Lead Kindergarten Teacher

Kolina has enjoyed interacting with children from a young age. Being able to connect with the young child and share in their joy is a  passion of hers. She taught 4 year old and 5 year old kindergarten children in a public school setting for 17 years. Over the past few years she gained a strong longing to teach in a school such as Prairie Hill, where nature, music, and the arts are celebrated daily, and with a school community that embraces allowing the whole child to grow and learn at their own pace. After her first visit to Prairie Hill, Kolina's heart was filled with so much joy for the children and teachers. This was the most beautiful early childhood environment she had experienced, and she wanted to become a part of it!

Kolina received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Minor from Carroll College. She earned her Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning from Carroll University. This summer she completed a life changing Waldorf Early Childhood training course through the Sunbridge Institute. Kolina is deeply grateful and humbled to begin her journey as a teacher at Prairie Hill!

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world”
– Albert Einstein

In early childhood, young children are nurtured in a home-like environment. Their days include time in nature, artistic activities, creative play with natural toys, stories, songs, and practical activities such as building, sewing and cooking. The curriculum fosters the curiosity and joy of childhood and builds the self confidence and pre-academic skills that become the foundation for formal learning in the grades.

All elements of the kindergarten are guided by trained teachers who deeply understand how your child learns – engaging him or her intellectually, emotionally and physically. The curriculum is supported by a strong oral tradition that provides rich language experiences that are successful in cultivating good speech and expression. This approach exposes your child to significantly larger vocabularies than those found in early-reader programs, allowing her or him to expand their literacy skills through dramatization, poetry, puppet plays, songs, storytelling and drawings – creating a foundation in reading and writing.