By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER – Linda Koester came to Chester Grade School last year as the new Reading Specialist. She loves her role as a reading helper at CGS and enjoys serving students and working with fellow teachers and staff members at the home of the “Junior Jackets”.
Linda Koester is in her second year as Reading Specialist at Chester Grade School. Koester, shown here at her desk and work area, loves assisting students at all levels with their reading skills and enjoys both small group activities as well as one-on-one teaching. Jim Beers Photo
Koester, 28, is the daughter of Dennis Koester and Ruth Guebert. She attended kindergarten through 8th grades at Trinity Lutheran School where she enjoyed playing volleyball, softball and being a Cheerleader.
During her secondary years, 9th through 12th grades, Linda attended Red Bud High School. Throughout high school she loved being a member of the school newspaper staff, “The Musketeer”, and was a member of the Spanish Club. She graduated from Red Bud High School in year 2000.
Upon graduating from Red Bud, Koester began her post-secondary education at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC). There she completed her General Studies classes after which she transferred to the University of Illinois.
At U-of-I she had a double major in Journalism and Education-Language Arts and she minored in Sociology and Education/Communities. Koester said, “While at U-of-I I spent most of my time studying a lot and working to complete my double major.
As part of her degree requirements, Koester did her Student Teaching at Wiley Grade School in Champaign-Urbana. She graduated with an Elementary Education Degree in 2005.
Koester began her teaching career at Liberty City Elementary School in Miami, Florida where she taught for two years. She then taught for several schools in St. Louis, Missouri at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
During her 15 years of teaching in St. Louis, Koester also spent her time wisely attending Webster University where she completed a Master’s Degree in Reading and sharpened her teaching skills and expertise in helping students in the area of reading.
In March of 2020 Koester accepted a position at Chester Grade School where she serves as the Reading Specialist.
Koester said, “I like the community of Chester and love working with the students at CGS. Teachers here pull together here to do the best for the kids. The administration at CGS is very supportive and teachers have been very helpful!”
“I love what I do in my role as Reading Specialist and have been really impressed with both students and teachers in my daily responsibilities here at CGS. I especially like working with small groups, but also like one-on-one teaching endeavors.”
Koester currently lives in Chester with her significant other, Greg Fillmer, who hails from the Southeast Missouri area. They both love the Chester area and enjoy living close to her relatives in the Ellis Grove and Evansville areas.
“In our spare time we really enjoy hiking and spending time outdoors. We both love Chester and would like to establish roots here. Greg is currently seeking full-time employment in the area and has enjoyed living in the community of Chester.”