The Kindergarten Team includes:
Teacher: Denice Arroyo |
Hi! My name is Denice Arroyo. I grew up in Northern Virginia and love living in the DC area. I have been teaching kindergarten for 10 years and each year has been an adventure. My favorite thing about teaching young children is how much they grow and change in the short time I get to be their teacher. I feel so privileged to be many students first teacher and I hope to instill a love of learning. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy shopping, spending time with my family and hanging out with my sweet dog, Sloane. |
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Hello! Hola! My name is Danielle Anctil and this is my 19th year teaching Kindergarten with Arlington Public Schools. I love teaching reading and singing poems and songs with my students. I believe all students are unique and learn in different ways and look forward to helping each individual learner do their best. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy going to jazzercise, gardening, and attending musical productions. |
Teacher: Krystal Spraggins |
Hi, my name is Krystal Spraggins. I have been in education for a little over two decades. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy reading, going to the movies, shopping, and spending time with my children, Kristian and Kayden. |
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Assistant: Maria Contreras |
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Assistant: Kelly Kremposky |
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Assistant: Marina Benitez |
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Special Education Teacher: David Groh |
Hi! My name is David Groh. I grew up in Maryland but have lived in Northern Virginia since graduating college. This is my 10th year teaching and my fourth year teaching at Barcroft. Before Barcroft I worked with middle school students. Last year, I got married and am enjoying married life. When I am not teaching, I enjoy watching and attending sporting events, as well as spending time at Virginia Beach with family. |
Teacher: Danielle Anctil
Kindergarten Year at a Glance
Theme: Cooperation
Quarter |
Theme |
Topics |
| 1st | Citizenship | Citizenship, Wants/Needs, Resources, Jobs |
| 2nd | Past and Present | Famous People and Holidays, Past and Present, Five Senses, Physical Properties |
| 3rd | The World Around Us | Geography, America, Magnets, Shadows |
| 4th | Changes and Cycles | Living Things, Water, Patterns, Change Over Time, Scientific Investigation |
Classroom Instruction
- Language arts instruction includes an hour of PALS (phonemic awareness literacy screening) instruction each day
- Students are grouped based on ongoing assessments
- Each small group will meet with the teacher four times a week during P.A.L.S instruction time
- Word study, concept of print, phonology, handwriting, letter/sounds, and rhyming are taught during this time
- Students wi
ll practice writing daily, focusing on stretching out words and using spacing, punctuation, and sentence variation. - Students will be engaged in shared, guided, and independent reading and writing daily.
- Teachers read aloud from a variety of texts, including poems, fiction and non-fiction on a daily basis.
- In Mathematics, students will learn to count, classify, sequence, sort, match, and experiment with math through hands-on investigations.
- Experiences are presented in a way which allows students to discover how mathematical concepts can be used in interdisciplinary ways.
- Opportunities are given for students to answer open-ended questions and extend thinking.
- Instruction from specialists in music, physical education, art, Spanish, and library are provided.
