#HASHTAG: RONI MOORE NEUMANN

“Teachers, by Inspiring students to soar, are heroes! Every month, not just May, should be Teacher Appreciation Month!” says Winnetka’s RONI MOORE NEUMANN. Along with her husband Rob, Neumann has four daughters who are graduates of District #36 and New Trier High School. Their youngest daughter Emma, in fact, joins her class of 996 students at New Trier’s graduation this Sunday. It’s a milestone in their family—with Emma off to University of Colorado Boulder in the Fall to study computer science—and for Neumann, this marks more than 20 consecutive years of being a room parent and member of several school-related boards, including the New Trier Fine Arts Association Board for more than seven years. “It’s been said that when parents and teachers work together, everyone wins,” says Neumann. “Our family is beyond grateful; it has been such a privilege to work closely with teachers and administrators throughout our 20+ years as a family in this school district. Fundamentally, Carleton Washburne created a community of learners that we are so fortunate to have here in Winnetka. While there are many exceptional area high schools, New Trier High School, led by Principal Denise Dubravec, is ranked within the top 1 percent of all high schools in Illinois. Along with your children, diving into school events—getting to know the teachers and the other families—is so much fun! We had a ball at 12 years of New Trier cross country meets and 20+ years of concerts—both violin and vocal performance. A blink of an eye; I didn’t realize this time would go so fast.”

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I read incessantly; it’s a passion. I love biographies and memoirs of people I admire. Reading about their successes and failures and resiliency inspires me. My late father-in-law’s book, A Time to Tell, is the story of his remarkable life, starting with his childhood in Prague. He was practicing physician, a prolific artist, and an accomplished pianist. He was also a Holocaust survivor. Following his life in Prague, he shares his courtship with my now 90-year-old (and still vibrant) mother-in-law Gitta in Israel, their extraordinary wedding in Highland Park, and their beautiful life they created here in Chicago. It’s been a gift to our family, our children and someday, for their children as well.

#ON MY MOBILE

A given—digital editions of both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. So many of my favorite magazines have amazing mobile sites—Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Sports Illustrated for starters. To catch up with friends near and far, their kids and our extended family, Instagram is awesome! I love engaging, commenting, and just seeing lives unfold. But it’s also so great for design inspiration. We recently rebuilt our kitchen and some of the best elements were inspired by designers I follow on Instagram.

#IN MY EARBUDS

A new study says a majority of consumers point to podcast hosts as influential in driving purchase decisions. That speaks to the power of podcasts! While I’m walking my dog Paddington or driving home with Rob from UW-Madison to pick up our daughter Barbara from school, it’s Smartless hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. Catch the episode featuring U2’s Bono. It’s the best! I also love listening to my own Spotify playlist—lots of U2—it’s the soundtrack of my life.