About the Administration

Bryan Buck, Captain

Welcome to Karl Plank Junior High School and Oswego Community Schools, my name is Bryan Buck. I am the principal of Karl Plank Junior High. I began my career as an educator at Plano Middle School, where I taught for 2 years. From there, I moved to Plainfield where I taught 6th grade at Indian Trail Jr. High for 3 years. I was hired in Oswego as an assistant principal split between Long Beach and Boulder Hill Elementary School in 1998. The following year, I was at Long Beach full time as an Assistant Principal. In the spring of 2000, I was hired to help open Fox Chase. I was the principal at Fox Chase for five years before being appointed to help open Plank in 2006.

I grew up in Plainfield and am currently living there with my wife, Susan, and our 3 daughters, Morgan and Lauren and Madilyn. I attended Joliet Catholic High School and received a football scholarship to attend Valparaiso University for my undergraduate degree in education. While teaching in Plainfield, I earned my master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lewis University.

When I have free time I love to play with my "girls" and be with my family. I also enjoy golfing, grilling, exercising, and watching sports. I hope this information has helped you to get to know me better and I look forward to meeting and talking to all of you at school or out in the community. I hope that Karl Plank will become a wonderful place for your child to learn and grow.

Kathleen Melton, First Mate

Thank you for your interest in Karl Plank Junior High School!! My name is Kathy Melton, and I am very excited to be entering my third year as an Assistant Principal and my third year with Oswego schools! I began my teaching career nine years ago at St. Mary Immaculate School in Plainfield and moved to Indian Trail Middle School, also in Plainfield. There I served as a sixth grade language arts and social studies instructor and rounded that out as a middle school soccer coach and, later, the head varsity girls coach at Plainfield High School-Central Campus. Just prior to joining Oswego, I served as the Coordinator of Elementary Field Placement for North Central College in Naperville, a part-time position I held while being home with my own children.

I hold an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in middle level education, from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, where I was a member of the inaugural women’s soccer team. While teaching, I completed my master’s degree in Educational Administration at Northern Illinois University.

My family moved to Oswego in the spring of 2006; my husband, Jim, son, Mark, daughter, Tessa, and I certainly enjoy being members of this wonderful community!! When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with them and my extended family, which includes several nieces and nephews. I also ran my first Chicago Marathon and find it tough to resist a little friendly competition among family and friends! I very much look forward to meeting new Plank families and continuing to partner with returning families. I am committed to making our school a student-centered, safe, and engaging learning environment filled with many proud traditions! Thank you for your continued role in that most critical endeavor!

Rachel Bednar, Second Mate

Ahoy, mateys! I am thrilled to be joining the Plank family this year and look forward to getting to know you all over the next several months.

I grew up in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and after high school spent a year in France as an AFS exchange student. Upon my return, I attended Chapman University in Orange, California, and graduated in 1995 with degrees in French and English, with an emphasis on teaching literature and writing. I then moved to Chicago to serve as an Americorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) in a literacy program. For one year, I coordinated the volunteer program and taught basic reading and math skills to developmentally disabled adults and at-risk teens. The following year I was accepted into the Teachers for Chicago program. While working on my Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Concordia University--River Forest, I taught third and fourth grade at Leslie Lewis Elementary School in the North Austin neighborhood. After two years, I landed a position at Walt Disney Magnet School where I taught seventh and eighth grade language arts and coached a combined seventh and eighth grade girls basketball team. My husband (former WVHS teacher and current District 204 principal) and I moved to Oswego in the fall of 2000. I then joined the Thompson Junior High staff and again taught seventh and eighth grade language arts and coached seventh grade girls basketball. I soon began attending Northern Illinois University and completed the coursework for my media endorsement in spring of 2002. The following fall, I had the wonderful opportunity of setting up the brand new Bednarcik Junior High LRC. Just two years later, I received my K-12 library certificate and was invited to open yet another new school library at OEHS. I was the LRC Director at OEHS for four years and recently completed my Master's degree in Educational Administration from Governor's State University. I am now extremely proud to be the new Assistant Principal at Karl Plank Junior High School!

My husband Jason and I were married in August 1998. We have an adorable daughter, Emma, who was born in June 2002. Our sweet, smiley, energetic Noah was born in August 2005. They are the light of our lives! Jason, Emma, Noah and I all love to read. When the weather is nice, we also enjoy walking, biking, swimming, hiking, camping, and playing at the park.

Again, I am delighted to be a Pirate and promise to do all I can to make Plank the best school it can be! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!