Mrs. Haugan's Class: August 2016

My name is Mrs. Jenna Haugan, and I will be using this Classroom Blog as the information 'hub' of the classroom. This blog will be used as a tool to provide information and updates to parents. Student work, class events, and activities will also be posted.

You can view the regularly updated blog on the Home page. Activities, videos, songs, and resources are available in the Links & Resources section. These links are intended to be a tool for you to use with your child at home to extend their learning or review concepts at home. Monthly calendars are posted in the Monthly Calendars section, just in case the hard copies that are sent home at the end of each month happen to be misplaced. I have also included a page with a link to our school website and BGRS Engaging Students website.

This September, I am excited to be teaching Grade One at Willow Park School. I have previously taught both Kindergarten and Grade One in Leduc and Calgary. I am originally from Sherwood Park, Alberta. I spent 8 years living in Calgary, where I attended Ambrose University and then taught at Bearspaw Christian School. In June 2014 my husband and I relocated to Leduc to be closer to our family and friends. While I once commuted over an hour both ways to the school I taught at in Calgary, I can now walk from my back door to my desk in under five minutes! When I'm not at the school, I enjoy going for walks with our Goldendoodle Nova Bean, keeping active by exercising with my colleagues after school and attending group fitness classes at the LRC, spending time at our family condo on Vancouver Island, reading, and volunteering with a local youth group.

I've worked with a wide variety of children since the start of my career, including gifted students, students with diverse needs, students from various socio-economic populations, students who are considered at-risk, students who are english language learners, etc. From these experiences, I hold true to one simple and definitive idea. That is, children learn best when they feel good about themselves.

Dr. James Comer wrote, "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." Those words are a cornerstone of my teaching.

"Play is the work of childhood" - J. Piaget

I am passionate about designing engaging, inclusive, and enriching learning experiences intended to nurture a love of learning within each student. It is my desire to create the conditions necessary to see each student experience success as they explore, discover, and make meaning of the world around them. I believe that high warmth, clear communication, respect, and high expectations are the key to success in the classroom. I am looking forward to spending the 2016-2017 school year with this lovely bunch!

A glimpse into my classroom...