Miss Alyssa Hoeschen is a 2023 graduate of Winona State University. She enjoys teaching the fourth graders all about the United States! In her free time she enjoys canoeing, paddleboarding, swimming, spending time with family and friends, reading, and going on the boat. She is also always up for an adventure! She loves to travel and hopes to make it to all of the 50 states one day. She also has a passion for synchronized swimming and is an assistant coach for the sync team in Melrose.
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
- Reading: comprehension strategies in fiction and nonfiction selections, story structure, and writing strategies taught with Benchmark and novel units.
- Math: multiplication, division, fractions, place value with decimals, area, perimeter, missing numbers, order of operations, and word problems.
- English: parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives), prefixes, suffixes, proofreading, and editing.
- Social Studies: map skills, communities, government, historical/cultural differences, goods and services, regions and states of the USA
- Science: energy, heat, motion, electricity, plants, animals, ecosystems, and Earth’s resources.
- Religion: parts of the Mass, types of prayer, memorization of the Ten Commandments and the Rosary, and taking part in the Mass
- Handwriting: cursive
- OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
- We are transitioning into the intermediate grades now. We develop and take pride in our independence!
- Planners and google docs are resources your child should know how to use.
- We learn how to be Top 20 students in class and in the real world.
- We acquire self-motivation to achieve educational and personal goals.
- Students have the chance to break out of their comfort zone and learn how to play guitar and serve at the weekly masses.
- We have small groups for Language Arts and Math. This helps us get more direct attention and instruction. These groups are not final and can/will change throughout the year.
- We take monthly STAR Math and Reading tests. This helps us recognize if we are continuously learning or if there is an area we should study more thoroughly.
- We try to incorporate moving into our learning, as well as visual models. We truly understand that everyone learns differently and sometimes needs to move, see, or hear it again.
Mrs. Maus has been a Kindergarten teacher at SHS since 2003. She is a graduate of St. Cloud State University. Mrs. Maus and her husband, Craig, live in Melrose with their two girls, Addison and Anika. She likes spending time with her family, going for walks, traveling and watching sports.
“I look forward to getting to know each one of God’s precious gifts to the world. Our year is filled with
laughter, excitement, learning, and compassion for others.”
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM:
- Language Arts: (Super Kids Program and Core 5) Learn letter sounds and how to blend the sounds together to read and write. Increase our vocabulary and comprehension with Read –aloud and Accelerated Reading.
- Math: (Bridges Mathematics) Counting, Number Identification, Number Writing, Telling Time, Identify Money, Addition & Subtraction
- Religion: Participate in Mass, Prayers and learn about God’s World
- Science/Social: Explore the World Around Us
- Character Development: Top 20
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
- Classroom Newsletter comes out on Fast Direct weekly.
- Monday folders go home Monday and need to be signed and returned.
- We go to Mass on Wednesdays, starting in January.
- School Spirit Day is every Wednesday.
- We have recess every day after lunch.
- We have Art, Music, STEM, and Phy-ed once a week.
- We use Chromebooks in our classroom during Learning Centers.
Mrs. Amy Van Beck joined the SHS team 2 years ago and is now the full-time Administrative Assistant. Amy has a background and degree in Information Technology. She worked in IT for 10 years and then stayed home with her children for 15 years before returning to the workforce 2 years ago. While she was at home with her kids she also taught fitness classes at a local studio. Amy has been married for almost 25 years and her and her husband Mike have 6 kids ranging from the ages of 5 to 23 – all of which have attended or are attending Sacred Heart School. As a family they love to go camping, ice fishing, relax by bonfires, gardening, play cards and visit the older kids up at NDSU. In her spare time she loves going for walks/runs, traveling, listening to audiobooks and podcasts and enjoying all of God’s great country! She is very excited to be a part of the Sacred Heart team and loves seeing the school grow and thrive.
Mrs. Zink, a graduate of St. Scholastica, has been an integral part of the Sacred Heart School community for over a decade. She began as a parent volunteer in 2010 and officially joined the staff in the fall of 2019. Her three children—Ethan, Noah, and Sydney—are all Sacred Heart School graduates, continuing her family’s strong connection to the school.
Residing just south of New Munich with her husband Matt, their children, and their beloved dogs, Oreo and Bella, Mrs. Zink enjoys a full and active life. In addition to her role as the Sacred Heart Sprinters coach, she loves traveling, capturing memories through photography, and spending summers on the lake.
Mrs. Zink is committed to cultivating a love of learning in her students. She believes every child has unique value and works to inspire confidence, curiosity, and personal growth in each of them.
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
- RELIGION: The Ten Commandments , Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are reviewed with an emphasis on the Eucharistic Celebration and Scripture.
- CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: TOP 20 Skills are reviewed and reinforced.
- READING: Novel Units are used to explore a variety of genres and literary elements as well as critical thinking. Vocabulary development includes learning Greek and Latin Root words which make up many English words.
- ENGLISH:: Students further develop their speaking and writing skills. A research project is completed introducing the MLA format.
