Hello, I'm Mrs. DeGrazio. I was born and raised here in Colorado, growing up in the Thornton area. My husband Michael and I have been married for six years now. We have a two year old son, James. We adore him, and can't wait to welcome our second child,Violet in July! We have really enjoyed becoming parents! It is a dream come true! On the weekends we spend most of our time with family and friends. We are very fortunate that they are all here in Colorado with us.
The first thing I say about myself is that I am a wife and a mommy! My family is everything to me and I talk about them often. Don’t be surprised if you hear stories or see journal entries about us throughout the year! Besides being a wife and mom, I love crafting, baking/cooking, reading, traveling and being active. If I wasn’t living my dream of being a mom and teacher, I would be party planning where I could craft and bake all the time. This summer we stayed in Colorado and did many fun outdoor activities. We went camping, watched many movies and concerts in the park, and spent time at the pool. What can I say, we are natives and now have a son that is a native!! This will be my 5th year with The Academy Kindergarten team, however I am a proud alumni of The Academy . I love to say “being a wildcat is in my blood”. I never imagined teaching at the school I attended K-12th grade, but once I started pursuing a teaching career, The Academy is where I dreamed I would teach! I attended Metropolitan State University for my Bachelor's degree. Being a teacher was my dream, and I am proud to say, I never changed my mind in college. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite subject, which makes teaching Kindergarten so fun for me. I love seeing what these students can achieve, and I have such high expectations for all of them. I am known to have strong classroom management, and I, like my students, thrive with routines and consistent expectations. If you and I can work together to stay consistent and reinforce expectations, it will help the year run smoothly. With that said, I also have a lot of fun with the students: singing songs, dancing, playing games, doing art projects, having lunch dates, making crafts, sharing stories, etc... It’s all about balance. A highlight from last year was receiving recognition on 9-news during “thank your kindergarten teacher day”. I hope to become the favorite teacher for your child, and the one they never forget! I believe each child is unique and has their own way of learning. I will strive to fit all learning styles in my classroom. I will build a personal relationship with your child, and I will help them be successful in school, and play. It is my philosophy that I am here to serve my students and their families. I think we are apart of a great community, and I am proud to be a Wildcat. Growing up I was able to have many opportunities working with the elementary glade level students in the elementary program at my church, and in schools and programs. I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, and am truly blessed to live out my career dream! I cannot see myself doing anything else!!! I am very excited to be spending this year with you and your Kindergartner. I love working with this age group and getting to see all they can achieve when given high expectations, TLC, and an environment that brings out their best abilities. Kindergarten is a very rewarding grade level because I get to share in many new milestones and "aha" moments with your student. I love to see the excitement on their faces and their love for school and their teacher! I cannot wait to meet them :) |