I feel honored to be starting my 7th year as a teacher at Queen Anne Elementary. For the first time since we opened our school in 2010, I will not have the dual role of parent and teacher. My son, Jack, graduated from QAE last June after 6 amazing years of learning here. My husband John and I see so much evidence of our five pillars in the learner he has become and are grateful for the incredible teachers and staff that helped him excel through his elementary learning journey. This fall, Jack is entering McClure MS as a compassionate, flexible problem solver, ready both academically and socially to face the learning challenges ahead of him.
As a kindergarten teacher, I am passionate about helping my students become academically, socially and emotionally confident and competent learners. I want my students to leave kindergarten loving school, eager to learn and inspired to make positive contributions to the world around them. I am also passionate about connecting with parents and creating a parent community that learns and grows together.
Before coming to QAE in 2010 as a founding teacher and a parent I had most recently held administrative positions in Seattle Public Schools, at the elementary, middle and K-8 levels. Before coming to Seattle in 2001, I taught elementary and middle school for seven years in Mountlake Terrace. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Washington State University, K-8 Teaching Credentials from University of Washington, and a Masters of Education Administration from Western Washington University. In 2013, I completed my National Board Teaching Certification in Literacy.
When I am not at school, I enjoy running, reading, traveling, playing soccer and spending time in the mountains with my husband John, my son Jack and our dog, Gracie.
I am looking forward to experiencing some amazing learning with you and your kindergarten student this year! ~ Katie
Introducing Ms. Katz!
Our generous PTSA funds a support tutor position in all of our K classrooms. Room 203 is SO lucky to have Mindy Katz as our K Tutor again this year!
In this role, "Ms. Katz" will spend every morning with us, providing a ton of classroom support for our learning. She will also be with the students during morning and lunch recesses when I am not, providing consistent and caring social and emotional learning support!
Beginning of the Year Info
Parent/Family Communication
Please stay connected! I will be using this classroom website to share all of the exciting learning that is happening in Room 203. I will regularly (my goal is each Sunday afternoon) post photos, videos, student and teacher reflections and logistical information on the Class Blog! tab of this site. So often students come home and parents ask, "what did you do at school today?" only to get a response of "nothing." If you want to keep up to date with the amazing learning going on in Room 203, please make a commitment to visit our Class Blog with your student on a regular basis (I recommend every Sunday evening). This important activity will help your student reflect on his or her learning and help us extend our learning beyond our classroom walls! You are all real world resources that can add so much to our learning with your comments and questions!
Classroom Supplies
IInstead of having students bring school supplies, our school asks for a $150 supply donation from each child. $100 of the supply donation will be used to fund our 1:World technology fee that allows your student access to their personal iPad for the year where they create, capture, and share the amazing learning they are doing. $50 of the supply donation will be used to buy all of the classroom supplies and project materials needed. Using community supplies teaches students how to share with others and treat materials with respect. You can pay this fee on-line by clicking the button below. If you are financially unable to make this donation, just let me know.
I hope that all of you find a way to help out at our school this year! It is a lot of fun for the kids and for the adult volunteers! If you are able to make the commitment to volunteer regularly in the classroom, fabulous. I love having the help! At Curriculum Night. I will have a way to sign up for time slots. When you sign up for a spot, I will work with you to determine what classroom work you are most comfortable doing. Ways to help in the classroom include working directly with the students, helping prepare for upcoming projects (cutting or copying paper), emptying/stuffing go-home folders, etc.
To work in the classroom on a regular basis, you must take a volunteer training session. (See school website for schedule into) In the training you will learn about classroom expectations, adult boundaries, addressing discipline, and how to use equipment and find supplies.
You will also need to fill out background check paperwork, now required by the Seattle Public Schools for all volunteers who have any contact with children. Our Administrative Assistant in the main office, can help you fill out this paperwork.
Once you have all of this done, visit our classroom volunteer website by clicking the button below and sign up for a time to come in and help our learning!
In addition to regularly scheduled classroom volunteers, there will be lots of opportunities for volunteers to help out. You can sign up for a single time slot, volunteer for one of the classroom parent jobs (see list below), chaperone a field trip, attend a literacy celebration or school assembly, teach us about a special talent or skill you want to share, etc. If you can't get to our campus, you can visit the work we are doing on our classroom website and your student's e-folios and make comments from your home.
Parent Classroom Jobs~ The following classroom positions are open: o auction liason ~ coordinate a class art project for the auction in March
If you have any interest in taking any of these on, please let me know! Thank you all in advance for all of the support you will provide your kindergartener this year. It is invaluable!
Pick up/ Drop off
On the first day of school, you are welcome to walk your child into our classroom and greet other kindergarteners and family members. When the 7:55 bell rings, I will ask the students to wave goodbye to their family members and come sit with me on the teaching carpet. Please do your best to say goodbye and leave. It is usually much harder for the parents than the students!!
After the first day, the playground will be supervised from 7:40 on and you are welcome to drop your students off to play. When the 7:55 bell rings, your students will line up on our class spot and I will come get them to start the day. At the end of the day, I will walk the students out as well. Before taking your student, please make sure you make eye contact with me so we know they are safe. I will have an adult walk students riding a bus out to the bus lines as well. If your child is ever to go home in a different way than we discuss at our family connection meeting, it is really important that you write an email to let me know. Often, kindergarteners will get mixed up!
Snack
Please send a healthy, nutritious snack to school with your student each day. During snack time, students will take turns sharing (show and tell with a theme). A sharing schedule will be sent home and posted to the blog in early fall.
Extra Clothes
Accidents happen! Please send an extra pair of clothes to school in a plastic bag with your child's name on it. Your student will store the bag in his or her cubby to be used if needed. If you notice them wearing their back up clothing home for any reason, please send it back in because often accidents happen more than once a year in kindergarten!
Homework
We will talk about this more in depth at curriculum night. However, the kindergarten team believes that kindergartners work very hard throughout the day and we don’t want them (or you) stressing about homework at home. Therefore, we will give families ideas of activities (both on-line and off-line) that can be done at home to help students’ learning - but it will be done on your own time frame.
Birthdays
At QAE we love birthdays. We love to celebrate them and realize this is an important part of elementary school. We also believe that we can celebrate them in a meaningful and fun way without filling our kids with sugar. Therefore, if you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday at school, you may do so by donating a favorite book in their name to the classroom. We will sing happy birthday, read the book and celebrate without treats, snacks or gifts. Teacher birthdays will be celebrated the same way.
Orange Folders
Each child will have an orange folder that they will bring to and from home daily. They will bring home their daily work to show to you, as well as field trip forms, etc. Please get in the habit of checking this folder daily. If you have anything for me, please send it back to school in the orange folder as I check them daily.