It’s back to school time, and we are chatting with Christina Onuskanich (Mrs. O), Teacher at Central Mountain Middle School in Mill Hall, PA. Christina shares ideas on how she is kicking off the new school year with a focus on engagement and building relationships. Ideas include dedicated circle time, welcome back activities, mindfulness tools, team building, and a school wide book reading of “Deep Kindness” with her goal to “Let kindness lead the way this year.”
A little about Christina:
My name is Christina Onuskanich, or Mrs. O as most of my school community knows me by! I am from "small town" Central Pennsylvania, so I love being surrounded by the mountains and anywhere there are waterfalls, lakes, and rivers! Although, I do enjoy a day at the beach or a trip to a new destination that is filled with history and culture! I love sharing these experiences with my husband and our two girls, but we all value our time together as a family at home as well. My students enjoy hearing my stories (or at least that's what they tell me!) and I enjoy bringing my adventures into my classroom. Each day is a journey to be enjoyed and I am grateful to have so many people to share it with. Being a mom as well as a teacher/coach/mentor is one of the best parts of this journey!
I have been an educator for the past two decades as a high school Spanish teacher (West Branch Area High School), elementary teacher (West Branch Area and Bellefonte Area School Districts), and now as a middle school teacher at Central Mountain Middle School where I continue to embrace the joy of learning and inspiring those around me. Each opportunity has helped me grow as an educator in many ways. Meeting new people and building relationships is the best part of my job, not to mention the endless supply of hugs, high fives, and fist bumps! If I can be of any help to a fellow educator or offer to share my passion with anyone working with our youth, I can be reached at conuskanich@kcsd.k12.pa.us.