Where am I?
Teaching Assignment
FIRST GRADE
- Building North Glendale Elementary School
- Phone extension 3217
- Email Barbara Swalina
Homepage
Click Here for 2011/12 Daily Schedule
Fun Facts About Mrs. Swalina
* Since 1992, I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades at NG.
* I have an Associates Degree from Meramec and two degrees from Washington University: Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Education.
* I am married to John and we have two beautiful children, Jessica and John Anthony.
*I attended classes for two years to be trained as an eMINTS classroom teacher (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Network Teaching Strategies). In an eMINTS classroom, technology is incorporated daily into the lessons to educate students and engage them in learning. Belief in this way of teaching fosters problem solving, cooperation, collaboration, and higher level thinking skills.
* I love to read. One of my favorite picture books is Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant.
* I was born and raised in Saint Louis, but I love to travel. This summer, I zipped lined in Costa Rica. And last summer, while on an African safari in Tanzania, I had the opportunity to take a ride in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti Plains. I have traveled to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador and have seen the ancient Incan ruins in Machu Picchu, Peru. I have also been to Mexico, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Alaska. I have many more places on my Bucket List!
* I have a dog named Bayley. He is a shepherd-mix. Bayley and I share the same birthday, October 14th. I enjoy walking and so does Bayley.
* My favorite bird is the Blue-Footed-Booby. These birds have blue webbed feet and bluish-grey beaks. I saw hundreds of them in the Galapagos Islands.
* I love sports cars. In fact, I have a turquoise convertible sports car.
* Seafood, salads and different kinds of breads, are some of my favorite foods.
* Since 1999, my students and I have been involved in the Trucker Buddy International Trucking Educational Program www.truckerbuddy.com. We are fortunate once again to have Al, Kym, and Snowtoes Lacey Hemerson (their beagle) as our Trucker Buddies. Al and Kym live in Iowa and farm when they are not carrying freight in their semi. Communicating with our Trucker Buddies includes writing letters and creating postcards. This year, Al, Kym and Lacey will have Flat Stanley joining them in their travels . A highlight for Mrs. Swalina's class is a visit from our Trucker Buddies at NG in their BIG 18-wheeler.
* Since I was a little girl, I had wanted to be a teacher. For Christmas one year, I received a doll named Susie Smart. Susie and I used to play school together all of the time. Susie came with her own desk and a little stand up chalkboard. She could even say a few things like, "Hi, my name is Susie Smart. I can spell: cat c-a-t, dog d-o-g. I can do arithmetic: 2+2=4, 4+4=8. I can recite a rhyme: "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."
Mrs. Swalina at 6 years old
barbara.swalina@kirkwoodschools.org
314.213.6100 x3217
