity to learn outside of our school utilizing the cultural institutions throughout our fine city of Chicago.
Who is Mr. Lundak?
Who is Mr. Lundak? Students have be asking me this for years. Let me first sound professional and then I'll get to the fun stuff. This is my 16th year of teaching (hard to see that in writing, how is that possible?). I taught in Denver Public Schools, 5th grade, for three years before moving back to Chicago. I started teaching at Sauganash in 2004, as the No Child Left Behind teacher. In 2005 I became the 8th grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher and have been loving it ever since. Teaching is a second career for me. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago, I worked in sales for telecommunication and information industry. I'm grateful to my mother-in-law, who was a fantastic teacher, who suggested I go into teaching. Taking her advice I went back to school to receive my MAT from National Louis University. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and enjoy professional development, that I get to choose!
This summer I did two week long seminars. First Mrs. Biesty, Mrs. DeVito and myself spent a week at UIC and the Poetry Foundation in downtown Chicago. We learned from authors, professors, teachers from around the country and a former US Poet Laureate. It was a fantastic week and I can't wait to share what I learned. At the end of July I traveled to the WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA to learned more about WWII (a subject I am passionate about). I won a grant through the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History along with 24 others history teachers from around the country to do a week long intensive study. If you ever have the chance to visit the museum in NOLA, be sure and do it. (Click on the Twitter icon on the upper left hand of this page to see picture, while you are at it sign up so you can receive my tweets.)
Lucky for me I have been married for almost 19 years (this October). We have two sons who are in 8th and 3rd grades. I have a one and a half year old yellow lab named Rocky and a Beta fish named Frankenfish (he just won't die). I am a HUGE Cub fan, but I am not a hater of the Sox. I like the Bears, when they are good and I'm an indifferent Hawks fan. I grew up in Nebraska, there is not much hockey there. I am a big college football fan and my favorite team is the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Crazy name, but better than the Bug Eaters which they were called for a while). This summer I traveled to Wisconsin, New Orleans, Colorado, Alaska and Vancouver, Canada. It was a very busy summer. Other random items about me (all are true except one. Can you guess which one?): I am an avid tennis player. I love coffee (must have it to start my day) I am taking guitar lessons. I enjoy documentary films. I am the youngest of four kids (two sisters and a brother). I can juggle pretty well. My nickname in high school was lightning.
Looking forward to a wonderful year and I can't wait to learn more about all of you.
This summer I did two week long seminars. First Mrs. Biesty, Mrs. DeVito and myself spent a week at UIC and the Poetry Foundation in downtown Chicago. We learned from authors, professors, teachers from around the country and a former US Poet Laureate. It was a fantastic week and I can't wait to share what I learned. At the end of July I traveled to the WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA to learned more about WWII (a subject I am passionate about). I won a grant through the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History along with 24 others history teachers from around the country to do a week long intensive study. If you ever have the chance to visit the museum in NOLA, be sure and do it. (Click on the Twitter icon on the upper left hand of this page to see picture, while you are at it sign up so you can receive my tweets.)
Lucky for me I have been married for almost 19 years (this October). We have two sons who are in 8th and 3rd grades. I have a one and a half year old yellow lab named Rocky and a Beta fish named Frankenfish (he just won't die). I am a HUGE Cub fan, but I am not a hater of the Sox. I like the Bears, when they are good and I'm an indifferent Hawks fan. I grew up in Nebraska, there is not much hockey there. I am a big college football fan and my favorite team is the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Crazy name, but better than the Bug Eaters which they were called for a while). This summer I traveled to Wisconsin, New Orleans, Colorado, Alaska and Vancouver, Canada. It was a very busy summer. Other random items about me (all are true except one. Can you guess which one?): I am an avid tennis player. I love coffee (must have it to start my day) I am taking guitar lessons. I enjoy documentary films. I am the youngest of four kids (two sisters and a brother). I can juggle pretty well. My nickname in high school was lightning.
Looking forward to a wonderful year and I can't wait to learn more about all of you.
Please review the field trips for the upcoming year and send in the fees by Oct. 7. Fees include trip, transportation and engaging learning opportunities.
Contact Mr. Lundak
Got questions? Click here to send Mr. Lundak an email.