Full-Time Kindergarten Conference

Full-Time Kindergarten Conference

Thank you to everyone for your help and support of our Full-Time Kindergarten Conference held on August 9-10 on the campus of Carroll College in Helena.

It was great to see so much interest in this conference and I am happy we were able to provide this opportunity to over 200 educators.  We had conference participants from 83 different school districts representing a broad range of educators including Kindergarten teachers, principals, trustees, county superintendents, district superintendents, Title I educators, paraprofessionals, and special education teachers.

This conference gave participants the opportunity to hear from International Early Childhood Expert, Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, and from other Montana educators. We are thankful we had many great presenters and appreciate the time they dedicated to this conference.  I know many are eager to get copies of their presentations so included on this page are links to everything this Full-Time Kindergarten Conference had to offer.

If you have questions or suggestions for breakout topics for next summer, please contact Tara Jensen or call 406-444-3559.

Conference Agenda

Keynote Speaker Bio:  Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan, Ed.D.

Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan – Keynote address

Great Falls Public Schools Panel Discussion Handouts
Great Falls Public Schools Guide

Dave Nelson – Box Elder Elementary Principal - Full-Time Kindergarten at Box Elder Elementary

Marni Napierala, Instructional Coach for Great Falls Public Schools and Amber Rausch, Kindergarten Teacher at Sunnyside Elementary - Discovery Based Math

Terri Middagh – Kindergarten Teacher at Bryant Elementary in Helena and Karen Mikota – Kindergarten Teacher at Broadwater Elementary in Helena - Day in the Life of a Full-Time Kindergarten Teacher with a Developmental Approach

Joe McMahon – East Helena Elementary Principal - Eastgate Elementary School's Full-Time Kindergarten Program

Carol Mielke – Differentiation Instructor – Differentiation

Kathi Tiefenthaler – OPI Reading First Specialist - DIBELS: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy

Jill Christensen and Lindsey Wicks – Kindergarten Teachers at Valley View Elementary in Great Falls – Day in the Life of a Full-Time Kindergarten Teacher with an Academic Approach PowerPoint and Handouts

Tara Ferriter-Smith – OPI Instructional Strategy Specialist – Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

If you have questions, please contact Tara Jensen at tjensen@mt.gov or call 406-444-3559.