I just wanted to welcome you personally to our UWEC Children’s Nature Academy and the
Monarch-Woodland classroom. We are getting ready for an exciting year of “fun learning!”
Hi there! My name is Michelle Kooiker (Koy-ker). I will be your child’s preschool teacher and I
am very excited to work with you and your children in the upcoming year! Let me tell you a little
bit about myself. I am married 20+ years to Ross Kooiker who is a “Direct Marketing
Consultant” (in other words, a sales person). I am a mother of 2 beautiful children (yet what
child isn’t?), Hannah 10th grade, Seth 7th grade. I graduated from UW Stout 19 years ago in
Early Childhood Education, (birth-grade 3) and have continued my education here at UWEC
with 20+ grad credits. I have worked in the Early Childhood setting at Luther Hospital as a Child
Care Provider, a 2nd -3rd combined grade teacher at Liberty Christian School, an in-home
childcare provider, a parent volunteer in my own children’s classrooms, a substitute teacher in
the E.C. area, and as a Research Assessor for the EC4T program. I currently teach 2 half day
Pre-K classes at UWEC. I have done so for the past 6+ years and love it. I am a hobby
photographer & a perennial gardener. We have a dog, named Kona; a large Airedale Terrier
whom is considered the 5th member of our family. I love to watch my son play AYSO & United
soccer, my daughter play her sax in the Old Abe band, and just hang out with family and
friends!
We will kick off the year with an Open House on September 4th & 5th to give you a tour of
the center and answer any questions you may have! Children will come into our classroom for
a story & activity time and parents meet with Rebecca (Becky) Wurzer, UWEC Children’s
Nature Academy Director, for one of the morning or afternoon power point sessions. Feel free
to invite extended family/friends at this time that may or may not be commuting your child. We
can get their fingerprints ready for our computer security system at this time. If you have your
classroom supplies purchased please bring them at this time and place them in your child’s
locker. Please note there will be accidents of all kinds and it helps ease the awkwardness of
the preschooler if they have their own clothes to change into. These clothes should be kept in
each child’s locker throughout the year. You will be given a school calendar, background
information on our upcoming year, and information on the Children’s Nature Academy at that
time!
Here are a few suggestions I would like to pass on to ensure a smooth transition into our
preschool. Please don’t dress your child in his/her best clothes due to the messy projects we
regularly experience. I do appreciate girls in “play” dresses and would suggest they wear
shorts under them. Also, please refrain from having your child wear any open toed shoes
such as flip flops or high healed dress shoes, due to the stairs & nature inspired playground.
Finally, please have your children wash their hands & use the bathroom across the hall
before they walk into the classroom to keep everyone strong and healthy! Thanks! (We will be
discussing sunscreen & bug spray at the open house also.)
Our classroom will have 2 assistant teachers. They are very important in our classrooms and
provide a great teacher to student ratio. These UWEC students bring wonderful interests and
talents to the classes. Please try to take time to meet the students who will be working with
your child.
Ms. Kelly Micolichek (our Assistant Director) will be emailing you with a link weekly
(usually on Friday afternoons) to view weekly lesson plans, monthly newsletters, “All About Me”
schedules, Ms. Becky’s (our directors) newsletters, recyclables-needed lists, etc… Please let
me or Kelly know if you’d like a paper copy at any time or if you are having trouble with
receiving these emails.
Birthday’s are a special time for many children and I will be giving you an opportunity to
bring in a “treat” for child in one form or another during the week of his/her birthday (or at the
end of the year for summer birthdays.) We would love to encourage a hardcover book to add to
our library with your child’s name written on the inside cover and read on their special day or a
treat/small toy to go home with each child vs. cupcakes. Thank You for your cooperation!
My “Behavior Plan” is a very simple one. My expectations for each child are to:
1. Be Safe, 2. Be kind & Respectful (polite), 3. Be responsible & make good choices.
If there are issues in any one of these areas I will give a child a reminder of the expectation and
if he/she doesn’t want to change the behavior I will offer to “sit” with him/her later during free
time and come up with a “fix-it” plan. We will discuss and draw a picture of why it’s not OK to
continue in the behavior and how it makes me & or others sad. Then we will draw a picture of
what we will do instead and how it makes me happy. I’ll be sure to make a copy of it and
discuss it with you. It’s not to be used to shame a child but rather to talk about and encourage
the child’s positive plan and behavior!
There will also be opportunities to order books from scholastic Book Orders. I’ll have them due
approx on the 15th of the month so that they will be back in your hands quickly. September’s
will be on your child’s locker and due Monday, September 17th. You can also go online to
www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and use Class Activation Code: GP3DM.
I can’t wait to get started as I am looking forward to working with your children immensely!
My Best- Ms. Michelle