Welcome to the Jungle – Class of 2031!

Welcome to my class!

My name is Melissa Dimitriou.  Each year there is always some confusion about how to pronounce my name! The ending of Dimitriou is pronounced like the ending of kangaroo.

I love teaching Kindergarten! This is my seventh year teaching kindergarten and each year I learn more about myself as a teacher and more about what five years old need in order to grow and exceed learning goals. I truly enjoy being the person that gets to introduce your child to the world of learning and to help instill in them a desire to be a life long learner!

Before coming to Haigh Elementary to teach Kindergarten, I taught Kindergarten in Hamtramck. I love my students and their families. It is exciting to watch former students grow up and to have siblings of former students. I love getting to know the community that I work in and growing with the families I teach! I very much believe that the growing your child does throughout the year, is a team effort! This is another reason why I love getting to know all of the families, so that we can work together to provide the best learning environment for each child!

I take pride in creating an atmosphere in which the children feel safe and comfortable. I truly believe that if a child does not feel safe in their environment, they will not learn. I have taken a lot of time to turn my classroom into a jungle! Everything in my room relates to the jungle theme in some way. I have parrots, lions, and gorillas on the wall. My reading groups are named after different jungle animals, and even my classroom jobs are jungle themed with little chameleons! I used to be in room 42 near the lunch room, but last year I relocated and now my classroom is room 8, which is just off the Kindergarten playground. Below are a few pictures of our classroom:

These are the children’s lockers outside of our classroom.

Here is where we meet for carpet time (morning meeting), and where we read stories, participate in sharing circles, and play games. The Promethean board is a great tool for learning and we use it to extend our learning.

This is the “Reading Hut” and that Gorilla is named “Gary.” The children use the containers on the shelf, which are called “book boxes” during our Daily 5 reading time. The children have writing binders, journals, and book pouches in their bins to help them complete tasks during our reading time.

This space is used for “listen to reading” during Daily 5. It is the listening center. When not in use for Daily 5, this table is used to work with children in small groups on reading and math.

This is our computer center. We have 6 Chromebook laptops in the classroom and use them during Daily 5 and Math workshop centers to complete lessons on Reading Eggs and Math Seeds.

This small circle table is used for small group teaching. We have an Early Childhood Specialist (ECS) teacher who comes in and works with children on reading. This is an excellent learning time for students to further their reading skills.

Here is an overview of the classroom. During independent work time, the students sit at the blue desks. This is also where the children eat their snack each day.

Here is a little bit more information about me:

I received my Bachelor’s degree from Oakland University in Elementary Education in 2011 and completed a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Grand Valley State University in 2015. I just completed a second Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from Eastern Michigan University in April of 2018. Last year, I completed over 200 hours of  an administrative internship with Mr. Short and have learned so much about being an effective leader. As you can see, I love to learn and love to foster a love for learning in your children.

I got married on October 4, 2014! My husband is truly my best friend. We try to make each other laugh as much as possible and maintain positive attitudes. My husband and I enjoy traveling together and learning about new places, new cultures, and languages.

George and I on our wedding day!

We have a dog named Ramona and we love spending time with her! She is a Bernese Mountain Dog mixed with a Labrador Retriever. She loves to play in the rain, snow, and her little kiddie pool.  Here are two pictures of her when she was a puppy and a picture of what she looks like now!

I always share updates about my life with the children, so they can feel comfortable with me and with their peers. We take time to do sharing circles so that the children can learn more about each other, as well as practice their speaking and listening skills. We also use the experiences from our lives to help us become writers. As I share about myself with your children, and get to know them, I also want to get to know each of you!

I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you this year! I consider it a privilege to be a part of your child’s learning career and look forward to working as a team to help your child achieve success!