One God, One Faith, One School

Welcome to the Kindergarten Class
Mrs. Sandy Drake, Teacher

Welcome

I am Sandy Drake, the Kindergarten Teacher.

I earned a degree in elementary education and a Masters in Child Development, both from Michigan State University

I taught pre-school for ten years before coming to Immaculate heart of Mary - St. Casimir School over 20 years ago.

I have been married for over 35 years. I have a son and a daughter who are both married, and I have several grandchildren.

I look forward to providing your child with a quality faith-based education.

Curriculum

Here I have included different subject areas that are covered during the school year

Religion
- Know Sign of the Cross
-Recite various prayers
-Understand that:

  • the world is a gift from God.
  • God loves us
  • We are friends of Jesus
  • Being a follower of Jesus means being a friend and helping others.
  • We celebrate special days
    • Language Arts
    We use phonics and whole language experiences to identify, write, and learn the sounds of the letters of the alphabet.
    Other exercises include rhyming, opposites, comprehension, predicting, story telling, story writing, and journal writing.

    Math
    -Read and write numbers up to 30
    -Count to 100 by 1's, 5's, and 10's
    -Patterns
    -Graphing
    -Sorting and classifying
    -Shapes
    -Measuring
    -Adding and subtracting

    Science
    - Seasons
    - The Five Senses
    - Matter
    - Weather
    -Living and non-living

    Social Studies
    We learn about the world around us which includes our school community, friends, family, neighbors, community helpers, and Michigan

    Special Classes
    -Music
    -Art
    -Spanish
    -Physical Education
    -Library

    My Teaching Philosophy
    "At Immaculate Heart of Mary-St. Casimir. . . we strive to provide a distinctively Catholic Christian education in an environment where students are challenged to discover the fullness of God's gifts and grace intellectually, spiritually, physically and socially."
    With that in mind, I think children learn best in a safe and fun environment. I feel children learn by "doing" and by being actively involved in their educational process. Such involvement includes hands-on activities, first-hand experiences, and by being able to manipulate real objects. Learning also occurs when children are actively using their Five Senses. The more senses that are involved in an activity, the more the children will be able to learn. The process is further enhanced when subject matter is integrated across the entire curriculum.
    Communication
    Parents are always welcome in the classroom. Before coming to the classroom, please stop in the Office to let them know you are in the building.

    If you need to talk to me regarding a question or a concern, you can write me a note or call the office (517-882-6631) to leave a message. I will call you back as soon as I can.

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