Academy Teachers are dedicated and enthusiastic educators. Their goal is to build each student's self confidence, while providing them with the tools necessary to continue their education in a confident and positive manner.

Hi, my name is Tracy Molina and I am the All Day PreKindergarten teacher at Mukilteo Academy. I have been teaching at Mukilteo Academy since 2003 and I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful team of teachers and assistants.

I graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1996 with a General Studies Degree. After working in the business world for 5 years, I realized that my true calling was teaching. I enrolled in the Elementary Teacher Certification Program at the University of Washington, and received my K-8 teaching certificate in 2002. After I graduated I was a substitute teacher in the Mukilteo and Northshore school districts.

PreKindergarten is an exciting year of learning and growing. My goal in PreKindergarten is to give students all the tools they need to be successful in Kindergarten and beyond. Throughout the year we focus on learning our letters through letter-of-the week activities, math, art, science, pre-reading and sign language. We go on several field trips throughout the year, including the pumpkin farm, Everett Children’s Museum, and an Everett PUD Theatre production. We also have several class parties, such as Halloween, Holiday, and Valentine’s Day.

I have been married for 12 years to my husband Joe. We have a 9 year old daughter, Sierra, and a 3 year old son, Logan. In my free time I enjoy working in my garden, scrapbooking, stamping and reading.

Contact information:
MrsMolina@MukilteoAcademy.com
425.347.3665 ext 7

I was born and raised in Northern California. My first job was as a kindergarten assistant in a private school, Belmont Oaks Academy. There I realized my love of working with young children. I was enrolled in Canada College at the time and graduated with an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. I then moved to Washington with my family where I continued at the University of Washington and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies. I taught PreKindergarten at Brighton School from 1984 to 2003, where I also developed the successful "Summer Fun" program. I am also a private tutor.

PreKindergarten is a magical year of discovery, growth and learning. It is so important to make a child's first experiences with school positive ones. My goal, as a teacher, is to create a nurturing classroom and instill a love of learning in each child. This year I have exciting plans for our class! We will be creating class books, doing hands-on math and letter-of-the-week activities, science experiments, cooking projects, art, music, and making new friends along the way!

I have been married 22 years to a wonderful man! We have two beautiful children. My daughter Christy Anne will be in sixth grade this year and my son, Austin, will be entering fourth grade. Other members of my family include our cat, Opie. My hobbies include reading, scrapbooking, gardening, travel and outdoor adventures with my family.

I look forward to meeting all of you and sharing the PreKindergarten experience with my new students. It's sure to be a great year!

Contact information:
MsKellie@MukilteoAcademy.com
425.347.3665 ext 6

Philosophy about Teaching and Classroom Goals
As a teacher I believe it is my responsibility to empower children so they become confident, self directed individuals. I believe this can take place by enhancing children's self-esteem through praising, giving responsibility, providing choices, showing children their strengths, valuing children and their families, allowing for mistakes and implementing times for success. I believe children learn and grow through an enriching, safe, learning environment. Academics are an important element in a child's development but I also believe a child's social and emotional well being is equally as important. When a child's self esteem is soaring I believe this is when children are able to excel to their fullest academic ability.

Classroom Curriculum
We have adopted the Open Court Kindergarten reading curriculum. This task is completed through teacher directed activities and through small group settings using parent volunteers. Along with Open Court, I strive to implement lots of experiences with reading, writing, comprehension skills and language art activities. We complete class books that are based upon literature we have read and discussed within the classroom. Implementing the proper formation of letters and numbers is also taught using Zaner-Bloser handwriting. Theme based books are completed throughout the year on subjects such as the solar system, dental hygiene, the 5 senses and the first Thanksgiving. Fun reading adventures that the children become involved in consist of our March-Read-A-Thon, Author of the Month and May Read-A-Loud months.

The math curriculum we use encompasses Everday Math and we supplement learning through Scott Foresman. Along with these programs, I also provide experiences with more in-depth focus on subtracting, graphing, tallying, adding, time and money. Through hands on enriching activities children learn an array of important academic skills.

Exciting Things That Happen in Kindergarten
Kindergarteners have the opportunity to be the VIP (Very Important Person) for an entire week. This involves children embellishing a poster all about themselves and builds children's awareness of their peers along with allowing for their own self esteem to blossom. We celebrate children's birthdays throughout the year. They provide treats of their choice and we in return complete a class book full of wishes for them. During the school year we partake in several field trips such as going to the pumpkin farm, Mukilteo Library, Everett PUD theatre, and Meadowdale Beach Hike. Class parties consist of our Halloween, Holiday, Valentines and 100th day of school celebration. Parent volunteers help during all of these activities and the children come away from these events holding lifelong memories. When children become Kindergartners they also have the opportunity during music to learn a musical instrument, the recorder. At the end of the year they show off their talent during an all school musical performance. During this time parents and children also receive Kindergarten portfolios. Portfolios are a wonderful way to see your child's growth and progress over time.

Personal
When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our little boy, Kaleb. Along with spending time with family and friends I also love taking walks, working out, scrapbooking, vacationing and playing games.

Contact information:
MrsDeRousse@MukilteoAcademy.com
425.347.3665 ext 3

I graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1985 with my K-8 teaching certificate. I always wanted to be a teacher. I taught at Brighton, a private school in Lynnwood, for 17 years. It was important to me that I work at a school that promoted a positive and fun learning environment, where students were treated as individual and encouraged to reach their full personals academic and social potential. It was an honor and privilege to teach so many students over the years. I always tried to instill in each student a love and joy for learning. I loved teaching both Kindergarten and First Grade during that time. I also helped develop and implement a summer camp program at Brighton for 10 years.

I have been married to my husband for 20 wonderful years and we have 2 children. Our son Kyle is 13 years old and will be in the 7th grade this year and our daughter Katie is 9 years old and will be in the 4th grade. My hobbies include reading, cooking, traveling, and many outdoor activities with my family. We especially love to spend time at our beach house on Whidbey Island.

Teaching has been such an exciting and rewarding career for me. I’m really not ready to give it up yet, so working as an assistant at Mukilteo Academy is perfect for me. I will be able to have more time to focus on my family, especially now that my children are getting older and are involved in so many activities. I feel that Mukilteo Academy is a very positive learning community. I am excited about this upcoming school year and am looking forward to working, sharing, and growing with the team at Mukilteo Academy.

Beginning in Preschool the staff of Mukilteo Academy places great value in teaching our students to be good friends to each other, make good choices regarding themselves, and to always do their best work. Learning these skills help our students to become self-confident in many areas of their lives. Our teachers are also constantly researching and creating new and inventive ways to make learning fun and exciting. I feel this instills a love of learning and knowledge in our students.

I have been a part of the Mukilteo Academy family since 2000 and a staff member since 2002. My daughter is currently a student in the Mukilteo School district and my husband and I credit much of her success both academically and socially to the start she received right here at Mukilteo Academy.

My life away from school consists of my husband, our wonderful daughter, our cats, and our koi and turtle pond. I also enjoy swimming, reading, rubber-stamping, gardening, and traveling.

Contact information:
MsKim@MukilteoAcademy.com
425.347.3665 ext 8