KOTA Territory NewsChildren First: KOTA Territory school combined classrooms creates community for kids

Children First: KOTA Territory school combined classrooms creates community for kids

Kristen Tripodi

They say each child learns differently.

"Some kids need to be accelerated and we can help them with that, other kids need just a little help in certain areas, we can also do that," say Kari Jungclaus.

Melanie Kitterling and Kari Jungclaus have been teaching together for more than a decade. They teach a combined 4th and 5th grade class at Rapid Valley Elementary, meaning they have multiple years to work with their students.

"Just think you get that child for two years, that's huge you know them very, very well," says Melanie Kitterling.

That's only one part of the "multi-age program," which started almost 20 years ago but is still the only program of its kind in Rapid City. Kitterling and Jungclaus say teaching together has its benefits.

"Being able to bounce ideas off each other immediately at that moment, you can reflect on kids at the end of the day, plan together, it's the best part," says Kitterling.

"It's really great for the kids to see two adults interacting in a productive way to meet a common goal," says Jungclaus.

First grade teacher Patti Weig says this type of learning environment helps students make a smooth transition from her class to the upper grade levels.

"They already know the children in that room, the teachers, the expectations, after being in that room for two years they feed into the intermediate multi-age where once again those teachers have known them since they were first graders. So there's a lot of closeness and bonding in the multi-age program," says Weig.

Jungclaus says the program is designed for any student that wants to be a part of a learning community.

"I think it's always important for families to have a choice in education and having the multi-age program at Rapid Valley definitely gives them some choices as to what they would like for their child," says Jungclaus.

Choices that program leaders hope will help children grow at their own pace in their own way. In the future, teachers at Rapid Valley Elementary would like to see a combined kindergarten and first grade class to add to their combined 2nd and 3rd grade, and 4^4th and 5^5th grade classes. But first they say there needs to be full day kindergarten in all schools in South Dakota.