Second Grade
Jaime Cleaver
About Me
My name is Jamie Cleaver and I am very excited to be your child's teacher this year!!
I was born and raised in New Mexico and went to college at New Mexico State University. I received my BS in Animal Science and moved to Colorado to attend Veterinary School. It was here that I decided to pursue my passion for children and received my Masters Degree in Elementary Education instead.
I live in Parker, Colorado with my husband Nick, my two wonderful children Tyler and Kylie, our three dogs, 2 guinea pigs, and our bearded dragon. I am very fortunate to get to work where my children attend school. Tyler is in 6th grade and Kylie is in 5th grade this year. On the weekends you can usually find me cheering on Tyler and his baseball and football teams or supporting Kylie with her softball and cheerleading teams. When we are not in school, we enjoy being active outdoors. Our favorite activities include biking, hiking and camping.
I am very passionate about children's development and education. My goal this year is to instill the love of learning in each child. I promise to create a safe, fun, and encouraging classroom where children can thrive. I value community and look forward to developing relationships and working with each one of my families. Thank you for sharing your child with me. I look forward to a fun year in Second Grade!
Mikayala Hix
About Me
A few things you might want to know about me. I am originally from St. Louis and came to Colorado 37 years ago to work and ski in Vail. I liked it so much I stayed here! I earned my degree here in Colorado at Metro State and later received my masters at the University of Northern Colorado. Teaching young children has always been my passion and has led me to 23 years in education, 19 of those years have been at Prairie Crossing. My first 7 years here, I taught special education and the last 12 years I have been teaching kindergarten.
Fun things about me you might want to know, include I love working out, hiking, biking, skiing, climbing 14ers, and listening to music!
I live in Parker with my husband and have 2 wonderful sons who are now 24 and 27! Both my sons attended kindergarten here at Prairie Crossing, so Prairie Crossing is a near and dear place to my heart for many reasons!
You can contact me at pdadams@dcsdk12.org. Please know I am teaching during the day and respond to emails before and after school. If you need to contact me during the day, please call the front office.
Daily Schedule
8:40 Final Bell Rings
8:30-9:00 Welcome/Morning Business/Calendar
9:00-9:40 Literacy
9:40-10:00 DLT (small group reading)
10:00-10:20 Independent Rdg Workstations/Small Grou
10:25-11:10 Lunch/Recess
11:15-11:40 Handwriting & Grammar
11:45-12:25 Specials (Art,PE,Music,Health and Wellness)
12:30-1:00 Whole Group Math
1:00-1:15 iReady Math
1:20-1:40 DLT- Small Math Groups
1:40-2:00 Snack/Recess
2:10-2:40 Writing
2:45-3:00 Social Studies/Science
3:00 - 3:15 Purposeful Play
3:15-3:28 Clean up, Pack up, Dismissal
Classroom Information
We start school each day at 8:40 when the second bell rings. We dismiss each day at 3:25 prior to the bell ringing at 3:30. I will walk the children out front to meet you. Students riding the bus and going to the BASE program will be picked up by a staff member.
Students need to make sure to tell me goodbye with before leaving me and let me know they see you! I don't want them to run off without me making eye contact with the person picking them up. This helps me make sure that I see you, and your child gets to you safely! Since I have several children to say goodbye to and need to make sure everyone is safely with the right parent, your child may need to wait patiently a few minutes to tell me goodbye.
Specials:
We do have “Specials” in Kindergarten. Our “specials” are Music, P.E., Art, Health and Wellness, and Library.
Daily Folders:
To help us communicate and help your child learn responsibility they will bring home and return their daily folder, Daily Folder, EVERYDAY. Their daily folder will include a calendar in which they can earn a sticker everyday. It will be a quick easy way for us to touch base on how your child’s day was each day.
Please initial each day so I know you have seen your child’s folder. The sticker indicates if your child kept their clip on “green” for the day.
Behavior System:
I use a behavior management system that includes 4 levels; “Surf’s Up” -all students start on this level each day. If they are behaving above average, I will have them “surf” up to “Cowabunga” with their individual surfboard clip. Students will “surf” down to the “Warning-Shark Zone”, when not making good choices. At this point, I will talk with the student about smarter choices. If a student continues to make poor choices he/she will be asked to “surf” down to the “Wipe Out” level. At this level I will contact home about the behavior and the student will not receive a sticker on the daily calendar. I also have the student reflect on the behavior and discuss smarter choices. I will specify with a note on the calendar in the Daily folder as to why he/she moved his/her surfboard.
