Posted May 23, 2020 by Nicole Trimble

We thought it might be fun to introduce different groups of staff at Canyon Creek Elementary.
Putting a face to the names helps make a community stronger!

Kindergarten Teachers

Photographed (left to right): Mr. Rettig, Mrs. Vasatka, Mrs. Roland, Mrs. McGrew, Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Meyer & Mrs. McDonnell.

 

What is your favorite book that you would recommend all Kindergarten students and their families read?

To learn a little about these educators, we asked them, "What is your favorite book that you would recommend all Kindergarten students and their families read?"

  • Mr. Rettig - I recommend The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
  • Mrs. Vasatka - One of my favorite books to share with Kindergarteners is Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. It shows how even a very small act of kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. Such an important message for our youngest learners at Canyon Creek.
  • Mrs. Roland - We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, The Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney.
  • Mrs. McGrew - One of my favorite books is THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING by Ashley Spires (who also did the illustrations). I recently read it to all of the kindergarten students as a reading lesson, so many of them will be familiar with it. I like this book because it shows how hard perseverance can be. Sometimes we talk about perseverance like it's a switch kids can choose to turn on, but the reality is that it's hard. Sometimes we make mistake after mistake. Sometimes we get frustrated and even really, really mad. In this story, the girl relies on a friend for support when she is ready to quit (after getting really, really mad), and it helps. She is able to come back to her project with a fresh perspective and finish it up. I also like that her project is not perfect in the end, but she's still super happy with it. This is a book that families could own and come back to whenever their kids are facing a challenge. 
  • Mrs. Hart - One of my favorites to read is The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.
  • Mrs. McDonnell - The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

 

Check out other "Meet the Staff" articles here.