In Memory of Christina Woelfel

We meet many people throughout our lives, but sometimes those people can be taken from us as quickly as they came in. Christina Woelfel was a beloved fifth grade teacher at Calumet Park District 132 since 2016. Not only was she a teacher, she was a mother, a daughter, a wife, a family member, and a friend to many. I can't even begin to express the great memories she has left behind at Burr Oak Elementary. Her sudden departure from this world has left us heartbroken, but we will forever carry the beautiful memories she has planted in our hearts.  

5th Grade Teacher Fond Memories:

Mr. Bliss: Tina and I started working at Burr Oak the same year. We also became teaching partners that year and have worked together, sharing students, for four years. Tina was a great teacher and really cared abot the profession and what it meant to be a teacher of children. She was a great partner and we worked extremely well together. Having taught for 10 years and having 5 different teaching partners during that time, Tina was the best. We just worked so well together and we both had different strengths that we brought to our team, which made us a super team when we were together. Tina was my best friend at work, she called me her “work husband”, because we spent so much time together discussing what was going on in our own lives. Tina was always able to give advice or willing to stop what she was doing and help you. Tina loved being a teacher, mother, daughter, wife, aunt, and friend, so what I will miss the most is having my friend Tina to talk to and laugh with.

Mrs. Cummins: I never really got the chance to know Tina the way I know most teachers in Calumet School District 132. She was a 5th grade teacher and I was an administrator. Tina had a passion for Technology and that is what got us to start talking. We would meet her during her first year of teaching and come up with ideas and plans for student technology in the classroom. I quickly found out that she was full of knowledge on this topic. That year, we both attended a Technology Conference and talked about new ways to advance our district. This past year I had the pleasure of working with Tina as a teacher and team member. Her love, knowledge, and passion for teaching and students will be missed. Tina always had new ideas, plans, and ways to reach students. She was always there to help and support all teachers with answer questions and provide support to anyone. She will be missed by all students, teachers, and team.

Miss Ochoa: It has always been very difficult for me to put into words what someone or how someone made me feel, especially if they are no longer with us because everything I write almost seems not good enough to really express the energy Tina conveyed and the respect I had for her. During my three years of working with Tina, I saw her blossom into a beautiful person. Every year she became more positive and every year she became more helpful. My first year teaching in district 132, I had plenty of questions and she was the lucky one to be across my room to be bombarded with my repetitive questions. I surely knew that if Tina ever quit, it wasn't because of her students, it was because of the teacher across her room who drove her nuts with all the questions. Four years later, and she didn't quit on me. She continued to help me grow as a teacher and she continued to bless me with many helpful tips. As our journey ends, not by choice, I will always remember Tina as the loving mother of Will. As the coolest mom in Town who took Will to awesome hockey games and as the fifth grade teacher who practiced positive vibes in every single day she lived. You will always be remembered. Forever in our hearts. 

Mr. Cervantes: Fresh out of college four years ago, I entered the teaching field lost, confused, and with little direction.  I had an urge to help with no direction on where to start.  Joining the Burr Oak Team that summer, I knew I would need a friend in order for this journey to start correctly.  When I walked in that first day, all those worries went away when I met Mr. Bliss and Ms. Woelfel. Together, the three of us started our journey.  Four years later, myself and Mr. Bliss say goodbye to our better half.  

While some people know her as Ms. Woelfel, I knew her as Coach's daughter.  See back in 2007, I played freshman football for her father, Wayne Milewski at Oak Forest High School.  He was serious yet loving, he was corrective yet constructive and she was all the above.  Ms. Woelfel quickly took over her father's role and willing or not, became my coach.  Throughout my four years with Ms. Woelfel, she taught me how to think like a teacher.  She taught me how to interact with a student and place our own problems aside.  I watched and felt her energy from next door as she greeted her students at the door each morning with a high five and a smile that perked up the whole grade!  When I wasn't badgering her with all things teaching, we talked about our passions and things we wanted to do with our life.  Throughout these talks, I would watch her gleam as she talked about her true passion, her son.  They traveled the country and were on their way to visiting every baseball stadium across the states and when they weren’t on the diamond, you could find them on the rink. By Monday, we would have a sports update on his whole weekend. I’ll forever miss my sports update from my dear friend.

Because of Ms. Woelfel, my heart is a little fuller, my smile is a little happier and my love for the teaching field increases each day, knowing I had a friend there to help.

Miss Beversdorf: Wow, where do I begin?  Tina was definitely one of a kind.  She always had an open door, an ear to lend, and a pair of leggings with designs for almost every holiday.  She was a great team leader that took everyone's suggestions into consideration, no matter how far out the suggestions were.  She was always great at getting the team back on task when we drift off onto other topics.  This year, I feel, our relationship grew because I moved upstairs to the fifth grade wing.  This led to seeing each other more and having more conversations.  We also decided to do Friday breakfast together.  Her biscuits and gravy will definitely be missed along with her breakfast tacos.  She was just an easy going person that you could always count on.  She always had an opinion and possible solution to problems, like what should I watch next on Netflix?!  Walking past her room, team meetings, Zoom meetings, and ½ Day PDs will not be the same without our leader.  Tina, you will truly be missed!        

This GoFundMe page was set up by our fifth grade team to try to help her family during these horrible heartbreaking times. Her death was unexpected, therefore, any help from anyone would be very much appreciated. Her fifth grade team will be in charge of making sure Tina’s family receives the funds to help with funeral costs.