Teacher Tuesday: Miss. Hunter

O.K. seriously she is a teacher after my own heart! BARBIES?!! We totally need to play. I still have several of my Barbies, in good condition I might add. Maybe it's because she looks like a Barbie that she likes them so much. We could maybe have a Elementary School Barbie Day! Possibly have people bring barbies to donate to a local charity or girls bring their fave barbies in School Spirit attire? LOL There's yet another idea for our fabulous PTA. Let's put a pin in it! I also love that she used to make report cards for her friends. You're an inspiration. Thanks for letting us get to know you!
Without further ado. Here's Miss Hunter!

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

I teach Kindergarten @ CENTRAL ELEMENTARY

Nonie Hunter

My name is  Miss Hunter.  I’m best known for one blue eye and one green eye! but I want to be known for making everyone around me feel important and loved.  I live in Utah but in my dreams I live in a beach house in San Diego, California. My mom grew up there and I’ve been there on a lot of vacations. It is so fun!  On the weekend you’ll find me at home, catching up on lots of projects.

There are 7 kids in my family. I’m the third oldest, but the oldest girl! When I was a kid i loved to play Barbies for sure! I had (and still have) quite the collection!  If I were a kid today I’d wear A lot of pink and yellow. Maybe an occasional tutu.  My best b-day present? My birthday is June 1st, so it’s either the last day of school or the start of a fun summer vacation! I went to China for my 12th birthday and again for my 24th birthday! Those were pretty good presents.

I would totally hide some Juicy red seedless grapes under my bed. They are the original fruit snacks!  My favorite meal of the day is dinner, because I have time to actually sit down and eat! 

Why a teacher? My mom and dad are both teachers, and my Grandma Janice taught kindergarten for a lot of years. Growing up I played school and was always the teacher. I would write little report cards for my friends and once made my younger siblings do an animal report for summer school. I had so many good teachers when I was in school and wanted to grow up to be just like them. I’m so glad I did, because it’s the best job in the world! I’ve been teaching for 4 years. The last 3 have been here at Central! Go Tigers! I love teaching art and reading and writing. I love it all, which is probably why I teach kindergarten!  My favorite season is Autumn. The air is crisp and a bit chilly, but I love the beautiful changing leaves, watching football, carving pumpkins, and wearing sweaters.

Some of the books I MUST HAVE are Madeline, Where the Wild Things Are, No David!, Are You My Mother?, and Stargirl.  Vacations are hard to come by so if I had a whole 2 weeks of pure vacation time I would  Go on a road trip and stop to take pictures at America’s strangest roadside attractions..

I am lucky today because I have the cutest students who tell me the sweetest things. B.T.W. I really can’t live without  My family. They make me smile and I really wish my super power was being in more than one place at a time, it would come in handy.

My life motto is “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

 

  Download Miss Hunter's Spotlight PDF here. 

Teacher Tuesday: Mrs. Zimmerman

Mrs. Zimmerman - Kindergarten 2014 - Central Elementary

Yes, I got to pick who to spotlight first! I'm so grateful for this special teacher.  Mrs. Zimmerman!!! I'm a little bias because she is our son's 1st Kindergarten teacher and he gets to spend 15hrs a week with her.  I told our son, he's got THE BEST teacher in the whole school so he will want to pay close attention, because she is the 2014 Apline School District Teacher of the Year for Central Elementary!  WOW!  Now that's a pretty huge accomplishment.  So it's kind of perfect to start with her for even more than my own personal bias.  I also get to see how incredibly organized she is, so when she says she's known for it, she's not kidding.  Thanks for all you do for our children Mrs. Zimmerman!

I'm excited to help us all get to know our Central Elementary teachers this year. 

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

I teach Kindergarten @ CENTRAL ELEMENTARY

Whitney Zimmerman

My name is  Mrs. Zimmerman (a.k.a. Miss Kluber).  I’m best known for organization but I want to be known for being sporty!  I have my limits.  I live in Utah but in my dreams I live in Australia.  On the weekend you’ll find me reading a book or working on school.

I was born into a family of 4 kids and I’m the 3rd.  When I was a kid I loved to play the card game speed, but I also loved to watch Batman!  If I were a kid today I’d wear Jeans and a t-shirt!  One of the best birthdays I had were with my family when I got to choose what my mom would make for my birthday dinner (she is a really good cook). These days when I hear my favorite song I usualy dance.  I love the music of the 60’s and 70’s, especially the music of James Brown and KC and the Sunshine Band.

