About Mrs. Schoettelkotte

Welcome to our classroom. My name is Marjan Schoettelkotte and I will be your child’s Reading and Writing/ELA teacher for the 2019-2020 school year at Woodland Elementary School. I have an undergraduate degree in International Studies from Florida State University (GO NOLES) and I have a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. I am currently the GCSD Literacy Mentor for Woodland along with being a classroom teacher. This year I will be paired with Miss. Cloer who will be teaching Math, Science and Social Studies.

I am a first generation American. My parents are from the Netherlands and, because of this, English is actually my second language. I grew up speaking Dutch and still do so fluently. My mother lives with us, so I am used to jumping back and forth between both languages. My husband's last name is historically German so that means that my name looks extremely dramatic.

This is my fifth year at Woodland which makes it pretty cool that I get to teach 5th grade this year. This is my (lucky) 13th year of teaching elementary school. I have taught second grade both here and in Myrtle Beach, and before that I taught 4th grade in Florida. I am the mother of two girls. Hanna is 18 and will be starting school at Emerson College in Boston to study journalism and communications. I am so proud of her for growing wings and having the courage to fly so far from our nest. My 16 year old, Alexa, will be a Junior at Riverside High School this year. She plays volleyball at the high school as well as club in the off season, and I am very excited to get to cheer her on both on and off the court this year. She's hoping to play at the college level. My husband works for DR Horton Home Builders after many years of working retail. He loves his new job and is excited about all the growth in the area that brings so many amazing families to the upstate.

This summer we were able to do a family trip to Orlando for AAU Volleyball championships combined with a graduation trip to Disney and Universal. A highlight for me was visiting Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my very first class of students. At that time, none of the kids had ever heard of the series and were completely enchanted by the thought of a secret wizarding world. Those 4th graders are now 30 years old. My students now have never known a world without Harry Potter in it. Standing there, in the culmination of so many years of writing, films, and fantasy truly made me reflect on the wonder of the written word.

There are so many things to look forward to for your child in the this final year at Woodland. We have several amazing field trips and events planned, opportunities to join clubs and teams, and the chance to become active leaders in our school community. Know that we are committing to getting your child prepared for not just middle school and high school, but to help them become college and/or career ready.

The fifth grade team is very excited about the many opportunities for our students here at Woodland, and I can’t wait to work together with students, parents, and staff to make this an amazing year for all of us. I truly believe that this is going to be a fantastic year at Woodland. It is my pleasure to be teaching your child this year. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to write a note in your child’s planner, e-mail me, or call me.