Behaviors including any type of aggression will automatically result in an email/phone call home. They may need a consequence such as sitting out/missing out on an activity, or a portion of it, as well as a follow through from home to encourage positive behavior choices!
Thank you so much for your support in this area.
Super Stars:
I love to use positive reinforcement in our classroom. Throughout the day your child has the opportunity to earn a “Super Star” and put it in the “Star Jar”. This is simply a piece of paper with a picture of a starfish on it! As they are “caught” making great choices, I will have them put their star in the jar. They can earn several stars during the day! At the end of the day I will pull out random stars. Those students, whose stars are pulled, will choose a treasure from the treasure bucket!
All students will get to bring home the stars they earned. Receiving the star is a reward in itself. Please understand that this is a, “caught you being great” system. Some days go too fast and I may not get stars or treasures distributed at the end of the day. I keep the star collection growing in the jar and they have more chances to get drawn for a treasure the following day. As the year goes on and your kindergartner becomes more familiar with all the expectations, star distribution slows down and I may choose to draw names for prizes once a week and they only take home their stars once a week.
It is a fun way to reinforce the great choices they make each day! Families in the past have sometimes chosen a special place to keep all their star rewards at home too, like a jar or a bulletin board to display to family and friends. They are typically very proud of the “Super Star” they earn!
Snacks, Water and Backpacks:
Please send you child with a small healthy snack (nothing that requires a spoon or fork) that can be eaten in 5-10 minutes and a Backpack EVERYDAY! Students must bring in water bottles each day.
Birthday Book Basket Exchange:
This year at Prairie Crossing we are implementing a new birthday policy. We are going to celebrate your child in many ways on their special day, however, are eliminating the traditional sweet treats. Instead of bringing treats, I am asking that each family donate a wonderful children’s book to put in a special “Birthday Book Basket”. On your child’s special day he/she may choose a book from the basket to take home! Please purchase a book in the $5.00-$10.00 price range to donate to our basket! If possible, please bring the books by the end of the first week of school. Thank you so much for your contribution!
Mandie McQueen
About Me
My name is Mandie McQueen and I am so excited to be your child’s 2nd grade teacher this year! I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development, with a minor in Elementary Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. I continued on to get my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I have been at PCE since 2012 and absolutely LOVE the school and community!
I have always had a passion for learning and find that my passion comes out in the classroom. I think it is crucial to have my students get engaged in their learning at a young age, because this will carry on throughout the rest of their schooling/life. I recognize and honor each child’s unique qualities and do my very best to reach out and help them embrace these differences.
Not only am I a teacher, but a mother. I have a beautiful, red-headed, 8 year old daughter named Kennedy Grace. I also have a sweetheart of a 5 year old son, named Decker. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, working out, crafting, camping and boating. I am so happy to be back in the classroom and look forward to working with you/your families to make this year unforgettable!
Feel free to contact me at: mandie.mcqueen@dcsdk12.org
Daily Schedule
8:40 - 9:00 Morning Meeting
9:00 - 10:30 Literacy
9:00 - 9:20 Mini Lesson
9:20 - 9:40 Group
9:40 - 10:00 Phonics
10:00 - 10:15 Mini Lesson/Group
10:15 - 10:30 Mini Lesson/Group
10:30 - 10:45 Recess
10:45 - 11:15 Reading Differentiated Learning Time (DLT)
11:20 - 12:00 Lunch/Recess *
12:00 - 12:25 Library on Mondays
12:00 - 12:40 Writing
12:00 - 12:15 Mini
12:15 - 12:40 Independent/Groups
12:40 - 1:45 Math
12:40 - 1:00 Spiral Review/Mini Lesson
1:00 - 1:20 Group 1
1:20 - 1:40 Group 2
1:40 - 1:55 Read Aloud and Snack
1:55 - 2:35 Specials
2:35 - 3:00 Math Differentiated Learning Time (DLT)
3:00 - 3:25 Science/Social Studies
3:25 - 3:30 Pack Up & Dismissal
Classroom Policies
Communication
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. E-mail is the best way to reach me. Our mornings are very hectic so coming in with your child to speak with me is not the best time for the students or I. However, I am more than happy to set up a time to meet. I will send out a weekly email updating you on what will be happening in our classroom for the week.
