Hello Kindergarten Families!
Thank you so much for all of your flexibility as MPS navigates the continuation of learning during this unprecedented time.
Please reach out to let me know if you're experiencing difficulties so I can assist you.
Dear Kindergarten Families,
Welcome to Dowling School! My name is Jennifer Milano (“Ms. Jen”) and I’m very excited to be your child’s kindergarten teacher this year! Dowling is a wonderful school for your child to learn and grow!
A little bit about me:
I've been an educator for over 20 years. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California where I taught preschool, kindergarten and third grade (Los Angeles Unified School District) for several years prior to coming to Minnesota in 2008. I have a degree in Art and I'm licensed both in Elementary Education and English as a Second Language (in California and Minnesota). When I first arrived in Minnesota, I started teaching at Northrop Urban Environmental School where I spent 8 wonderful years both as a Literacy/Instructional Specialist and as a third grade teacher. I consider myself extremely lucky to be in my 4th year at Dowling School and to be part of an amazing Kindergarten Team.
Outside of school, I love spending time with family and friends. I have two amazing daughters; one is in high school and the other is in middle school! It's unbelievable how fast children grow up. We love going to our home state of California or to Florida's beaches (when it’s possible). I enjoy dance, music, language, and art. I've been continously trying to improve my Spanish as well! I have a strong passion for the environment and believe all people are responsible for caring for it and understanding how much we need nature. I am definitely a major tree and bee advocate and hope to strengthen my students' understanding of the importance of both.
We have a fabulous kindergarten team and plan to make communication between home and school a priority in order to support your student’s learning. Each week, our team will send updates to families regarding programming and other important information. We will also post updates on our team and classroom webpages. If you have questions or concerns about any of the information you receive or about your child’s performance, please do not hesitate to contact me (use the Remind app or e-mail).
Thank you in advance for your support, and thanks for reading!
Love,
Ms. Jen :-)
Daily Learning: To find your classrooms, connect directly with Seesaw through Clever or Google Classroom.
Check out the Distance Learning site for the Daily Learning links, technology support, student supports and other important information.
Connect with your teachers.
Login to Student Portal or Parent Portal.
*Learn about the MPS 5 Phases to Safe Learning.
Info on FREE school meal boxes and locations.
UPDATED SCHEDULE WILL BE POSTED
Distance Learning ~ Kindergarten
* It will help children to have a predictable schedule each day.
* Please take snacks/movement/lunch breaks as needed throughout the day.
* Please have your child visit the Seesaw Classroom through Clever each day for information, lessons and activities. clever online
8:40 - 9:00 Seesaw, Daily Greeting, Independent Work
9:20 - 10:00 Live Morning Meeting
1. Go to meet.google.com or find the Google Meet icon in Clever
2. Enter the nickname: msjen
12:30 - 1:10 Seesaw, Dreambox, Lexia, Independent Work, 1:1 Assessments
1:10 - 2:05 Specialist
2:05 - 3:00 Student & Family Engagement (reach out through email / Remind to meet, get help with work, etc)
Formal homework in kindergarten is optional, but I encourage you to read with your child every day!
PBS Kids
Fun Brain Jr.
Use "Book Wizard" to find out the guided reading level of many books!
These are some of our class favorites! Remember, these are youtube links, so you'll have to manage your ad settings, etc. :-)
Traditional Brazilian Folk Dance
Riverdance
Arnie the Doughnut (story)
Sheku Kanneh Mason cello player
Native Flute Music
Flamenco Guitarist & Group
Native American Hoop Dance
Time to Say Goodbye: Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli
Sonah Jobarteh & Band: West African music
Native Flute Solo: R. Carlos Nakai
How to Powwow Dance for Kids
Keali'i Reichel: Hawaiian Music live