By Alan Sorensen
Head Start, kindergarten, and specialty teachers help prod students along their roads of discovery at Lincoln-McKinley Elementary School.
Chris Maristuen, whos been with the district for 21 years, teaches vocational special education at Havre High School, but she also caters to the needs of the preschool special ed kids at Lincoln-McKinley.
I teach life skills three periods a day at HHS (and) teach readiness/pre-academic skills to 3-6 year olds, Maristuen said in a recent staff survey.
Splitting her time between the two curricula offers Maristuen what she enjoys most: diversity.
I enjoy working with individuals and small groups to meet each students needs, she said. No two days or years are ever the same.
Linda Kiemele has taught elementary music, grades 1-5, for 14 years in the district. Her schools now include Sunnyside and Devlin along with Lincoln-McKinley.
Her special programs at Lincoln-McKinley this year included the Christmas program, spring program, and programs following thematic units. While her programs vary from year to year, Kiemeles joy in her students remains the same: To see them learn and enjoy music.
Terry Sather, K-5 physical education teachers at Sunnyside and Lincoln-McKinley, has been with the district for 22 years. The special program his students participated in this year was Jump Rope for Heart.
I like being with the young kids and watching them grow and mature physically, Sather said. I enjoy helping them develop a physical life style as well as giving them ways to keep motivated towards a fitness level.
Home school coordinator Laura Malisani has been with the district for just six months. Her office is Lincoln-McKinley, but Malisanis duties involve students at all levels from K-12.
I work with HELPs Drug Free Communities, coordinating programs such as family partners program, FSNEP and Extension Service, domestic abuse, Hill County Health Department, and Dr. Cecil, Malisani said.
She also refers families to all of the different HRDC programs, work programs, counselors in the area, Head Start, public assistance programs, mentoring programs, medical insurance programs, and to one-time events offered by schools, food bank, college and Salvation Army.
She particularly enjoys watching the latchkey kids work as a team!
Mary Willnow has taught in Havre Public Schools for 25 years. She is now a kindergarten and reading discovery teacher. She teaches all curriculum for kindergarten and works with first-graders on a one-to-one basis and small groups in reading.
Their joy and excitement in learning and the discovery that the world really is a wonderful place boost Willnows own enjoyment in the classroom.
Carla Beattie, kindergarten, adaptive physical education, and special education swimming teacher at Lincoln-McKinley, is in her third year with the district. She exposes her kindergartners to literature-based reading, Mathland, Math Their Way, and FOSS science.
I enjoy seeing growth and enthusiasm in each child, Beattie said.
Language arts kindergarten and reading discovery teacher Rosie Ellendson works with kindergarten, first and second-graders. Shes in her 14th year with the district.
In reading discovery, I am working one on one with first-graders and in small groups with second graders, Ellendson said. We focus on reading and writing strategies.
Ellendson said her kindergartners focus on language development in their language arts curriculum by using reading and writing techniques in a thematic unit setting.
Everyday is an adventure, Ellendson said of her enjoyment of teaching at Lincoln-McKinley. The proud look on a childs face when he has accomplished a goal!
Kira Hettinger Lincoln-McKinleys Head Start teacher has been with the district 1 years. Her curriculum is pretty much open, giving her the chance to enjoy every aspect of her young wards.
Exposing my children to new experiences and watching them enjoy it! brings special enjoyment in teaching to Hettinger.