What food or treat would I hide under my bed? I would put a fridge under my bed, because I have a love for all types of food.  My favorite meal of the day is breakfast because because it is the start of a new day.  My cooking is good when it’s good and when it’s bad I just put it in the trash.  My favorite indulgence is all sugar! 

It was a combination of connecting with kids and the trouble I had in school which inspired me to become a teacher.  I like being able to build confidence  in my students, because I did not have much when I was in school. I’ve been teaching for 6 years and 5 of them have been here at Central Elementary.

My favorite subject to teach is P.E..  I love Spring and Fall.  I think the weather is perfect in those seasons.

Some of the books I MUST HAVE are These is My Words, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie Series.  Vacations are hard to come by so if I had a whole 2 weeks of pure vacation time I would read a stack of books.

I am lucky today because I am surround by good people and even better kids. B.T.W. I really can’t live without  indoor plumbing!

My life motto is...  It doesn’t matter!  People are good and we all make mistakes, so we just need to extend a little mercy and know that people can change.

 

Download Mrs. Zimmerman's Spotlight PDF here. 

Back to School Night!

!!!!BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT!!!!  Tomorrow (Thursday, Aug 28) 6-8pm! 
All parents/guardians & students are invited to attend!

• Meet your child’s teacher, meet parents & students! 
• Visit Classrooms & learn what’s expected. 
• Learn what’s in store for your child’s 2014-15 school year! 
• Tour the School
• Sign up & Join the PTA!!!

Zupas School Night! Aug 26th

You're invited to join the Central Elementary Staff, PTA & Students @the American Fork, Zupas Cafe to raise money for Central Elementary!!!
Save this flyer/voucher to your phone or print it out to present it at the time of checkout to get credit for the school. Be sure to put your Teacher's Name on it, to know which class had the most support at Zupas. 

AMERICAN FORK ZUPAS LOCATION ONLY -
599 W Main St
American Fork, Utah 84003
(801) 216-8148

Map/Directions - http://cafezupas.com/locations/american-fork/

Menu w/ Pictures

Salads

Sandwiches

Soups

Desserts

PDF Menu with Pricing!

Get everyone to visit Zupas on 

Tuesday Night, Aug 26th, 2014, between 5pm-9pm 

in order to have Central Elementary receive a donation of 20% of the total of your entire order.
Share this event with anyone going to Central Elm.

Facebook Page and Event Page!
Thanks for your continued support!
Hope to see you there.

Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Bodily - 1st Grade

If you haven’t met Mrs. Bodily yet, you are missing out! She is an amazing teacher and is just an all-around fun person to be around. I have had the pleasure of having both of my children in her class and seeing what a terrific teacher she is. I think some people have a gift for teaching and Mrs. Bodily definitely has that gift!

How long have you been teaching? This is my second year teaching. I’m new to the game and am so glad that I am teaching at such a wonderful school and to be with such a great team. 

What made you decide to become a teacher? I come from a family of educators and really grew to respect the profession. I just always knew that I wanted to be a teacher.

Roots: I was born in Provo, Utah and was raised in Orem. When I got married, my parents made my husband promise he would not take me away from Orem, needless to say, we’ll be there for a while.

I am the youngest of six. I have three sisters and two brothers. They’re all married now so our family is continually growing and I love it!

You started teaching at the school last year as Ms. Furr but throughout the year became Mrs. Bodily. Tell us a little about your hubby. 

My husband was born in Washington State and moved to Illinois when he was in high school. He moved to Utah when he was 17 to attend BYU. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll graduate this April with his Masters in Engineering. We were married this past March. It was a year of many firsts for me and I would not recommend anyone do it that way, but it was really fun to share that experience with my students. Several of them came to our reception which was so fun!

(All of her students were invited to her wedding reception and even on her wedding day she was thinking about them. She posed for pictures with them and Mrs. Bodily and her husband hid Lego figurines around the room for the kids to find. I watched as children ran up to her to report how many figurines they had found and even while she was still greeting guests in line, she would stop and listen to her kids with an excited smile. She makes my sons feel like rock stars and they know that she loves and cares about them. Dedicated teacher indeed!)

What is your favorite…

Treat? I LOVE cupcakes! Cupcakes mixed into ice cream are so good that we probably shouldn't even talk about it. Anything sour, especially cherry flavored.

Restaurant? I like Zupas, Taco Amigo, P.F. Changs. I’m really good with anything as long as I don’t have to decide where to go.

