Bromwell Elementary School

DODGING THE ISSUES

Teaching here at Bromwell blesses me thoroughly. I have always loved teaching, and this year marks my thirty-second year in the classroom. I have eleven years experience with sixth graders, three with seventh graders, one with fourth graders and this is my tenth year with fifth graders. I taught special education students for seven years. I ran a day care home for eighteen years, mostly in the summer. I ran fun preschool programs. I taught aerobic classes for twenty-five years. I have spoken for women's groups all across the state of Colorado and into Nebraska and Wyoming as well. As you can see, I really like teaching different things to people of all ages.

I teach the language arts (reading, spelling, grammar, and writing), and math to my home room fifth grade students as well as shouldering the responsibility of teaching the social studies classes for all the fifth graders. I will be covering the history and geography of the early development of our country.  My very capable fifth grade partner, Anna Johnson, teaches science for all of the fifth graders.

Both fifth grade classrooms have a lot of fun projects to work on this year. Each trimester we’ll have three book reports focused as a project centered on a certain genre of book. For example, the first report, a clue game, is a mystery and involves making a game board to follow the sequence of the story. The second report is an historical fiction and the students will create a doll to represent their character in time. The third genre is a biography and the students will create a newspaper article to describe the important person's life. We end each trimester with a fun “Novel Tea” celebration.  Both classes join together at lunch to commemorate the victory of our reading achievements. 
Every week or so, both classes will choose a class wizard. Everyone in the class will write down some things they like about this person. Their picture will be featured on our Wizard bulletin board and they will get a lunch in the room with friends. Come in and see our wonderful honoree.

We have caption contests each week in our classroom. An unusual picture goes up on our board and the students have an opportunity to write a caption that they think goes with it. All the other students vote on their favorite saying on Friday. We have a dictionary word contest each Friday as well. Each student finds a word in the dictionary for which he/she doesn't know the definition. They write the true definition down in addition to three false definitions. They try to be the student that fools the most people with their false definitions.

It is important to me to keep in contact with the parents of the students in my classroom. We have students write in their agendas each night. We ask that these be signed each day by the parents. We also send home evaluations for our classes every Monday. We request that these be signed by the parents as well. This is a great communications tool for the parents and me to use to keep up on the events and assignments given in class.  I am available by e-mail at leslie_dodge@dpsk12.org.
 



PERSONAL DODGE BITS

I have a wonderful family. My two sons are grown and married, so now I have four children. They both live in Colorado, so I get to see them a lot. Craig and Jennifer Dodge live in Centennial.  Craig works with a mortgage foreclosure company and he and his wife, Jennifer, fellowship with the Next Generation Church here in Denver. Jen works at the Aurora Public Library. They have blessed me with grandmotherhood, and I have a precious four year old grand daughter Ellie and a two year old grand son Luke. 

Bruce and Melissa Dodge are more into the business world. Bruce sets up software for a medical company and travels all over the United States helping medical practices and hospitals set up the newest innovations in computer software and medical equipment.  His wife works in the medical field as well, helping doctors with patients who have serious medical needs.  I’m blessed with a seven-year-old step grandson, who is an active and on-the-go youngster. 

I have been married to my husband Bill for thirty-six years. We are active at Metro Church in Southeast Denver.  Bill also works for DPS in the special education department. He is very patient with his on-the-go wife.

We have two special little dogs that live with us. We call them our children, but our boys refuse to call them sister and brother. We have a Miniature Schnauzer named Rascal and a Shih Tzu named Scruffy.