Can you believe it is almost May? I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. It seems like just yesterday we were all learning how to sit quietly and walk in a line.
I am so proud of everyone, they have come so far since the beginning of the year and are ready to be first graders! Keep up the great work at home and continue to practice over the summer so everyone gets a great jump start on first grade.
This week we have been learning about bugs. So far we have learned about spiders, butterflies, ants, ladybugs, and worms. Ask your child to tell you something about these bugs and see what they can tell you! Everyday we have been writing a fact about each bug so hopefully they will be able to tell you some interesting facts!
We have started our addition unit in math. Everyone is flying through it and are really excited to get to the "hard" stuff. I am hoping to get through addition and an introduction to subtraction before the end of the year.
We have some very exciting events coming up in the next couple of weeks. Friday, April 30th, is our AIMS water celebration. Since we had 100% AIMS turn out, the PTO puts on a water day for all grades. Kindergarten will go first thing in the morning and first thing when the afternoon class gets here. Please make sure you are sending your child IN their outfit to get wet. We will change into our dry clothes once the celebration is over. This will be a lot easier on everyone since they will only have to change one time. Students need to wear shorts and a colored t-shirt to participate in the water celebration. They also need a towel to dry off with as well as an entire change of clothes for after the celebration.
On Thursday, May 6th, we have our kindergarten celebration. Hopefully everyone got a gold paper home yesterday explaining all the details. Remember both AM and PM need to come to school in the morning on the day of the show so that we can have one giant run through before the big night. All students must come from 7:55am - 10:50am. We will be wearing our blue or red tshirts that you have brought to me before, students will be changing into their shirts once they come into the classroom. If you haven't brought in the shirt yet, please do so ASAP.
If you have any questions about anything, please contact me. Otherwise, I hope everyone has a great week!
Mary Wolters
Hi! My name is Mary Wolters. This is my seventh year teaching at Simonton. I taught second grade for four years and this is my third year teaching Kindergarten. I have 3 children; ages 22, 20 and 17. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, a Reading Endorsement and an ESL Endorsement. I am looking forward to an awesome year with your children!
Trisha Wright
Welcome to kindergarten students and parents. It is my pleasure to introduce myself to you. My name is Trisha Wright and this is my sixth year teaching kindergarten at Simonton. I am a graduate of Arizona State University with my bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Kids and teaching are my passion and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. I am excited to start a fun filled school year with your child and would like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s first year in school.
Kelly Trowbridge
Welcome to Kindergarten! My name is Kelly Trowbridge and I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2006, a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education in 2008, and a Masters degree in Elementary Education with a Reading Endorsement in 2009. This will be my third year of teaching at Simonton. This is my second year of teaching kindergarten but my first year of teaching an am/pm session. Teaching is my passion and I cannot imagine doing anything else. I am very excited and enthusiastic about getting the opportunity in helping your child start or continue his or her educational career.
Joline King
Welcome Kindergarten at Kathryn Sue Simonton Elementary School. We are so excited to be your partner in educating your child. My name is Joline King and this is my twenty-first year teaching, my eighth for the J.O. Combs District. I am a fourth generation Arizonian and have made the East Valley my home with husband, three children and our beloved dog Salvador for the past twenty-three years. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood after completing an Associates Degree from Eastern Arizona College. I also have a Master's Degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning. My children, both at home and at school are my greatest joy! I have three children that are almost grown: Matthew 24, Jennifer 20 and Bryant 18. I look forward to a great year full of fun and lots of learning.