NAMES : Mrs. Lenn, Ms Plein, Ms. Swift, and Mrs. Wharton:
SCHOOL: Pine Island School:
CLASS : 5th grade:
SCHOOL PHONE : 356-2488:
About Ms. Plein:
Hello! I am Miss Plein and I have been given the opportunity to work with the
entire 5th grade this year. I will have my homeroom students for Language
Arts and Spelling, but I will teach every 5th grader Math. I feel it is very
important that my students know a little about me, where I come from, and how
I like to teach.
I am from Red Wing, Minnesota - only about a 30 minute drive from Pine
Island. My family would take shopping trips down to Rochester and that is how
I originally knew about Pine Island. I would always ask my dad to stop at the
Pine Island Cheese Market so I could buy a new Beanie Baby - yes, those were
the cool things to have! After graduating from high school in 2006, I went to
college at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota. In May 2010, I
graduated from SMU with an elementary education degree with middle school
concentrations in both Math and Language Arts. I also graduated with a
Psychology minor. Psychology is something that is very interesting to me, and
I felt it would benefit me as a teacher. I was right!
A fun fact to know about me is that I really cherish my family. My parents,
Dan and Mary, live in Red Wing so I see them often. I have an older brother,
Justin, who is married to my sister-in-law, Abby. They have a four year old
son, Jack, and a two year old daughter, Camden. I love being an aunt, so I'm
sure you will hear many stories about Jack and Camden. I have a younger
sister, Elle, who graduated this past spring from the University of St.
Thomas. She now works in real estate. Growing up, I was a dancer and my mom
now owns a dance studio in Red Wing. Besides teaching 5th grade, I have also
am teaching dance at my mom’s studio. I continue to teach two nights a week
during the school year. I also enjoy pretty much every sport, but my favorite
is baseball! My dad and now my brother have been coaching baseball in Red
Wing for many years. I am even on the Red Wing Amateur Baseball Board of
Directors! I enjoy spending as much time as possible at the field during the
summer. Other than that, my favorite colors are pink and blue, I like
anything that sparkles, and I have a love for polka-dots. I like trying new
foods and will even attempt to cook and bake something that doesn’t seem TOO
difficult.
I have known I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a young girl. Luckily,
by teaching dance for the past nine years, I truly know teaching children is
what I love to do. Last year was my second year at Pine Island, and I
continue to push myself to learn more about teaching every day I step foot in
the classroom. I believe in offering learning experiences to my students that
allow hands-on interaction. I feel this shows my students the real world
benefit of learning. I am ready to differentiate various learning styles to
reach the needs of all of my students. I hope to instill the love of learning
in every child and create self motivated individuals. I will expect my 5th
graders to be both responsible and to show respect. I am looking forward to
another positive year!
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About Mrs. Lenn:
I am excited to be joining the 5th grade team this year, having taught 2nd
grade for the past 4 years! The only thing that worries me a little bit is
that some of the students may end up taller than me by the end of the school
year! :)
I live in Pine Island with my husband. Our daughter just left this fall for
college in Winona and she loves it! We all know that learning is a life-long
process and I am so proud to see her embrace this next stage in life!
When I'm not teaching and in the classroom I enjoy being outdoors, hiking
canoeing and kayaking, and running. My husband is also a teacher so we spend
quite a bit or time sharing ideas and helping each other out in our
classrooms.
Please feel free to contact me at school or home if you ever have questions
or concerns. I know this will be an enriching school year for the students
and that I will do as much learning right alongside them all!
About Ms. Swift
Greetings!
I have been a teacher in the Pine Island District for quite a few years.
Currently, I love teaching social studies to all the students in fifth grade.
Part of the reason I enjoy social studies is that I love to travel and learn
about new places. I also love to read and enjoy science fiction books and
movies. Other activites I like are biking, gardening, and spending time with
my family. I have three nieces and one nephew, so I get to go to hockey and
basketball games, dance recitals and contests and music performances.