In the weeks leading up to spring break, a very exciting change occurred in the Elementary School.A new first grade teacher, Hannah Ragsdale Young, was the elementary school hiring committee’s “unanimous choice” to fill the position of the first grade teacher.In her newsletter to the parents, Laura Kennedy emphasized that Hannah’s “strong relationships with students, kind and friendly personality, creative teaching, effective communication, and love of the outdoors” were what made her stand out amongst all the other candidates.Currently, Hannah is teaching fifth grade at Bellevue Elementary School, and in the past she has worked with our summer school program and the Hailey ski team.
I was able to ask Hannah a couple questions, and her responses were great!She seems extremely excited to be a part of the TCS family and it is apparent that she will fit in amazingly.Enjoy!
I saw on the newsletter from Laura that you are currently working at Bellevue Elementary - Why did you decide to apply to teach at The Community School?
I decided to apply to teach at The Community School, because I believe in the school's philosophy and approach to teaching the whole child. I am a product of a school in Portland, Oregon that inspired me to learn and use all my resources as educational opportunities. I have always wanted to teach in a school that integrates all areas of learning and allows students to see themselves as part of their learning journey rather than outside it.
What are you looking forward to in regards to the upcoming school year?
I am really looking forward to being part of The Community School community. I am looking forward to working with all the great teachers, students and families. From the moment I applied to after I was offered the job, I have felt very supported and welcomed.
I am also looking forward to teaching a new grade. I have always wanted to teach 1st grade, because the students are so engaged and excited about life and learning. I am really ecstatic about having fun, exploring and collaborating with my new 1st graders.
Do you plan on making any changes to the first grade curriculum or anything else?
Well, I have some big shoes to slide into since Janet is moving to the Early Childhood Center. So, I plan to build off of what Janet has created already in the 1st grade. When I visited for my interview I really liked what was happening in the 1st grade classroom. I enjoyed being able to see the student's involvement and work in the classroom environment. Similarly, I plan to do a lot of student documentation, where the students' work inspires more learning and investigation to occur. I like to teach with the students' interests in mind, so they can have ownership over their learning. I am also excited to bring in my background of Reggio Emilia methods and philosophy and create a classroom that is collaborative, nurturing, challenging, engaging and inspiring.
In Laura's newsletter she mentioned that you were able to teach a class - What was that like?
I was! It was one of the highlights of the day. I was a little nervous to go into a classroom that I had never been in before and teach a new lesson, but I was immediately put at ease by the warm friendly smiles of the 1st graders. They were so amazingly bright and inquisitive that they got me excited about the content of the lesson. In Janet's class they were learning about making images in their heads while reading or listening to a book. They had had some practice with Janet and were quite good at it. So, I read them a poem, "If I Were in Charge of the World" and then we read it together. Then, they were given a story starter, "If I Were in Charge of the World" and I encouraged them to also draw what they saw. There were some really good ones like, "I would change dog food to steak" or "Every building would be a donut shop." Then, there were a lot of responses that said that they would have school every day. It made me so happy to be around students who love school, their teachers and learning.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
From all that I have experienced so far, I am getting really excited to start the year. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcomed.
By: Audrey Kirk