I am so honored to be named “Teacher of the Month”. I truly enjoy teaching at Bateman, as I have been here for 25 years. In fact, I am now teaching children of former students.  Early Childhood has always been my passion, as I started working in a preschool while I was still in high school.  I have always loved being a part of a child’s first experience with school and watching how they grow and learn to love school.

I grew up in Los Angeles, California and moved to Chicago during college.  I attended University of Illinois, Chicago for my BA in Education and then National Louis for a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and recently got an ESL endorsement.  I have taught Kindergarten, First Grade and been in the Preschool Program for the last 18 years.  

At home, I have two daughters. My oldest is 21 and studying Psychology at Arizona State University.  My younger daughter is a senior in High School and is looking to study Musical Theatre in New York next year.  

When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time outside.  I love to walk, travel, see movies and go to the Theatre.  I also volunteer my time on the Theatre Board at my daughter’s High School.   

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I’m so excited and honored to be Bateman Teacher of the Month!  
My family came to America from India in the 60s and my parents instilled in my brother and me the importance of a strong education!  Not only is it important to do your best in school but it is just as important to be thoughtful and kind!  
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I have a Bachelor’s Degree from Northeastern, a Doctorate Degree from Northwestern, and a Master’s from National Louis.  I was a dentist in Chicago for 12 years before I became a teacher.  It was a career I loved but my priorities changed after my daughter was born.  Becoming a mom made me realize even more how I should be involved with our educational system and share the love and importance of science and taking care of our world.
My life experience has given me the opportunity to work with amazing colleagues, patients, and students.  I have been teaching biology for 14 years in Chicago Public Schools and currently I teach 7th Grade science, work with our English language learners, and co-teach an after school Newsletter club!  
In my free time I love being with my daughter and husband, traveling, eating great food, spending time in Florida with my parents, and relaxing with friends.  
I love tennis, basketball, and rescuing animals!  
Every day my students inspire and remind me to continue doing what I love!  

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Meet Bateman Elementary's November Teacher of The Month, Mr. Warden.


The son of two teachers, Mr. Warden learned about the importance of education at a young age.  While growing up in a southwest suburb of Chicago, he enjoyed being a student and knew he wanted to go on to college someday. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and decision and information sciences, respectively, from the University of Florida and spent a few years working as a computer programmer before changing careers to become a teacher. In 2006, Mr. Warden was accepted into the first cohort of the Chicago Teaching Fellows and soon was hired to teach computer classes at Bateman.
Currently a sixth grade math and social studies teacher, Mr. Warden continues to incorporate technology into many of his lessons. Students in his classroom regularly submit their assignments electronically using the Google Classroom, take online quizzes, and collaborate with each other using their Chromebooks.  Occasionally, he is even able to teach computer programming concepts when students use Scratch to make online games and animations for math and social studies activities.  In his free time, Mr. Warden enjoys traveling, exploring the city and cycling.

I was born and raised in Chicago where I attended DePaul University and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. I also attended Grand Canyon University. At Grand Canyon University I received a Masters in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages.  In 2011, I became a National Board Certified Teacher. Prior to Bateman, I taught at Pilsen Academy. In Pilsen Academy, I taught first grade bilingual for five years. I was also the bilingual coordinator for two years.

​Currently, I am the 4th grade bilingual/ ESL teacher at Bateman.  I am also a member of the Bilingual Leadership Team and the Science Committee.   Teaching has always been a passion for me. I feel that all children are different and require specific attention and affection for them to flourish. I will strive to be that for each of my students; an educator who loves each child that walks in her door and gives each of them not only an education, but also a passion to learn.  Some of my favorite things to do is going to the movies, going for a run, and playing with my sister’s dachshunds, Snickers and Atari.
 
Yo Nací y crecí en Chicago, donde asistí a la Universidad DePaul y me gradué con una licenciatura en Educación. También asistí a la Universidad Grand Canyon. En la Universidad Grand Canyon recibí una Maestría en Enseñanza de Inglés para Estudiantes de Otros Idiomas. En 2011, me convertí en una maestra certificado por la Junta Nacional. Antes de Bateman, enseñé en la Academia Pilsen. En la Academia Pilsen enseñé primer grado bilingüe durante cinco años. También fui la coordinadora bilingüe durante dos años.   Actualmente, soy la maestra bilingüe / ESL de cuarto grado en Bateman.  Soy también un miembro del equipo de liderazgo bilingüe y el Comité de Ciencia.

La enseñanza siempre ha sido una pasión para mí. Siento que todos los niños son diferentes y requieren de atención y afecto específica para que puedan florecer. Yo me esforzaré por hacer eso por cada uno de mis alumnos; una educadora que ama a cada niño que camina en la puerta y da a cada uno de ellos no sólo una educación, sino también una pasión para aprender.   Algunas de mis cosas favoritas para hacer es ir al cine, salir a correr y jugar con los perros salchichas de mi hermana, Snickers y Atari.

Ms. Kucharczyk has been a teacher for over 10 years and has taught students ages 5 to 55! She started her teaching career in Michigan after receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan in 2004.   After teaching for a few years in her home state, she got an itch for city life and moved to Chicago where she joined the educators of CPS.  In 2009 she took a hiatus from CPS and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she taught English to adults for 3 years and honed her Spanish language skills.  Since returning home to Chicago in 2012 she has completed her Masters in Reading and ESL/Bilingual teacher certification. 


Ms. Kucharczyk is currently teaching bilingual first grade and is excited to work with her young learners! She especially loves to teach reading and writing and teaches afterschool programs for developing readers in Spanish and English.  Ms. Kucharczyk’s favorite part of the day is reading to her kiddos.  Her favorite children’s book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. She also enjoys reading novels and non-fiction in her free time.  Her other passions include traveling, good food and spending time with her 3 young nieces and nephews and family back home. 


Ms. Kucharczyk is thrilled to be a part of the Bateman Family and is a dedicated member of the EL Leadership and School Climate teams. She is excited for another wonderful year of teaching, learning, and growing alongside the Bateman Community! 

Meet Bateman Elementary's March Teacher of the Month

Please join us in congratulating Melissa Kronthal as Bateman Elementary’s March, 2016 Teacher of the Month. We asked Ms. Kronthal to share her bio with us.  Please read below:

I began at Bateman last year as an inclusion teacher for K-6th grade students, and I am so honored to be Bateman’s 3rd-5th grade resource teacher of diverse learners this year.  Currently, I teach English Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies.  Prior to moving to Chicago last year, I taught in a 4th grade integrated co-teaching classroom in a New York City public school.  I also have four years of experience teaching students with developmental disabilities in a New Jersey public school. I love getting to know my students in order to individualize their learning experiences and foster their love of learning.    

In 2014, I graduated from Fordham University with a Master of Science in Teaching for Special Education and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies.  I am certified in both general education and special education, and I achieved mastery distinction on the edTPA for Elementary Education.  I received my Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University, where I also first met my fiancé, Aaron.  Lately, we have been quite busy planning our November 2016 wedding in South Carolina!       

At Bateman, I am a member of the PPLC and the UbD team.  I was also privileged to join a great team of teachers in attending the UbD conference in Connecticut last summer.   Earlier this school year, I attended a three-day workshop for the Wilson Reading System, an intensive reading intervention program, and I have enjoyed implementing it in the classroom.  
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When I am not at Bateman, I like to explore Chicago’s many delicious restaurants and attempt to recreate their dishes at home in my kitchen.  I also love spending time with my family, who have always supported my love of education.  

Congratulations, Ms. Kronthal!  We are so proud to have you on our Bateman team!

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