Dear Editor,
From the moment you are greeted by Ms. Siddoway you are embraced with warmth, kindness, love and passion. After 18 years of being a teacher at Kullerstrand Elementary, her passion for teaching continues to grow.
My son had Ms. Siddoway for first grade, he started her class as a remote student in August of 2020. It was difficult for all, but especially hard on the teachers. However, with her positive, smiling face we looked forward to seeing her every day on that little screen. We couldn’t have gotten through those challenging days without her passion. That is what’s so endearing about her, her passion! She has a gift to connect with students on their common interests: animals, sports, books, movies. She tries to pull that into her curriculum to keep that student engaged.
Ms. Siddoway sees the benefits of small schools. Through the years her class sizes have varied, but she sees value is the smaller classroom. It allows her to connect with the students on an individual basis and truly provide the support they need to succeed! With the small school, the community feels like a family to her.
The teachers at Kullerstrand continuously collaborate and they do not stop caring about their students once they move onto the next grade level. The teachers and staff at Kullerstrand are fully invested in the wellbeing and whole child development.
When Ms. Clay (principal) started at Kullerstrand she implemented PBIS Rewards, which is a management system that assists the school in their positive behavior interventions and support program.
Ms. Siddoway was blown away from the results of this program. She said “it changed the culture of Kullerstrand.” The teachers started using more positive language and reinforcement. Instead of saying “Don’t run in the hallways” they would say “I like the way you’re walking.” The students earn tickets for good behavior, which can be used to shop at the Ram Shack, Camp Fun and Games, lunch with a teacher, making a craft, playing outside, or even allowing them to invite a friend from another classroom to join them.
This positivity is felt from the moment you walk into the school, and as a mother of three, I see how my oldest son provides encouraging words and positive feedback to his younger siblings (third grader and two in kindergarten) at home.
Ms. Siddoway values the partnership with the community and the PTA, which has made a major impact on the school’s community over the past several years. Kullerstrand is a wonderful community to be a part of, it’s tiny but it is MIGHTY!
–Melissa Jacobson, Wheat Ridge, Kullerstrand PTA board.
