

Introduction to Fifth Grade Staff:
My name is Curtis Eckart. I graduated from Emporia State University in 1990 with a bachelor degree in Education. I am currently working towards a master’s degree from Kansas State University in Curriculum and Instruction. In 1993 I started teaching at West Elementary and since have taught fourth and fifth grade. During the fall, I am an assistant football coach for Wamego High School.
My name is Stacey Hirt. I earned my bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University in May of 2000. I intend to start a master’s program within the next couple of years. I started teaching at West Elementary in August of 2000. I have taught fourth and fifth grade self-contained and language arts only.
My name is Ali Strathman and I teach 5th Grade at West Elementary. I graduated from Kansas State University in the spring of 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a middle level math endorsement. I started teaching at West Elementary in August of 2010.
My name is Natalie Dobie and I teach 5th Grade at West Elementary. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, OK in the spring of 2009. I then went on to earn my Master of Science degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in Reading & Language Arts in the fall of 2010. This will be my first year of teaching. I student taught in a 1st grade classroom at Hugoton Elementary in Hugoton, KS in the spring of 2009. Before coming to West Elementary, I worked as a Special Education Para Educator for two years at Eisenhower Middle School in Manhattan.
My name is Angela Dau. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 1997 from Governors State University. I taught middle school for 10 years in the Chicago area. I have also worked as a substitute teacher in the Chicago area and in Kansas. I am currently teaching an awesome fifth grade class. My passion is educating children and I am so excited to be a part of the West Elementary community.
Resources
Here are some resources you can access from home to help practice specific skills in each content area: