Rhodes School District 84.5

Rhodes School Administration

L-R: Mr. Justin Johnson, Mrs. Emily Lahti, Mr. Jim Prather, Mrs. Nicole Newsome, Mr. Brian McConnell

Choose from the administration positions listed below to access a detailed profile of each staff member. (Their phone extensions are provided as well) In addition, please refer to our Coordinators page for departmental information.


Information on The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) can be found here.


Superintendent

Mr. Jim Prather (113)

Mr. Prather became the Rhodes superintendent in 2011. His past professional experiences were as a superintendent/principal, elementary principal, middle school principal, middle school dean, and middle school teacher. He received his Educational Specialist, Masters, and Bachelors degrees from Northern Illinois University. He has certification for positions as a superintendent, chief school business official, general administration (i.e. principal), and secondary teaching (6th-12th grade) in science and social studies. Mr. Prather and his wife, Julie, are the parents of three children, Paige, Andy, and Grant. His favorite hobby is freshwater and saltwater fishing during any and all seasons of the year.

If you would like to discuss any of our current curriculum or special programs at Rhodes, please feel free to contact him for a visit at:

Rhodes School District 84.5
c/o Mr. Jim Prather, Superintendent
8931 West Fullerton Ave.
River Grove, IL 60171
Phone (708) 453-1266
Fax (708) 453-0817

Email Mr. Prather

Principal

Mr. Brian McConnell (134)

Mr. McConnell arrived at Rhodes School in 2011 after working for 9 years in Alton, IL and Waterloo, IL (both in the St. Louis area) as a School Social Worker in schools ranging from Kindergarten to High School. His first 4 years at Rhodes School were spent as the Assistant Principal/Director of Special Education, where he worked in collaboration with the Special Education Department, the Problem Solving team, and was in charge of discipline, among other roles. He has been the Principal at Rhodes since 2015 and is entering his 7th year in that role.

Mr. McConnell attended the University of Illinois for undergraduate and graduate school, earning a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Social Work. He received his Masters of Arts in Education and Type 75 Certificate from McKendree University. Mr. McConnell enjoys spending time with his wife Julie (who is an Assistant Principal in CPS), their 7 year old son Patrick, their 4 year old son Timothy, and their dog Scout.

He loves to run and read, and he enjoys watching the Chicago Cubs, Illinois basketball and Notre Dame football with his family as much as he can. He loves being the Principal and working with the wonderful students and staff at Rhodes School, where he believes a Growth Mindset can help all students and staff have a successful academic and social experience each and every year.

If you would like to discuss any of our current curriculum or special programs at Rhodes, please feel free to contact him for a visit at:

Rhodes School District 84.5
c/o Mr. Brian McConnell, Principal
8931 West Fullerton Ave.
River Grove, IL 60171
Phone (708) 453-6813
#RhodesKidsCan

Email Mr McConnell

Assistant Principal/Special Education Director

Mrs. Nicole Newsome (115)


Mrs. Newsome began her teaching career at Rhodes School in 2008, where she spent the majority of her 11 years teaching 4th grade. She transitioned to the role of Assistant Principal and Director of Special Education in 2019. She is very excited to continue to serve a school community where she has a vested interest in the success of the students and staff. She enjoys working closely with the Administrative Team as well as the Special Education Department and Problem Solving Team, continuing to foster a supportive and motivating learning environment where curricula are intellectually challenging, pushing students to achieve greater success.

Mrs. Newsome graduated from Eastern Illinois University where she majored in Elementary Education earning a Bachelor's degree and a teaching certificate. She has continued her passion for learning by earning two Master's Degrees, both from Concordia University in Curriculum and Instruction and School Leadership with a Type 75 Certification for administration.

She enjoys spending time with her husband Jon and two children, Addison (5) and Logan (2). They enjoy spending time outside together and going for walks with their two dogs, Cooper and Sam.

If you would like to discuss any of our current curriculum or special programs at Rhodes, please feel free to contact her for a visit at:


Rhodes School District 84.5
c/o Mrs. Nicole Newsome, Assistant Principal/Special Education Director
8931 West Fullerton Ave.
River Grove, IL 60171
Phone (708) 453-6813
Fax (708) 453-0817

Email Mrs. Newsome

Assistant Principal/Bilingual Education Director

Mr. Justin Johnson(116)


Mr. Johnson joined Rhodes school starting the summer of 2022. He transitioned into the role of assistant principal after serving as a multilingual instructional coach and a dual language teacher for nine years in Glenview 34. Mr. Johnson started his career teaching internationally in Cheonan, South Korea. Professionally, his background of working in various roles both within and outside the classroom reflects his passion to teach the whole child within a community of learners.

Mr. Johnson has received his master's degree in educational leadership and a master's degree in science and teaching inquiry. His bachelor's degree in elementary education from Northeastern Illinois University was earned with a focus on bilingual education, English learner (EL), and linguistics. His desire to be involved with multilingual learners stems from his own experiences of growing up in southern Chile and having to learn English simultaneously with content having moved back to the United States in his later elementary years.

Personally, Mr. Johnson enjoys spending time with his wife, Megan, as they explore new places, cultures, and foods. He also enjoys woodworking, playing chess, volunteering, and geocaching.

If you would like to discuss any of our current curriculum or special programs at Rhodes, please feel free to contact him for a visit at:


Rhodes School District 84.5
c/o Mr. Justin Johnson, Assistant Principal/Bilingual Education Director
8931 West Fullerton Ave.
River Grove, IL 60171
Phone (708) 453-6813
Fax (708) 453-0817

Email Mr. Johnson

Curriculum Director

Mrs. Emily Lahti (137)

Mrs. Lahti joined the Rhodes learning community as the Curriculum Director on July 6, 2021. In addition to her curricular duties, she looks forward to making connections with all members of the community and supporting curricula and instruction to foster growth for all students. She brings to the team 20 plus years of instructional experience in a variety of capacities from Troy School District in Will County. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor for the University of St. Francis in Joliet for graduate students in educational leadership masters programs.

Mrs. Lahti completed her undergraduate work at the University of St.Francis where she majored in Elementary Education and earned her certificate with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Sciences, and has the LBS1 endorsement as well. She continued her education at Olivet University where she earned her masters in Curriculum and Instruction and General Administration. Wanting to be able to support all levels of learning, she also completed 18 hours of graduate courses in gifted education at Aurora University.

She enjoys spending time with her husband Shawn and son Joshua. She loves to cook, read, kayak, and her happy place is the beach.

If you would like to discuss any of our current curriculum or special programs at Rhodes, please feel free to contact her for a visit at:


Rhodes School District 84.5
c/o Mrs. Emily Lahti, Curriculum Director
8931 West Fullerton Ave.
River Grove, IL 60171
Phone (708) 453-6813
Fax (708) 453-0817

Email Mrs. Lahti