Classroom Corner (Room 141 - Veronica Boersma)
Classroom Calendar - display/hideSeptember Classroom Letter
Posted: Thu Sep 17 2009 by Veronica Boersma
News from Rooms 141 y 143
Septiembre 2009
Welcome!
Welcome back to Academia Ana Marie Sandoval! We are enjoying seeing how much our students from last year have changed and grown and are delighted to work with our new students. We have some changes to announce this year. For example, you have probably noticed a change in our team.
Who we are
Room 141
Meet Verónica
I was born and grew up in Mexico City. I had the good fortune to attend Montessori school throughout my primary education. When I was 18 year old, I decided to leave to explore the world. I lived for one year in Vancouver and a few months in Toronto in Canada. I returned to Puebla, Mexico to pursue my degree in International Relations at the University of the Americas. During my final year, I worked as an intern at the Japanese embassy, which sent me to Virginia as an exchange student. There I had the opportunity to be Spanish teacher at the university level and I loved that job! Hence when I returned to Mexico I decided to look for opportunities to become a teacher. DPS was at my University looking for bilingual teachers who wanted to teach mathematics. So I came to Denver (for one year J) and worked at Cole Middle School for the next 5 years. When I found out about the plans for Sandoval I loved coming here and I am happy to begin my 9th year here. I have a wonderful husband and two sons that I love. Antonio is 4 years old and Javier is 7, and both are part of the Sandoval community, which makes me a very happy mom!
Meet Blanca
Hello! I’m Blanca Gutiérrez, I am Mexican, and I have been living in Colorado for 30 years. I have 9 years of experience working in public schools. This is my 6th year working at Academia Sandoval and I am very glad to be with all of you this year.
Meet Mary
This is my first year at Sandoval, and I am very excited to be here! A little bit about myself. I have lived in Denver all my life, and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else! When I am not at Sandoval I am a student at Metro State College downtown. I hope to be an elementary or social studies teacher in the near future. I live with my boyfriend and our small family of pets. I love to be outdoors, and I take advantage of our four states beautiful mountains whenever I get a chance.
Room 143
Meet Matthew
I have grown up and lived in Colorado since I was a baby and I am very fond of the natural beauty found here. I attempt to live an ecologically sustainable lifestyle and seek to model this for my son, Keefe (who attends Sandoval), and for all the children.
I love the cosmos and initially wanted to be an astronomer, studying physics for 2 years at the University of Colorado at Boulder. However, for personal reasons, I dropped out of school and worked as a carpenter for the next seven years. I still enjoy working on my humble home.
I began studying Spanish at age 14 and continue to learn more every day. While traveling in Central America, I decided to become fluent. I returned to the University of Colorado at Denver and earned my B.A. in Spanish, then my M.A. in Bilingual Education. During that time, I spent a summer studying and living in Oaxaca, Mexico. I began speaking in Spanish to Keefe before he was born and feel that bilingualism is one of the best gifts that I can give him. I worked for three years teaching 2nd grade in DPS before coming to Sandoval. This is my seventh year here and I feel fortunate to work as a Montessori teacher in this bicultural community.
Meet Margarita Martínez
I was born in New Mexico and raised in Trinidad, Colorado. My first language was Spanish and did not learn English until I started school. Being bilingual has given me many opportunities. My first career in the Multicultural/Bilingual Program as a DPS teacher in the 1970's afforded me the advantage to work with a diverse group of children. In the 1980s, I changed careers and worked for Denver Human Services as an Operations Administrator. I retired in 2005. After being retired for approximately 10 months, I applied with DPS for a paraprofessional position. This is my 4th year working at Sandoval School. The Sandoval Staff have a great commitment and dedication to the school, students and community. I feel very fortunate to be working with Matthew and the Primary children.
Meet Rosana
Hello! I’m Rosana Campos; I was born in Juarez, Mexico. I have been living in Denver for 9 years. Right now I am studying at the Community College of Denver to get my Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to be working in the primary classroom during this school year.
Snack and Food Preparation Bags
In Room 143, we have reusable canvas bags for snack and food preparation. When it is your child’s turn to bring snack or food preparation supplies (see note inside bag), we will send the corresponding bag with him/her on the day before to remind you. Be sure to send back the bag for the next person, even if you do not use it to carry the food. Please, check the snack calendar and do not rely on the bags to remind you.
