About Mrs. Yee
I was born in the Philippines and came to the United States with my parents as a 1 year old. I have lived in many Chicago neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Andersonville, Albany Park, Forest Glen, and Jefferson Park. My father was an accountant and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I worked in accounting for about 20 years. I started volunteering at my daughter's preschool and fell in love with the classroom. It was then that I decided to become a teacher. It was a life-changing moment. I teach first grade here at Hitch Elementary. I have been a proud educator for 15 years now. I am a product of Chicago Public Schools. I started my journey at Trumbull Elementary School and continued on to Lane Technical High School. I earned my Bachelors in Accounting and Masters in Teaching at Northeastern Illinois University. I am also a National Board Certified Teacher and have recently earned my ESL (English as a Second Language) endorsement. I also have a LSB1 (learning behavior specialist) endorsement. You could say I am a perpetual student. I have been married for 25 years and have 2 amazing daughters, ages 21 and 23. I also have an 10 year old dog named Kitsune (Japanese for fox). I bet you can guess what she looks like. Outside of school, I practice yoga and meditation (check out the CALM app), love to bowl, garden, read, and, feed my inner foodie by exploring new restaurants.
About Curriculum
Our curriculum is a well-rounded program featuring reading, writing, and mathematics at its core. I am very excited to be using Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Workshop, which is a student-centered approach to literacy. It is a detailed curriculum that meets all of our first grade needs while also meeting the new Common Core Standards! Our math program is called Math in Focus is also aligned with the Common Core Standards and is a fantastic approach to learning both basic and advanced math skills. It has been modeled after Singapore Math. These programs allow teachers to further differentiate and provide your child with work at their level. In addition to these core subjects, we will learn science and social science with Scholastic News. Students will engage in social emotional learning through a program called Second Step. These subjects are explored through literature, hands on activities, and daily lessons.