New Staff

New Staff Bios

Second Grade Long-term sub - Rachel Smith

Hello Eastview! I’m looking forward to joining this awesome community as a long term substitute
teacher this semester. My family and I moved from Peoria to Farmington last year, and we have been
loving the small town life. I taught first grade at Farmington for several years before deciding to stay
home with my kids. I have worked part time in Peoria as a reading and math tutor, and the past couple
of years have been homeschool teacher to my kiddos . I am so excited that I get the opportunity to be
back in the classroom this semester. I am passionate about helping students discover and develop their
unique gifts, talents, and interests. I strive to make my class a bright spot and a supportive community
that cheers everyone on and helps one another succeed.

Second Grade - delanie breese

Hello Eastview friends and families! My name is Delanie Breese, and I am delighted to begin my teaching career at Eastview Elementary School! I reside in Canton and a graduate from Canton High School in 2018. I will be finishing my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Illinois State University this December 2022 after I complete my student teaching in kindergarten here at Eastview! When I’m not present in my classroom, I enjoy fishing, baking, and spending time with friends and family!
My philosophy of education is that every child deserves equal opportunities within the classroom. The environment I will create for the children will be comforting and make them feel at home to openly participate, be themselves, and at the end of the day take chances to explore! With this, the resources I will provide will help them grow academically, physically, emotionally, and socially both in and outside my classroom for years to come.
I can’t wait to learn and grow alongside the students, families, and staff of Eastview Elementary School in the fall!

Second Grade - JordYn Rhodes

Hello Eastview! My name is Jordyn Rhodes and I am so excited to begin my teaching career with this great team! I am currently finishing up my Masters degree in Elementary Education from Western Governors University. I have worked for Canton School District as a paraprofessional since 2019. I live in Canton with my husband and our three children. I love spending my free time with family and hanging out at home. I love teaching and helping children grow! I look forward to the fall and meeting everyone for a fantastic school year!

fourth grade - Wendy Walker

Hello Eastview families! My name is Wendy Walker and I am excited for my return to Eastview Elementary School. I was born and raised in Canton and spent the first eight years of my career teaching at Eastview. I earned both my undergraduate and Masters from Western Illinois University. I have two adult children and was blessed in January with my first grandchild. I also have a dog, Ruby, who captured my heart about 5 years ago. I love to be outdoors, reading, and spending time with my family. I am positive that there is no better place for me than in the classroom. My teaching philosophy is to build a positive, safe environment for all students to learn and grow as individuals. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall!

Music - Kaylie remen

Hi Eastview Family! My name is Kaylie Remen and I am incredibly excited to begin my teaching career at Eastview Elementary School. I earned my degree in Music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University. I currently live in Peoria with my hamster, Sami. In my free time I like to practice piano and spend time outdoors. In the classroom, I hope to create a respectful environment where students feel safe to get creative and make mistakes. My goal is for students to have fun while while gaining music skills, knowledge and appreciation. I look forward to sharing my passion for music with the students of Eastview and providing them with the tools to engage with music both in and outside of the music classroom.

Kindergarten Music - maggie oedewaldt

Hello Eastview! My name is Maggie Oedewaldt and I am super excited to join the Eastview family this year. I earned my degree in Music Education from Illinois State University. I currently live in Pekin with my husband, our two daughters, and our dog, June. When I’m not making music at school I like to dance around the living room with my kiddos, play video games and Dungeons and Dragons with my husband and our friends, or practice piano and sing. In my music classroom you can expect to see and hear students being tuneful, beautiful, and artful with a lot of laughing and fun in between. My goal is for kindergarteners to develop a deep sense of love for music through movement, singing, and instrument experience. I can’t wait to meet everyone in the fall and begin growing young musicians! Looking forward to the school year!

