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WISH A Whole Scholar
Approach to Education

Grade Pages » Kindergarten

Kindergarten

Meet the Kindergarten Team:
 
Ms. Everakes
Julie Everakes is delighted to be joining WISH as a kindergarten teacher! She earned her BA from Loyola Marymount University in Film & Television Production. Having spent years as a tutor, camp counselor, and nanny, Ms. Everakes (or Ms. E) realized how much she missed working with kids and returned to Pepperdine University, where she received her teaching credential and Masters in Teaching. Ms. E loves teaching students, writing and fostering an appreciation for stories and storytelling. Watching students' creativity and curiosity grow is one of Ms. E's favorite aspects of teaching. When not in the classroom, Ms. E enjoys watching TV (with a big bowl of chocolate ice cream), FaceTiming her family and dogs in Chicago, and going on walks. She thinks WISH is a wonderful place to teach because of the strong community of staff and involved families that work together to help all students learn and grow!
 
Mr. Gleason
Kyle Gleason is thrilled to be teaching Kindergarten at WISH! Mr. Gleason earned his BA degree from UC Santa Cruz and his Masters in Education and teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University.  He decided to become a teacher because of his desire to foster the love of learning that he shares in all of his students. His favorite subject to teach is writing, because he loves to see the creativity and growth of each student as a writer. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, camping, and skateboarding.  He thinks WISH is the best place to work because it is so innovative and collaborative!
 
Ms. Hall
Haylee Hall is super excited to be return to the WISH kindergarten team after teaching 1st grade last year! Ms. Hall earned her BA in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and her teaching credential at Loyola Marymount University. She is currently finishing up her Master's in Policy and Administration, also at LMU. Ever since she was little, she was drawn towards taking care of children younger than her, and she would always play "teacher" with my friends. Ms. Hall's favorite thing to do in her free time is riding horses. She has been a competitive horseback rider since she was 10! In general, animals are Ms. Hall's favorite things- she has a black cat names Finnegan and a Doberman named Marge that she loves to spend time with. She is beyond excited to start teaching at WISH and is already feeling very welcomed by the supportive team of staff members.
 
 
Mr. B
Steve Brostowitz is adrenalized to be teaching as the special education teacher for Kindergarten, and 1st grade here at WISH! He earned his BA degree and single subject in social sciences from Illinois State University and his special ed. teaching credential from CSUN and clear credential through CSUDH.  He decided to become a teacher because he enjoys helping students learn. His favorite subject to teach is phonics because there are so many fun games to play and characters to dress as! In his free time, he enjoys exercising and watching sports. He thinks WISH is the best place to work because of the people!
 
Learn more about the Kindergarten program:
 
The Kindergarten Program at WISH Charter Elementary emphasizes individualized instruction tailored to students academic and socio-emotional needs and goals. Using technology, research-based practices, and a constructivist approach, WISH's Kindergarten program makes learning relevant and engaging for a wide array of students.

Through song and dance, technology and art, scientific inquiry and math literature, kindergarteners learn about the world around them through exploration and real world examples. At WISH, we regularly practice the skills that are the foundation of instruction- reading, writing and mathematics. However, our students do not simply learn letters and numbers, they apply their knowledge regularly through Reader's and Writer's Workshop- a balanced literacy approach.  Students are not only empowered to learn the rudiments of language, they are empowered to write and share their own narrative stories, how-to books, review writing, and more through our units of study. In Kindergarten, we work together to provide instruction that is standards based, but designed with your child in mind.