Meet the Team

My name is Suzanne Yonkovitch, and I am excited to be returning to our gifted classroom for a year of taking chances and making mistakes! I am equally excited to have the opportunity to once again co-teach 5th grade with Dr. Christina Schrode-Fries. After 25+ years in teaching, gifted education has offered the adventure of a lifetime.  Last year raced by as we learned to be flexible as we investigated new topics and stretched our creativity by developing out-of-the-box solutions to a variety of situations.  Utilizing new technology in innovative ways to continue to expand our knowledge has led the students (and me!) on unforgettable adventures. Here's to a new year!

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."  Edward de Bono 

Mrs. Suzanne Yonkovitch

K-5 Gifted Education

syonkovitch@boyertownasd.org

(610) 473-5123 WES rm 12

Here's a little about me:

I was born into a family of five right here in the Boyertown area where I grew up in a farmhouse with my two brothers and sister. 

   I loved to learn right from the start.  My parents would often find me buried elbow deep in the mud around our pond; startling frogs and scooping up fish or exploring through our woods.  I can't remember a summer without skinned knees and a grubby face.  On 'special occasions', my dad would let me help him in the longstanding quest to refinish our early 1800's farmhouse.  As a child I loved the opportunity to be a carpenter elf, as a teen I hated the slave labor, but now I definitely appreciate all of the skills learned at the hand of my parents. 

   Chants of soccer, soccer, soccer filled many an evening at our house.  We all played.  Actually, we played (and participated in) a lot of things:  swimming, baseball, karate, scouts, church group, and even the clarinet and guitar.  My parents kept us busy as beavers, but we managed to share dinner time together on most evenings.  We swapped stories and discussed problems all while trying to avoid the dreaded task of having to finish the limas.  (Actually, my mom's an awesome cook although she'd never admit it!)

   Reading was a nightly ritual we looked forward to in our house.  With a TV that had a whopping 5 channels, which more often than not showed blizzard, there was little else to do inside.  My parents always had a special way of adding a silly accent to each character making the book truly some to life.  We read early and often, exploring the world of Robinson Crusoe and fighting off the dread pirate Roberts.  I became lost in the world of Narnia and laughed out loud at the capers of Calvin and Hobbes. 

    My mom and dad were both teachers, so I guess you could say that I 'caught the teaching bug' from them very early in life and never looked back.  I went to college, earned a BA in reading education, and a MA in information technology.  I still continue to take classes today.  I love my job and there was never anything else I ever imagined myself doing.  I truly believe that William Butler Yeats said it best: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."  God has blessed me by igniting the love of learning within my heart, and allowing me to kindle that flame in others. 

    Today I live in a big ol' farmhouse that needs a lot of TLC with my husband Paul, our daughter Abigail, our sons Mark & Daniel, and the menagerie: puppy-Obi, our ducks, and a plethora of fish!  I still play soccer, love participating in church and bible studies, and even pick a bit on my old guitar.  You'll often find me hiking, cooking, painting, and gardening.  Reading occupies any free time I happen to find.  And yes, Calvin and Hobbes still make me laugh. 

My name is Christina Schrode-Fries, but everyone calls me Tina. I have been teaching for over 30 years in the Boyertown School District. I started at GES in 4th grade. Now I teach the Gifted program for Middle School West grades.  This year I am excited about returning to the 5th grade PEEP program in addition to my work at Middle School West.  I love what I do! Every day is an adventure. I really enjoy working with gifted students. We are constantly trying something new and expanding our horizons whether it is through the use of technology or the acquisition of new knowledge. A life long learner, myself, I feel you can always expand your brain and reach new heights!

Dr. Christina Schrode-Fries

Boyertown Area School District

Gifted 5th, and 6th, 7th, & 8th  at MSW

cschrodefries@boyertownasd.org

Middle School West Rm 8

610 473-3710