All About Me

Hi! Welcome to Kristie Leonard's web page! I teach Challenge (our pull out GT district program) at Bell's Crossing and am proud to call Bell's home. I have taught in many Greenville County schools.  Prior to teaching in our Challenge program, I helped start the Charles Townes' Center.  My third graders from that first year at CTC are doing post collegiate things at this point!

I have two grown children. I have 2 granddaughters and a step granddaughter and I am expecting my first grandson in December. I love to swim and teach swimming and I also love to read. I can't seem to find enough time for personal reading! I also love teaching school. I think of learning as fun and fabulous. 

My fourth graders have done projects on the National Parks in past years. I have added going to the National Parks to my personal "bucket list." I have been able to see the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades, Shenandoah, Sequoia, King's Canyon, Yosemite, and Acadia. Two summers ago I went out west and did the Utah loop to see their five parks:  Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonland.  I also went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I look forward to many more adventures in the parks! I have added some pictures below in a Google Slides. One summer I went to Washington state to cover three national parks: North Cascades, Olympic and Mount Rainier.  I had to postpone my 2020 summer trip to Colorado national parks. However, I believe that trip will be next on my quest to see national parks!

We will create great relationships in Challenge, maintain lofty goals for academic achievement, incorporate arts integration when possible, and utilize technology.  Our school motto is "Learn today. Lead tomorrow."  In Challenge we will set our goals high and keep reaching! "If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you."~Jaclyn Atkinson  

My most important classroom guideline is to treat others with the respect and kindness you would want them to show you! I encourage my students to be supportive of each other. We cherish our differences, because that is what makes us so special. I truly believe that each child is a gift. I believe everyone has strengths. It is up to me, as a teacher, to encourage children to develop their strengths and to help bolster their weaknesses through creative teaching. I expect each child to give their best effort. I will not settle for less. I believe my students can expect this from me as well.

I am committed to having high expectations! My class will begin with a focus on classroom procedures. We will know exactly how the classroom operates. It will be an efficient and effective way to work together. It will also allow us to spend quality on-task learning time! I will incorporate technology in many lessons.  We will continue to use Google Classroom and the student's backpack option from our web page so they can access Google Apps for Education.  Being a part of Google Schools for Education allows us to work seamlessly from home as long as the student has Internet access.

Please contact me with any questions, concerns, or comments! 

ksleonard@greenville.k12.sc.us or ksleonard@greenvilleschools.us

355-3879 (voicemail)

355-3800 (Bells Crossing's office #)