Teacher Biographies
Mrs. Cappelleri Mr. Getting Mr. Meehan Mr. Romanelli Mr. Schlumpf
Mrs. Sonya Cappelleri
Mrs. Cappelleri, the “Queen of English”, hails from Michigan, where she attended Hope College and graduated with honors in 1980. After a one-year stint in New York City as a singing waitress, she grew out of her crew cut and moved to Houston, Texas to begin her teaching career. During her five years in Texas, she designed and implemented a honors language arts program for gifted students, served on the executive board of the Houston Area Council of English Teachers, and was nominated as both an “outstanding Young Educator” and “Houston Teacher of the Year”. Mrs.Cappelleri moved back to the Midwest in 1987 and taught at Chicago’s De La Salle High School and Santa Lucia Grammar School. She has been employed by District 203 since 1988, and enjoys the dubious distinction of being the only area teacher sporting two recycled organs. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction from North Central College. In each of the last two years, Mrs. Cappelleri was included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Mrs. Cappelleri’s interests include literature, theatre, and obsessing over her daily fat intake.
Mr. Creighton Getting
Mr. Getting is beginning his first year as the Crazy 8s science instructor. He grew up in Naperville attending Elmwood, Lincoln, and Naperville Central. While in high school, he played volleyball and basketball. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Mr. Getting worked as a software consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and J.D. Edwards. He remained in the business world for six successful years, during this time he volunteered as a youth leader at his church and coached volleyball. It was through these experiences that he realized the depth of his desire to teach. Mr. Getting has since received his teaching certificate from National-Louis University with endorsements in Science, Math, Social Science, and Computer Technology. Mr. Getting currently lives in Plainfield with his wife Gina and daughter Taylor.
Mr. Kevin Meehan
Mr. Meehan joined the Crazy Eights in 1999. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in history, with an endorsement in English, from Northern Illinois University and, in 2004, he earned his Master’s degree in Education from Olivet Nazarene University. Mr. Meehan has been teaching since 1990, having previously taught Language Arts and Social Science at the middle school level in Bolingbrook and Plainfield before his arrival at Kennedy. An avid reader of Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill, Mr. Meehan tries to promote a positive mental attitude with his students and show them how it can improve their achievement. Mr. Meehan’s motto is “You can achieve anything in life you want, if you help enough people get what they want.”, and he works to help his students get what they want. In return, Mr. Meehan wants to see a World Series championship come to Chicago’s south side. His dream came true when the White Sox became the 2005 National Champions. He lives with his wife Peggy and their three dogs: Tully, Sammie, and Trixie.
Mr. Anthony Romanelli
Anthony Romanelli is beginning his first year at Kennedy. He has taught for six years in two separate schools before coming to Kennedy: Glenside Middle School in Glendale Heights and Park Jr. High in La Grange. He has issues continually referring to himself in third person. He received his Bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Illinois University and received his teacher certification and Master’s degree from North Central College in Naperville. He has coached baseball and basketball for all six years he’s taught and is currently the assistant football coach for the Eagles lightweight team. He believes firmly in starting new paragraphs. After his fourth year of teaching, he decided he needed a change and went into the business world working as a jack-of-all-trades for a promotional marketing firm, collaborating with some of the most recognizable companies and names in the world, including Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Tony Hawk, McDonald’s, Cartoon Network, Atlantic Records…and the list goes on. He continues to stand firm on his belief of starting new paragraphs when necessary. After an impressive stint up the corporate ladder, he began to realize that he truly missed his first love, teaching, so he finds himself in the positive surroundings of Kennedy. He and his wife are expecting their first child this October and he plans on depriving himself of all sleep and sanity during the remaining months of the calendar year. He is also a lifelong Cubs fan and has been a season ticket holder for the last ten years. If you have read this far, he appreciates your patience, your unflappable commitment to the written word, and your superb attention to detail.
Mr. Art Schlumpf
Mr. Schlumpf holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology – which explains perfectly why he teaches eighth grade math. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in physical education and a minor in mathematics, Mr. Schlumpf began his teaching career at Palisades School (now Burr Ridge Middle School) in Burr Ridge, Illinois where he taught mathematics to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students for four years. After an additional year as a physical education instructor, he quit teaching in order to pursue full-time graduate studies in Exercise Physiology at the late great George Williams College in Downers Grove. Completing his coursework over a 14-month period, he then served as an exercise physiologist in the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Obesity Management programs at Edgewater Hospital in Chicago for one year. While working at Edgewater, he began part-time work as physiologist and coordinator for the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at Edward Hospital in Naperville, a position he retained for six and one-half years. After the year at Edgewater, he really missed the classroom and returned to teach math and computer education at Palisades for another five years. In 1988, Mr. Schlumpf came to District 203, teaching math and social science at Lincoln Junior High School (on the same academic team as Mrs. Cappelleri). When Kennedy opened for its first full year in 1990, Mr. Schlumpf joined the faculty, teaching sixth grade math and social science. The following year, Mr. Schlumpf taught math and social science to the first class of Crazy Eights. As former Math Department Chair, Mr. Schlumpf participated on the District Math Curriculum Committee, and was a member of one of the District 203 committees which were a part of the Standard Bearer process. He has also assisted in the development of district math assessments for grades six through eight. In spring of 2004, Mr. Schlumpf was nominated as an Influential Educator in District 203, and for the past three years has been included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Schlumpf is team leader of the Crazy Eights and serves as head middleweight football coach and assistant track coach. He can also be seen, on occasion, officiating volleyball matches at Kennedy. After stints at Hinsdale South High School and O’Neill Middle School in Downers Grove, Mrs. Schlumpf joined the faculty at Kennedy in August 2000 as a physical education teacher. They reside in Naperville and have two daughters: Allison is a junior and Amanda is a sophomore at Naperville Central High School.