The Bear Cubs

I hope your dreams take you to the corner of your smiles,
to the highest of your hopes,
to the windows of your opportunities,
and to the most special place your heart has ever known.
-Author Unknown-

Starting school is a big deal for parents and for children. At GES we try and make that transition a joyful one. The years in the Bear Cub classroom are years of tremendous and wondrous growth. It's so much fun for me as a teacher to watch the many changes take place. The very shy child who finally chooses to participate in sharing, the outgoing child who learns that not everyone shares her opinion and it's important to listen to others. The child who didn't know how to pump a swing but now is incredibly proud of himself because he can make the swing move all by himself, and the child who wants to read so much that they cant wait until they put that first word together.

The Bear Cubs classroom is made up of 16 Kindergarten and First Graders. The multi age classroom creates an enviroment where the Bear Cubs learn from each other and also teach each other. I see it every day when they are asking their tablemates how to do a math problem or how to sound out a word.

We start out the year in the Bear Cub classroom talking about our hopes and dreams for the year and then writing those down. Some of the hopes and dreams they have shared are, learning how to read and write better , learning how to play on every piece of playground equipment, learning about dinosaurs, learning how to be a princess, and learning about pirates. The Bear Cubs then work together as a class to establish the rules for the classroom. This sets the groundwork for a successful year of learning and growing together.

The Bear Cub Promise this year is:
Treat others the way you want to be treated
Care for others
Respect property
Always do my best

Ours is a classroom full of music, poetry, stories, hardwork, laughter, creativity, and most of all fun.

 A bit about Sue

I came to teaching late in my life and am very thankful I did! Before teaching I spent some time home-schooling my own children and running my own day-care. I also spent a few years working for Community Education in the ECFE program and working with middle school youth. During this time I also did some substitute teaching and was privileged to be able to spend some time at GES. I loved the feel of the school. I remember coming home one day after substitute teaching and telling my husband that I would love to teach at GES and lo and behold here I am! The philosophy at GES shows so much respect toward the child and the process of learning. I love being a part of it and look forward to many more years!  I love teaching Kindergarten/1st grade. They are so very eager to learn and are like little sponges. It's so much fun to see the look on their faces when that light-bulb moment happens. THEY are the reason I teach!