The First Week

September 20, 2021 | Heather Palmer Welesko

Second grade just finished its first week of school. I’m writing this on Friday, September 17, and even at the end of the week, I can say it’s been a wonderful opening week. Here are some of the things we got into.

First, we talked about what we hoped to do. We want to go to art, have field trips, play “Four Corners”, play football, meet and be with the third grade, and go to PE.

With our hopes, we made our covenant. We talked about how sharing a covenant and following a set of rules allows us to do what we want.

Then, we wrote and drew about ourselves. We talked about our favorite things, what surprised us about each other, and our families. We even started talking about where we lived using Google Maps (not pictured here).

We’ve celebrated Jackson’s birthday, established hallway and stair voices, meeting area norms,…and we’re all going to keep working. It’s been a full week.

Heather Palmer Welesko

Literacy and Assistant Teacher, Grades 4 & 5

Heather Welesko has taught at Mustard Seed School for nearly a decade as a literacy and assistant teacher. She has taught literature and writing at Kean University and Harold Washington College of Chicago. Heather holds an MFA in writing and poetry from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MA in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Evangelical Seminary.

Ms. Welesko is enthusiastic about professional development, and has advanced training in the Handwriting Without Tears program; the Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading Program, and the Responsive Classroom/ Development Designs Program through Origin. She continues professional develop through The Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. She’s passionate about literature, creativity, comprehensive education, and believes strongly in teaching identity and diversity awareness and inclusion.

Ms. Welesko is a poet, artist, and yogi, and is still, always learning.

The First Week

Heather Palmer Welesko

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