SHERRARD, Ill. — The Sherrard school district is celebrating one of its everyday helpers.
Kathy Slattery is a lunch supervisor at Sherrard Elementary School, and she was named the district's Tiger Talent award winner for the month of April. Students love her; during every holiday or other special occasion, she plans a special gift for each student in the building.
Aside from being an excellent gift-giver, Slattery is also deaf, so she uses a combination of speaking and sign language to communicate. Some of her students have even started learning sign language because of her. Several years ago, Slattery ran into one of her former students, who's now an adult with her own children. It's a moment she'll never forget.
"She stopped, 'I know you. You taught me sign language when I was in second grade.' She goes, 'I went to college and took some classes. And I've used it on my job.' And I had goosebumps," Slattery said. "And I said, 'How old are you?' She said, '28.' And I'm like, 'that was 20 years ago.' It's not only about me, it's about them learning how to be inclusive, and they go out into the world and make someone else's life easy. That's what we're all here for, is to help each other."
Back in high school, Slattery sat in the front of her classes so she could understand better. She was a cheerleader during her school years, then went on to work as a waitress and bank teller before starting at Sherrard 32 years ago. And over the decades since she first walked into the school's doors, Slattery said she's never regretted it.
"I'm in a building where everyone ... here is wonderful every day they come here and make every child feel seen and heard and that they're important and wonderful. We all matter. I'm just a small part of their day, but if that gives them a little inspiration, I hope so," she said.
