Principal

I am proud to be serving as the principal of Southbury Elementary School since 2008 and am very excited about the school year. I look forward to working with the students, staff, and families in our community to create a passion for learning in all our children.  It has been an honor working in School District 308 since 2003. I spent my first four years teaching second grade at Lakewood Creek Elementary School, and it was an absolute pleasure working so closely with  that community. For two years, I was the assistant principal at Old Post and Grande Park elementary schools, as well as at Southbury Elementary School. This was also a wonderful experience, and I truly enjoyed getting to know the children and families.  My philosophy of education is that children are my top priority, and I will do whatever I can to make sure that every student is reaching her or his potential. I know that by working together, we can make sure our children are successful and thrive in a safe, comfortable, and caring learning environment. Go Sharks! 

Assistant Principal

Cara Chase was promoted to assistant principal for Southbury Elementary School beginning in the 2015-16 school year. She served as a District 308 learning behavior specialist from 2009 until 2015. In this role, she provided curriculum instruction, accommodations, and modifications to elementary-aged students who have been diagnosed with a disability such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, behavior disorder, syndromes, cognitive impairments, or other health impairments. Previous to this, Chase served as a speech language pathologist from 2001 to 2009.

Chase received a master’s degree in educational leadership from Aurora University, Aurora, Ill., in 2013. She also has a master’s degree in communication disorders and sciences from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, and a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology from Augustana College, in Rock Island, Ill.

Special Education Coordinator

I joined the administrative team at Southbury Elementary during the 2015-2016 school year as a Special Education Coordinator with Kendall County Special Education Cooperative.  Before joining School District #308, I served as a learning behavior specialist for 15 years.  In this role, I worked with students within a self -contained classroom, ED programs, and as a co-teacher at the elementary and junior high levels. 

I earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St. Xavier University, Chicago and then continued on to receive a master’s degree in special education with a director of special education endorsement.  I received a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Governor’s State University, University Park, IL.  Currently, I am working toward a doctoral degree at the University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL in educational leadership with a superintendent endorsement.