Denise Hamlin Email & Phone Number

Transitional Kindergarten is for the students that would have attended Kindergarten prior to the change in eligibility. Prior to 2012, children turning 5 before 12/2 could enroll. Now it has been moved back to 11/2 for 2012 and 10/2 for 2013 and the final change will be 9/2 in 2014.My goal is to prepare them for the rigors of traditional kindergarten. It is up to the parent to enroll their students and agree to the 2 year program. Children are taught the academic basics of numbers and letter skills,as well as other curricular areas science, social studies, art, music, physical education... but the biggest focus is on their social development. Skills are taught and reinforced daily on communication and how to use it in the classroom setting. English vocabulary is developed for all students regardless of home language and how to use it properly in sentence form. Classroom activities are developmentally driven as opposed to achievement based. Children are given the freedom to choose activities during the day that interest them, rather than the structured choices used in ther traditional kindergarten. Gradually they are introduced to the structure of a set schedule as the year progresses.

For 33 years I taught Kindergarten in Wasco Union Elementary District.To sum it up, I was privileged to teach a generation of children and have additionally taught a large number of their children as well. I was involved in curriculum and assessment development for most of those years. I collaborated and trained many new teachers in our district, as well as worked with my colleagues to develop- strategies and content that would help our students to be prepared for first grade. I also was a mentor teacher and coach for science in our district for several years, as well as a trainer for Math Their Way and HM Math. I have also developed and implemented music and art curriculum that I use daily to engage the non traditional learners and enhance the understanding of basic concepts for all learners in a more relaxed way.

Master Of Education (M.Ed.), Educational Leadership And Administration, General

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Child Development