Front Row Haley Blair, Hannah Kyes, Kelly Aidich.
Back Row: Tammy Garner, Kirstin Johnson, Brooke Mountain, Jill Hoke, Nikki Zimmerman, and Samantha Sloman
PORTA District #202 is fortunate to have a stellar cast of teachers working with the pre-k and kindergarten students, those youngsters who are just beginning their school experience. Welcoming these students to the Bluejay family are Pre-K/K teachers Hailey Blair, Tammy Garner, Jill Hoke, Kristin Johnson, Hannah Kyes, Brooke Mountain, Samantha Sloman, and Nikki Zimmerman.
People often wonder what draws teachers to pre-k and kindergarten classrooms, and PORTA's teachers have a wide array of reasons for engaging with the youngest students. Samantha Sloman identified her "love of working with children," as did many of the pre-k/k teachers. Jill Hoke added the very practical "having the same schedule as my own children," while Hailey Blair couldn't "remember a time when I didn't want to be a teacher." She said, "I watched my mom work in Pre-K and knew that's what I wanted to do."
Teaching, though, is not an easy profession, and prek-k comes with its own unique set of challenges. As Kristin Johnson stated, "There is a very large gap between the state's expectations for pre-k and kindergarten, which makes it difficult to find ways to prepare children for kindergarten while still following state guidelines." People may not realize how small changes, such as 2013's mandate that all pre-k students go to school five days a week, instead of four, or shifting a child from half to full day, can have big implications for the school day. Everything from bus routes to nutrition must be considered. For example, pre-k students are often grazers, which can make proper nutrition with only one meal a day a challenge. Adding another day to a four-day week means running more buses, which means higher expenditures generally without additional money from the state to cover the new mandate.
PORTA's pre-k/kindergarten staff brings a wealth of experience to bear on all the challenges of early childhood teaching. They average 10.5 years in the profession. Many of the staff came to PORTA from other districts, such as Hailey Blair, who is in her fifth year at PORTA, having come from A-C Central, and Jill Hoke, a ten-year veteran, who joined PORTA two years ago from Havana.
Although PORTA does draw teachers from surrounding areas, it is fair to say PORTA has a sort of "grow your own" program going. Students who went to PORTA often come back to become teachers in the district. Nikki Zimmerman reported, "My husband and I both attended PORTA schools (we were in Mrs. Conklin's sixth grade class together) and most of our family lives in or around Petersburg. It was always our dream for me to get to teach in the same district where our own children go to school. I feel there is no better place to teach or attend school." Hannah Kyes, another home-town teacher, echoed Zimmerman's comments. "Growing up in Petersburg and attending PORTA from K-12th grade, I always had a desire to come back and teach in my hometown. I love working with and teaching familiar faces that I know from the community."
Even if they don't come from the immediate vicinity, teachers tend to come to PORTA to stay, which makes the students' experiences in pre-k and kindergarten much richer. Every teacher interviewed pointed to the support given Petersburg community and families as a primary reason for staying with the district. Tammy Garner summed it up succinctly: "I love teaching at PORTA."
Parents/guardians often wonder how they might best get their students ready for pre-k or kindergarten. PORTA's teachers offer practical advice for parents and guardians helping their children transition into school. For those whose children aren't old enough for school, Nikki Zimmerman advised, "the best thing you can do with your children to prepare them for school is to read to them when they are babies and never stop." For those beginning school, Samantha Sloman suggested "Before school begins, starting routines and expectations at home, helps prepare children or the routines at school." Once school is underway, Hannah Kyes recommended "simply taking time to ask your child about what we are doing in class; show them that you are interested in their schooling, and help push them academically. Together parents and teachers can do more than either can alone."
People often wonder what draws teachers to pre-k and kindergarten classrooms, and PORTA's teachers have a wide array of reasons for engaging with the youngest students. Samantha Sloman identified her "love of working with children," as did many of the pre-k/k teachers. Jill Hoke added the very practical "having the same schedule as my own children," while Hailey Blair couldn't "remember a time when I didn't want to be a teacher." She said, "I watched my mom work in Pre-K and knew that's what I wanted to do."
Teaching, though, is not an easy profession, and prek-k comes with its own unique set of challenges. As Kristin Johnson stated, "There is a very large gap between the state's expectations for pre-k and kindergarten, which makes it difficult to find ways to prepare children for kindergarten while still following state guidelines." People may not realize how small changes, such as 2013's mandate that all pre-k students go to school five days a week, instead of four, or shifting a child from half to full day, can have big implications for the school day. Everything from bus routes to nutrition must be considered. For example, pre-k students are often grazers, which can make proper nutrition with only one meal a day a challenge. Adding another day to a four-day week means running more buses, which means higher expenditures generally without additional money from the state to cover the new mandate.
PORTA's pre-k/kindergarten staff brings a wealth of experience to bear on all the challenges of early childhood teaching. They average 10.5 years in the profession. Many of the staff came to PORTA from other districts, such as Hailey Blair, who is in her fifth year at PORTA, having come from A-C Central, and Jill Hoke, a ten-year veteran, who joined PORTA two years ago from Havana.
Although PORTA does draw teachers from surrounding areas, it is fair to say PORTA has a sort of "grow your own" program going. Students who went to PORTA often come back to become teachers in the district. Nikki Zimmerman reported, "My husband and I both attended PORTA schools (we were in Mrs. Conklin's sixth grade class together) and most of our family lives in or around Petersburg. It was always our dream for me to get to teach in the same district where our own children go to school. I feel there is no better place to teach or attend school." Hannah Kyes, another home-town teacher, echoed Zimmerman's comments. "Growing up in Petersburg and attending PORTA from K-12th grade, I always had a desire to come back and teach in my hometown. I love working with and teaching familiar faces that I know from the community."
Even if they don't come from the immediate vicinity, teachers tend to come to PORTA to stay, which makes the students' experiences in pre-k and kindergarten much richer. Every teacher interviewed pointed to the support given Petersburg community and families as a primary reason for staying with the district. Tammy Garner summed it up succinctly: "I love teaching at PORTA."
Parents/guardians often wonder how they might best get their students ready for pre-k or kindergarten. PORTA's teachers offer practical advice for parents and guardians helping their children transition into school. For those whose children aren't old enough for school, Nikki Zimmerman advised, "the best thing you can do with your children to prepare them for school is to read to them when they are babies and never stop." For those beginning school, Samantha Sloman suggested "Before school begins, starting routines and expectations at home, helps prepare children or the routines at school." Once school is underway, Hannah Kyes recommended "simply taking time to ask your child about what we are doing in class; show them that you are interested in their schooling, and help push them academically. Together parents and teachers can do more than either can alone."