Vacation spot? I love Disneyland! I think I’ve been there every year I’ve been alive

What do you love about teaching? I love seeing students explore new things. In the beginning of the year, they are so timid and nervous to be away for their homes for the first time, but around Christmas time they really open up with not only me, but the other students in our class. It’s like we are one huge family!

Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Tingey - 1st Grade

When I grow up I want to be...Mrs. Tingey. No, really. That is who I want to be. She is kindness, caring & love personified. On the first day of school as all those anxious mothers were waiting for their little 1^st Graders to finally break through to the big bad world of Full Day School...there was Mrs. Tingey comforting our woes with a perky little smile, a sparkle in her eye and a parting remark, “Ok all you Moms! Go out for breakfast and Enjoy yourselves! We've got this! And they are going to do Great!” Could she be any Cuter?! I get the neat privilege of working with her every week in her classroom and I tell you that this woman Walks the Walk! She Loves her Students! And in return, they absolutely adore her! What a wonderful environment to learn in!

Grade(s) Taught: PreSchool, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third & Fourth Grades (Jack of All Grades!)

Roots: Born in Salt Lake City, Utah & raised in Provo, Utah.

Teaching Motto: “Every Child should know that they are Important, Capable, Loved & Cared about."

Who or what inspired you to become a teacher? From a young age I always had little children around me. My parents use to call me the Pied Piper! I always seemed to have children over for projects, playtime & of course teaching. It was just such a natural thing for me to do! I have always loved being around kids!

How many Years have You Taught? 28 years...WoW! I taught for a few years at South Jordan Elementary, a few at Westmore Elementary, 22 Years at Suncrest Elementary, and this is my 2^nd year here at Central and I just LOVE it! I took 12 years off to raise my 4 boys, but I taught preschool during most of that time with my boys!

My best day in the classroom was when: I am continually learning from these little ones everyday...but one day that stands out to me is when a little boy came up to me and said, “Nobody cares about me!” Before I could respond another little boy came up and said, “I care about You!” and gave him a hug! It was such a precious and cherished moment. I love to see children being thoughtful and kind to one another.

If you could have one teacher superpower, what would it be? The energy of a 1^st Grader! That is a superpower in and of itself!

What’s your one must-have item for your classroom? I would love to find a Cassette player that will last me longer than two years! I have so many great lessons and songs to share, but they're all on Tape Cassettes and it's hard to find Cassette players these days. (Uhm...I offered the suggestion that we could transfer her cassettes to discs....anyone do this?)

What was the last non-academic book you’ve read? Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm "Such a cute series of books! And you can find them right here in our library!"

What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt? I always thought nursing would be interesting, but at the time I didn't have the stomach for it. After raising boys...I feel I could do it now!

Have a question you'd like to ask your fellow educators? Would you share your best management techniques? I find that these new teachers just coming out of college have so many new and exciting things to share! Especially when it comes to technology! They can do it all and I'm always curious to know how it works, though I'm a little behind perhaps on the tech stuff. (Yeah, I've tried to use one of those Smart Boards...they do not make me feel smart.)

Teacher Spotlight - Mrs. Mortensen - Kindergarten

Have you ever met a beautiful person and wonder if they're as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside? That is what first comes to mind when you meet this darling woman, Mrs. Mortensen. But no fear of skin deep beauty here! She is lovely through and through!  She has been married for just 2 months now, so balancing the life of a newlywed and a classroom of 5 year olds has to be a major accomplishment in and of itself. Mrs. Mortensen is fond of Hot Tamales, the candy...not the actual tamales...I think. She loves the Olive Garden, Basketball, plays the piano and just started loving to go to the gym. Her Favorite Quote is now another favorite of mine and it fits her quite well! I swear if you're looking for good quotes, ask a Teacher! "The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep, loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." --Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Grade(s) Taught: 2nd & Kindgergarten

Roots: Born in Provo, Utah but raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She graduated from BYU and majored in Human Development and Elementary Ed.

Teaching Motto: Good Listeners make Great Teachers!

Who or what inspired you to become a teacher? I am the only child of divorced parents and my Mom was a teacher. I spent my summers helping my Mom set up her Classroom. I tried to resist that pull to teaching, but she was such an amazing example to me, I found it to be such a natural thing.

My best day in the classroom was when: So many days...what to pick...I suppose my best day is whenever I see a kid showing real progress and a connection with what I'm trying to teach them. And looking back and realizing I helped get them there!

What’s your one must-have item for your classroom? Cleaning Supplies! I am all about Clean!

What was the last non-academic book you’ve read? 

The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt? I would probably go into Customer Service or some other sort of Leadership position. And why not make it one that will make lots of $$$!