Social Worker - jenny nichols

Hello Eastview family! My name is Jenny Nichols and I am so excited to be joining this great team as your School Social Worker! In May I realized a long-time goal and received my Master of Social Work from St. Ambrose University. Many of you may recognize me from my previous role at Eastview! I had the privilege of serving the students and their families in the office as a secretary before leaving to finish my MSW. I am passionate about helping students find success academically and socially. It’s important that students of all ages feel valued and have a sense of belonging no matter their life circumstances, and I am excited to return to a team that does just that!
I live in Canton with my husband, Rick, and I am mom to Sarrah, Katie, Ethan, and Logan ranging in age from 24-15. I am also a dog mom to Sandy, my six-year-old miniature Goldendoodle, and two-year-old Chocolate Lab, Hazel. And I can’t forget my 18-year-old kitty, Angel! You can find me at my son Logan’s basketball game or playing fetch with my pups in my free time.
I am so excited to be returning to this fantastic district and cannot wait to get started! It is good to be home!

Special Education - Kelsey Emberton

Hello Eastview! My name is Kelsey Emberton and I am very excited to become part of the Eastview family this year! I earned my dual degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Western Governors University in 2021. I am currently in my last term to receive my Master of Education Instructional Design degree from WGU. Some of you might recognize me from Canton High School where I was a paraprofessional for 3 years and taught my 1st year there just last year. I live in Canton with my husband, our 4 children, our 5 cats and our dog. We are a very busy family but I wouldn’t have it any other way! In my free time you can find me spending time with my family, at home being crafty, or out shopping. I am very passionate about teaching and helping your children grow and learn in a fun, safe environment! I cannot wait to meet everyone in the fall and look forward to a fantastic school year!

Special Education - Mary kochanski

Hello Eastview! My name is Mary Kochanski and I am so excited to start the 2022-2023 school year with the Eastview family. This past May, I received my degree in Special Education at Elmhurst University. I am originally from Darien, Illinois, in the southwest suburbs of Chicago where I spent many years coaching Special Olympics, serving at-risk schools, and working with students with diverse needs. I will be moving to Dunfermline this summer with my two cats and tons of excitement for the opportunities this school year holds! You will most likely find me spending time outdoors, watching a sports game, or relaxing with my family in town. My goal for this year is to exercise my passion in providing students with the tools and support they need to grow, engage, explore, learn and be successful. I look forward to a great year and to meeting you all in the fall!

Special education - hilari willdrick

Hello Families! My name is Hilari Willdrick and I am excited to start my first year with Canton and my seventh year teaching Special Education. I received my Bachelor's from Eureka College in Elementary Education and Special Education, Master's from Illinois State University in Special Education with Multiple Disabilities, and will be continuing with Illinois State University in the fall in their Director of Special Education program. I currently reside in Farmington with my husband and children. Some of my favorites include drinking Starbucks coffee and eating Mexican food. I enjoy cooking and crafting, as well as reading books. I hope to make my classroom an open and inviting environment that meets the needs of all students who may enter. I look forward to making connections and building relationships with students, staff, and families of Canton.

Special Education - courtney yocum

Hello Eastview! My Name is Courtney Yocum and I am extremely excited to be joining such a wonderful school. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Western Illinois University in Sociology with an emphasis in cultural Anthropology. I live in Canton with my husband, our 3 children, and our pets! In my free time I love to be outside, gardening, spending time with family, and watching our kiddos in their activities! I have always had a passion for learning and my hope is to bring that element into the classroom. I look forward to creating a space that all students feel at home and are encouraged to put their best foot forward each day. My goal is to make this an amazing school year and I am very excited to see everyone in the fall.

Library Clerk - Christine fournier

Hello! My name is Christine Fournier, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone in the library this year. I graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Education, then attended the U of I to receive my Masters in Library and Information Science. I moved to Minnesota with my husband, Vince, and enjoyed working in an elementary school library. Then, I decided to take a break from the workforce to raise my 5 kids. I enjoyed reading all kinds of books with them, and I look forward to reading more with the students at Eastview. My goal is to serve all the children and families at Eastview by encouraging reading for academic success and life-long learning. I enjoy reading (of course), running, gardening, and hiking. My favorite children’s book is The BFG by Roald Dahl. I can’t wait to hear what Eastview students love to read!

Secretary - Haily rhoades

Hello! My name is Haily Rhoades. I am delighted to join the Eastview family as a secretary. I live in Canton with my husband and our two boys. We have two dogs, Darby and Theo. I love coffee, gardening and reading. I can usually be found at a ball game cheering on one of my boys or taking them to practice, Go Little Giants! I also enjoy cooking and spending time at home with my family. I am excited to meet the students and families at Eastview!