ANTIOCH – As students at Antioch Upper Grade School say goodbye to each other for the summer, they also are saying goodbye to principal Jim Kallieris.
After four years as the head of the Antioch school, Kallieris is leaving the school to become the principal of the Hawthorn School of Dual Language with Hawthorn School District 73.
AUGS assistant principal Stacy Graff will replace Kallieris as principal of the sixth through eighth grade school.
The decision to leave Antioch was not an easy one, Kallieris said, but the position with the dual language program was too good to pass up. The program places native Spanish and English speakers in the same classroom beginning in kindergarten with the goal of each student learning both languages by fifth grade, he said.
The position also will allow him to work closer to his family in Libertyville, Kallieris said, and provide him with an opportunity to utilize his Spanish skills.
"Every once in awhile there is one of those dream jobs you've been working for your whole life," Kallieris said of the new position.
Kallieris praised the support he's received during his four years in Antioch from community members and staff members at AUGS.
"The camaraderie between the staff members is something I've never seen before," Kallieris said. "They are willing to bend over backwards for themselves, for me and for the students."
Graff, who will officially replace Kallieris on July 1, has been assistant principal at AUGS for two years. Prior to coming to Antioch, she taught for 10 years in Wisconsin and Florida. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin Platteville and master's degree from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.
One of the main strengths of AUGS is the strong support for education the school has from the community, Graff said.
"I am really excited to help them achieve their vision of providing a student-focused learning community," she said.
The district does plan to hire someone to replace Graff as assistant principal, and has posted the position on its website, District 34 board president Joni Kalstrup said.