Hello! My name is Dana Hyland Skidmore and I am going to be your fourth grade teacher at Dillard Drive Elementary School! I am very excited to get to know each and every one of you! Let me share a little bit about me! I was born in Huntington Beach, California. However, when my younger sister was born, we moved across the country and I grew up in a small town called Delran, New Jersey (about 10 minutes from Philadelphia). I have two sisters. My mom and dad still live in Delran, along with most of my family members (other than the ones out in California). I came down to North Carolina to attend East Carolina University (GO PIRATES!! ARRRGH!!) and ended up loving it so much, that I stayed here after graduation. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Child and Family Relations and moved to Raleigh and received a teaching job in Durham at Y.E. Smith Museum Elementary School. I worked there for 3 years before moving to Wake County. I worked at Walnut Creek Elementary School for 3 years and then I decided to come to work at Dillard Drive Elementary. In 2011, I received my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading for Elementary Education at Grand Canyon University. In 2013, I received my Masters of Education in Special Education at Grand Canyon University. One day, I'd like to be a professor teaching future elementary teachers! I currently live in Apex with my husband, Adam, and our dog, Verona. I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in the first grade! I loved my teacher, Mrs. Gessmann. She made learning fun and I can only hope that I do the same for my students!
I Am a Teacher I am a counselor and psychologist to a problem-filled child, I am a police officer that controls a child gone wild. I am a travel agent scheduling our trips for the year, I am a confidante that wipes a crying child’s tear. I am a banker collecting money for a ton of different things, I am a librarian showing adventures that a storybook brings. I am a custodian that has to clean certain little messes, I am a psychic that learns to know all that everybody only guesses. I am a photographer keeping pictures of a child’s yearly growth, When mother and father are gone for the day, I become both. I am a doctor that detects when a child is feeling sick, I am a politician that must know the laws and recognize a trick. I am a party planner for holidays to celebrate with all, I am a decorator of a room, filling every wall. I am a news reporter updating on our nation’s current events, I am a detective solving small mysteries and ending all suspense. I am a clown and comedian that makes the children laugh, I am a dietician assuring they have lunch or from mine I give them half. When we seem to stray from values, I become a preacher, But I’m proud to have to be these people because … I’m proud to say, “I am a teacher.”
by Stacy Bonino
A to Z Mrs. Skidmore Questionnaire
Have you ever been hurt or in an accident? Yes. I have broken many bones growing up, mainly from sports, but once I got my leg stuck in a bicycle wheel riding with my older sister. B-Beauty What do you think makes a person beautiful? Owning who they are and not trying to be someone else. C-Consequences Do you ever think about how your actions affect other people? Absolutely! I think everyone should think about their actions before going ahead with them. I try to teach my students this on a daily basis! D-Dealing When you are mad at someone, how do you show them? I usually get quiet for a little bit while I think and then talk to them about it. E-Experience What kind of jobs have you had? I have been a basketball referee, worked at The Limited Too, Big Lots, a babysitter, a tutor, a soccer coach, and a teacher. F-Family How often do you spend ‘quality time’ with family members? As much time as I can. As you read in my biography, most of my family lives in California or New Jersey. One is a seven hour drive and the other is a four hour plane ride. It's hard to see them, but I would say I see a family member about every other month. However, my husband's brother lives about 30 minutes away and his parents live on the coast, less than three hours away. G-Growing How tall are you? How tall do you wish you were? I'm 5'3 1/2. I wish I was 5'6 because I can't reach the top shelves at home! (: H-Hope Do you believe in fate, that everything happens for a reason, or do you think that our actions lead the way? I think it is a little bit of both. I think our actions do have some reason for why things end up the way they do, but I also think fate plays a big part in our lives. I-Issues Do you think that you are alone in this world? Absolutely not! I have my family, my husband, my friends, and all the wonderful people I get to work with at Dillard Drive! J-Jokes Are you usually the one who makes people laugh,or the other way around? I think people make me laugh more, but some of my coworkers say I make them laugh all the time! I'd say it's about equal. (: K-Knowledge The purpose of school: to learn, to cause trouble or to hang out with friends? The main purpose of school is to learn, but as long as you know that and are doing what you are supposed to be doing, you end up hanging out with friends at the same time. L-Love Do you love your job? Yes I do. I think you have to love your job to be a teacher! M-Money Would you rather win millions of dollars & be set for life, or live in the perfect place? Win a million dollars! With that money, I could buy the perfect place! Ms. O'Connor and I plan on winning the lottery this year! (: N-Numbers What is (are) your favorite number(s) and why? 42 - softball number, 10 - soccer number, 86 - year I was born and my dad's football number O-Orange? What are you favorite colors? I like teal and purple. P-Positive Do you agree that something good can come out of everything? Generally yes. With every mistake, you learn something new and better for the next time you attempt something. Q-Questions When faced with a problem, do you ask for help or try to figure it out yourself? I usually try to do it myself first and if that doesn't work, then I ask for help. R-Respect How do you show respect? By treating others the way I'd want to be treated. S-School Do you like or hate school? What do you like/hate about it? I love school. I like getting a summer vacation and I enjoy the fun in learning. I dislike waking up so early and when students don't want to learn that day! T-Toughness What was your hardest subject when you were in school? I really hated Social Studies! U-Unique What makes a person unique? A person is unique when they do/wear what they want and not what others tell them to do or how to act or what to wear. Why be a copy when you can be an original? V-Value If there was a fire in your house/apartment, what five things would you grab? 1. Animal (Verona) 2. Blanket 3. Car Keys 4. Purse 5. Computer W-Wishes If you had three wishes, what would they be? 1. To win the lottery 2. World Peace 3. More wishes Y-You Do you think that you have potential to do great things? Of course! I think everyone has potential to do great things, that's why I became a teacher! Z-Zest When change occurs, do you get scared or are you excited for it? A little bit of both!
*The students will take this same questionnaire the first few days of school