This week, we’re showing our #CPSDPride by giving a #SuperSchoolShoutout to Idlewild Elementary School with third grade teacher Julie Tran and fifth grader Colleen McMonagle.
Julie joined Idlewild in 2019 and was excited to work in an International Baccalaureate school. “My favorite thing at Idlewild is our units of study,” she said. “We have six different transdisciplinary themes that we go through each year, and students decide what topics we use to focus on these themes.”
One of Julie’s favorite units to teach is writing because she can inspire huge growth from her young students. “They get to be creative, and you can hear their voice shine through their work,” she said. “They also build so much stamina with practice.”
Julie had a desire to teach since she was in kindergarten and is proud of the connections she’s built with students. “There are times where I work with students during recess because they want to start a club and I work with the student voice group to complete amazing projects like the MLK play,” she said.
One of Julie’s former students who worked on the MLK play was Colleen. “I wrote the whole play, got to be JFK and researched all the historical figures like Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and more,” she said. “I absolutely loved it because drama and writing are my favorite.”
Idlewild has been a great fit for Colleen, who enjoys participating in leadership and afterschool activities. “I like that this school is really inclusive and makes sure all students can be a part of things,” she said. “I also love that we have opportunities to do things like drama, art and student voice group.”
Colleen loves reading and writing and finds inspiration from books like the Percy Jackson series. When she grows up, she would like to be an actress or an author to inspire others. “Whenever I read, I always get this feeling that I can do anything,” she said.
Go Falcons!