Kaneland school to honor teacher with garden

Margaret "Muff" Flott was always a caring and welcoming face to the students who came to Kaneland Middle School.

So it's a fitting tribute to her that her memorial will be a welcoming and calming presence as well, said Principal Rick Burchell.

A large memorial garden, made almost entirely by volunteer donations and labor, will be dedicated in her name today.

"We went from thinking about getting a bench for her to doing the whole front of the building," Burchell said.

Flott, who taught special education, coached volleyball and organized numerous school events, died in March at the age of 47.

She had been diagnosed with cancer only months before.

Students had batted around several memorial ideas at the end of the school year. When Burchell contacted Billy Sweeny of Arrowhead Landscape Supply in Aurora, the two of them worked on a plan for something bigger.

Sweeny's wife Carrie was a sixth-grade language arts teacher at the school for about three years before leaving to raise her children.

"(Flott) was kind of like the heartbeat of the school," she said. "She was someone who was really there for the students."

Arrowhead and Paveloc Industries of Marengo donated materials and labor, while Plandscape Inc. of Elburn provided designs free of charge. Doty & Sons of Sycamore waived delivery and installation fees on the concrete furniture for the garden.

A seating area, paver bricks, shrubs and flowers now decorate the front of the school.

Also on Friday, officials will dedicate the east ticket booth at the high school in Flott's honor. She was a dedicated sports volunteer, taking tickets for events and helping out when needed.

This year's volleyball team will be the first not coached by Flott in 27 years.

Burchell is still surprised at things that aren't getting done in the new school year, because Flott always did them without fanfare.

There were no student guides on Open House Night, and the little "welcome back" knick-knacks in teachers' mailboxes weren't there.

"We're finding a lot of things like that," he said.

Anyone is welcome to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. today at the middle school, 1N137 Meredith Road in Maple Park.