Kindergarten Gulledge Elementary


Curriculum Overview

Jayne Myhre	Marcia Bearden
Sharon Patton	Regina Smith
Yatarra Davis

Jayne Myhre

Jayne Myhre has been teaching kindergarten in Plano since 1992 where she started at Brinker and then opened Robinson and Gulledge Schools. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Development from Iowa State University. An Elementary Education Certificate was earned from Chapman College in California. Mrs. Myhre received her master’s degree in Elementary Education and a Gifted and Talented Endorsement from the University of North Texas during the summer of 1998.
E-mail her at jayne.myhre@pisd.edu

Marcia Bearden

Marcia Bearden graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a specialization in Early Childhood Education. She taught Kindergarten in Tyler for many years before coming to Plano in 2002.
E-mail her at marcia.bearden@pisd.edu

Regina Smith

Regina Smith has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Special Education specialization and a Kindergarten Endorsement from Baylor University. She also has a Master's Degree in Education from Texas Christian University. She has taught Special Education in PISD before joining Gulledge in 2004.

E-mail her at regina.smith@pisd.edu

Sharon Patton

Mrs. Patton grew up in Illinois just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from Evangel College in Springfield, Missouri with a double major in Elementary and Special Education. Mrs. Patton’s teaching experience spans ten years. This school year is her third year at Gulledge Elementary.

E-mail her at sharon.patton@pisd.edu

Yatarra Davis

Yatarra Davis attended Southern Methodist University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and completed the Teacher’s Certification Program in Early Childhood-4. She began teaching Kindergarten in 2005.

E-mail her at yatarra.davis@pisd.edu

Kindergarten Curriculum

First Six Weeks
“Off to a ‘Beary’ Good Start!”
Overarching Concept: Balance and Stability:
The students are introduced to the mascot, Buddy Bear. The need for rules, safety, and classroom procedures will be related to creating harmony within the classroom. Students learn procedures for cooperative work.

Second Six Weeks
“All Aboard For Systems”
Overarching Concept: Systems
Our mascot is Eli Engine. The students will learn what a system is and explore many different systems. These will include a pen, household appliances, art, numbers, the alphabet, and music. Students will work cooperatively to create a system.

Third Six Weeks
“How Do I Learn About My World?”
Overarching Concept: Communication
Kasey Kangaroo is our mascot for this unit. The students learn several strategies to help them learn about their world. Objects are explored, sorted and classified. They become good observers as they learn to use their senses, measure, use scientific tools, and ask questions. Students learn different ways to communicate their information.

Fourth Six Weeks
“What’s the Connection?”
Overarching Concept: Interactions
Sandy Spider creeps into our lives as she helps us learn about connections. A connection can mean joining parts together or a relationship between ideas. Students learn the connections between music and activities, weather and clothing, and healthy habits and wellness. The main focus of this unit is the animal research center in which students explore the connections between animal body parts and how animals eat, move, and protect themselves.

Fifth Six Weeks
“What’s Alike? / What’s Different?”
Overarching Concept: Diversity
To introduce the unit, the mascots, Tom (a cat) and Trixie (a dog) are compared. The students learn “diversity” means the ways objects, animals, plants and people are unique. Students formulate criteria for living and non living things and explore home and habitat diversity.