Dear Bower Parents/Guardians,
I want to extend you and your child my warmest welcome into our classroom. My name is Mandy Carvelli and I am the multiple needs instructor that will be teaching the Kindergarten/1st grade classes. I have been at Bower Elementary School for three years and have been teaching for four years. I graduated from Benedictine University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Art in Special Education. My philosophy for learning is that each and every child is unique and exceptional, and each child learns in different ways.
With my philosophy in mind, I have a busy and rewarding schedule planned for this year that encompasses not only academics skills, but also social and life skills. I will focus on teaching academics that will enhance students’ minds for the future, but will also integrate social skills techniques and life strategies that will allow students to learn daily tasks needed in order to become more independent. The students will have academic skills training, that encompasses reading, writing, and math for a part of each day, usually in the morning hours. These activities will be hands on learning and taught through a variety of methods. The social skills training will be taught Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the afternoon hours. This involves types of activities including role playing, cooperative group activities, social stories, thoughts and feeling games, and many more related activities. The life skills component of the week will allow students to gain the skills he or she will need as they progress to a more independent life and it will also increase their confidence in knowing that they can complete these daily tasks. These tasks will be rehearsed and repeated daily. Many of these activities will take place in the school, but once a month the students will have the chance to go off campus to a place of their choice. The life skills schedule will be as followed:
Tuesdays we will practice activities that deal with daily living. We will be practicing bathroom routines, putting on shoes, morning routines such as brushing teeth and combing hair, and food activities such as the proper way to eat and using manners. These activities will all take place within the school.
Thursdays we will be practicing activities that deal more with increasing students’ independence. Students will learn how to deal with money, tell time, manage their own schedules, and learn the calander. The last Thursday of every month the students will choose either a restaurant of their choice, a movie, or a shopping mall to attend. During this time students will be using the skills that they have learned in the classroom and bring it to these community based settings.
Thank you in advance for allowing me to work with your children. I am looking forward to a great and rewarding school year. I also look forward to meeting and working with all of you! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. My email address is Amanda_Carvelli@ben.edu or you can reach me at the school number 708-217-0401 Ext 2500.
Thanks Again,
Mandy L. Carvelli
