The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
--Dorothy Parker
Melissa was born and raised in Rockford Illinois. In 2007, Melissa moved to New York. After completing school, and the birth of her son, her family moved back to Illinois and settled in Marion. When considering options for Kindergarten for her son, she fell in love with the learning atmosphere and community feel that CNS offers. She accepted a full time aide position in the Pre-K/K classroom while her son attended CNS for Kindergarten. The 2025-2026 school year will be Melissa's 10th year with Carbondale New School, her fifth year as lead teacher of the Pre-K/K classroom, and her second year as Director.
The first thing every child should know when walking into a classroom is that they are loved. Once love and trust are built, anything is possible. Learning should be exciting. I want our students to want to learn, to be excited. I do this by approaching learning in many different ways. Hands on activities allow our students to think outside the box, forming new ways to solve a problem. Group activities provide our students with the opportunity to share ideas and open communication with their peers. Independent learning allows each student to use their own method of learning to build their self confidence. Getting up and exploring the classroom, moving our bodies and learning through play helps to make us confident, independent, eager learners.
Email Melissa at: melissa@carbondalenewschool.com
| Quantity | Item Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Every Student | ||
| 1 | backpack | |
| 1 | lunchbox | |
| 1 | hard 8x5 pencil-box | |
| 1 pkg | pre-sharpened pencils | |
| 1 pkg | colored pencils | |
| 1 pkg | colored markers | |
| 3 boxes | Crayola™ crayons | |
| 3 | pocket folders (pref. plastic) | |
| 1 pair | indoor shoes | |
| 2 | change of clothing | |
| 1 pair | scissors | |
| 10 | glue-sticks | |
| 1 | glue-bottle | |
| 1 set | watercolor paints | |
| 1 pk | copy paper | |
| PreK Only | ||
| 1 | small pillow & blanket | |
| 1 | yoga mat | |
| 1 pk | white cardstock | |
| 1 pk | Lysol™ wipes | |
| 1 pk | construction paper | |
| Kindergarten Only | ||
| 1 | Kindergarten journal | |
| 1 | Highlighter | |
| 1 pk | colored cardstock | |
| 1 bottle | Lysol™ spray | |
Last updated 07/18/2025. Be sure to check out the Wishlist tab!
