So many smiling faces on our first day of school today! 😃 Thank you to our amazing Ames PTA for organizing such a FUN first day assembly; our students and staff had a blast dancing and singing to kick off the new school year! #amesdolphins
Our 1st and 2nd grade teams are ready for the first day of school! We can't wait to see you all tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8 AM! #amesdolphins
Meet more of our new Ames Dolphin staff members! #amesdolphins
Hi, Ames families! My name is Kate Ditsworth and I'll be teaching Kindergarten at Ames this year. I have a B.S. In Elementary Ed from University of Vermont and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from University of Illinois. This will be my 10th year teaching elementary grades. My hobbies include cooking, running, and yoga. My favorite book is anything by Celeste Ng.
My favorite quote is "If you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." - Conan O'Brien
Hello, Ames community! My name is Soo Schmidt. I will be working as a new Early Learner school social worker for this school year. I received a Masters in Social Work at Loyola University in Chicago. In my free time I love to walk and bike. Over the summer I had so much fun visiting South Korea with my family! I'm so excited to start a new journey and meet all the Ames families!!
Hi Ames Community! My name is Mary Taormino, and I am so excited to join Ames staff this year as a Resource Teacher. I hold a Master’s in Teaching and an LBS1 endorsement, and I’ve been working in education for 7 years. I’ve also taught 2nd grade, 4th grade, Kindergarten, and preschool.
Outside of teaching, I love running, biking, yoga, and making art. I spent most my summer on a farm in central Illinois, where I grew vegetables and enjoyed time outdoors. It is difficult to choose one favorite book, but right now, I’m reading Judy Heumann’s memoir, Being Heumann. She was a disability rights activist whose advocacy was instrumental in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Her story is powerful and I highly recommend learning about her.
I can’t wait to continue building connections with students and families this school year.
Julie has been spotted reading! She's reading "Home Sweet Motel." Thank you to all of our Ames dolphins who shared their summer reads with us; we can't wait to see you in person soon! #amesdolphins
Calling all Kindergarten families! Bring a blanket and snack or lunch and join us for a special welcome picnic. Don’t forget to bring your child’s favorite stuffy, too. There will be a fun bingo activity and a chance to meet Principal Gierman, our all of our Kindergarten teachers, and get a picture with Bubbles the Dolphin!
Don’t forget to wear the color corresponding to you Kindergarten classroom:
❤️ Ms. Ditsworth – Red
🤍 Ms. Kinkin – White
💙 Ms. McPherson – Blue
We can’t wait to see you there, welcome you into the Ames family, and make sure your little one has an unforgettable year at Ames!
The Teacher Meet & Greet is in exactly TWO weeks!! Join us on Tuesday, August 19th from 8:15-9 AM to drop off your school supplies and meet your new teacher! #amesdolphins
Arianna from Mrs. De Simone's class is reading "My Pony" because she loves horses! If you like horses, too, then this might be a great book for you to read! #amesdolphins
Georgia (soon to be 1st grader) is reading on vacation in Northern Michigan this week! Every summer she gets to chose one book from The Cottage Book Shop. This year she chose “The Fuzzy Duckling” and sat right down for a read in the woods! Keep it up, Georgia! #amesdolphins
It’s Teacher Tip Tuesday! Mrs. Sulita is here to remind us to find peace of mind by spending time in nature this summer! She spent time hiking and kayaking in upstate New York. Did you know that spending time outdoors can significantly improve mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, boosting mood, and enhancing cognitive function? #amesdolphins
Lucy has been reading a lot this summer and wanted to share a couple of photos! Here she is reading Magic Tree House: The Knight At Dawn, a graphic novel. Keep reading every night, Dolphins!
Rising 1st grader Leo has been loving “The Bad Guys” series this summer! He is now on book #12 of the series. He is also proudly showing off that he just lost his first tooth! :-)
Joel and Jes are reading every day even while being on vacation in Albania to see their grandparents!
Send your summer reading pics to collinsc@district96.org.
Hannah is very cozy with her stuffed animals reading the Bad Guys Series, Volume 18 “Look Who’s Talking” by: Aaron Blabey!
Do you have a favorite summer read? Send it to collinsc@district96.org!
Nolan M. (Kindergarten) has been spotted reading Fly Guy presents Dinosaurs! 🦕🦖
Vinny (3rd grade) is enjoying reading lots of books about Minecraft this summer! This one is the first in a new series, and it’s called Secrets of an Overworld Survivor: Lost in the Jungle by Greyson Mann.
Share your favorite summer read with the Ames community by sending your picture to collinsc@district96.org!
Incoming 2nd grader Adeline has been spotted reading! She loves reading everyday and they visit the library every week! One of the books she is reading is Love Puppies! This book is about a new puppy named Samnang who is learning to deal with bullying at puppy school.
Want to share your favorite book with the Ames community? Take a picture and send it to collinsc@district96.org.
This adorable Dolphin Duo has been spotted reading! Brothers Clark and Archie spent some time this morning reading together. They are reading a household favorite, Bathe The Cat by Alice B McGinty.
If your child has been spotted reading this summer, please send your picture to collinsc@district96.org.
