Hi! My name is Sara Bitting and I am one of the behavior strategists at King Elementary. This is my first year at King and I am so excited to join this team! I am from Des Moines and went to Jackson, Weeks, and Lincoln. After my years in Des Moines schools I graduated from Drake University. I absolutely love being a teacher and am excited to join the community at King. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and gardening.
Education
-Iowa State University – Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education
-Iowa State University – Masters in Education Administration
Teacher Experience
-Oak Park Elementary (9 years)
Academic Interventionist K-5 for 5 years
First grade for 1 year
Behavior Strategist for 2 years
Instructional Coach for 1 year
-King Elementary
Instructional Coach for 3 years
Family/Hobbies
I have two beautiful boys, Sawyer (who started Kindergarten this year) and Hunter (2 years old). We enjoy taking the dog for walks, going to the zoo, reading books, watching football and spending time with family.
Class Description
Education:
Creighton University, Omaha, NE Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education
University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE Master’s Degree in Elementary Education
Endorsements: English as a Second Language
Teaching Experience:
4th Grade Teacher Kellom Elementary (Omaha NE) 4 years
4th Grade Teacher Garton Elementary 1 year
Hobbies:
In my free time I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes. I love to go for runs and walks with my husband. We also love watching football and spending time with our friends and family.
Education:
Simpson College, Indianola, IA. Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Endorsement, Reading Endorsement, Coaching Endorsement.
Teaching Experience:
1999-2017 1st grade teacher Norwalk Elementary
2017-present King Elementary Interventionist
Family/Hobbies:
I live in Indianola, Ia. with my husband and my 3 boys. Two are in high school and I have 1 boy in elementary. We love to spend time together and my husband and I enjoy watching my boys play sports.
My name is Alex Udorvich, students call me “Miss U.” I am one of the Academic Interventionists here at King. I graduated from Iowa State University in 2016 with a degree in Elementary Education. I have endorsements in Social Studies, Language Arts, and Reading. I am currently working toward my Master’s Degree in Culturally Responsive Instruction and Leadership at Drake University with an endorsement in ESL. I enjoy watching TV and movies and going to live music. I also like to go for walks outside to enjoy nature’s beauty.
Education
• Clarke University: Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
• University of Northern Iowa: Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education
• Endorsements: K-8 Social Studies, K-8 Reading, K-12 English as a Second Language, PK-K Teacher, 5-8 Middle School Generalist, PK-12 Talented and Gifted, and K-12 Athletic Coach
Teaching Experience
• Holy Family School Pre-Kindergarten Teacher 1996-2007
• Hiatt Middle School Reading and Social Studies Teacher 2007-11
• DMPS Gifted and Talented Consultant 2011 to present
Family/Hobbies
• Spending Time with Family, Friends and Animals
• Traveling Around the World
• Listening and Playing Music
My name is Betsy Yates and I am an Academic Interventionist at King. I work with small group of students to practice math and reading skills. The 2021-2022 school year is my 12th year teaching at King and my 19th year teaching overall. My first six years of teaching I taught 5th grade and when I started at King I taught first grade for three years before moving to an interventionist position.
I am originally from Missouri and attended college at Truman State University and played on the golf team. While at Truman, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Since teaching at King I have also earned my Reading Endorsement from Upper Iowa University.
I have two teenagers and we stay busy with their activities and our dog. During the Covid-19 pandemic we started fostering kittens and haven’t stopped!
I am so excited to be returning to King and see our students learn and grow this year!!