Hi, I am Chris Jones the librarian here at Grundy and at Jefferson. This is my eighteenth year as librarian for district 709. Right out of college, I taught Second Grade for six years and First Grade for one year. I had two daughters after I stopped teaching and I did some substituting in Peoria, East Peoria, Sunnyland, Beverly Manor, Robein, and Morton. I was Children's Librarian for the Morton Public Library for seven years. As fortune would have, as I was presenting the library summer reading program at Jefferson some eighteen years ago, Mr. Seidel, the principal at that time alerted me to the possibility of this district hiring librarians in the grade schools. I went right to the district office and was subsequently hired as the librarian responsible for two grade schools. I love working with the kids. That was always my goal from childhood on, to be a teacher. My degree from Illinois State University is a major in Elementary Education with a minor in Library Science. The two of my greatest loves kids and reading is what I have been fortunate enough to be working with all these years.

When not at school Mr. Rocke resides in Eureka with his wife, Meg, and soon-to-be 6 year-old son Gabe.