Welcome!

One of my favorite places is and always will be Lake Michigan!  You will notice many special rocks in the Otter Room that have been discovered on our sandy beaches.  I actually enjoy ALL beaches!  I also enjoy reading, walking, yoga, biking, gardening, cooking and baking. 

We have lived in Brighton for 26 years.  We have 3 children who all attend or attended Brighton Area Schools with our oldest son graduating in 2014, our daughter graduated this year and our younger son is a senior. We can be found at track and cross country meets throughout the year.  We also have 2 dogs: Hank, a yellow lab and Sonic, a chocolate lab who you will probably hear stories about!

This is my 12th year teaching Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten in Brighton, and my second year teaching full day Junior Kindergarten.  My previous teaching experience includes teaching 1st-3rd grades in Albion, which is also where I grew up and I received my BA from Albion College.  I continued my education at Wayne State University where I received my Masters in Teaching and special endorsement in Early Childhood Education.

Over the last few years, I have attended several Design Thinking for Educators Workshops. Design Thinking provides a structure for problem solving and collaboration and can be applied in many different settings, including the classroom.  I am also participating in a book study for Making Thinking Visible by Ron Ritchhart.  Both inspire the development of creativity, comprehension, thinking and a positive culture in a safe learning environment.  You might hear me ask your young learners: "What makes you say that?" or "How might we?".

I have also been inspired by the books Loose Parts and Tinkerlab (both great for parents, too).  "Playing with loose parts and tinkering capture children's curiosity and spark creativity and innovation."  And also Unwritten

I am looking forward to another year filled with JOY, play, wonder, tinkering and learning. 

Warmly,

Jeri Kay Thomas