- MATH: Skills include:decimals, fractions, ratio, application of math concepts to solve real-world problems, pre algebra concepts, geometry, data analysis and probability,
- EARTH SCIENCE: Astronomy & Space, Weather & Climate, Rocks & Minerals, Plate Tectonics, Natural Resources, Study of the Earth’s Surface, and Forces that Change the Earth . The 3 day Conservation Camp experience is a highlight of the year.
- Health: Our Middle School Health curriculum covers essential topics to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This program includes units on Safety and Injury Prevention, Mental Health, Drugs and Tobacco, and Alcohol, designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions and lead healthy lives. Through engaging activities and discussions, students learn about personal health, wellness, and responsible choices.
- SOCIAL STUDIES: Map Skills, MN History, Colonization of America, United States Government, World War I, The Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights Movement, Current Day.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
- A class newsletter is sent through FastDirect every Monday.
- Sixth grade students write and produce the annual SHS Christmas Program.
- Class economy is used to teach basic financial skills.
- Other Opportunities: Mass serving, SHS Strings, Safety Patrol
- Students may choose to participate in drama, knowledge bowl, and sports through the Melrose School District.
With his deep commitment to spiritual guidance and support, Father Dan enriches our school with his wisdom, compassion, and dedication. His presence and leadership play a vital role in nurturing our faith-based education and fostering a strong sense of community.
Gina grew up on the campus of St. John’s University. She attended high school at St. John’s Prep, college at Saint Ben’s and got her Master’s Degree at St. Thomas. Gina began her teaching career in the metro teaching in a large public school. After their sixth child was born, the Benson family felt they had outgrown their small city lot and moved to Becker where they enjoyed owning 3 acres of land. In 2014, Gina moved to Albany to care for her parents. Gina enjoys biking on the Wobegon Trail, kayaking and playing with her grandbabies. She feels her greatest accomplishment was raising her six children and now being able to help them to raise their own children.
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
- Reading: Novel units and Benchmark explore a variety of reading genres and literary elements. Core5 supports reading skills at each student’s level. There is an emphasis on independent reading in 5th grade.
- English: Grammar and daily writing practice help the students to become proficient writers that can clearly express themselves.
- Math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers, fractions and decimals, estimation, geometry, percentage, probability and an introduction to algebra, and negative numbers.
- Religion: Pflaum curriculum dives deeper into our prayer lives and learning about Jesus and mass.
- Social Studies: United States History
- Science: Hands on activities to explore science concepts through daily experiments.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
- 5th and 6th grade students participate in Wednesday and Friday masses in a variety of ways: lecturing, singing, playing guitar, and serving.
- 5th and 6th grade students have the option to join School Patrol.
- 5th graders use the information they have learned in American History to choose a historic person to research and present in the 5th Grade Wax Museum.
- 5th graders have opportunities for many leadership roles in our school
Ms. Welle is a 2023 graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University, as well as a SHS alum! She is very excited for a fun and educational year in first grade! She loves first grade because of how drastic the educational growth is, especially in reading. In her free time, Ms. Welle loves to travel, spend time with family and friends, be outside, and read. One of her goals is to one day make it to all of the U.S. National Parks!
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM:
Reading: Super Kids Program ~ Reading, Phonics, Spelling, Comprehension, Vocabulary, Fluency.
Writing: Handwriting, Descriptive/Creative Writing
Math: Bridges Math, hands on learning with manipulatives, counting with 10 frames, adding and subtracting, learning how to write number sentences.
Science: Plants, animals, water cycle, seasons, weather, types of matter, five senses.
Social: Learning about where we live, authority figures, jobs, what the pledge of Allegiance means and our addresses.
Religion: Mass responses, Hail Mary, Our Father, Sacred Heart Mission Prayer, Pflaum Gospel weeklies and Catechism handbook.
AR Requirement: Read daily and meet monthly goal.
Character Development: Top 20
Mrs. Heidi Feldewerd is our part-time Preschool Teacher. This is her 4th year at Sacred Heart teaching preschool. Before teaching at Sacred Heart Mrs. Heidi was a Title 1 teacher for the Melrose Public School. She and her husband Cory live south of New Munich. Together they have two children – Carly and Brent. Mrs. Heidi helps on the family crop farm or works in her garden on her time away from school. Her family’s favorite past time is taking their boat out to go fishing. During the summer, the preschool team attended The Catalyst Approach training and have been implementing what they learned into their classrooms. Later this year they will also have the opportunity to be trained in the LETRS program which they are excited to use during their school day as well.
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
The children learn through main core development in reading, writing, math, science/ social, art, sensory, and fine and large motor. We offer themes to help grasp these concepts, we also teach them in centers with a Montessori type approach and educational tools to help them become rich in understanding and problem solving.
The preschool classroom is set up so that children are encouraged to take part in all aspects of learning such as: reading, writing, math, science, dramatic play/social, art, sensory, and large and fine motor development. A significant part of our day in preschool, consists of taking part in group activities that allow children to learn to work together cooperatively, and practice social skills that they will use throughout their life. We learn about God and Jesus, and that each of us is a special gift from God. Special efforts are made to ensure that each child feels comfortable to share his/her thoughts and ideas.
