Born and raised in Boulder, Emmy is a true Colorado girl. She obtained a BA in sociology and music and a MA in elementary education, both from the University of Denver. She taught at Isabella Bird Community School for 2 years in ECE and 1st grade and also has experience as an Expeditionary Learning teacher. As a graduate of Horizons K-8, Emmy is fortunate to work side-by-side with her mentors and childhood teachers. In her free time, Emmy can be found singing, traveling, cooking, hiking with her family’s Golden Retriever, practicing her Spanish, appreciating music, and finding shapes in the clouds while relaxing in a hammock.
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2016-17 Welcome Letter
Dear 3rd and 4th Graders and their Families,
Welcome to our learning community! My name is Emmy and I am super excited to be your teacher this year! I look forward to meeting you on Saturday, August 13 at the school work day and on the first day of school on August 28th. We will spend the first few weeks of school getting to know each other and growing our community. But I also want to tell you a little bit about me before the year begins. I have lived in Colorado my whole life. I love the sunshine and the mountains and I spend a lot of time outside. Sometimes I stroll through the farmer’s market on a lazy Saturday morning or put up my hammock by the creek, other times I take my family’s dog Kona for a hike. I also love to play hide and seek outside. When I was a kid, my dad went on a lot of work trips and everywhere he went, he’d bring me back a traditional doll from that country. These dolls were very special to me and I still have them today. I would pretend that I was a teacher and my dolls were the students. I would stay up past my bedtime reading stories and working through math problems with the dolls.
This summer, I got to take two spectacular trips. My first adventure was to three countries in Scandinavia (on the European continent). I tried new foods, met new people and experienced their cultures and traditions, learned words in different languages, and soaked in the beauty of the Nordic landscape. I even brought a Swedish doll home to add to my collection! My second exploration was to the Grand Canyon in Arizona where I spent 14 days rafting the Colorado River. I learned a lot about the geology, the Earth’s history, and the importance and power of water. We will explore many of these themes in our learning this year too. It was hard work paddling through big rapids and I pushed my body to do things it hadn’t done before. Each day, I took a risk and tried something new, and I was so proud of myself for being brave and pushing myself. AND, I was amazed at what I could accomplish! I can’t wait to share stories of these adventures with you and write about them too. I hope we continue to think about how we can be risk takers every day as learners in the classroom together.
During the first few weeks of school, you are going to see many familiar faces but you will also meet community members. We will work hard at creating a safe space of friends where every person feels that they belong. It is everyone’s job to make sure that all of us feel included and loved in our classroom. What part will you play to make this happen?
I can’t wait to start school and meet everyone, but sometimes I get nervous when I start something new. I am a new teacher at Horizons and I’m new to teaching 3rd and 4th grade (I taught 1st grade last year). When I feel this way, I like to think about when I was a student at Horizons and what made me feel comfortable. I remember everyone laughing together during a funny part in the read aloud. I remember working together to solve a challenging math problem. I remember asking a friend to write a story with me about Outdoor Ed. I remember having buddies and teaching younger students how to tap dance and use sign language for their big performance. My friends, teachers, and Horizons community were always there to help me and that’s what made me feel comfortable and excited to learn. I know that you will once again show me how to do things in Horizons style and I will learn a lot from you – all that makes me excited.
We are going to create a lot of memories together; I can’t wait to get started!
Hugs,
Emmy
Dear 3rd and 4th Graders and their Families,
Welcome to our learning community! My name is Emmy and I am super excited to be your teacher this year! I look forward to meeting you on Saturday, August 13 at the school work day and on the first day of school on August 28th. We will spend the first few weeks of school getting to know each other and growing our community. But I also want to tell you a little bit about me before the year begins. I have lived in Colorado my whole life. I love the sunshine and the mountains and I spend a lot of time outside. Sometimes I stroll through the farmer’s market on a lazy Saturday morning or put up my hammock by the creek, other times I take my family’s dog Kona for a hike. I also love to play hide and seek outside. When I was a kid, my dad went on a lot of work trips and everywhere he went, he’d bring me back a traditional doll from that country. These dolls were very special to me and I still have them today. I would pretend that I was a teacher and my dolls were the students. I would stay up past my bedtime reading stories and working through math problems with the dolls.
This summer, I got to take two spectacular trips. My first adventure was to three countries in Scandinavia (on the European continent). I tried new foods, met new people and experienced their cultures and traditions, learned words in different languages, and soaked in the beauty of the Nordic landscape. I even brought a Swedish doll home to add to my collection! My second exploration was to the Grand Canyon in Arizona where I spent 14 days rafting the Colorado River. I learned a lot about the geology, the Earth’s history, and the importance and power of water. We will explore many of these themes in our learning this year too. It was hard work paddling through big rapids and I pushed my body to do things it hadn’t done before. Each day, I took a risk and tried something new, and I was so proud of myself for being brave and pushing myself. AND, I was amazed at what I could accomplish! I can’t wait to share stories of these adventures with you and write about them too. I hope we continue to think about how we can be risk takers every day as learners in the classroom together.
During the first few weeks of school, you are going to see many familiar faces but you will also meet community members. We will work hard at creating a safe space of friends where every person feels that they belong. It is everyone’s job to make sure that all of us feel included and loved in our classroom. What part will you play to make this happen?
I can’t wait to start school and meet everyone, but sometimes I get nervous when I start something new. I am a new teacher at Horizons and I’m new to teaching 3rd and 4th grade (I taught 1st grade last year). When I feel this way, I like to think about when I was a student at Horizons and what made me feel comfortable. I remember everyone laughing together during a funny part in the read aloud. I remember working together to solve a challenging math problem. I remember asking a friend to write a story with me about Outdoor Ed. I remember having buddies and teaching younger students how to tap dance and use sign language for their big performance. My friends, teachers, and Horizons community were always there to help me and that’s what made me feel comfortable and excited to learn. I know that you will once again show me how to do things in Horizons style and I will learn a lot from you – all that makes me excited.
We are going to create a lot of memories together; I can’t wait to get started!
Hugs,
Emmy
Contact Information
Emmy Kurtz - Teacher
I'm always available to chat in person, by phone, or by email.
Room 129
[email protected]
Franny McHale - Paraprofessional
[email protected]
Rei Tilton - Classroom Liaision
[email protected]
Emmy Kurtz - Teacher
I'm always available to chat in person, by phone, or by email.
Room 129
[email protected]
Franny McHale - Paraprofessional
[email protected]
Rei Tilton - Classroom Liaision
[email protected]