Mrs. Kluin's Korner

  Greetings and welcome to my homepage!  I would like to share just a little information about myself with you!  I grew up on a farm near the small town of Stratford, South Dakota.  This small town is located 20 miles southeast of Aberdeen, SD.  My father was a dairy farmer and milked cows for nearly 40 years!  He still farms with my brother today.  My mother was a teacher and later a stay-at-home mom raising four children.  It was great growing up on the farm!  We grew large gardens, raised many different types of animals, went fishing along the banks of the Jim River, rode in the grain trucks or combines during the harvest season, and went biking with friends and family all over the countryside!  We enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sunsets, building snow forts with friends in the winter, participating in the Brown County Fair every Fall, and enjoyed the fellowship of family and friends throughout every season!

I attended grades K-12 at Warner High School ! It was a small school with 24 students in my graduating class!  I then attended USD and received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and Mass Communications.  After graduating from USD, I went to work in the advertising department at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls for three years!  In 1991, I began teaching at Valley Springs Elementary!  I have taught Kindergarten for 4 years, 1st grade for 6 years, and this is my sixth year serving as a reading specialist for Brandon Elementary Schools. I also received my Master's Degree as a Reading Specialist in 1997.

My family is comprised of my husband, Rich, two daughters named Emily and Elisabeth, our dog named Maya, and two rabbits!  My two girls keep my very busy with their activities.  The girls enjoy dancing, drawing, 4-H, Girl Scouts, piano lessons, summer vacations, baking with Grandma, and going home to Grandpa's farm!  Emily loves Art, reading, music, computers, and horses!  Elisabeth loves our dog Maya, dancing, piano, and playing with her friends and all of her stuffed animals!