Mrs. Karen Baker Karen Baker 5th Grade Long Beach Elementary 630.636.3355 Email me at: kbaker0116@oswego308.org     Profile Our mission is based on our school mission statement which reads B.E.A.C.H.   (Believing Everyone Achieves in a Community Hand-in-Hand).  Together with the parents, students, school staff, and community, we can learn in an environment that is nurturing, caring, and respectful.  We are building life-long learners!   Student Help Availability Room 140 Monday thru Friday - before school, during lunch recess, and after school Contact Mrs. Baker for any changes due to staff meetings and availability. Questions/Parent-Contact Availability:  Email is quicker or call after school hours.     Mrs. Baker: Background: I have had the privilege of working at Long Beach School for the past 15 years! I have taught 5th grade and 3rd grade. The majority of those years have been in the 5th grade. Prior to this I have substituted throughout this district in everything from Kindergarten through high school. I originally taught in Batavia at the Junior High.  I taught Reading Improvement for 7th and 8th graders.  Other jobs included the Chief Records clerk at the NIU Police Department and a Radio Dispatcher at NIU Police. I also had the opportunity to work with children and women offenders. It was quite eye-opening!   Personal: I am married to Bill who works at the Kane County Cougars - Official Scorer, in charge of Stadium Rentals, and works in Sales. Bill is also the play-by-play commentator for the NIU Huskies. He is the "Voice of the Huskies" for the sports network. He primarily does all the Football and Basketball games (all the men`s and some women`s basketball).   We have two daughters: Kimberly and Julie. Kimberly lives in Denver and has two children. Zachary is almost 5 years old and Alexandra will be 3 years old in January.  Kim works at a law firm and was a Math major in college at UW Oshkosh. She is married to Kolby. Julie lives in Milwaukee and has a son, Mason who will be 3 years old in November. Julie is a Social Worker at a Men`s Youth (15 - 24 year old) prison in Racine, Wisconsin. She graduated from UW Whitewater.  She is married to Steve.   Education: I received my Bachelor`s Degree from Northern Illinois University. My Master`s was obtained from National Louis, and many other courses have come from colleges like Aurora University and Rockford College. Most of my advanced classes have been in the areas of Reading, Math, and Technology.