All About Ms. Holmgren

Hello! My name is Amy Holmgren, and I am so excited to be teaching the amazing 5th grade students at Kaleidoscope School!

Education is my passion! I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I was four years old. In the years that followed, my mom would drop me off in the school supplies aisle at the grocery store (I mean it was the 70’s) while she shopped, and I would sit on the floor and stare up at those shelves of school supplies the entire time. Mostly at the 64-pack of Crayola crayons, of course, because that box had the built-in crayon sharpener. I get the same feelings now when I go to Staples or Barnes & Noble! I played school all the time through elementary school, had actual files created for each imaginary student (and my little sister!), and even tracked their progress. The only person who did not fully appreciate this level of academic rigor was my sister, who was three grades behind me in school, and apparently wasn't grasping the multiplication I was teaching her (she was six). We have some good laughs about that now though!

When my middle daughter was learning to read, I basically morphed our entire house into a kindergarten classroom, attaching laminated/labeled notecards to everything, with the name of the object on the card (dresser, fridge, cabinet, chair, table, etc.). The funny THING is that just this summer, 10 years later, I noticed something that I hadn't noticed in a long, long time. On the door leading out to the garage, one card still remained, down low, at the eye-level of a five-year-old that read, "garage."  

While taking time away from the classroom to stay home with my kids (I have two daughters and one son), I kept one foot in the doorway to the realm of education in one form or another. Whether it was as an online curriculum developer for science and math, a substitute teacher, a tutor, or a health and wellness educator for the business I started, teaching and educating have always been the consistent, underlying theme.

I earned my BAEd in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Fine Arts from ASU (Go Devils!). I taught 3rd grade for six years at two Core Knowledge schools here in Phoenix. I love the curriculum so much, and chose Core Knowledge schools for my own children to attend!

I love coffee, art, music, books, and movies (especially Harry Potter and comedy).

Some of my favorite things are yoga, meditation, painting, and writing.

I spend my weekends (and many weeknights) at the rink watching and cheering-on my hockey-playing children. When I’m not at school, a hockey game, or teaching wellness classes, I can typically be found reading, relaxing, or visiting with friends and family.  

I believe that every human being is uniquely special, and equipped with their own particular set of talents, skills, and challenges. I believe in meeting each student where they are at, on all levels. My focus this year, in addition to teaching the 5th grade curriculum and content, is to further foster what hopefully becomes a life-long love for the process of learning itself. The best part is that along the journey through the year, the students will naturally discover and develop even more of their own unique strengths and talents.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic year!!

~ Ms. Holmgren