Serving the Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, & Knollwood Communities
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Parent Organizations
Association of Parents and Teachers (APT)
The core mission of the District 67 Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) is to promote good communication and cooperative working relationships among the community, school and home. The group works to enhance the educational experience of all District 67 students through school-based programs, organized and implemented by dedicated parent volunteers. These programs are predominantly funded by APT dues.
Please note that APT membership is different from donating to the Spirit of 67 Foundation. The Spirit of 67 Foundation is the fundraising arm for District 67 and works alongside the APT to help fund enrichment opportunities for the children, teachers, and parents.
The Spirit of 67 Foundation - Enhancing the Education of Every Student in Every School, Every Day
The Spirit of 67 Foundation is a not-for-profit, parent-run volunteer organization whose mission is to raise funds and acquire resources to enrich and elevate the educational and cultural experiences of students, faculty, parents and staff of District 67 in ways that might not otherwise be provided.
Established 40 years ago, the Spirit has, to date, awarded over 800 grants totaling over $6.2 million providing curricular enhancements, resources & tools that support excellence in our public schools. With your donation, we fund many grants across all four D67 schools so that a student’s educational experience is enriched beyond what tax dollars pay for. In the course of a school day, students benefit from grants in fine arts, wellness, language arts, math, STEAM, emotional wellness, science, social studies, world language and more.
Cherokee Elementary School APT President: Kristin Rupp
Sheridan Elementary School APT President: Kristen Scheuer
Deer Path Middle School APT President: Kristin McCain
Voting on this slate of candidates is open to all District 67 APT members and will take place at the APT’s All-District Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 14th from 9-11 a.m at CROYA. All District 67 parents and community members are invited to attend.
This year the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting will be psychologist, author and inspirational key-note speaker Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo. She will be speaking on the idea of getting out of the Red Zone for parents.
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is the authority on how to crush your inner critic so that you can live your life with purpose, fulfillment, and True SuccessTM – both personally and professionally.
Dr. E has personally helped numerous high-profile individuals achieve success and is considered Shaquille O’Neal’s “Head Coach for Happiness”. Through her best- selling books, online interactive training, keynote speeches, and numerous other avenues, she shares her wisdom and experience helping others to achieve great results. Having worked with many Fortune 500 companies, including the likes of Coca-Cola, Deloitte, UBS and Westinghouse, Dr. E is considered one of America’s most-trusted celebrity psychologists. As a regular contributor to the TODAY show, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, Forbes and The New York Times, Dr. E is passionate about helping people optimize their lives, through proven methods.
Dr. E lives in Chicago with her family and their dog, Bailey.
District 67 APT Nominating Committee Roster
Nominating Officers for the School Years: 2024-2026
Nominating Committee Chair:
Shannon Shader
APT Executive Board Representative:
Elyse Butler
Gillian Goodfriend
Cherokee Representatives:
Fran Chana
Kristin Lambropoulos
Carrie Ravagnie
Deer Path Representatives:
Katie Donovan
Mirela Dalton
Anne Axus
Kimberly Carris
Veronica DeNicolo
Amanda Lamberti
Everett Representatives:
Kathrine Hensley
Aleksandra Strzelecki
Lexee Rascia
Sheridan Representatives:
Gina Misora
Kelly Reformado
Katie Wilson
A sincere thank you to the entire 2024 D67 APT Nominating Committee.
Michelle Taubensee was born in Oak Park, IL to parents, Andrea and George Haviar and has two siblings, older brother Stefan and younger sister, Clare. At age 3, her family moved to San Diego CA, staying there for 10 years until moving back to the Midwest in 1993. They lived in St. Charles, IL. Michelle went to St. Fancies High School in Wheaton, IL. Michelle followed in her brother’s footsteps attending Loras College in Dubuque, IA, where she joined the basketball team her sophomore year and graduated with a BA in Communication, Public Relations and a minor in Business.
After college graduation, Michelle worked for the City of St. Charles as an Executive Assistant and learned a great deal about local government. As part of her position, she was secretary to the Historic Preservation Commission and Adjudication Hearings. After 7 years with the City of St. Charles, Michelle resigned from her position when she met and married husband Chris Taubensee in 2010. She worked for a short time as an Executive Assistant at a financial firm, but later resigned after having their first child. Michelle and Chris initially lived in Highland Park and moved to Lake Forest in 2017. They have two children, Owen (11 & 5th grade at DPM) and Leah (9 & 3rd grade at Sheridan Elementary). Michelle quickly became involved with Sheridan Elementary APT contributing on committees and supporting in all ways needed.
In 2019, Michelle became a member of the Associate Board for Lake Forest Open Lands, co-chairing their annual spring fundraiser Cattails & Cocktails for 3 years. Recently, Michelle joined both the Women’s Board of Lake Forest Hospital and the Lake Forest chapter of Infant Welfare Society, both of which offer exciting new and fun opportunities to give back.
Smaller roles Michelle contributes to include, being a co-leader for her daughter Leah’s Girl Scout Brownie troop and Team Manager for her children’s hockey teams.
Michelle loves the Lake Forest community and enjoys playing paddle tennis, watching her kid’s hockey games and dance recitals, family time at our amazing beach, escaping for weekends in Lake Geneva WI where she and Chris met, and curling up for a movie night with her family at home.
APT Executive Board Treasurer: Natalie Windle
Natalie has lived in Lake Forest for 5 years. She moved here in 2019 from the UK where she grew up, the 5th of 6 children. Natalie studied law at university before qualifying as a CPA at KPMG where she met her husband, Richard. They have 2 children; Mollie is in 6th Grade at DPM and Ralph is in 3rd grade at Cherokee. While they only came for a 3 year international assignment, they all loved living in Lake Forest and now have bought a house and are planning to stay.
