Welcome To KINDERGARTEN
We are excited about the chance to count you among the thousands of families who call our school home. You are about to discover what many parents have already found out about us: Texas Leadership is a safe, educational, Leader-In-Me, fun place to be!
Our vision is to see students at all ages T-H-R-I-V-E.
Students in Kindergarten are discovering more about the world around them and diving into the fundamentals of Math, Reading, Science exploration and all that encompasses the neat world of Social Studies.
Kindergarten at Texas Leadership will set your child up for success as they go beyond the Kinder classroom and grow from First Grade all the way through High School Graduation.
Mastering The Foundation | Curriculum Resources
Our classrooms are filled with engaging elements that combine technology with hands-on learning. We pride ourselves in seeing a high percentage of our Kindergarten students transform each day and exceed State Standards year-over-year.
Classes and Activities |
Mathematics • Science • Reading • Writing • Comprehension
Social Studies • Physical Education • Leadership • Music
Pearson myView Reading |
Engages students by introducing thematic units that allow for the integration of social studies and science across the curriculum. While focusing on various themes, students explore concepts about themselves, their community, and their world. Students learn skills to maintain a healthy inter- and intra-personal lifestyle. Through the thematic units, students are encouraged to express themselves through various mediums, learn the joy of reading as they discover diverse works of literature, and develop sophistication in the use of oral and written language as they engage in meaningful discussion and authentic writing. The myView program integrates instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, fluency and letter formation.
Really Great Reading (Phonics Program ) |
Provides educators with the tools and knowledge to teach all students (not just those who learn easily) to read. Really Great Reading makes assessment and grouping practical, efficient and accurate. Our approach to reading instruction is research-based, interactive, explicit, structured, and multisensory. In our lessons, students not only learn to read, but enjoy the intelligent learning process.
Go Math |
A comprehensive mathematics program that builds on prior learning with an approach that provides deep, long-term mastery of the content and skills taught. The program emphasizes Essential Questions and Big Ideas with depth of understanding as the goal.
The Classroom Experience |
- “Morning Meeting” Time: Children experience a sense of belonging, practice communication skills, and are introduced to new concepts and materials through strategies such as shared reading and writing, calendar math and group discussion.
- Whole-Group Lessons: We know that some skills and concepts need to be taught to the whole group together, followed by the opportunity for independent practice while the teacher visits students at their tables.
- Read-Aloud: Children learn about each component of literacy as they listen to and discuss high-interest texts related to units of study.
- Learning Centers: Development is supported through hands-on exploration of important literacy and mathematics concepts while a teacher circulates to monitor and further learning.
- Small Groups: Teachers provide lessons to small groups that reinforce essential skills, and reteach or enrich as necessary.
- Snack and Lunch Time: Children practice self-care routines, help distribute materials and clean up, and enjoy time to socialize.
- Outdoor Play: All areas of development are supported as children explore and play on the playground.
- Kindergarten Electives/”Specials” | Library, Music, Art, Physical Education (P.E), and Library.
Meet Our Kindergarten Teachers!
This will be my 7th year teaching, I have been at TLCA Abilene since it opened its doors in 2015. I graduated high school in 1985, received my Bachelor’s Degree from ACU in 2005. I did Speech Therapy for 7 years. I begin teaching kindergarten at TLCA-Abilene on October of 2016-2017 school year. I grew up in Haskell County, (Weinert, Tx.) I have lived in Abilene for 21 years.
I have been married to my husband, Randy, for 16 years. I have three children, Samantha (McMurry University 2015) Baleigh (Texas Tech University 2020) and now attending UTA, and Jarrett (Texas Tech University 2020).
MEET MRS. JIMENEZ |
Hello future Texas Leadership family! My name is Amy Jimenez and I am happy and excited to continue teaching Kindergarten again! I love this age group and it brings great joy to my heart when I see how much my students grow throughout the school year with all their learning abilities and strengths. We will be learning so much and having lots of FUN! We will learn how to incorporate phonics skills into our structure of reading and then apply them into writing. I love math, so this will be fun teaching them how to say and recognize their numbers and learn how to apply them into deeper learning such as adding and subtracting, and so much more. I love teaching about our historical leaders during Social Studies and how they relate to our world of learning. We will also do experiments with hands-on in Science. I cannot wait to begin learning with your child and having fun while doing it!!
On a personal note, I have been married for 13 years to my husband, Mark Jimenez. I have a daughter (Felysha Walker) who is a Graduate and employee at Texas A&M; and a nephew (Kaiden Castillo) who will be a Junior next year.
I cannot wait to meet you and get to know YOUR family! Let me be the first to say, welcome to our TLCA Family!!
MEET MRS. REED |
Hello future Texas Leadership family! My name is Kelly and I have been teaching for the past 16 years. I have taught Pre-K as well as Kindergarten. I just love getting to teach Kindergarten, there are so many “FIRST’s” that I get to be a part of, and that is just so special! I love seeing when they write their name for the first time. Or when they figure out that they do know all of the letters and sounds of the alphabet. Now when it gets really good is when they start reading and you can see it on their face how excited they are, that “I can read!” Oh that is just so exciting! We also get to have fun in Math, working with numbers so that we can add and subtract, that’s really fun. As you can tell... we have so much FUN learning in Kindergarten!
On a personal note, I have been married to my amazing husband , Ryan Reed, for the past 15 years and we have one son (Landry). In our free time you will most likely find us at the golf course. My son is quite the golfer, as of right now he has over 40 trophies. So needless to say we love us some golf!
I can't wait to meet you and get to know YOUR family! Let me be the first to say, welcome to ours!!
MEET MRS. VERDEN |
My name is Tatianna Verden. I am 26 years old and was born and raised in Abilene. I attended Bowie, Madison and then graduated from Cooper High School. This town has blessed me with amazing teachers that loved their career choices and made learning fun. I was in awe of how much passion they had for teaching and it inspired me to pursue a career in education. I attended Texas State University and received my Bachelors of Science in Ints-Curriculum and Instruction in 2016.
I have always wanted to be a teacher. Now that this dream is my reality, I couldn’t imagine loving something so much. This will be my fourth year teaching, third year in kindergarten. I truly believe teaching kinder is my true calling and I love every second of it. I have been lucky to teach at TLCA from the very beginning of my career. Our school is one of a kind and the culture that we have amongst the students and stuff is truly a blessing.
On a personal note, I have been married to my high school sweet heart, of 10 years, for 3 years now. We have two fur babies named Bentley (cavapoo) and Stella (yorkiepoo) that are spoiled rotten. We are also expecting twins in October 2020. A boy (Emerson) and a girl (Emalin).
It is my hope each year to have a classroom where my students are given the opportunity to learn and grow in a fun environment. A Place that they want to come to everyday. But most importantly, a place where they feel safe and extremely loved. I am looking forward to the adventures to come this year and to experience how much their brains will GROW!
Our Teachers (putting a face to a name!)
