Administration
Ms. Crystal dvorak
I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as the next principal of McCleery Elementary School. I’m joining you from Schneider Elementary, where I’ve had the privilege of serving as assistant principal. Prior to that, I held leadership roles in West Aurora as assistant principal at Hill Elementary and as principal at Freeman Elementary.
My career in educational leadership spans over a decade and includes serving as principal of Marseilles Elementary School and assistant principal at Grand Reserve Elementary in Yorkville. Over the years, I’ve led building-level teams, coordinated student support services, overseen school operations, and supported staff professional growth. I’ve also been involved in district-wide initiatives, including the Elementary Instructional Minutes Committee and contract negotiations with our office professionals bargaining unit.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in teaching and leadership from St. Xavier University, and a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Benedictine University.
I’m truly looking forward to partnering with the wonderful staff, students, and families at McCleery. It’s an honor to continue serving the West Aurora community in this new role, and I can’t wait for all we’ll accomplish together!
MS. Sarah Hayes
I am so excited to join the McCleery community as your new assistant principal. I previously served as the dean of students at Washington Middle School here in District 129, where I focused on student behavior initiatives and supported student services to help every child thrive.
Before stepping into administration, I spent over ten years as a bilingual language arts and social studies teacher in Elmhurst District 205. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to serve on a number of school and district committees, working on curriculum development, school improvement planning, and middle school schedule redesign. I’m also trained in restorative and trauma-informed practices and have experience coordinating multilingual learner assessments and using data to drive instruction.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in secondary education from DePaul University, a master’s in teacher leadership from Elmhurst College, and a second master’s in educational leadership from Aurora University.
West Aurora has played a meaningful role in my professional journey, and I am truly honored to continue serving this amazing community in my new role. I look forward to connecting with our students, families, and staff as we work together to make this a fantastic school year!