My name is Melissa Simianer. I have 2 wonderful children, Oliver and Alayne. My French Bulldog is named Gertrude, and is full of spunk. My family loves to camp, play and go on adventures wherever life takes us. I have my Masters in Arts Integration, and love to inspire kids to see their artistic abilities, and give them the tools to be creative, collaborative, compassionate, and kind through a program I have created, Beauty and the Book!

In first grade we learn SO many fun things. You can expect to learn about Sound, Light, Space, Animals and their adaptations, Plants, Addition and Subtraction, Time to the half hour, attributes of a 2-D and 3-D shape, collecting and analyzing data, measurement of an object, visual arts, dance, theater skills, reading and decoding, comprehension, word attack skills, sight words, and so much more... We love to venture out of the school building and make learning meaningful when possible. We love to end our year with a field trip to Bonner Park.

I look forward to teaming together on this learning journey with you and your learner! We are a team and it is important to me that all players are involved in making this the most successful school year for your child. I use an app called Remind. Please download the app and join our class. I use this app to send our important reminders, updates, and you can reach out to me easily through it as well with questions, comments, and to touch base with day to day things. I also use a communication folder "Blue Folder" that will come home everyday and should be returned to the classroom every morning. This folder will include reminders, information from the school, homework, and daily work. Homework is always optional. It can be done at your leisure and should not be returned to school. It is to be used as additional practice as you see fits best in your families routine and schedule.