Natalie loves to travel and took a year long career break to travel around the world when she was 25. Her adventures included safaris and gorge swinging in Africa, skydiving and glacier trekking in New Zealand and diving with sharks in Fiji. Since moving to the US, she has fallen in love with road trips and is aiming to visit all 50 states. Currently the total is 36!
Natalie joined the Cherokee APT when she moved to Lake Forest and spent 2 years as the treasurer. She is currently on the Staff Appreciation Events Committee and is one of the Spirit reps as well as being part of the Grants Committee on the Spirit.
Loren LoMastro Specht, widely known as the founder of LoMastro Performing Arts, has been active in the Lake Forest community for over two decades. Loren LoMastro Specht is an accomplished instructor, choreographer, and dance professional who has worked extensively in Illinois and Indiana since 1997. As the founder of LoMastro Performing Arts Academy, Loren has created a nurturing environment for dancers. She is also the founder of Dance Mastery Institute, a dance curriculum company used by instructors across the US and Canada. Additionally, she established the Virtuosity Dance Festival, providing a platform for dancers to showcase their talent and make connections with Chicago dance professionals. She is an active member of the International Dance Entrepreneurs Association and Dance Studio Owners Association Inner Circle. With her dedication to dance education, choreography, and community involvement, Loren LoMastro Specht is a respected figure in the industry, making a lasting impact on dancers and the dance community.
Loren’s contributions to Lake Forest extend beyond the academy, including choreographing musicals for Lake Forest High School and CenterStage at the Gorton Center. She also served as an instructor and coach for the L.F.H.S. Varsity Dance Team for 8 years, contributing to their competitive success.
Loren and her husband, Brian, moved to Lake Forest just before their son, Leo, who is now a 4th grader at Sheridan School, was born. Loren has been engaged at Sheridan School, serving as the APT Communications Chair for the last 2 years as well as being a Room Parent. These roles have allowed her to facilitate better communication and engagement within the school community.
Loren embodies the spirit of community and creativity. Her blend of leadership in the arts education, and community engagement, makes her an ideal candidate for the Executive APT Communications position.
Cherokee Elementary School APT President: Kristin Rupp
Kristin was born and raised in Indianapolis. She attended Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, where she earned her BA in both marketing and accounting.
After graduating, she moved to Chicago, where she lived for 13 years. Kristin worked at Grant Thornton LLP as a Strategic Account Marketing Manager for a select portfolio of key accounts. While in the city, she held several leadership positions at the Junior League of Chicago, actively serving those in need.
In 2017, Kristin and her husband, Ted, moved to Lake Forest. They have two children, Arabella (third grader at Cherokee) and Caroline (entering Cherokee next year as a kindergartener). She is concluding a two-year term as the Leader of the St. Genevieve Circle at the Church of St. Mary and leads the Children’s Liturgy of the Word. She is also a member of the Lake Forest Junior Garden Club and assists with the food pantry deliveries for the Church of the Holy Spirit.
Currently, Kristin serves as the Cherokee APT Board Liaison, and she is actively involved with the Yearbook Committee and Spookfest Committee.
Sheridan Elementary School APT President: Kristen Scheuer
A native of Lake Forest, Kristen Scheuer attended Cherokee, DPM and LFHS, and subsequently obtained a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Psychological Services from Northwestern University and a Masters in Social Work from University of Chicago. After completing her graduate studies, Kristen moved to San Francisco where she worked as a Clinical Social Worker in a variety of settings with children and families across public school classrooms, an outpatient mental health clinic, therapeutic day schools, and a residential mental health setting. Kristen and her husband, Shawn, moved to Lake Tahoe in 2013 with their growing family where she served on the board of a non-profit early childhood center and was also on the PTA at her children’s private school, primarily focused on fundraising and onboarding new families.
Kristen and her family relocated to Lake Forest in 2019 to be closer to family and for their three children to benefit from the outstanding education in District 67 and eventually District 115. Kristen is currently serving her third year on the APT at Sheridan in various roles including New Family Coordinator, teacher appreciation, room parent, and is currently in the position of Vice President/Recording Secretary. They have a son who attended Sheridan and is now in 7th grade at DPM and two daughters at Sheridan (4th grade and Kindergarten.) Prior to this, she served on the Parent Board at First Presbyterian Preschool in Lake Forest for three years in fundraising. Sheridan has been a special place for their family over the last 5 years, and she looks forward to partnering with the teachers and staff, parents, and community.
Deer Path Middle School APT President: Kristin McCain
I am looking forward to being a part of the District 67 ATP and serving as the building President for Deerpath Middle School. I have a professional background in PR, Market Research and Corporate Communication.
While living in Lake Forest, I have had the privilege of working on various boards, non-profit organizations, and philanthropic endeavors. For our school district, I have served on the D67 ATP Exec Committee as the Community Relations Chair, on Sheridan’s ATP Board as both a Community Service Rep and as a Room Parent, Spirit of 67 and on the District’s GreatFULL Market Planning Committee, Anaphylaxis Committee, Garden2Grow (G2G) Committee and Superintendent’s Council. I believe volunteers should only be told thank you and I hope you will consider donating your valuable time to support our community of learners.
My husband Ryan and I have lived in Lake Forest for nearly 20 years. We have three children, two high schoolers and one 6th grader, Louise, that attends DPM.
P.S. - Thank you to current DPM President Elizabeth Martin for the amazing job she has done in this role!