E-mail: mandie.mcqueen@dcsdk12.org
E-mail: mandie.mcqueen@dcsdk12.org
Birthdays
I will recognize each child’s birthday during the school year with a special birthday surprise. If you would like to provide a birthday "treat" for your child and his/her classmates, it ndeds to be non-food items; i.e. pencils, stickers, etc. (See Student Handbook)
Snacks
We will have time for one small snacks during our day. Please provide a healthy snack for your child. We do a lot of learning in second grade, so a healthy snack is needed fuel! Since our carpets are brand new, we are asking that you limit snacks to dry, easy to eat items. Please refrain from sending in snacks that require a spoon or could spill/stain the carpet. Thanks for your help in keeping our school looking great!
Toys
Toys can be a real distraction and interfere with learning. Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. This includes smart watches.
Water Bottle
Your child will need to bring in a water bottle to school everyday. Please have your child fill their water bottle from home to start their day. Please clearly label the bottle with your child’s name. ONLY WATER IS ALLOWED!
Book Orders
I will be sending home Scholastic book orders throughout the year. Our classroom receives points towards FREE books every time an order is placed. Our classroom code is: MFQ7B
- To set up a parent login (to access classroom catalog): www.scholastic.com
- At the top, put your mouse on the word "Parents"
- Choose the option on the right that says "Book Club Orders New"
- Create an account
- When prompted, insert our classroom code: MFQ7B
Useful Links
- 2nd Grade Symbaloo
- How to Access PCE Websites/Apps - Click on the app/website you would like on the cover page and it will take you to specific instructions
Lindsey White
About Me
A new school year is about to begin and I couldn’t be more excited. This will be my 7th year at Prairie Crossing in second grade and my 9th year teaching. I am sure you would like to know more about me before the school year starts; I went back to school in 2008 and earned my B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. Since graduating I have taught intervention, a 3rd grade 4th grade combo class and now my 5th year here at PCE in 2nd grade.
Outside of school I enjoying being with my children Riley 13, and Teagan 10. Riley will be going into 7th grade in Castle Rock, she enjoys being outside playing with friends and playing volleyball. Teagan is all boy, he loves playing sports especially football. We also have 1 dog, Swayze. Our favorite summer activity is to go camping and 4 wheeling. Being a Colorado native I love our beautiful mountains and everything Colorado has to offer in summer and winter. We also love to travel and explore new places! I also love finding new restaurants, especially if they serve tacos!
As a mom and a teacher I understand how important it is to make your child feel safe and comfortable in the classroom; I will strive everyday to make the best environment for each student to reach their highest potential. Teaching is my passion; I love learning, trying new things and bringing fun to the classroom.
I look forward to meeting and working with all of you this year. Thank you for sharing your children with me and giving me the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.
Daily Schedule
Useful Links
Classroom Policies
Communication
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. E-mail is the best way to reach me. Our mornings are very hectic so coming in with your child to speak with me is not the best time for the students or I. However, I am more than happy to set up a time to meet. I will send out a weekly email updating you on what will be happening in our classroom for the week.
E-mail: mandie.mcqueen@dcsdk12.org
E-mail: mandie.mcqueen@dcsdk12.org
Birthdays
I will recognize each child’s birthday during the school year with a special birthday surprise. If you would like to provide a birthday "treat" for your child and his/her classmates, it ndeds to be non-food items; i.e. pencils, stickers, etc. (See Student Handbook)
Snacks
We will have time for one small snacks during our day. Please provide a healthy snack for your child. We do a lot of learning in second grade, so a healthy snack is needed fuel! Since our carpets are brand new, we are asking that you limit snacks to dry, easy to eat items. Please refrain from sending in snacks that require a spoon or could spill/stain the carpet. Thanks for your help in keeping our school looking great!
Toys
Toys can be a real distraction and interfere with learning. Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. This includes smart watches.
Water Bottle
Your child will need to bring in a water bottle to school everyday. Please have your child fill their water bottle from home to start their day. Please clearly label the bottle with your child’s name. ONLY WATER IS ALLOWED!