Lee Betz:
Kindergarten Teacher - Room 107
Nancy King:
Kindergarten Teacher - Room 108
Leah Prochnow:
Reading Assistant - TBK Paraprofessional
Jackie Sparks:
Reading Assistant - TBK Paraprofessional -Room 108
The best way to reach us is by email.
Click on the Mailbox in the upper right corner of the homepage
or go to
lee_betz@dpsk12.org
nancy_king@dpsk12.org
Kindergarten at Southmoor provides a stimulating environment where
children are actively involved in learning all day. Academics are learned
and practiced, through interactions with other students, music, media,
manipulatives, as well as old fashioned paper work. We believe that it is
important for kindergarten classes to have structure as well as clear
expectations for students. Our students have ownership of the classroom and
its contents. They also have responsibility for using materials
appropriately and putting away materials when they are finished.
We have chosen to have the classrooms open so that we can better meet
the needs of the children. With our open classroom setting, the children
have relationships with both teachers, both paraprofessionals and all the
kindergarten students. The classes meet together each morning and have
recess and centers together. Instruction is done in the individual classes,
but when one class is reading,so is the other. Since we follow the same
schedule, quiet activities are at the same time and active activities are as
well. We rarely disturb one another.
The DPS kindergarten curriculum is covered during the morning to
ensure that all our students are ready for first grade at the end of the
year. During the afternoon enrichment, the students have opportunities to
go more deeply into the curriculum covered in the morning as well as having
classes in Art, Music, P.E., and Computers. All students will go to the
library once a week in the morning.
We follow the DPS Balanced Literacy Plan. After children’s reading
skills are assessed, they are grouped by level (5-6 students) for reading
instruction. Writer’s workshop includes specific skills lessons and shared or
guided writing at the beginning of the year moving to independent writing
toward the end of the year. Phonics instruction is an important part of both
reading and writing instruction.
The Poetry Book is an important part of our literacy instruction.
The children learn several new songs or poems each week. Studies have shown
that music and rhythm more actively engage all parts of the brain. They
delve into the text finding sight words, anchor words, rhyming words etc.
Repeated singing or reading helps children develop voice-print match, sight
word familiarity, and fluency. Singing together also helps us establish our
community.
We use the Everyday Math program adopted by Denver Public Schools.
Everyday Math in kindergarten consists of daily practice with numbers and a
variety of games with numbers and math concepts. The goal is for children
to become comfortable manipulating numbers and shapes and begin to see
patterns. The program encourages young students to see the math that is
around us everyday.
Young children learn through play. We try to honor this fact in
supporting our students’ learning. One way that we do this is by including
30-40 minutes of centers activities each morning and afternoon. There are
14 centers throughout the classrooms and students may choose where they
would like to work. Structures are in place to ensure that children visit a
variety of centers. They are designed to support the learning that we are
doing in the classroom and the activities at each center change as we change
areas of study. Students are taught how to do the activities and
expectations are clear. Centers include: math, construction, dramatic play,
science, art,painting, word work, writing, computers, library.
