/About Ball Elementary School / BES Directory / Administrators
Administrators
Mrs. Tricia Burke, Principal
Tricia has been an educator in the District for over 20 years. She has taught Kindergarten, first, and second grades. She also has served as a reading interventionist and a literacy coach for all three Ball-Chatham elementary schools. She has a master’s degree in Reading and Literacy, and also a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. About the education profession, she says, “Having the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives is both a privilege and a great responsibility. Collaborating with colleagues who are as passionate as I am about instruction and student success is so fulfilling. I feel lucky to work with such an incredible group of educators.” Tricia believes that limitations of time and resources are the biggest challenges facing educators today. “A principal’s role is to protect those resources and ensure they are utilized to maximum benefit to students.”
Tricia and her husband, Kevin, have raised two children in the Ball-Chatham School District. Christopher, their oldest, is a nuclear engineer in Chicago. Their daughter, Emily, works for Discover Financial in Chicago. They are both Cardinals fans living two blocks from Wrigley Field! In her free time, Tricia says she loves to read, travel, and especially spend time with family and friends.
Mrs. Holly Rembusch, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Holly Rembusch attended Ball-Chatham schools as a child from 7th -10th grade. She received her master's degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education and her bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University. After starting her career teaching both 1st and 2nd grades in a small rural town in Arizona, she was honored to be able to return to Chatham in 2007 to teach. Since returning to Chatham, she has taught 2nd and 3rd grades at both Chatham and Glenwood Elementary Schools. She has been the assistant principal of Ball Elementary for the last five years. She says, “Discovering different ways to reach kids and help them reach success is my greatest passion. Every learner has unique and individual needs that make them special. Finding ways to reach each student both academically and emotionally is one of the most rewarding jobs one can have. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity and trust from our community to be a part of that growth.” Her educational career has been shared with her husband Steve who has also been a teacher and administrator at GIS and CES and is currently the principal at CES.
Steve and Holly have two daughters that are also students in the Ball-Chatham School District. They enjoy raising their girls in Chatham and spend a lot of time involved in the activities they love. When the family has downtime, you can find them spending time camping, traveling, and entertaining family and friends.
Mrs. Brittany Sitko, Special Education Coordinator
Mrs. Brittany Sitko has taught fifth-grade students for 15 years: first in Belleville, Illinois (2003-2006); and then at Glenwood Intermediate School (2006-2018).
Brittany, an SHG graduate, went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from SIU-E, and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from UIS where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
She says what she enjoys most in her profession is being an advocate for her students and helping each one to achieve his or her greatest potential.
Brittany is married to Tyler, who is a firefighter for the Springfield Fire Dept. They have two daughters: Payton, age 10; and Madelyn, age 8. On her own time, she likes reading, exercising, and cheering for the Illini and the Cubs. She also loves to watch her girls do the activities they enjoy - softball, cheer, gymnastics, and basketball.