Other Things To Know
* Mrs. Van Beck and the Early Childhood Team are Trained Early Childhood Catalyst Approach Teachers and implement this in the classroom philosophy.
*Classroom Newsletters and Calendar are sent home once a month.
* We Have a two year rotating full themed preschool Literacy curriculum.
*We Teach my Big World for science and our Math Bridges program for our Math Program.
*We use the Pflaum SEEDS religion program.
* We attend mass every Wednesday starting after Christmas.
Mrs.Berg is a graduate of The College of Saint Benedict. She loves to teach second graders and prepare them for their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Mrs. Berg lives in Long Prairie with her husband, and dogs Henry, Daisy and Sadie. In her free time, she enjoys reading, canoeing, boating, swimming during the summer months and snowmobiling in the winter.
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
- Reading: Super Kids Program, phonics, accuracy, fluency, comprehension and transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn.
- Math: Saxon Math, addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, place value, time, money, and skip counting.
- Social: Pearson, People and Place, map skills and what makes a community.
- Science: Interactive Science, matter, living things, how things grow and change
- Religion: Layola Press, Pflaum, and Jim Otremba’s book, Celebrating Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
- Character Development: TOP 20
- Students also have music, phy.ed. and art taught to them by specialists.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
- A class newsletter is sent home every Monday through Fast Direct.
- Assignment sheets are sent home weekly to keep parents informed about nightly assignments.
- We have title services available for reading and math.
- Students attend mass weekly. Classes have the opportunity to plan and lead the mass every 6 weeks.
- Students have the opportunity to participate in Science Squad which meets monthly.
Ms. Kate Kalthoff will be working with our youngest SHS students in our Toddler room . Kate and her husband Ben have a dairy farm just a few miles from town. They have 5 children ages 12 to 2. She can be found outside with her children, in the barn or driving tractor on her days off.
Kate loves to work with children and is very excited to meet and help each child grow and learn the skills they need to be ready for preschool.
Mrs. Harren has been involved in education since 1999 when she graduated from the College of St. Benedict with a BA in Elementary Education. Throughout her 17 years of teaching, Mrs. Harren has taught kindergarten through 4th grades. She has been a part of Sacred Heart since 2008. In 2016, Mrs. Harren accepted the role as principal at SHS. She received her MA in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s University in 2019. She is excited to inspire our amazing teachers to be extraordinary. She wishes to create an environment where all students know that they are loved by God, their family, and their teachers.
Mrs. Harren and her family live in the country, south of Freeport. They have chickens, cats, and two dogs named Maggie and Luna. In her free time she enjoys camping, reading, gardening, biking and spending time with her family and friends.
Childhood degree and Center Director Licensure. She once was a student herself at SHS and she has worked at the school she loves and calls home for many years. She and her husband Noah have been married this spring for 27 years. They have six children, Spencer, Quentin, Maretta, Thatcher, Jenavieve, and their adopted son Damian. They also have a daughter in law Angela and a sweet Granddaughter Mariella who is one. They live north of Freeport on one of Central MN’s largest goat farms. They host an annual Fall Farm Fest every Fall. During their time away from the farm they enjoy camping, & hiking. Mrs. Van Beck also loves to read, and teach others about her faith in bible studies she hosts in her home. She loves teaching preschool, and when asked about it this is her response “I enjoy teaching God’s greatest little miracles those first lessons in life, and my hope is with a great first experience they will find a love for learning and God!”
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM
The children learn through main core development in reading, writing, math, science/ social, art, sensory, and fine and large motor. We offer themes to help grasp these concepts, we also teach them in centers with a Montessori type approach and educational tools to help them become rich in understanding and problem solving.
The preschool classroom is set up so that children are encouraged to take part in all aspects of learning such as: reading, writing, math, science, dramatic play/social, art, sensory, and large and fine motor development. A significant part of our day in preschool, consists of taking part in group activities that allow children to learn to work together cooperatively, and practice social skills that they will use throughout their life. We learn about God and Jesus, and that each of us is a special gift from God. Special efforts are made to ensure that each child feels comfortable to share his/her thoughts and ideas.
Other Things To Know
* Mrs. Van Beck and the Early Childhood Team are Trained Early Childhood Catalyst Approach Teachers and implement this in the classroom philosophy.
*Classroom Newsletters and Calendar are sent home once a month.
* We Have a two year rotating full themed preschool Literacy curriculum.
*We Teach my Big World for science and our Math Bridges program for our Math Program.
*We use the Pflaum SEEDS religion program.
* We attend mass every Wednesday starting after Christmas.
Ms Sianna is an assistant teacher in the toddler room. She has experience with toddlers working in a home daycare and for the last 4 years has worked in a daycare center in the toddler room. Sianna is excited to have joined the Sacred Heart team. She lives with her family on a farm south of Freeport and in her free time she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her boyfriend.