Small, Unidentifiable Objects
If your child comes home with small, unidentifiable objects or something mysterious appears in your washer or cabinets, there is a great likelihood that they belong to our classroom! Many of our classroom materials have very small, very expensive pieces. Often if one part is missing, the entire material must be removed from the shelf since it cannot be used correctly. So please look for and save any objects unknown to you that do not belong to your family. Ask us before throwing any material in the trash.
Policies and Procedures
Please read the Policies and Procedures document. Many of your questions can be clarified therein.
School Supplies
As we did last year, this year we are asking parents to donate money instead of buying school supplies. If you have not yet made your donation, please send it as soon as possible. If you need help or prefer to buy something yourself, let us know and we will give you a list.
Parent Observations
The primary fall parent observation window this year is October 12-16. Please sign up for a time on the bulletin board outside our classroom either before or after school. There are spaces for two people to come in during each observation period, whether from the same family or different ones.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences will begin the week of October 19. Please sign up for a time on the bulletin board outside our classroom either before or after school. Conferences are only 15 minutes long, so please arrive on time!
Parent Volunteers for October
Room 141
Laundry: Cissy Olderman
Wednesday Folders: Yeimi Nevárez & Esperanza Salazar
Room 143
Laundry: Nicole Sullivan
Wednesday Folders: Jennifer Powers
Important Dates
9/18–Assessment Day; NO SCHOOL
9/21–School Planning Day; NO SCHOOL
10/12-16–Parent Observations
10/16–Early Dismissal; students dismissed at 12:00
10/19–School Planning Day; NO SCHOOL
10/19-23, 26, 27–Parent-Teacher Conferences
10/28-30–Fall Break; NO SCHOOL
Volunteer Opportunities
Room 143
· Spanish-speaking Room Parent
· Scholastic Book Club Manager
· Wednesday Folders/Mail distribution for November and December
· Cleaning and Stocking Classroom
· Spanish-speaking Garden volunteer
· Spanish-speaking Art Committee Volunteer
· Laundry for Jan., Feb., Mar., & May 2010
Pet Care
We in Room 143 are looking for families who would like to provide care and good homes for Serena, our guinea pig, and Bibi, our Siamese fighting fish (a.k.a. betta) during the Fall Break from 10/27/09-11/2/09, and the Thanksgiving Break from 11/24/09-11/30/09. If interested, please speak with Matthew.
Thank You on behalf of Room 141…
…to Mollie, Rush’s mother, and to Isabella’s mother, Melisa, and to Christian’s mother, Esperanza, for being Room Parents during 2008-2009. Excellent job!
…to Layla, Isabela’s mother, caring for our fish during the summer.
…to Yeimi, Melanie’s mother for placing documents in our information folders, for helping with Wednesday Folders, and for being the Spanish-speaking Room Parent.
…to Lelania, Nathan’s mother, and to Mindy, Sophie’s mother, for helping us during the first weeks of school when we had only one assistant.
…to Mindy, Sophie’s mother, and to Margie, Julia’s mother, for taking the children to the garden.
…to Layla Barr and Katie Schroder for offering to be the English-speaking Room Parents.
…to all parents who have sent money for classroom supplies.
…to Cissy Olderman for washing laundry during September.
Thank You on behalf of Room 143…
…to Nicole Sullivan for being the English-speaking Room Parent. We are still looking for a Spanish-speaking Room Parent. See Matthew if interested.
…to Beth and Curt Hjelle for washing laundry during September.
…to Jennifer Powers for her help with the Wednesday Folders.
…to all parents who have sent money for classroom supplies.
Wish List
~A parent willing to make copies of children’s music CDs for room 143. See Matthew, if interested.
Thank you for your support,
Verónica Boersma 720-424-4410 Veronica_Boersma@dpsk12.org
Blanca Gutiérrez
Mary Davidson
Matthew Sullivan 720-420-4412
Margaret Martínez
Rosana Campos
This is just a test
Posted: Sat May 23 2009 by Just Me
This is a test post only.